Why are local forums/clubs struggling?

[Humblefish]

In addition to being a mod here, I am also an admin for a local reefing forum/club (Louisiana). And like most local clubs nowadays, we are seeing a decline in member participation. However, local Facebook groups are on the upswing.

I get the convenience of Facebook, but it saddens me that local forums/clubs could one day be a thing of the past. Especially as I've seen a (searchable) knowledge base develop over the years, people are always willing to help one another out, and I've been a part of many great local gtgs: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/larc-shrimp-boil-march-10th.359614/

Just looking for input/opinions from the R2R community, as I try to wrap my mind around this.

 

[jleblanc26]

In this day and age of people wanting to text each other rather than call or visit. It’s not surprising. It’s the “all about me era” and getting together with friends/clubs is inconvenient to people. They just want answers to their problems and not bother mingling with these knowledgeable people, lol.

 

[WVNed]

Social media is making people anti-social.

edit
I did not mean this as hit and run humor.

The next time you are sitting in a restaurant look around and see how many tables have people staring at their phones instead of looking at and speaking to each other.
Saw a party of 8 doing this last week.
It is ingrained into people now.
My own kids and their spouses do it.

 

[Greybeard]

I was once a founding member of a local reef club. Back in the glory days... growing membership, lots of events, good turnout at meetings... good stuff. In 1995, it was easy

A couple years ago, when I got back into the hobby, I was less than happy to learn that group no longer existed. I joined a local group, and was disappointed to find that the same 6 guys were the only ones we could get to show up to meetings. The one meeting a year where we gave away free frags, we'd get 20 or 30 people, but other meetings? Just a handful. A friend and I showed up for one meeting to find we were the only ones coming.

People for some reason have come to believe that this sort of thing should be (A) free, and (B) not require ANY effort on their part. Even forums are declining in popularity, in favor of Facebook... FB shoves what it thinks you'd like in your face. No effort required on your part.

You tell folks you want $20 a year, and you're expected to show up once a month for an hour meeting... Just too much work for today's zero effort society.

 

[dwest]

I was once a founding member of a local reef club. Back in the glory days... growing membership, lots of events, good turnout at meetings... good stuff. In 1995, it was easy

A couple years ago, when I got back into the hobby, I was less than happy to learn that group no longer existed. I joined a local group, and was disappointed to find that the same 6 guys were the only ones we could get to show up to meetings. The one meeting a year where we gave away free frags, we'd get 20 or 30 people, but other meetings? Just a handful. A friend and I showed up for one meeting to find we were the only ones coming.

People for some reason have come to believe that this sort of thing should be (A) free, and (B) not require ANY effort on their part. Even forums are declining in popularity, in favor of Facebook... FB shoves what it thinks you'd like in your face. No effort required on your part.

You tell folks you want $20 a year, and you're expected to show up once a month for an hour meeting... Just too much work for today's zero effort society.

Plus you can get information here!

 

[Antics]

I think the culture of local clubs is an issue for a lot of people. It's cliquey and there's always someone "who has been reefing for 130 years and knows everything and has tried everything and all this new stuff is garbage designed to take your money" etc. Reef2Reef in general is a much friendlier atmosphere.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

To me the actual meeting of other people is great. It seems easier to explain an issue, get or give advise, or actually show an interest in what someone is talking about. Human interaction aids in someone actually seeing the concern you have, as well as possibly trying to understand what you are explaining. A 2 minute conversation can do so much more then 50,000 posts, as you can have a real discussion without waiting for someone to reply. Do not get me wrong, I love forums for help and advice, but local reef clubs that actually get together, talk, and help each other seem more beneficial to everyone in a club.

 

[declanisadog]

I quit paying attention to the hobby for a couple of years, and was very surprised that this was the case upon my return. It's definitely a bummer.

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

I think the culture of local clubs is an issue for a lot of people. It's cliquey and there's always someone "who has been reefing for 130 years and knows everything and has tried everything and all this new stuff is garbage designed to take your money" etc. Reef2Reef in general is a much friendlier atmosphere.

THIS. The attitudes of folks in hobbies, not just this one, can drive away new folks. People get shamed for making mistakes, and it becomes less about support for a newbie, and more about ego stroking and being correct about something. Now, I can't speak about any group, but while a shared hobby can bring folks together, different skill levels and personalities can certainly drive them apart. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Greybeard]

Plus you can get information here!

Yes. You can get INFORMATION from here, and other sites on the internet. There is more to a club than information.

Need a group of bigugly dudes to help you move a tank? Nope, can't get that from a website.

Need to borrow the club owned equipment like suction cup glass movers, wet band saw, PAR meter, etc? Nope, can't get that from a website.

Starting a new tank, want a cup of sand from various sources? Nope, can't get that from a website.

Looking for free coral frags to fill in your empty box 'o rocks? Nope, can't get that from a website.

 

[ThunderGoose]

I used to be a member of an aquarium club. I had to quit because I was young, single, and female so some of the guys thought I was there to find dates. Too many guys hitting on me at the meetings and I really quit enjoying it.

