So where are they and what are they doing? (page 33 of 33)

hi, how do you know it’s the same person? Also, the message is still there—should we report it?

In the space of a week, when two usernames post the same kind of link, it’s safe to assume the first one’s already been banned.

ah okay, I get it now. We don’t talk about "pétroleuses" anymore (rest in peace, Ms. Cardinale), but about "michet*nneuses" 😛

Did I see that right?

16,919 visitors online in the last hour! 365 members online in the last 24 hours!

Hello everyone,

I’m one of those who come by here much less often. Tonight, I finally had a moment, so I wandered around the forum a bit at random… and it made me happy to be back in this section. During Covid, I kept traveling, but to “familiar” destinations that were easier to manage. And when I wanted to discover new countries, since VF was closed, I got into the habit of turning to Facebook: I’d find dedicated groups, join them, and gather some of the info I needed. It’s convenient—all in one place, I’ve got my trips, my friends, my passions… my whole little virtual life. And let’s be honest: I have less time than before. Instead of planning my trips down to the last detail, I’m running around, working, and struggling to scrape together a few hours, and when I do, I read. I don’t think I’m the only one in this situation. As for forums… I think the times have just changed. We’re more into images, videos, quick and fun content that we consume and then forget. VF is more “laid-back,” more long-lasting. And that’s exactly what makes it strong: a solid reference for those who like to take their time, really share, and keep a record. Even if the traffic isn’t what it was in the days of 1.3 million members 😉, the forum still has its place—maybe less noisy, but still essential.[:)

And where will those who’ve come back and keep answering travelers’ questions go? On WhatsApp, if I’m to believe two messages posted today by VF, since that’s where requests will be made.

Suggestion sent today by VF in response to questions posted... the day before:

Hello,

We’ve set up a WhatsApp group called "Expert Helping Hand" so you can ask locals your questions if you’re not getting enough or satisfactory answers on VF.

We realized that some questions were going unanswered or weren’t fully meeting expectations. Here’s the link if you’d like to ask your question about your kids in Indonesia: chat.whatsapp.com/H7vo93maA6XJD2WHAZcoZ7

It’s completely free, of course.

I’m not the best person to answer that. As an old fogey, I only discovered WhatsApp a year ago, and I’ve just barely opened a Facebook account. And even then, it was kind of out of necessity.

Here’s another reminder that the world changes at lightning speed, and we’ve got to unlearn some things just as fast as we had to learn them in the first place.

This catchy and somewhat mysterious title comes from several questions I’ve been asking myself.

VF has been back open for a reasonable number of weeks and months now. The number of visitors overall matches past averages, but the number of members online in the last 24 hours seems relatively lower than before.

Yet, to my great surprise, I’m seeing fewer travel journals, far fewer messages, and far fewer questions. I don’t see many new registered users online, and I see a number of members who are connected but not participating—or no longer participating.

Something’s not adding up for me because, in my opinion, VF is still appealing, and I don’t see which other sites could compete with it.

Was there a real break between pre- and post-Covid? Does it just take more time for some people to discover the site or learn that it’s active again? Do people now prefer a form of quick consumption on sites like FB or others I don’t know about? Where have the old-timers gone, and what are they doing with their time now? What’s really going on?

Hi everyone. I can confirm that the forum had reopened, then announced its definitive closure while waiting for a buyer, so that’s probably the main reason for the disappearance of contributors. Personally, I only just found out today that we can post again after receiving an alert about a discussion I was following before.