I know Ivan has a lot of things going on, and can't dedicate as much time to CB as he would like to.

I used to write here quite a bit when CB was just getting started. I soon decided to run my own site. When I created The Graphic Mac, I set out with the goal to have a new article posted every day of the week. While I've managed to do that for the most part, there are just times when I can't post anything for a few days at a time. During those times, I had hoped that others would contribute articles to fill in.

Unfortunately, I'm having the same problem as Ivan, which is that few readers actually want to participate by writing articles, etc., preferring instead to just consume the content (which there's nothing wrong with, by the way). Though I still manage to post new content almost every day, I'm nowhere near as stretched thin as Ivan is. Remember that he also runs Ads of the World, as well as quite a busy design career.

I can't speak for Ivan, of course, but I know he would love nothing more than to spend a lot of time writing for CB, but there just isn't enough time in the day to do it when it's not your main source of income.

-----------
Visit The Graphic Mac for graphics and Mac OS tips, reviews, tutorials and discussion.

CB has been slow, I've noticed that as well. It has a lot to do with the redesign and moving of servers that happened early this year. That's when the trouble started and Ivan admitted as much.

CB's ranking is quite high, #38,871 according to alexa, so it's doing well. However, new members drop in for a quick sec and then leave which does nothing to build the community. Can anyone say "myspace photo" or "autoinsurance"?!

Not ony that, it's become apparent that many of those posters like to post critiques and then not listen to the answers. It's frustrating beyond belief and inhibits my desire to view the critique section. A section which, frankly, is of low quality of late.

I do what I can to post weblinks, but that isn't original content. I do try to help others (read: my broken record Logo comments) and it's sometimes satisfying, though less so in recent months. Could I do more? Sure, if I didn't already have a job, a sweet hobby (bass), a wife and daughter and freelance work to juggle.

Yeah, poor me. :)

----
Natobasso
dirtandrust.com
"Powerpoint is not a design application"

• CB is dying for a face lift.
• Critiquers have become increasingly aggressive over the last couple of months. That chases the new people away - which is needed for growth.
• The locals (old timers) are getting bored.

Just my two cents worth.

us "veterans" are more active than anybody else, so in turn, you see the same members posting. Which is OK as I respect all of you, however, I would love to see new members posting their expertise, as well (minus all the MySpace crap, of course).

--------
"The name's Bond, James Bond."

www.onegirlcreative.com

Yes, it's my fault. There are many technical things going on in the background. The final thing will be to install http://mollom.com/ to catch spam. After that I will be posting more often. I have so many topics to post about... :)

...to me anyways, is people dropping off a piece, then never to be heard of again.

"Myspace" designs without a doubt are annoying as hell as well, as are spammers. I think a set of rules need to be laid down, read by everyone, and anyone who doesn't follow the rules " Mr.Consolidate your Debts" gets banned.

Another thing is a minimum amount of time to be a member before posting or a minimum amount of posts before being able to post.

I think the weblinks section is an amazing idea, but from what I see on the comments not many people go there, or at least comment. Ivan, do you have the stats?

Nate's right about the quality of the critique section. You should add in there multiple posts ( 3 or more) about the same damn design with minimal tweaks and alterations.

I for one am all for aggressive critiquing as it mimics real life situations with clients. Of course, you shouldn't start insulting people and berating their designs, but be HONEST! Don't just pull stuff out your hat just to say you're critiquing.

Creativebits shouldn't be dying, far from it. It's a very good ressource for designers out there, but the site is only as good as the content people contribute to it.

Plus you guys have sorta grown on me now :P

Leaky Penny
www.leakypenny.com

Believe it or not, I can actually draw. - Jean Michel Basquiat

I have only been a member here since January but have come to enjoy the interaction, the assistance, and the moments when we can blow off some steam when frustration rears its ugly head.

And as a wise person once stated, "the site is only as good as the content people contribute to it."

"Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible."
— Frank Zappa

I have noticed the same as of late. Although I have always liked that creativebits didn't get so much content as to overwhelm you, I think that lately the content has been, well, underwhelming. Not necessarily in quality, but in the quantity of good quality stuff.

I think that this is especially evident in the critique section. Posters dropping in, getting advice and never updating. Drives me nuts. I do, however, think that some of the more active members could post a bit more. I know a lot of stuff we do can't really be posted for business reasons, but we generally come across some stuff we can share. I will personally try to get some more stuff up, although a lot of it will be finished work. Better than nothing.

I wish there was a digital "face slapper" for anyone who posts work in critique only to completely disregard any and all advice given. :) Why post if you ignore the responses? Ego?

----
Natobasso
dirtandrust.com
"Powerpoint is not a design application"

I agree with most of what's been said. I don't consider myself a veteran of this site, but I did join about a year ago. I remember a specific time where CB was extremely active, and I was checking multiple times a day and having a hard time keeping up with comments. I barely check it out at all now, and sometimes a few days will go by and there will be hardly anything new.

The lack of moderation in the critique section honestly bothers me. I understand the owner is quite busy, however. It's just at the current state of things, it feels like it doesn't matter what is posted, as long as the many ads around the site are getting clicked. I'm sick of seeing triple posts, posts without descriptions (there should honestly be a required character limit on this one), myspace junk images, etc. I think it would be beneficial to have a second moderator. In my opinion, that would fix a lot of the annoyances that prevent people like me from staying active.

I'll try to find some things that I can post for critique.

------------
My Portfolio