This morning as I sat here at Pixies alone, completely alone. I was shocked and disheartened to see I was really alone. No members, no guests.

I have noticed a dramatic drop in posts and new threads as well. Is it possible that we have run out of things to say? Are people just too busy to bother anymore?

At first I blamed the time of year but it usually picks up. We have always praised the community when things were busy and humming along. What about when it's not? Being stagnant is not a good thing for a forum community.

One problem I know is that Kim used to pimp links to our site on other sites to keep fresh visitors coming and that no longer happens. Another problem has been the change of chat to smaller and less frequented networks (originally we were on a huge sex based one).

I guess I'm asking for your opinion and some advice. How can we keep the place we love so much fresh and inviting?

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The practice of putting women on pedestals began to die out when it was discovered that they could give orders better from there.~ Betty Grable

If I wanted your opinion, I'd remove the duct tape and ask you for it.~ Me
<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>
One man's dream is another man's nightmare~~~~> §¤ Lilith ¤§
~>My Scribbles<~
==>Gone Shopping<== ~Just a Quickie~ *~A Celebration Vacation~* ~Surprises~ Sleeping With the Window Open
What Did You Do Today? Self Defense Class ~Short Sweet Snippets~ § Summer Spin § Story Challenge Submission Pajamas

What can we do that won't alter the site to something no longer us?

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Calm, quiet, smooth, devastating

I noticed it too Lilith. And I'm guilty of posting less these days. Not because I enjoy pixies less, I've just found myself with less to say. I still am here every day reading the threads and posting if something comes to my mind.

I'm not sure it's anything to act upon yet as I see enough fresh blood coming through.

I'm guessing quite a few members are having life happen and keeping them here less frequently. Hopefully, their lives will settle back down again soon and they will be back to their flurries of posts.

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When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and swing.

Not sure what it takes to get people back and posting. I love Pixies and unless I'm gone (or my computer's broke), I'm here a lot. I know I tend to spend most of my time in either the Smut Games or in General Chat, but I try to make the rounds every so often just to see what's happening.

Biggest positives are things that tend to bring a smile to my face. Sharing about PAGAN or games that are simply fun or things that are happening to us in our lives. Those are great and seem to build a sense of community. Pictures and stories I think are the biggest potential draw for new members, but once they visit, they need something that'll make them feel at home.

Biggest turn-off's for me are "political" or "social issue" threads. I don't mean simply a short reaction to some major event like a hurricane or 911 or something like that ... but ... attempts to project personal philosophies. We're a diverse community and while what we say may appeal to some, it's liable to drive others away. I've tried to intentionally stay away from these threads because a couple of times ... they almost caused me to leave. By focusing to what I enjoy and that relaxes me ... I ended up staying ... but it would have been easy to go.

I'm concerned that politics, religion and social issues are not topics that will give visitor's very warm feelings about making Pixies their "home."

Just my opinion for whatever that's worth.

Lilith,

I think that anatagonistic language and personal attacks may be a bit of a turrn off for some.

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Eudaimonia

it may be that what db and jseal say is true, but imho those things are all part of life and human interaction. i love that we can talk about anything, not just sex. and it keeps things more interesting for me, not less; more like a friend's house, and less like a red-light district. perhaps that wasn't the original intentions of this great place and perhaps the majority of us would rather it be pictures and stories. i can dig that but i sure would miss being able to chat about whatever comes to mind with my friends, instead of looking at you all as sex objects. i dunno...i really think it would suck the life out of this place.

if, in the past, it was the custom to pimp pixies and that's what kept the new members coming in, then that should be done again. don't worry about the riffraff it may attract or how those new members may change pixies. you and the other mods put the kibosh on shitty behavior anyway and set the friendly tone that this forum is famous for. there is no reason to think it would be any different in the future. besides, change is good and just because pimping may attract some people who don't share the friendly views most of us have bout each other does not mean it won't attract like-minded people as well.


please understand that i am not trying to be insulting to you db, jseal or of. the above is just the opinion of a person that found this site totally by accident and was shocked to discover that it isn't smut and sex and nude pictures. it's friends and people being sexual and kind and mean and opinionated and loving and neighborly and caring and not-so-caring and...well, they're being people.


