Lost Members

In life, everything has a beginning, a middle, and, (the most certain), an end. Sometimes you get to chose these steps, many times you do not.

I suppose. Sometimes it would be nice to have some closure when that end comes. Perhaps that is the downfall of electronic (for lack of better words) relationships. The humanity of the relationship seems to get lost in cyber-space.

Turn, turn, turn, turn Bricktop, you are a poet

There do seem to be a number of voices missing - I remember one or two saying goodbye - but no real reason they departed.

As for members following up - IF they left the ID active, AND it is still linked to a personal email address, maybe?

Probably the best way to see if they are OK is to private message them and see what is up. They will get an email and hopefully respond to your message. This may be the most effective way to try to communicate with them.

Maybe they just forgot their password after deleting cookies/saved passwords?

I have sent a few private messages...only to get no response. I have thought about the password thing...I almost did that myself a while back. Fortunately, I rememebered... Perhaps they could come back as "the member formerly known as...." Of course it would be difficult for their new name to be a symbol

Thanks DAG. and I too have sent PM's in the past with no returns - like you I wonder, but hope that all is well with them...

As for the electronic ways of communication we have today, I too feel detachments are too common nowadays in several ways..

quick story - this week I was watching the 4/letter sports network, and they reported about the row the Dallas Mavericks owner - Mark Cuban -had over that playoff game they lost due to a non-call by the Ref.....seems he made some ugly remarks to a Mother of a Denver player after the game - stay CLASSY!

Anyways - it appears that Mr. Cuban placed an apology on his Blog to the Mother & her Son......A FREAKIN' BLOG ???

It seems a personal apology would be in order...However, he might have needed security if he was talking to/about someone's momma!

It maybe as simple as these people have either been made redundant, with loss of access to their "work" email accounts. Or that they are pursuing other things.

I know my dad has only the barest of peripheral interest in marine engineering, despite his 40 odd year career as a marine engineer. Much more interested in his Orchids.

Just a thought.

Cheers

Perry

good comment. I would only add to that that the nature of the content has tended to become less theoretical and less technical overall. I find fewer and fewer interesting posts. Its fine, I guess, if you need to know why your 89 Dodge is going wumpa-wumpa but it does seem that there might be sites where that is more likely to get a response. Also, if you have a philosophical or religious axe to grind, again, perhaps there are better suited sites. Oh well, when you're open to the general public, you have no control over where it goes. I'm not judging, just explaining my own waning interest.

We need people like you to be salt and light...To temper the hostile and hateful. If all of the good folks go away, that leaves us with only hateful ones...

Maybe they have left this plane of existence?

Financial crisis has left the with no (access to a) computer?

Abducted? (government/aliens)

The Asylum has revoked the internet access?

Patriot act?

Game/alcohol/drugs/sex/work addiction?

or just not interested anymore

I'm going with abducted... If you need them and you can find them...call the "A" Team!

At first I was very happy to find a place to become part of what I thought was a fun and informative venue. Then I realised I was outclassed by awesome individuals who eventually, in my mind, showed me that I am less than nothing. Now I am back to doing what I always used to do: read, read, read. I am infinitely grateful to the Allness for clarity and will continue to be a member; hopefully, someday, I may be able to actually give a GA to someone in need.

As always, keep your dirty side down and your shiny side up.

Vic

Never be disheartened. This is a great site and you will always find somewhere you ae better than others.

None o us know everything (and based on the current mental frame of the poster he may be sarcastic or helpful) - The first one is very probable, if we smell the post looking like a homework.

I have learnt a lot in my grey areas and also the areas I didn't know to be grey through the links provided here.

So tighten your belt and fight it out . And you will see it is fun to be a part of this.

There are a few definite superiors here- Milo (metallurgy), Xmech/Galala (Pressure vessels). The cat (making assault devices)....

But a many of us mediocres like you with a bit of spark here and there. We read, post, (read more to refute) ... That is the way it is

After writing i saw #13 and that is the key.

