That site is so slow and clunky to navigate, due to all the peripheral "stuff" loading.

It started going that way a while ago, when it upgraded to its present format.

Think most of the comments, if you actually are able to navigate that far, are from students in local schools, and the remainder from psychiatric homes.
Some of the local Karens vent as well.:icon_wink:

I think part of what’s happened is when new posters come on and ask a question they are met with snarky, smart ass responses. People, in general on this forum aren’t kind any more. An OP is asks a question or is giving their account of what happened, or their experience, and the responder answers with a question.......ie....our experience at such and such place wasn’t good. Responder.....did you talk to a manager, did you send the food back? A lot of times people come on this forum to vent or to save others from having a bad experience. They don’t want to be met with controversy. An OP comes on this forum to get advice, recommendations or to share their experience. If we could get back to answering their questions with kind responses and having a little sympathy when they have a bad experience, more people would stay on here. It has been my experience that when I post, I get nasty remarks, so I stopped posting. This forum is what you make it and it’s been turned into a battle ground! Let the battle begin!

Burnout
 

there was a popular saying that newspapers and news shows were the same stories just different dates.
Why would this forum be any different?
People come here with problems and solutions.
Some come for entertainment and to be a little less lonely.
Whatever the case a great movie starring olivia de havilland, 1946 best actress, comes to mind.
"to each his own"

I've been a member of this site for a number of years. I would say most social media "conversations" in the past year or so have become not so interesting anymore. People seem to be nastier and the content of the "conversations" is the same. There are way too many who criticize and complain and it just feeds on one another, It's like the "same song, different verse" over and over and over again. I mostly use social media (ie FB and insta.) to be in touch with family and friends. I use this site for information, locally---and mostly just for something to do. I'm not on here very much anymore....generally come by 1st thing in the morning if there seems to be something of interest. I don't read every post and ALL the 'conversations'. As someone else said too---the moderators don't seem as vigilant as they once were. Maybe the sites gotten too big.

While it has always been present, it seems like patience, tolerance, respect for differing positions/opinions is challenged more often.

Most likely the reality of some of us aging and the increasing presence of newer (younger) members.

There is a need for an ability to discuss so much of what is going on in the world that affects us all...unfortunately too much of which gets labeled political.

I still find TOTV a welcome source of information and at times "entertaining". Generally a good site to seek opinion/help/suggestions.

It could be and probably is that constant censorship over the past couple of years has driven people away from commenting.

I for one have stopped commenting until just now. Way too many articles are removed, Messages are issued by "the company" that your post was reported or that it is too confrontational and you could be denied the privilege of commenting.

It is situations like this that drives people away.

Censorship censorship censorship censorship.

I started posting in 2007. I made friends before we moved here. The forum was "lighter" - more fun and easy-going. It was incredibly helpful to a newbie. Not sure if we can ever return to the non-divisiveness of the most recent years. My hope for the new year is kinder and gentler.

I disagree, I know some who have been driven away by the bullying of some of the posters. It is fine to disagree but to personally attack and belittle people for their opinions turns people away. I have noticed that many of the really witty and interesting people are no longer or rarely posting.

And therein lies the problem.

Being new to TV, I find TOTV very interesting. It has been very informational and sometimes just quite entertaining! Just an opinion from a newbie.

Why waste your time about politics, it’s all a joke !

OP, You ask an interesting question and one that the Moderators/Owners of this site likely ask themselves from time to time. I still find TOTV interesting and sometimes even entertaining. For example I find information regarding the expansion south of 44 very interesting. That said, I know there is a “search engine” but I find it difficult to get certain information we might want quickly and for it to be current. There are other so called “Neighborhood Sites” that my wife is on and she seems to be able to get the name and phone number of a good Plumber, Electrician, Carpenter or Mechanic faster than I can search or ask for one on TOTV. Sometimes there are many more negative comments than positive when a new Thread is started. Posters are quick to shoot the Messenger if they don’t agree and in subtle ways offend the OP. IMHO it is not “funny” to belittle someone just because you disagree with their comment. Overall we can do better - whether we are “new”or “old” to TOTV. Overall, I think the Moderators do a good job on this site.

We are just hear almost a year now and was not going to comment but decided to do so.

This place is great for finding vendors of all kinds as well as advise on how to fix a problem. I do not start many threads but two that I did worked very well.

One was on protection from lightning and another finding an appliance repairman.

Also several people reached out to us as having similar backgrounds and have become very good friends.

What I avoid these days are threads on politics and most about the virus. They have become boring and often are disappeared.

As a result a lot less posts from me these days.

For those who like to keep tract of how many posts I do my daily post count is way down.

Thank you, jojo. I, too, have been around here since 2007.

I don’t know how the moderators stand it. There is a predicable, insidious toxicity that has become a part of TOTV.