(((((pixies))))

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Trees give peace to the souls of men * Nora Waln

The forest would be very quiet if no other birds sang than those who sing the best * Henry van Dyke

some fairly sordid tales, rambles, and anecdotes
Hypothetically Speaking * Something More * Cammy Interrupted * An Experimental Vacation * Masked * so..damn..hot * Thank You * My toy, his idea * no.19 Maple Lane * I Have A Surprise For You * Yesterday * In a Quiet Kitchen * help me decide * untitled prose * more untitled prose

wyndhy,

No offense taken madam.

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Eudaimonia

I admit, I'm really gun-shy about pimping Pixies. I used to be a big part of a forum that went to hell when it joined forces with a site and became one of a hundred "places to go" for those members. There were distinct differences in that there weren't pictures or stories. There weren't games. There just was a variety of sex discussion sections, each with threads posted within. The site was also unmoderated and one had the ability to post a comment under any name they chose to make up. With that anonymity ( ) came a shitty attitude prone to flaming.

I was introduced to Pixies by MichaelSmith. Michael was my cohort at the other site and we interacted a lot before he passed me the link here. I can honestly say that I'm not at any other site with enough frequency, or close to anyone elsewhere like I am to those that touch me here. If I were...I'd invite them here.

Soooooo.....uh.....the only people I know well enough to recommend Pixies to.......are Pixies!

Some would say I need to get out more. I contest that I would if I needed something Pixies didn't have.

Maybe I'll have my mom pass the link around her sewing circle.

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Though I am different from you,
We were born involved in one another.

For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.

Complete surrender should not just come at moments in which one faces overwhelming odds, but in the calm when it seems one is personally in complete control of one's life.

I have been concerned about the dead air in chat lately, don't have any ideas about how to pump it up either...I've noticed the overall slowdown in the site as well, but like OF, I don't know that any policy change wouldn't affect the closeness we have...sometimes I eagerly sign on, hoping for something the pique my interest, & suddenly find myself with nothing to say...or at least nothing that hasn't been said before...

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Plug me into somethin'

If the theory does not conform to the facts, then the facts must be discarded.

No good deed ever goes unpunished

Never argue with an idiot. He'll drag you down to his level, & beat you with experience.

Say it anyway...I have no short term memory.

__________________
Though I am different from you,
We were born involved in one another.

For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.

Complete surrender should not just come at moments in which one faces overwhelming odds, but in the calm when it seems one is personally in complete control of one's life.

I know that I am guilty of being a slacker in posting recently. When I was over with Mayhem, I rarely touched the computer (I was too busy touching him)

I think that my personal lack of posting comes from stress in real life. when things are going well, you can't hardly shut me up. I was a chat-room addict, and a smut gamer extraordinaire. Now with Mayhem and I jumping through 290384670924569867 hoops just to get married, and the worries of jobs, housing, education, et cetera, well, makes me clam up.

I miss the way it was before the US gov't decided to infringe on our rights and make posting sexy pictures more difficult. That made things die down around here, I noticed.

as for suggestions on how to liven it up? I can't tell ya... my brain feels a bit bloated at the moment. I'll think on it and post back at ya.

I think that once things really start to move for Mayhem and I, that I will be a happy poster again...

Me too...say what anyway?

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Plug me into somethin'

If the theory does not conform to the facts, then the facts must be discarded.

No good deed ever goes unpunished

Never argue with an idiot. He'll drag you down to his level, & beat you with experience.

i visit pixies evey night and go through the general posts, i find this site excellent and dont really see any need for change as they say people come and people go as their intrests change, i am sure however that more people will find this site and join in at some stage (i was luking in the back ground for around 2 years before i joined). and i must say however the only thing for me is the times i have posted i get very little responce so i kinda feel like i am left out of the conversation so therefore i tend not to post other than to add to a birthday thread, so dont anyone take my comments the wrong way as these are just my thoughts

What anyway.

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Though I am different from you,
We were born involved in one another.

For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.

Complete surrender should not just come at moments in which one faces overwhelming odds, but in the calm when it seems one is personally in complete control of one's life.

I also took no offense, wyndhy. Like I said, I basically try to avoid threads that are too political. On the other hand, I enjoy reading and sharing about the lives of our fellow pixies. That does, I think, build community.