People come and go in the CR4... People come and go in our lives...

Some of them were meant to leave... Some of them stay just for a while...

Some of them stay forever...

I too miss some of the regular posters who seem to be missing of late. I always enjoyed their posts. I can only hope that they are doing well but simply have moved on or are just too busy to participate.

I still enjoy reading the posts of all of the extremely intelligent people here. That's the main reason I joined in the first place. I've checked out a lot of other discussion sites but this one is still the best if you want to learn something new every day. That has always been my goal.

If I can toss in a tidbit or two here and there that helps somebody else with a problem well that's good too. Otherwise, what good is knowledge if you can't share it with someone else.

Yes, there are times when threads go completely off the deep end but I can still glean something useful from the bantor. I don't mind off-topic discussion at all. Often very amusing and you get a chance to glimpse other people's personalities and humor/thoughts from other parts of the world. You Can't beat that with a stick!!

The world has indeed become smaller. I actually sold a golf club to a gentleman in the Chech Republic!!! That's pretty awesome if you ask me!

I appreciate CR4 very much and will stay as long as I'm welcome.

Some of the countries are missing in our forum- czech seem to be one of them, There is a squirrel, who has ferretted _{(but then ferrets kill squirrel then how can a squirrel ferret?)} a lot of information abot the distribution before he went back to bath _{(and that is nearby I feel at least in the same country)}

"I did some research on the Internet and discovered that 10 out of 10 people die."
- Roger Bennet

Sorry, that's not supposed to come across as cynical: it's a quote included in this post: "Is your online life in your will? (Backups, passwords, etc.)".

This is probably a subject which is only recently becoming important. Maybe we should all consider writing an "If you are reading this" post with instructions to a close friend/acquaintance to send it to CR4 (and anywhere else relevant) in the event of what is, after all inevitable.

I was thinking about that after starting this thread. I think I'm going to leave passwords and whatnot...That way, when I kick the bucket someone can say so long for me...

I can tell some things from my point of view. As an electronic (telecom) engineer I rarely find subjects in the daily CR4 list concerning my expertise. CR4 is more dedicated for mechanical engineers or electrical engineers who are occupied with power and industrial systems. This is the main reason for my low participation in CR4 (i.e. low number of posts). Also, because I'm registered from my work PC I usualy have no time to participate to many discussions in CR4, due to the lack of time. These reasons could lead me to abandon CR4. I think that, maybe, the same (or some other) reasons make other members to abandon CR4.

[Despite my long periods of silence I never abandoned CR4. I love the scientific discussions and (sometimes) I find interesting infos about electronics or even mechanical issues which are usefull in my work. And I always find some time to discuss, learn and share the knowledge.]

I often have to cull my memberships to different groups or I'd be on the computer all day and not get anything really done. Could be what some of them did.

Also some people have thicker skin than others and when they get offended by a comment they decide they've had enough and leave.

They got chopped off.

CR4 is one of the few places you can enjoy in-depth analysis of technical issues, whether you understand them or not. It is a pleasant contrast to the main stream media which is composed of thirty second sound bites, usually biased in one flavor or another.

Where else can you get opinions from all over the globe from a variety of points of view and from a variety of life forms? Where else can the curious ask and receive advice, as well as admonition, about subjects they are not familiar with? Where else can you occasionally share your accumulated wisdom or wit?

If some of the old timers have left the fold I hope it is not from disinterest. However, judging by the quality of some of the new voices it looks like CR4 is getting stronger.

If some of the old timers have left the fold I hope it is not from disinterest...

Were you thinking something worse?

What could be worse than disinterest?

Is still that cold in Toledo?

I will be sending a list to my children to e-mail people of my demise.

The editor of CR4 is on that list.

Nope - get your priorities right - YOU must send that last mail to CR4 yourself, before you see your demise....

We deserve want this!