There are posters who gang up on anyone who thinks differently and are blatant about it while others are more subtle. Because it is TV, the “Us vs. Them” is uneven. Even that “thank you” feature is often used as a tool of the tribal.

The last time I started a thread, it was to ask for info on the Apple Watch. I got excellent information — and I said, “Thank you.” But I also got a condescending snark which caused me to snark back. (I apologized.)

BUT THEN, another poster showed up to take a political hit. It was a thread about an Apple Watch fer gawd’s sake! Don’t those people ever think about anything else. Why are they always waiting to pounce. (rhetorical questions)

That thread was a classic example of what is good and what is bad about the current TOTV. (Yes. I know it was a tame example when compared to the hateful stuff on other internet sites.)

I have posted for all these years like some people might do crossword puzzles or knit. I have written posts to try to help someone. I have had some fun along the way. And sometimes TOTV is theater.

But for the past few years, too much of this place has devolved, turning into a microcosm of what we are seeing everywhere. A lot of people have been manipulated into turning on each other and that behavior carries over into almost everything. Ugly stuff.

Every room full of people has a feel — a tone. TOTV is a room full of people and the feel of the room has changed, especially for those of us who remember how it once was. It will never be like the early days when the “room” was small, but maybe it can get better — depending on who decides to stick around — and why.

Boomer

I have found this message board to be very helpful in my plan to relocate to TV in the near future. I thank all those who have responded to my questions in a positive way. I have also noticed that I could post a pot roast recipe and some would find a way to make it political. I just ignore those posts.

There are too many boring and mundane threads started here. It's like a sewing club circle discussion of simplistic gossip. There have been threads like, "what is your favorite candy bar?". Someday soon we will get one like, "who likes the color blue and why?" I could take one or two mundane ones every day? But, sometimes they are all simplistic. We have a "Happy Newspaper" that can handle all the liberal arts- type of subjects and pushes propaganda of "Happy Days".

WE should NOT be AFRAID of hard-hitting, controversial subjects that are part and parcel of current events. It is obvious that it is what the community is BEGGING for. ( by the large numbers of pages when we are ALLOWED to finish). WE are in a CRITICAL period of modern History in America. To try to avoid that is to avoid REALITY. Reality will be discussed among small groups here in TV Land anyway. So, why not have 2 or 3 topics on IMPORTANT stuff right here, in the open air, of a popular community forum. The community here is BEGGING for more REALITY - life-saving changes and alterations of behavior must be contemplated in today's dangerous environment. And information is NEEDED to make appropriate and rational decisions. A balance in all things is desirable! Why NOT encourage it here?

if my opinion matters, i would like to discuss current events, but it always brings some kind of resentment. if we could manage to be polite & stick to topics, it might help. but this situation is very divided & brings many raw feelings

Is that a FACT? Do you have a LINK to support it? In my observations these discussions do nothing to change anyone’s mind and are just an opportunity for posturing from users who think their knowledge is superior to everyone else’s.

Since you asked....
No WE don’t want those controversial subjects like the board experienced last summer.
I don’t think the community is begging for reality.....only a few, and they almost destroyed the board last summer.
Like I said if you want controversy go elsewhere to find it.

You are absolutely right ! This was NOTHING like this when it first began. People "chatted" about things going on (like the progress on Sumter Landing; what was to be our "new" town !), shared and asked for recommendations on various projects. This near "domination" by some folks, always with some kind of insult or put down to people who ask innocent questions. Can the "virus" be effecting people's minds ? Actually fear can be a powerful change agent and we have some very fearful people which, unfortunately, are only made more so by the selected way statistics are presented to them daily. It's a sad commentary, but fortunately, some people have continued to not allow such circumstances to change their personality or character. Thoughts=Character ! May all have a happier holiday season free of fear and vitriol.

So true ! Didn't even have my morning coffee & TOTV;s for awhile, was just getting like FB and the keyboard "warriors" who seem to get some kind of ego boost out of making fun of others was getting to be too much. Been "tuning in" in again and not a lot of change, thought maybe once the election was over but the "mask thing" is just so too much sometimes and the "logic" some people use does not seem well thought out or even checked as to accuracy many times. Others seem determined to force others to do as they do; for instance have you noticed those who live in utter fear seem unhappy unless everyone does ? It's fine if you don't like to eat out, or play cards with friends, that should be a personal choice and NO ONE should force you, but some "seem" (??) to want others as miserable and fearful as they are, can't figure out what they get out of it. Kind of like some of these governors and mayors who come up with these outrageous "rules" ? Can have 3 families for dinner but not 4, can dine outside from 4 to 8, but NOT after, crazy !

Amen, brother!

I disagree - any US-wide matter of life and death is, by its very definition, INTERESTING!

I agree 100%. It irks me that the most important issue of our time right now is gagged. Our democracy is being destroyed but we are viewed as unable to discuss it. Why can’t we have a forum to discuss politics. If you are offended by opinions you disagree with, stay out of the forum.

