There is a general trend in the population around attention deficits for projects, due to which has been exploited a lot by social media, game companies, and so on, who want your eyes on their products in what is termed [b]attention economy[/b]. They provide those hits via doom-scrolling, notifications, time limited offers, engagement algorithms, and gamification.

Hobbies like role-play and creative writing take work and time, it requires that investment and energy before you get the "pay-offs". So it is challenged by multiple avenues which offer that more immediately and provide that rush.

Have you ever been in a role-play where someone is very slow with their posts, or you are constantly waiting for them, whilst you can see their active status of playing Monster Hunter World for the last 8 hours every day for last week. It isn't a case of "I don't have time", it is a case of prioritisation. Why invest your time in something when you can get a more immediate payoff by comparison elsewhere. What harm would happen if they put MHW down for one hour a week, so the RP can progress its story.

So places like forums will have a role, and hobbies like this one will be a constant niche activity. We are the knitters and crocheters.

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So, with this in mind, how could this forum improve?

The thing is, the scaremongering and looking at the numbers leads to policies and judgements based on the goal of retention, as opposed to things like quality in the community which could decrease population decline.

What a forum offers is a medium which allows for long term and impactful role-playing. It is amazing just sometimes booting up a thread and just seeing all the art, pictures, formatting, and such great writing, for free. Seeing people enjoy themselves and have fun in their story telling communities. Mediums like Discord RP is typically more for cheap frills and temporary fun, and people who respond for a bit then finish their interest in it and bail, it doesn't produce or create anything meaningful.

Now, you might think "Quality? Do you mean get rid of the rubbish role players", and you would be wrong. We are humans, we have this great ability to learn, develop and grow. We were all terrible at some point, and with guidance, we can blossom and grow, and becomes future leaders of this place. What is important, however, is the quality of the community to enable such a fostering environment.

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I like to call a spade a spade, this account is new here, I get that. I was invited onto this forum from a friend, and I joined and stayed because I found a RP with a nice community. But the very sad news is, not everyone here has been welcoming. I don't even need to name names, but if it wasn't for the fact I found a good community here, I would have left. I remember shortly after my first post, my first private message on the forum was from a [i]Not-nice[/i] user, with a cheery "Hello! Your avatar is so beautiful." I ignored their first PM, due to it being creep behaviour, and then I got the PM again, and I replied out of curiosity, and they shortly hit me with a "Can I sniff your laundry?" proving my first impression of them. This is the reception that new members get on the forum, and this user stalks those Welcome threads. This is why I have decided upon myself, to personally greet and welcome every new user to comes through that door, to show them, that yes, there are decent people here, and just not creeps.

If I feel like I would have left in these circumstances, what about all those who post there with wide eyes and hopes and dreams, but never find a good community and scared away due to having a creep message them? How many users have we just lost in the name of retention? What about all their stories and the great contributions they would have made here?

[hider=hider]And for anyone reading this who doubts my tale, then just click 'log out', create a new account, get yourself a beautiful pfp, post in the Welcome thread, and you will get a one of those lovely private messages.
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