The Shrine

April 1st of this year.

There are corporations that have folded in less time...

Not to be a doomsayer or anything, but I'll be surprised if this place is still around in a year or two. We've been steadily losing members, haven't been pulling in any new ones, and board activity is a pale shadow of what it was in years past (and to be honest I don't think it's ever going to be that way again). It wouldn't be the first time it's happened for me (see MTH and Eblana), so I won't be caught off-guard too much when this place finally folds.

It does seem like readership is declining, but I don't think we're anywhere close to dead.

I do think we should throw open the doors to the public a little more. Sine, time to end the xenophobia!

I don't really see a decline really. Perhaps I'm not very observant. The only thing that I have noticed is that there is a lot less joking around on the board than before. Why that is, I don't know.

G-man is gone, but we have Mental back. Aside from G-man, who left due to sort of emotional crisis, our historical common posters all still post here. There was "Tessian" (according to the memberlist) who was another who posted a lot as well, but I think he was only here for a short time; 2-3 years maybe I don't really remember.

One cornerstone member I do remember from a while ago was Crono, I don't know what happened to him. He was the main poster on the board throughout the late 90's. I am not sure if he can be considered a traditional regular anymore since he hasn't posted more than a few paragraphs in years.

The lack of our old tradition of "joking around" isn't a bad thing. If this place stays tame enough and stays around we can bring our junior gamer kids here =)

I think our community is small, but I don't think it's anywhere near death. I think it just seems that way when everyone gets busy and doesn't really post for a couple of days.

Lox wrote:I think it just seems that way when everyone gets busy and doesn't really post for a couple of days.

Which doesnt really bother me. I dont come to tOWS anymore for all my gaming talk/news and online entertainment, but that doesnt mean i wont stop coming. Things are fine the way they are, i still care about what is happening in people's lives on here.

I post only once in a blue moon, but there are people here that I only really contact through the Shrine, that I will almost certainly lose contact with if it dies. This would suck mightily, because these people rock.

I'll be really disappointed if Sine kills this place at some point. You make me furious a lot of the time, Sine, but I'm really grateful for the Shrine's existance. I feel like in ten years I'll be able to post a thread like, "Hey Kupek, Torgo! What's up?" and be confident of getting a response from them. It's a nice feeling.

The main thing to hurt Shrine membership are those outtages/un-announced domain switches we had back in the day. It always seemed we had fewer people showing up after each one.

I actually think the main thing that hurts membership is that we haven't had anyone new in a long time - pretty much, since I stopped running the board.

People grow older, some of them move on, and others just lost touch. It's hard to keep a community that's closed-off vital and alive. I think the remedy would be getting some links put up in different places.

Obviously we need virgin sacrifices to make sure this place survives another 9 years.

Ishamael wrote:The main thing to hurt Shrine membership are those outtages/un-announced domain switches we had back in the day. It always seemed we had fewer people showing up after each one.

hell I hosted it myself for a few weeks before they shut it down again due to bandwidth usage. this place is a great home for a lot of us. we love we hate we're opinionated ass holes and we have a damn good time pissing each other off. you know what me need? More Ish in Lox's closet jokes. I havn't seen ish basement closet jokes in a while......I miss the old funnyt stuff and ongoing inside jokes that only the people who have been around since the demense or even earlier days. We need some tacos

I think it needs more cowbell.

I think its hard to get new people to join an established small community forum.

Hell, Sine and I paid for tows advertising on Google's Adsense for a few months, and we didnt see any new members from that. Ive added the link to my avatar site, though I should probably but a banner or something on the main page. I've also added the link to a forum directory site.

I'm not sure what else to do to spread the word more.

Though I think Sine needs to get rid of the main "Read the Rules" page and have tows.cc point straight to the forum page.

Chris Hansbrough wrote:

Ishamael wrote:The main thing to hurt Shrine membership are those outtages/un-announced domain switches we had back in the day. It always seemed we had fewer people showing up after each one.

hell I hosted it myself for a few weeks before they shut it down again due to bandwidth usage. this place is a great home for a lot of us. we love we hate we're opinionated ass holes and we have a damn good time pissing each other off. you know what me need? More Ish in Lox's closet jokes. I havn't seen ish basement closet jokes in a while......I miss the old funnyt stuff and ongoing inside jokes that only the people who have been around since the demense or even earlier days. We need some tacos

Ish has been pretty secretive about his "closet" shenanigans as of late. I believe he's building a male strip joint in it, just for his enjoyment.

Eric wrote:Obviously we need virgin sacrifices to make sure this place survives another 9 years.

Seek, we're calling on you here...

Seraphina wrote:I'm not sure what else to do to spread the word more.

Though I think Sine needs to get rid of the main "Read the Rules" page and have tows.cc point straight to the forum page.

