Arise, Data Dectective Karl
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I guess the stats could be interpreted as supporting feelings that many of us have; yes, numbers are down compared to ten years ago but a solid core of active members remain and, post and viewing-wise, we're in decent health.
The point about mega threads and new topics has made me think. I'm conscious that new topics are encouraged and stand as a measure in assessing the vitality of the forum. Personally I do enjoy the big "chat" threads; examples such as the Wii U and Switch threads have been pretty lively and I like the interaction and variety of them. However, I can appreciate that it can also be good to introduce fresh topics to drive talking points, so I will try and create new threads where I have the time.
My personal preferences are for smaller, more intimate forums - such as this one! - than the giant platforms such as Era where the number of participents often make some me feel as if I'm trying to be heard in a stadium. Hopefully our current "busy pub" vibe will live long!