Everybody has disappeared!!??

SUN ?  IT'S PISSING DOWN IN ST ANDREWS ! 

Yep! that's because this Forum is crap.......bring back the old One!!!!!!

It happens now and again http://www.italymag.co.uk/community/post/where-everybody  

It happens now and again or every week?

The (not so) new structure seems to have coincided with a falling off in posts and and topics of interest. Though once a more frequent visitor and contributor I have long since 'gone elsewhere' for information or, if appropriate, search the archives of the old forum.

Too many things to do. Beautiful Sunday weather in Bagni dI Lucca. 

yes,it's true.whilst many have less time during the spring/summer months i suspect that some people have gravitated into facebook.Personally i don't "like" facebook which ifind invasive whereas here one can just come in read or comment and it's not thrown in your face like these "social network sites" apart from these i haven't found many/any really good sites as an alternative..

There are a lot of nice people on the forum and I enjoy dipping in and often get great advice!

Not forgetting that some of the 'enthusiastic' posters were banned a while back for descent as I understand from an acquaintance who was.....

Better a bit of quiet now and then than a load of mindless claptrap foisted on you by compulsive posters with nothing else in their lives but the internet, as can be seen in lots of other message boards. Terry's Law states that the less interesting stuff you do, the more time you have to tell people about it.

I think a lot of the old crowd have moved on.  Must say I didn't get much advice on south Sardinia...

Probably because most frequent posters live in Marche!.....sort of joke!

We also seem to have a new Administrator called Sergio, would be nice if he introduced himself. Valentina has not been online for 18 weeks. As a community, seems like it is dying a slow death compared to the earlier version.  Format is not as good as earlier. Not always a good idea to check on the old forum as not able to edit out of date information, which would have been a good idea. Also remove "messagini" as rarely used and save some space on the  server. Like Sebastiano, I would not use Facebook, or the Twit site ( name says it all )

I still think this site is  relevent, its changed, but at least now people can post without ridicule,and looking around other Italy sites, this has input from people whoes knowledge I trust. re FB and peoples dislike, it doesnt work for everyone, but its great to organise a party at short notice!, and to keep in touch with friends who still dont have a phone connection here in Italy....oh and to send photos , and to keep in touch with others who still might feel isolated after having made the big move to live abroad.

Quality of posts is good on this site although not so many as before. I'm sure the absence of a related print magazine does not help - it was a quality production!

There are less people on the move at present and it is people thinking of relocating that have lots of questions to ask. I think this forum is far better than previous one as the bitching has gone away....thank goodness.  People with genuine questions get great advice from very knowledgable respected people. 

After a somewhat changeable period the sun has decided to appear in Abruzzo - as you say everyone's out enjoying the sun!  Comunque, Joy is right, there are indeed fewer people on the move these days.   MonteViste Self Catering Holidays in Abruzzo Property Services Abruzzo

I think it is really sad the way the Italy “forums” have gone. I remember how I was blown away by the old forum when I first found it. The vibrancy, the breadth and depth of knowledge and experience was amazing. So many people willing to offer advice and help.     Unfortunately some people with deplorable social skills ran riot and destroyed the whole concept. Small people hiding behind their computers saying things they would never have the guts to say face to face. People whose lives seemed to revolve around their online personas.     I had a strong suspicion that the new "community" (oh how I hate that overused word) would not work. It is clunky, difficult to navigate, unappealing and unique (in a bad way). When people are used to a certain structure will they ever have the time to learn your new system? I look at many forums regularly and the beauty of the standard forum format is to be able to glance at multiple threads and in a second tell if there is something of interest for you; not having to root around and check page after page of poorly designed bumph.   Anyway, the poisonous people went off and formed their own forum which I had great delight seeing implode. Proving that there really are some people who should never be allowed on the internet.   RIP Italy Forum

Hi Pat H, I also liked the 'old' format and mentioned that the change process at that time was AWFUL . BUT...........I have to say that I am very used to this current format now and it works very well for me. My normal mode of access is by targetting viewing only those messages that are unread by me. I have a single click of the button to access these unread items. Those that interest me I just scroll through and reply/add/contradict as my knowledge allows. I think in general, whilst there are always things to improve, I say well done to the administrators and in particular to the posters who have provided me with LOADS of excellent information in the last 3+ years. bravi tutti ! S

Slightly off topic, but its very easy to find out who owns an individual domain name. When it was set up etc. Ping, google hits, ranking etc. Should be private and encrypted, but not always......Members e-mail and addresses.......shouldn't be available.....but if you know what to look for........This site is properly encrypted so no fears here.

I am writing this after looking to see if there are any new posts..............ONE DAY TWO HOURS since the last post on the site !   This is precisely what I commented upon originally on this thread............There MUST be somebody who has posted OR is it me OR .............is this site looking doomed ??? Che !!?? S

... or updates of which there have been a few....

Perhaps the 'banned', 'moved on', or 'cant be arsed anymore' gave the few remaining 'living in hope hangers on' something to squabble about on the old forums.  It seems the 'living in hope hangers on' must still insist the blame lies with those who are 'banned', 'moved on', or 'cant be arsed anymore'. Nothing changes, but the 'living in hope hangers on' should now accept full responsibility for how this forum has imploded. 

POSTED ON BEHALF OF "SMELL THE COFFEE" AS THEY ARE UNABLE TO POST EVEN THOUGH THEIR ACCOUNT ON THIS FORUM IS SUPPOSEDLY "ACTIVE" "A forum is only ever as good as its members and its administration. I joined before Christmas, took two weeks to be verified and even then never got permission to post (this is why I am using someone else’s account) I sent several emails to admin asking for my account to be properly activated but never received a reply. I neither know nor care about old issues on this forum but for me the experience has been painful and frustrating. Maybe others feel the same and that is why there are so few actual members and so few posts. I expect to be banned for using someone else’s account but it is only because I have never been given access to speak here before and frankly my dear….."

Hello Esme   lovely to have you here. Always wonderful to have new members posting. I think that the link you were asking about was   http://www.italiauxxxxx.com/   Oh sorry that domain is inactive   Or ould you prefer to repost in bad italinanan

Quality is better than quantity! 

Well I am 'new' to this forum, although technically I have been a member for a while, but I did not look at it much until fairly recently. I don't know anything about past problems or successes or bans or who used to be here and is now gone. From what I have seen so far it seems that there are many helpful and interesting comments and a lack of bitchiness and slander. Some online forums seem to consist of a lot of malicious sentiment and this one so far is a breath of fresh air! Thanks to everybody who does post - it has been good to read the various postings - including the sometimes heated discussions and disagreements. 

... everyone used the forum for what it should be ... to help each other...  

I have to agree with Fillide concerning the first part of his statement: QUOTE   I agree with you - but to be interesting and generate traffic you do need to have enough 'new' - ideally 'off the wall' queries to keep a forum alive; those queries will get answered - maybe with many different opinions and even heated arguments. This (historically and usefully UK based) forum has two problems: firstly that Brits aren't buying houses in anything like the volume that they did at the peak of the bubble, and they are not even choosing Italy as a holiday destination. (Euro Sterling rate majorly to blame) thus an inevitable decline in visits. UNQUOTE I do not like blaming anyone specifically for the slowing down of the site. A Forum (or Community) is the result of what its members put into it. Also, life circumstances do change. In my own case, I know that I do not spend as much time as before here... On the positive side, there is not the unpleasantness that many of us feared in the past. I wish that many members had refrained and moderated their input in the old forum.