Wow!
Hey all you "Debbie Downers" lol
I've been here for a couple of years and usually keep my honest opinions to myself...but I'll add my two cents today
First of all let's all remember that this is a forum. Sometimes the traffic is good, sometimes bad. I don't want to downgrade the work MC is doing here but it is just a forum and usually the last thing I check before I go to bed. Sometimes I have time to check it out other times I don't. The forum is only good as the community that visits it and contributes. If you all are jumping ship because presently there is no traffic here then I think you are all pretty selfish. I bet you had no problem searching the archived pages of this particular forum to get information (usually not found anywhere else) on puppet building. Or had no problem asking a question to a puppet building problem; only to get a solution from another member that saved you time and money. It's not like MC is asking you to pay a membership fee or asking it's members to put in a couple hours a day. I think that people need to stay on, visit when they can, comment when they can. I think most of you are looking into this whole "why people don't come on here anymore" thing too much. Besides how do you know how much traffic is happening here?
Secondly, I usually don't comment here when someone posts something they want feedback with. I'll usually PM them as I think constructive criticism should be between two people and not in an open forum. However, sometimes I don't have time to comment but it was nice to see that person's work. Remember that this is the Internet and that there are many eyes looking at the work you post here. Just because nobody replies doesn't mean your work suck and goes unoticed. It may mean that I have a pot of boiling water on the stove, a family needing to be fed and the laundry needing to be sorted and folded, so unfortunately saying good job on a puppet build is low on my priority.
Thirdly, I've seen some of the "old-timers" still on here, don't kid yourself. I know that most people venture here when they have the chance but many do not contribute because some of the questions asked here have already been answered about a million times. If people would do a search of the question they have before they post, than they would find an answer and wouldn't need to asked. Often I've seen the same question be asked, but the great thing I've witnessed is that the same care has been given to answer that question as it was the first time it was asked.
All in all I think this forum is a valuable source of information and brings a community that was once shrouded in secretcy together to sharing ideas so that one day we can reach our puppeteering dream- whatever that maybe. I hope that if you do leave it is only for a short while and if decide never to return, then it was nice knowing ya. LOL