The Abdl community and this site. A general observation

[Liliel]

So I've been noticing that Abdl stuff like artists and stories and even video content has been on the decline recently. Hell this site as much as I love it seems somewhat stuck in that not dead but not super active state.,there's no real new stories and rping seems somewhat stale with topics. Not saying none of them are good just saying I've seen a lot of the same series with very little deviation.

So with that said anyone else think we might be becoming a dying breed? Or has everyone just basically gone into hiding?

[Purestarfall]

In my opinion, it's everyone going into hiding than ABDL dying out. I still find notable ABDL activity elsewhere so it's not really like it's dying out. Of course, I believe that a lot of the more well-known ABDL artists have moved to patreon and tend to focus on that first before posting it elsewhere. Of course, that means that sites like this don't really get anything from them anymore so there's little reason for new people that want that art to even come to the site unless they want the old stuff.

As to this site being in that dead but not dead state, I personally think there's two main things. The first is that due to the combination of the anti-spam thing to keep accounts with very few posts from spamming junk and the mods that are still around aren't on that often and Xero leaving without a plan for us to get new mods if needed. The result is that the few people from the lurkers that want to join in posting a RP or something else quickly reach a point that they can't post again without mod approval, at that point the best case is that a mod will come on within the day or so and fix it. I just went thought that a few days ago, so I know it's still an issue. Mostly, we're stuck with those already here and they already have ideas that they liked that they played out before so that's why it seems stale.

The second issue is much easier, forums just aren't popular anymore. Everyone uses discord now, as that's the hot new thing (No judment to those that do, I do have one as well after all.) Most the features it has are easier to use than here I feel, so that an issue too. I do RPs here because I like being able to easily go back if I need to look up something, but for many people that don't have an issue with that or anything else then discord is just kinda the place to go for RPs. That once again hits the issue with the lack of new blood here.

So to wrap everything up, I really don't think ABDL is dying out. It's just that most of the online communities to it are in a bit of a rut due to both people tending to be busy this kind of year and the events that have happened over the past few years having played out.

[Bandit Keith]

Originally Posted by Purestarfall

In my opinion, it's everyone going into hiding than ABDL dying out. I still find notable ABDL activity elsewhere so it's not really like it's dying out. Of course, I believe that a lot of the more well-known ABDL artists have moved to patreon and tend to focus on that first before posting it elsewhere. Of course, that means that sites like this don't really get anything from them anymore so there's little reason for new people that want that art to even come to the site unless they want the old stuff.

As to this site being in that dead but not dead state, I personally think there's two main things. The first is that due to the combination of the anti-spam thing to keep accounts with very few posts from spamming junk and the mods that are still around aren't on that often and Xero leaving without a plan for us to get new mods if needed. The result is that the few people from the lurkers that want to join in posting a RP or something else quickly reach a point that they can't post again without mod approval, at that point the best case is that a mod will come on within the day or so and fix it. I just went thought that a few days ago, so I know it's still an issue. Mostly, we're stuck with those already here and they already have ideas that they liked that they played out before so that's why it seems stale.

The second issue is much easier, forums just aren't popular anymore. Everyone uses discord now, as that's the hot new thing (No judment to those that do, I do have one as well after all.) Most the features it has are easier to use than here I feel, so that an issue too. I do RPs here because I like being able to easily go back if I need to look up something, but for many people that don't have an issue with that or anything else then discord is just kinda the place to go for RPs. That once again hits the issue with the lack of new blood here.

So to wrap everything up, I really don't think ABDL is dying out. It's just that most of the online communities to it are in a bit of a rut due to both people tending to be busy this kind of year and the events that have happened over the past few years having played out.

Yes that is pretty much it... It also doesn't help that after the site was dead for about a year or so made a lot of the good rpers that had more variety and also artists that posted here need to find new places to do what they like... Then you have the fact there has been issues with new bills passed and how they are written in the last few years making some people scared to be even on here .. Do to the huge misconception of what being a AB/DL is and how AB/DL art can be viewed as by those who don't understand it , among other varying factors related to fandoms happening that make people not as willing to rp newer Ips do to how old and new fandoms are going for varies reasons at this point

Definitely have to agree about the Discord thing. Seems a lot of people are in the, "I want to RP/Talk about the lifestyle with other people, and I want to do it now!" phase.

I'll admit that I'm not nearly as active as I used to be, but that's mostly because I have a girlfriend who is both a domme and is very supportive of the lifestyle. Doesn't mean I don't pop in and say hi every now and then, but I don't do anything RP-related anymore. I do like to talk to other people about their experiences, though!

