State of the Strut
RAJ
tenacious local 7,782 Posts
Within the past couple years, the traffic on here and activity has been in free fall.
Lately, I've been really contemplating whether to continue past the next year or so. Partially because I'm getting less and less value from this site. I started this site 13 years a go as a hungry 23 year old who had a passion for music, old records, journalism, and web site development. In a couple of days, I turn 37 and my interests and tastes have changed and I find my self more and more disinterested in the topics on here... Not to mention the lack of topics in general.
Just curious how you feel about Soul Strut... There are less and less of you on here these days and I'm really not privy to social media and all the garbage.
Lately, I've been really contemplating whether to continue past the next year or so. Partially because I'm getting less and less value from this site. I started this site 13 years a go as a hungry 23 year old who had a passion for music, old records, journalism, and web site development. In a couple of days, I turn 37 and my interests and tastes have changed and I find my self more and more disinterested in the topics on here... Not to mention the lack of topics in general.
Just curious how you feel about Soul Strut... There are less and less of you on here these days and I'm really not privy to social media and all the garbage.
Comments
there are still a handful of knowledgable regulars that have something interesting or funny to say who, when all is said and done, contribute more to the site than the trolls/attention whores/bores ultimately detract from it.
I sincerely hope the board keeps on... feels like i have spent the better part of the last decade with some folks here. it's been a source and facilitator of a number of real world and electronic friendships.
That being said, I will miss this place when it's gone along with folks who I only have contact with here.
Either way, thanks for many years of entertainment Raj.
But I do not want to lose this place at all.
Is there any way to keep it going with less work, etc. from you? If so, how would you feel about it continuing with less of your time and input?
I joined within the last year and have been
into records for the majority of my life. I just
turned 43 and I have 2 young ones so I am
hardly online and definitely am not into the
social media thing. This is the only forum
I participate in and I barely participate at that.
I use this site to get turned onto new music
period and find a lot of great insight from the
members. I've bought some great records
from your classifieds section and pretty much
check that out daily as well as see what's
shakin' on the board in general. However
if this doesn't float your boat anymore then
it's probably time to turn the page and hit the
reset button. I stumbled onto your site and
then shortly thereafter discovered the waxi
mobile but I've always considered myself
more Strut. Regardless, thanks for creating
this as I've appreciated its existence.
I wish there was a way to either make it so you don't have to do much, or hand it over to someone you trust.
If you do pull the plug, I suggest trying to archive the posts of the cats that have passed on in a way that people could revisit them somehow. Not being able to occasionally re-read the Monty threads would honestly break my heart.
Maybe you could sell it to some 23 year old who loves this stuff. It wouldn't be the same without Raj but your hard work would live on.
Thanks for all your years of dedication to the site and I'll respect any decision you make.
But seeing like 8 threads a day on here with minimal replies is totally depressing (and embarrassing).
Need to resuscitate this beeitch.
I still use, appreciate and love the exposure of certain music that can only be found through the posters on this site.
samesies
I can't think of another "online community" which even comes close to this one as far as info, music, and just incredible stories.
But yeah, if you ain't feelin' it no mo, probably time to hang it up.
We all gettin' older...
Forum and Mixes can stay. And then see what happens.
Doesn't the Classified section bring in some revenue though? Probably pretty active section of the site.
Otherwise, excellent idea...I imagine less work to maintain as well?
I'm not a good threadstarter. I'm a good thread adder. Plus I've gotta busy workload off the webz. I do my best to contribute and I'm trying my damnedest to continue the beatoffs. Perhaps I'll start more threads and see what happens. I'd say don't do it and eliminate things that give you fits because of hackers, whiney PMs, etc.
Fear of the Latte Pass.
At least Foxy has f*cked off. So, there's that.
I will miss it, even though I'm not a collector. I say keep it going, you old fart.
I agree with you on this.
Dare i say, has a fee-based approach been taken into consideration?
I rarely post outside of the NBA thread now, but this site is one of 5 or so websites that is a part of my daily routine.
I also feel now might be the appropriate time to separate the forum by categories. "Records" "Family" "Sports". It won't be the same magical machine that had NRR's but it will definitely be more focused and I believe will have a core group of posters in each category that will allow the content to stay fresh. Right now, the board is unfocused and like you said, apathetic in general.
Yeah, this.
Problem is, what if Raj is not interested in this anymore.
I say Raj, do your thing. Make it into a site that interests YOU as well.
If the forum needs a home improvement/gardening category for the grown folks, I say do that. Again, we've had threads like this, but it will disappear among the other threads. Keep it focused. Allow the busier dudes to get in, see some pictures, get out with the quickness. And in order to do that, you need categories (max 5 or so). Instead of having to do a "Post search and post into a stale thread".
Don't know if this is a question for me, but I'd say 1/10th the amount of my peak hours on the board nearly a decade ago.
I never bother with any of those sites. If it doesn't make it to Soulstrut I don't know about it.
Raj, you should be happy, whatever that takes.
If you decide to get rid of soulstrut I will be even more disconnected than I am now, but I will be more productive.
question for Raj
In all seriousness. Raj should look to ways of keeping the site up, but changing up things to lower any costs if his heart isn't in it any longer. Hosting mixes elsewhere or doing different forums/hosting or whatever.
It would be a shame to not have this place any longer. This is the only forum I still check at all.
Too bad there wasn't a way to monetize posting on here. Where doing things like replying to post, making threads, views on your threads get and replies all get you different amount of points. You set up a partnership with a different premium partner every 6 months or year or whatever. You give them ads across the site or some shit and at the end of the time frame chosen the top 1 or 3 posters with points gets $500 credit from that partners site.
Anyways, crazy out of the box thinking...
On the real....
Many quality posters have moved on.
The music discussions have run their course. Top 5 WU Solo joints.....U cant be serious? That butter has been over-churned.
The newjacks join and dont really contribute. They introduce and disappear. Thriller fans.
The "political" muthafuckas cant keep their hands off the keyboard. Sopranos and The Wire fans.
If im not mistaken this shit was really built on breaks/Hip Hop. That shit is from the previous generation.
There arent a gang of new internet kids sweating Power of Zeus that way folks did before.
And Hip Hop is on some Barber Shop Quartet steez these days. Its niche now and not the dominant flavor anymore.
Ive met/interacted w/ some great muthafuckas up here.
I'd hate to see her leave but im human enuff to see the love aint the same.
I'd prefer to leave on a good note and bow out gracefully than hang around lovin' of that love from years ago.
I dont wanna hate a bitch before I could let shit go.
This place has made my life richer and continues to do so and I will be really bummed if it ends, but do what you have to do Raj.