Where has the love gone?

Boomer Fett

Active Hunter
Let me first preface this by saying that I am by no means an old head here as you can see from my join date. I went down with a knee injury about 6 months ago and because of that I went inactive here. When I come back I notice a different "feeling" here from when I left. When I first started here the only word I could use to describe this board was "family". There was tradjedies abounding with sick spouses and stolen cars or the ever growing line of divorces. However, if you were willing to air your dirty laundry then you would have a support base from all corners of the world willing to help where they could and in any way they could. I threw together my fett and sold some mannequins here and could have walked away if it were not for the sense of community I found here that fell in love with.

I wanted to help (probably the cop or Air Force in me) so I offered up free stuff for extra parts that I had come across and in return I recieved stuff from fellow members at little to no cost. I found help everywhere I looked and did what I could to help in return. I met some really GREAT guys (and gals) on here and made friendships that have endured pretty well. Which brings me to my point...

Since my return, I have sensed a different sensation of competition, frustration and lack of community. I see the Cargo Hold is more of a business and Karma has become a waiting game to see if the last guy will actually go through with what they agree to do. The COC has gone a little unchecked by the Mods and I have seen at least three threads of "Make me an offer" in the Hold. I have heard grumbling that the Wiki will hold all of the knowledge to cut down on the useless questions.

I have seen an outpouring of the "recaster" issue bubbling up to where people are banned while the issue never really gets resolved. I have seen people bowing out of the board and taking with them a great deal of experience and knowledge. Why are these people leaving? They have their reason. Everyone has a life off the boards (if you don't then get one). But the sense of community and family that was so heavilly present when I joined seems to have waned a bit. I have expressed these thoughts to three of my closest friends on here just to hear it echoed back to me from the same disaproving stance. I have even seen them remove their non costumed pics from thier albums so that nobody knows their faces.

Have we strayed so far into this as to have removed the family from TDH? Do we only help the people we know and trust? Do we want a board where the human feeling is removed and all we have are files to rumage through and the next great Fett item is point and click?

If you have positive thoughts or stories then tell the board. If you want to vent then LET IT FLY. Lets try and stay on topic and family friendly. Even if the mods are busy, I want the family mood here.

Gimme your $.02

Ivan (Boomer Fett)
 
Ivan,

I agree...
I have noticed allot of the (what I deem the older fett heads) disappear, but I put that down to moving onto other projects etc. but it is allot different from when I joined... was allot more friendlier.
As for the "make me an offer" I too agree as per the COC you should state a price for your offering.
And as for sharing? guys... If I have ref then ask and I shall share...

Kudos for bringing it up bruv.

Gav
@ AA don't take it personal mate...
 
I agree with what you are saying Ivan. I have noticed the loss of the family feel to the forum. I don't know if I have an answer to it. I can't put my finger on any one thing and say that is what is making things change. Is it that we have come a long way in our Fett knowledge? Maybe. Is it that people that were active have finished their Fetts and have moved on. Maybe. Is it that people have gotten discouraged and upset and gone elsewhere. Maybe. I don't know. I do hate it when I see members with a lot of knowledge leave for whatever reason. There are always questions to be anwered and tips to give. When that knowledge base goes away I think everyone suffers.

I hope everyone knows that I would help any of you any way I could. I will provide all the tips that I have (which are limite :) ), and I will always be ready to congratulate you on your hard work. I hope we can get that family feeling back. Maybe we need to have a good old family reunion. We definately need our spark back.
 
I'm quite new around here,but I will say that I've made some real good friends through TDH.
Sometimes the place does seem to be more like a shop frount than a forum site.
Too many people trying to sell stuff,too few people helping with tips an advice.
One thing I hate is when someone asks a question the reply they get is "do a search" or "use the search function".
By all means post a link to another thread that my help,but don't try to make someone look small or dumb.

Remember there is no such thing as a stupid question,only stupid answers.


FMF
 
I'm new too, but I've not really felt like people have been rude to me or anything. The comments of "use the search" are kind of jerky. The search function isn't the best ever. If you don't know exactly what you are looking for, you'll turn up 1000 listings where someone one time mentioned a word you were looking for and you'll have to scour through all the topics to find that out.

If you want me to be a part of the family, I will gladly take on the role of snarky, sarcastic brother.
 
well from looking at this thread the Texans, Okies and Brits are friendly.

I am new here too, and I have noticed some of both, but overall I have felt welcomed and have gotten the info I have been looking for. I have noticed some of the "search for it" replies also. Though when I asked a "color" question which in theory you could search easily I did get polite replies and help.

I am just going to do my part to make this place decent.
 
I hear ya man. I realy beleive that this past year has been a tough one for everyone; what with all the public and personal tragedies, and that it is up to all of us to reach out and try to make this the friendly, supportive community that it always has been (I just wish there was an easy way to do that:().

