Many many bots...up to 200 a day at times completing the form to join and keeping my busy with the delete button
As a fellow Facebook avoider I agree that it's harder to keep in touch when most online conversation has gravitated to Facebook now. The social side of things reached a natural backlash where the social events were too big, so those organising holidays and trips and rides wanted to keep things private so they could make sure they were riding with people they know well. Which is fair enough! In turn that resulted in fewer rides being posted on here and the gradual decline in activity. A shame - Hazel and I tried to keep coming to things when I stopped riding but naturally we gradually stopped then young family and work (the only 2 things I ever do these days...) got in the way. Mikkie's death was also a turning point for me, something I still struggle with given our baby girls were due in the same week. The fun was sucked out of it all instantly and didn't really ever recover...though I've deliberately kept the bike for when I decide to get back in to it.
Sadly I don't see a resurgence unless someone is prepared to devote many hours to the cause, leading rides, organizing stuff and posting. In the very early years (2006-2008) there were probably 10 of us on the forums, but we managed thousands of posts just by talking (some would say talking rubbish...) to each other day in, day out, to keep things moving.