In my earliest days on TOTV in 2009 I had yet to even visit The Villages which was just a place on a list of 55 and over communities I planned to visit in Florida. Somehow I stumbled upon this forum, posted some questions I had, received a number of helpful responses and made internet friends with a few folks who met me in person after I arrived on my first visit. It was a warm and welcoming experience overall. I also benefitted from reading through many threads prior to my first visit. TOTV continued to remain helpful to me in many ways as I returned a couple more times before finally moving. IMHO TOTV seems to have lost its warm, welcoming and helpful feel to a great degree yet some posters remain very helpful in many ways and I sincerely thank them for their thoughtfulness and time.

P.S. I love the "Ignore List" feature which helps me avoid seeing many snarky posts.

What would be so important about a LINK? I expressed MY opinion. I am entitled to have my opinion without a LINK to someone else's opinion in some news media. Today's current events are rapidly changing, so opinions change with these changes. And these changes are tempered by BOTH facts and opinions. To me, I come to a forum trying to know and understand opinions. I would go to Google or TV news for my facts. Then from those, I form MY opinions. I come to THIS forum to hear the OPINIONS of my fellow neighbors.

FACTS and LINKS were the benchmark of these discussions and why they ultimately got shut down.

This forum has been invaluable to me in my research about moving to The Villages. For the most part when asking a direct question about living, moving, building in, or activities to do in The Villages, people have been more than gracious with relaying their experience and recommendations.. Like a previous poster mentioned. I keep a notepad near my computer. I have a list of vendors/contractors that come highly recommended here. This forum CAN be a great resource.

Yes, there are some topics that get out of control and some posters that like to dominate certain topics. But by and large I feel that the moderators do a pretty good job. When people on both sides of the issue feel like the mods are treating them unfairly it says to me that both sides are being treated equally -lol.

I TRY to stay away from the contentious topics because I know I'm pretty much just talking to myself. I'm not going to change anyone's mind. If I want to talk politics there are plenty of other online venues to fill that need if I so wish.

But, for contemplation's sake, does NOT the fact that the current-events-type-thread-subjects encourage WIDE interest. I believe that the SHEER NUMBER of pages for these subjects PROVES POSITIVELY that TV Land LOVES them - can't get ENOUGH of them!

Some of you will remember when prior to about 2014, TOTVers got together once a month at Crispers in Southern Trace. Smaller group back then but those get togethers were fun and gave us a chance to actually meet and put a face to a username. Harder to insult people you have actually gotten to know.

Like this one

i love your posts Boomer. you always provide good info such as the thread on book suggestions, And you have a sense of humor - much needed.

I really enjoyed those get togethers when I could attend, it was fun meeting some of the other posters.

So many of the people who used to come to the Crispers get togethers on Friday at 3 PM have passed or just gone to other media.

Some posters have mentioned “last summer” as a source of problems in their opinion. I looked at my posting history and saw I posted once in May, once in July, and once in August, so was not very active in the summer. What were the problems last summer?

OMG,YES! something happens to a person when they get behind a keyboard. some feel it's free reign to insult, degrade & deride without concern, & dominate areas where they normally wouldn't do so in real life. when you see an actual face & person, things are softened a bit; direct conversation is more polite, & people are aware of other's comments & concerns. it's also easier to recognize sarcasm, or a wink & nod while story-telling. social media can be good, or very bad

Crispers meeting
 

I agree. I was able to attend a few of those informal meetings at Crispers and it was great to see and talk with the “real” person behind the anonymous handle.

I lived here in 2014 but didn't know about the Crispers get togethers. I would have liked that. Crispers was right around the corner from me.

You have always been very helpful on many, many topics. I, for one, appreciate you.

Hey Ed:

I agree!!!

I believe I joined TOTV way before I moved here in 2013. Back then, I had many questions that needed to be answered and the replies were very friendly. I don't feel that need at the present time so I am rarely on TOTV. In addition to, many posters like to be negative. It hardly seems to be worth the effort.

It use to be people made friends on TOTV and were invited into other people's homes for get togethers. There was the meeting at Crispers, that people could put a face to a persons handle. My impression is that most posters don't seem want to get together and just want to state their point of view behind their keyboards..

I rarely come on here anymore as I have been attacked to the point that I lost interest. I have always found that many posters don't ask themselves, "how would i feel if someone talked to me that way"? Too much in a rush with their self importance.IMHO

The moderators do their best to keep conversation civil but some people feel they don't want to be filtered. They feel their point of view is the only point of view. I've always felt most people "don't agree to disagree respectfully". It doesn't cost anything to be nice. :smiley:

Some people have said there is a posse that put down other people because they love TV and don't want to hear any dissenting opinions. Their was a thread many years ago about, "marginalizing one's point of view".

I think TOTV has not changed in many years nor do I see much hope of it ever changing,.
Therefore I come on once in a blue moon. At this point there is very little I need to know about TV.