I must say however, I am very impressed with the creativity and talent of the growing number of TDH newcomers(y), and I'm sure thier influx of fresh talent and support will help to remedy the seemingly "broken family bonds" of our wonderful comunity.

My 2 cents worth as requested.
 
Ivan, you were one of the first members i met here, and got to know on a personal level...we even had the opportunity to meet, and hang out a few times...being new, anxiously awaiting that item we were needing to pop up in the cargo hold, spending hours and hours referencing pictures, having that thrill of trying to paint something on our own, and many other wonderful trials and tribulations, was one of the things that made this place so exciting...then, in our quest to build and perfect our Fetts, we met those individuals that were so helpful, those that were on the same path that we were on, and we developed awesome friendships and became "family"...i am right there with you, brother...that close nit bond that TDH had became the reason i hurriedly signed on every chance i got...to see what my brothers were working on next, or what they had just found in the cargo hold...gradually, becoming more and more informed and educated, that lending hand went out to those that came after us...the thrill to "see" the light go on in a newbs head after explaining how to make something work, or how to attach a part on the costume, became more and more prevelant as time went on...then, getting to that point of offering something to the community as a vendor, took over reasons for coming to TDH...all the pms to answer, all the armor to paint, blasters to build up, etc...i guess in the progress of the life of a member of TDH, at least in my experience, you turn away from the original reason you came to TDH, and that was the bond of "family"...being right there at the same point as your brother...helping, lending a hand, building your own Fett...i am guilty, i have become that member that has lost that kinship with his friends...turned my experiences here into means to an end...i guess that over time, as we come to completion of our costumes, or become vendors with priorities to our buyers, that family feeling tends to slip away, and need to be reminded of what makes TDH the amazing place that it is, and that is "family"...cheers for opening the curtain and shedding some light on what TDH has become...whether it has become that because of where we are personally, or if it has become that for everyone...i know i can do better in my part of the family, and i thank you for sharing your thoughts...cheers, my brother! you will always be one of my best of friends...here, or anywhere...

D
 
Well said D, feeling that bro. It can be hard to strike a balance. Recently, due to my new son, Harry I have not had as much time to be in the workshop or to post that much. Things will improvve and normal service will resume sometime - I hope. I have met a whole heap of new great people who are still here and some which have moved on.

The most important thing it to keep on trooping - which I will be doing in a few hours :)

Rob.
 
Speaking of family.... BFUK, congrats bruv. Harry is a good solid name. Glad to hear he came into the world healthy and happy. I think I smell a future mini-Boba build. :)
 
Just thought I'd chime in. I've been at this for just over a year. I plunged into it head first and relatively blindly. After doing a fair bit of research I have tried to track down the best (and most accurate) makers around these parts and get them on board. I am finally nearing the end of this phenomenal and expensive journey. I must say that anyone I have dealt with has, for the most part, been a pleasure to deal with. There have been some snarly dealings but they were usually justified for some reason. I also thank the community at large for putting up with what must seem some inane and uneducated questions. I look forward to meeting some of you once I actually head out and troop. If I can I hope I can offer help to those that need it although I'm not quite as talented as others here I can steer people in the right direction and hopefully offer some good advice. Thanks TDH for making my lifelong dream possible.....
 
When i first joined TDH there were not a lot of armor makers and even fewer vendors of services. A lot of us "old timers" had to use a lot of sweat and tears to get our Fetts up to standards. Now TDH has almost become 1 stop Fett shop. Not that it is nessicarly a bad thing but i do feel that the kinship with having to build your own Fett from scratch gets lost on a lot of the new members just because of that. I did my time in the proverbial "Fett building trenches" together with many others and have since then moved on to other projects but still take my time to check in every now and then.

And perhaps i'm crossing the line here but the forum has gone from a Boba to a Boba, Jango & Zam site to a Boba, Jango, Zam, Custom Mando, Iron Man, Clone, Army of Two and any other possible costume you can think of site. Maybe that's part of it? Everybody is to busy with their own thing to help any one else with their other project?
 
Gotta agree with Boba Swede, just didn't wanna be the first one to say it.
This forum has been overrun (for lack of a better term) by customs,clones, and everything else under the sun.
Also, many of us do have issues in life and are really really tired.
 
As with most of the other SW forums it seems we have been inundated with "joiners", "wannabees with $" and "merchants" rather than people who simply love learning how to build a really great set of gear that is as close as you can get to a screen seen costume. i have always thought that the craft is as important if not more so than the final costume. It is much that life is a journey not a destination philosophy that really makes this the hobby that I want to participate in. I think it sparks a feeling of apathy and kills the comradeship when people just want to be the Fett not make the journey to becoming the Fett.
 
Seems like I responded to a thread like this very recently...

