I took a long break from submitting, but have been back for about three months now, and I noticed that the site has really fallen off. I went through some quick research, and it seems like the submissions have just fallen off dramatically. Such a great site to learn, and to motivate, I'm really upset that it hasn't seemed to impact people the way it has me, and my work. This site allows me to really go into "Creative" mode, and get help, critique, and suggestions along the way. So I was just wondering where everybody went. I guess its not too bad, a lot of us here remember when there was so many people you could hardly move, much less compete.
So don't get me wrong this isn't a complaint, just a curiosity thing more than anything.
The whole watershed of recruitment has moved on, methinks. 12 years is long enough for a lot of people to have changed. In the 8 years I've been here the technology has leapt and bounded all over the place. I fear it goes the way of small gods...
*drowns*
But yes, membership is down from its glory days. "Why" depends on who you ask, but having a lot more competition with other challenge sites, floods of peoole taking pictures who don't want them critiqued, etc., all have an impact. Not to mention that everything has a shelf life.
That being said, there are lots of new things happening here: reworking of the editing rules, new SC, etc. Amd while people have indeed left, a bunch of "old timers" such as yourself, who recognize the value of the place, have also come back.
I think things just have their natural ups and downs. In my own case, I get busy with other distractions of life. I used to go out specifically shooting for challenges, now I usually find the shots when I am out and about with other things. I've also gotten the quality of my photography to a level I am happy with, so I am not participating in as many learning opportunities as I used to.