More links to the page will help, and I may go post at a few other message boards with this place in the sig, or whatnot, highly illegal as that might be. I thought Sine still had a fairly strict "no outsiders" policy; good to know that's not the case.

Mental wrote:

Eric wrote:Obviously we need virgin sacrifices to make sure this place survives another 9 years.

Seek, we're calling on you here...

Fine, if I have to

*Sacrifices a young virgin with an Aztec dagger at the Shrine of Otherworlds*

Poor Ashley Olsen.

Dude, I highly doubt Ashley Olsen is still a virgin.

Mental wrote:Dude, I highly doubt Ashley Olsen is still a virgin.

pwnt.

Mental wrote:Dude, I highly doubt Ashley Olsen is still a virgin.

Fine,

*Sacrifices Mary Kate Olsen as well*

Happy?

The Seeker wrote:

Mental wrote:Dude, I highly doubt Ashley Olsen is still a virgin.

Fine,

*Sacrifices Mary Kate Olsen as well*

Happy?

So 2 non-virgins = 1 virgin? Sweet! I'll make note of that for my future sacrificing needs.

Flip wrote: Which doesnt really bother me. I dont come to tOWS anymore for all my gaming talk/news and online entertainment, but that doesnt mean i wont stop coming. Things are fine the way they are, i still care about what is happening in people's lives on here.

Ha! Speak for yourself. I don't check game news as often as I used to. I'd be lost if it weren't for some of the updates here.

The community is what makes this place great, though. Some of you guys I've known for almost a decade, and like Andrew said, it would just suck if the place suddenly went down. I don't think we're quite there yet, though. We may not be posting as much in the old days, but most of us were high schoolers then. Now we have mature discussions on when to travel to each other's town in Animal Crossing.

Lox wrote:

The Seeker wrote:

Mental wrote:Dude, I highly doubt Ashley Olsen is still a virgin.

Fine,

*Sacrifices Mary Kate Olsen as well*

Happy?

So 2 non-virgins = 1 virgin? Sweet! I'll make note of that for my future sacrificing needs.

(ponders why Lox would have "sacrificing needs" per se, and resolves not to visit him in person)

Lox wrote:

The Seeker wrote:

Mental wrote:Dude, I highly doubt Ashley Olsen is still a virgin.

Fine,

*Sacrifices Mary Kate Olsen as well*

Happy?

So 2 non-virgins = 1 virgin? Sweet! I'll make note of that for my future sacrificing needs.

Actually no, but is the world not a better place now? =)

I remember when I was introduced to this board by Ganath during Junior highschool. Now I'm in my Junior year of College. The community has not shrunk that bad IMO. Most of us have had a lot happen in these 9 years or so. I've been on for 7 years or so... maybe more, life changes quite the bit in that time.

Now if only I knew WTF happen to Ganath...

The Seeker wrote:

Lox wrote:

The Seeker wrote: Fine,

*Sacrifices Mary Kate Olsen as well*

Happy?

So 2 non-virgins = 1 virgin? Sweet! I'll make note of that for my future sacrificing needs.

Actually no, but is the world not a better place now? =)

(thinks, awards point to Seeker)

If we really need a virgin why not just use Lox?

Gentz wrote:If we really need a virgin why not just use Lox?

Zing!

Torgo wrote:

Gentz wrote:If we really need a virgin why not just use Lox?

Zing!

I wish I was, my friends, I wish I was.

Stupid Ish with his alluring chocolate-covered pop-tarts.

I think the posting have gone down in the past few months because I'm not posting everyday now :)

But seriously, we've had about the same amount of postings for about 5-6 years. Lurkers pop in and out or turn into regulars. The new format has given the illusion that we have less posts, but I think we're fine.

Lox wrote:

Torgo wrote:

Gentz wrote:If we really need a virgin why not just use Lox?

Zing!

I wish I was, my friends, I wish I was.

Stupid Ish with his alluring chocolate-covered pop-tarts.

You didn't really believe I had a toaster in my pants, did you?

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I may not post much, but I read almost every thread. After so many years, this is still the first place I visit when I'm a-nettin'... unless I need sport scores or a good wank (in which case I pull up one of the many sites dedicated to Ish's mom's vag).


Cheers, tOWS. I love the shit out of you. Also, go to hell.

It was not by my hand that I was once again given FLESH. I was brought here by....humans...who wish to pay ME tribute!

SotN or Legacy of Kain?


EDIT:
Never mind...

"Tribute? You steal men's souls! And make them yout slaves!"

It would be nice if we could start planning a 10 year bbq or something. Sine and I would love to host it We could even offer a place to stay for a few days.

I'd be up for a crazy shrine party. I think I posted something about it before. It would be cool.