A large part of the "change" here is that everything changes over time and that what started as a relatively small group of very close friends studying a relatively unknown subject has blossomed into one of the most successful single character sites within the community (and yes, sorry, Zam, Jango and Clones... regardless of what the site provides for these characters, this site mainly draws interest due to Boba). We are a victim of our own success. Look at our numbers. Look at the number of members and the number of posts... This was always bound to happen. What was once cool and unique... due to this site, has now become relatively common place... and because so many want so much, it has drawn in those with skills who can profit from those who are less skilled. It is the nature of things. As more and more people have poured into the site, the feeling of comoradery begins to break down because you don't know all the "new guys." Also, it is simply a matter of time before older members drift away or drift on to other things. Beyond that (and here comes the broken record), you have a poor economy, the relative 'death' of Star Wars, and the rise of social media, all of which harms sites like this. While we all hate change, this shouldn't be surprising. Life is about change and change is coming upon this community as with so many others.

On a personal level, I still love TDH and I hope within the next few months to be able to focus more on it, but as with so many others, my attention is currently diverted.

If there is anyone to blame for a lack of admin interaction here, that blame falls on my shoulders. I can't promise immediate change, but I will look into what I can do.
 
This is a very intresting thread...
When I read this it feels a little strange, seens I know I'm one of the "new" members here on TDH...

I become a member here for 1 year ago, and that was only for one reason... The Fetts in My garrison (like Boba Swede) told me that on TDH they where so helpfull and kind, and the mainthing, they knowed what they doing.
And I (for once) had decided to make my favourit character (Boba) as acurate as possible... And then I needed help! and all I can say is that I have got all the information and help that I have asked for, and that's great, isn't it?

But ofcourse, I can agree with you guys and antherstand that you remember TDH as an other forum then it is now. And one of the things that have made it that way is for sure that the size of members have growed.
but I still think that peoples who has a bad economy and know they won't be able to buy parts from the most expencive fett-makers, still have right to ask the same questions and get the same information about acurate and stuff as I got. But ofcourse, if the problem is that it's to much members, maybe it's not fair to let TDH be a forum for zam,jango,mando costume builders etc...

But I don't know... I can only speek for myself, and I (who love to know this nerdy stuff about what's SA and whats right or wrong from the original one) love the TDH!
(and I try to stay as much as possible in the Boba threads anyway... [and still I'm in the sarlacc pit now] ??? )

;)

//Oscar//
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Seems like I responded to a thread like this very recently...

A large part of the "change" here is that everything changes over time and that what started as a relatively small group of very close friends studying a relatively unknown subject has blossomed into one of the most successful single character sites within the community (and yes, sorry, Zam, Jango and Clones... regardless of what the site provides for these characters, this site mainly draws interest due to Boba). We are a victim of our own success. Look at our numbers. Look at the number of members and the number of posts... This was always bound to happen. What was once cool and unique... due to this site, has now become relatively common place... and because so many want so much, it has drawn in those with skills who can profit from those who are less skilled. It is the nature of things. As more and more people have poured into the site, the feeling of comoradery begins to break down because you don't know all the "new guys." Also, it is simply a matter of time before older members drift away or drift on to other things. Beyond that (and here comes the broken record), you have a poor economy, the relative 'death' of Star Wars, and the rise of social media, all of which harms sites like this. While we all hate change, this shouldn't be surprising. Life is about change and change is coming upon this community as with so many others.

On a personal level, I still love TDH and I hope within the next few months to be able to focus more on it, but as with so many others, my attention is currently diverted.

If there is anyone to blame for a lack of admin interaction here, that blame falls on my shoulders. I can't promise immediate change, but I will look into what I can do.

Dude no sweat. There has not been a lack of admin interaction it's just there are just a couple of rude people, like every forum has.
 
I know that for me, I've tapered off posting here because what I'm working on has shifted. Boba has been "done" for quite some time now. I've been working on all Clone Wars stuff for the last year or so, and that's just not highly relevant here.

I've been much more active on clonetroopers.net and animated-army.com.

I'm going to be starting up a Clone Wars mando, but that's also not super-appropriate to this board. It's not really a custom, but neither is it Fett.

I tend to stay out of the personal side of things, so I rarely share anything about my "real" life, nor do I often post in the sharing/venting type threads. I guess you could say that I'm all business.
 
Dude no sweat. There has not been a lack of admin interaction it's just there are just a couple of rude people, like every forum has.

Okay AA. I'm sorry if I offended you in anyway but I felt I had to say something when you started posting stuff that was not so smart, such as posting in old threads, criticizing in a mean way, and starting arguments.
I only said what I said because I felt it needed to be said. Like I said I'm sorry I just didn't want there to be any issues in the future and wanted to help you;). You need to let it go and move on, and once again if I offended you in anyway I'm Sorry.
 
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