Now my local reef club (I am a member) meet over an hour from my house so I don't usually go. I'm active on the site and use that to find someone to borrow stuff from or buy frags from.

 

[Humblefish]

THIS. The attitudes of folks in hobbies, not just this one, can drive away new folks. People get shamed for making mistakes, and it becomes less about support for a newbie, and more about ego stroking and being correct about something. Now, I can't speak about any group, but while a shared hobby can bring folks together, different skill levels and personalities can certainly drive them apart. Just my 2 cents.

This happens sometimes on my local forum. A member doesn't like another member, because the latter comes off as a know-it-all. (People probably say that about me. ) But just when I think the know-it-all member is a "problem", I'll have someone else tell me how much they've learned from that person. So, it's hard to make everyone happy and sometimes we just need to learn to make allowance for each other's faults.

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

Yes. You can get INFORMATION from here, and other sites on the internet. There is more to a club than information.

Need a group of bigugly dudes to help you move a tank? Nope, can't get that from a website.

Need to borrow the club owned equipment like suction cup glass movers, wet band saw, PAR meter, etc? Nope, can't get that from a website.

Starting a new tank, want a cup of sand from various sources? Nope, can't get that from a website.

Looking for free coral frags to fill in your empty box 'o rocks? Nope, can't get that from a website.

I don't disagree, but why do you think clubs are on the decline? Is it trust issues? Personality issues? I remember being part of a cool freshwater group in Jacksonville, NC, and when I relocated to MD, there was nothing to be found. DC had a group, but I reached out several times and no one ever responded. It was strange, but I've since grown accustomed to doing all of my aquarium work and research online. The group in NC had its issues, but there were some cool folks and we would swap and rehome fish all the time.

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

I used to be a member of an aquarium club. I had to quit because I was young, single, and female so some of the guys thought I was there to find dates. Too many guys hitting on me at the meetings and I really quit enjoying it.

Now my local reef club (I am a member) meet over an hour from my house so I don't usually go. I'm active on the site and use that to find someone to borrow stuff from or buy frags from.

That sucks. Sorry those jackholes made you feel icky when all you wanted to do was enjoy the hobby.

 

[Greybeard]

THIS. The attitudes of folks in hobbies, not just this one, can drive away new folks. People get shamed for making mistakes, and it becomes less about support for a newbie, and more about ego stroking and being correct about something. Now, I can't speak about any group, but while a shared hobby can bring folks together, different skill levels and personalities can certainly drive them apart. Just my 2 cents.

My 'other' hobby is firearms. I showed up at a benchrest match a dozen years ago or so. 8 guys, been competing against each other since 1974. Not interested in making new friends, not interested in sharing the sport, not interested in helping a new shooter get started... I left that event, sold the only benchrest appropriate rifle I owned, and never went back. I fully expect the sport to die off as it's elderly members do... and that's just fine with me.

 

[AlexStinson]

Our local club and forum is dead as well, but it honestly seems the hobby is in rough shape in my area. We used to be big enough to host a decent sized frag swap, now we don't even meet. (Although I do get to go meet up with one lucky former member this afternoon).

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

My 'other' hobby is firearms. I showed up at a benchrest match a dozen years ago or so. 8 guys, been competing against each other since 1974. Not interested in making new friends, not interested in sharing the sport, not interested in helping a new shooter get started... I left that event, sold the only benchrest appropriate rifle I owned, and never went back. I fully expect the sport to die off as it's elderly members do... and that's just fine with me.

Sounds about right. I'm a vet who just happens to like to stay sharp, and I have one local buddy that I can share the hobby with as we go trap shooting from time to time. Honestly, I kinda enjoy doing things on my own, but it would be nice to have some support that wasn't an hour away. If you don't mind me asking, where are you located?

 

[Greybeard]

I used to be a member of an aquarium club. I had to quit because I was young, single, and female so some of the guys thought I was there to find dates. Too many guys hitting on me at the meetings and I really quit enjoying it.

Now my local reef club (I am a member) meet over an hour from my house so I don't usually go. I'm active on the site and use that to find someone to borrow stuff from or buy frags from.

Chasing away new members because they're female is stupidity beyond reason.

I mentioned my firearms hobby earlier in this thread... that's one place, after generations of effort, us old white gun guys are starting to get it. Women are the fastest growing segment in firearm sports. The first step towards bringing in more women was to put an end to the kind of BS you experienced in that aquarium club.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Local club here meets on a Thursday night, I have to work Friday morning and they usually meet up far away from me. Just doesn't work for me and I can see that it wouldn't work for a family either.

Hang with the guys and have some drinks kinda attitude works for them, but their membership has declined as well. Works for them I guess.

 

[Coastie Reefer]

Howdy Humble. Just my personal opinion, but some forums aren't as user friendly as say, R2R.

If LARC's homepage listed recent threads like R2R, there may be more participation. Maybe, maybe not I guess. I know I'd be a lot more active if we had more NELA members, but it seem like everyone is south of I-10.