[LittleLiam117]

This is the first thread I've seen in a while that I've *actually* wanted to respond to. This is a topic I've had lots of conversations about this... mostly on Discord and Telegram and the like, and I feel like I've gotten to the bottom of it.

Let's go back to 2004. World of Warcraft was just released, Starcraft is the biggest thing in esports, and everyone is at home getting onto Xbox live for the first time to play Halo 2.

Some people on here now probably won't even remember that, because you may have legit been 4. You missed out on some good times, lemme tell ya.

Your connection to the internet hinges on your mom NOT calling someone. You keep using trial accounts for AOL to get around, and you probably post on sites like this and Gaia online. You probably DON'T have a camera with the ability to easily transfer videos to your computer, and smart phones don't really exist yet. Flip phones with 120p cameras aren't rare, but they're not ideal for taking... let's just say quality pics.

What kind of sites would take the LEAST long to load? Ones without pictures. Instant messaging chatrooms like IRC were niche and not entirely user-friendly, and often times, built-in IRC clients for websites were unreliable. Most folks didn't want to download IRC programs or, if they did, weren't very good with navigating around them. Instant messaging was limited to AIM, MSNIM, and private messages on forums.

So, you went to forums! Text pages have the smallest amount of data to push, so they're some of the fastest sites around. Lots of people, all with particular interests in an age where the internet was still bright and shiny.

Forums came about as a solution to a problem; everyone has terrible internet. That problem no longer exits. The majority of people in first world countries have cell phones, and their cells have the ability to connect to numerous free, public wifi and private home networks. Shit, I have 1GB internet for streaming now. I can push live gameplay, video streaming, audio streaming, AND make changes to it instantly and have it appear on stream with a mere half-second delay.

Forums are also communities. On something like, say, twitter, there aren't communities like on forums. You can really easily block users and NEVER engage in their content, whereas on forums, if you're in a spat with a well known and active user, it's like being in a spat with your neighbor. On social media (like Twitter, where I feel like the majority of active ABDLs are, besides fetlife), you only have to see the content you WANT to. I'm into messy padding, but not scat, so I block popular scat accounts and follow messy diaper content. This usually leads to finding more people who are into that niche, and as such, it's easy to cultivate the content I'll see and interact with.

Conversely, it's pretty easy for people to find my content and follow me on a place like Twitter. I don't *have* to respond to *ANYONE* in order to have a conversation, I can just post what *I* want to and *OTHER* people respond to it. As such, people who like me for my thoughts, opinions, and content will continue to find me. This builds cults of personality, and by extension personalities within the community, rather than large communities on forums.

That said, we also live in an age where information on ABDL stuff is common. There's WAY more resources and WAY more accessible content and communities with instant-feedback and instant-messaging on Discord, Twitter, Telegram and the like. I don't have to make a post and wait for 2 hours for a response; I can engage instantly. Hell, I voice-chat with people nightly and have actually MET my big group of friends. We've gone on vacation together, hung out, and built our own LOCAL group (tri-state area, ya know).

Forums are a dying breed. More ABDLs are popping up online every day. Capcon will probably hit 3k people this year or some crazy number. It's forums that are passing into obscurity, not the community. It kind of sucks, but let's be honest here; things like Discord, Telegram, and Twitter offer a more compelling user experience than something like Diapered Anime.

Thank you for coming to my Ted-Talk.

---------- Post added at 08:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:28 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Purestarfall

Xero leaving without a plan for us to get new mods if needed.

T_T Hey now... I was his replacement. I log on just about twice a day or more; morning and evening. I don't usually get those kinds of alerts. The systems we're working with here are archaic and, there isn't a proper ticketing system. I work in IT, and I can firmly say that this site needs an incredible upgrade, but that kind of work needs to be weighed vs. the chance that this site can be not just kept up, but improved to a point where the User Experience is so good that it brings in significantly more people. It's difficult, because this site turning into a social-media esque site wouldn't work out imo. Too big of a project for not nearly enough payoff, for anyone.

[Liliel]

Originally Posted by LittleLiam117

This is the first thread I've seen in a while that I've *actually* wanted to respond to. This is a topic I've had lots of conversations about this... mostly on Discord and Telegram and the like, and I feel like I've gotten to the bottom of it.

Let's go back to 2004. World of Warcraft was just released, Starcraft is the biggest thing in esports, and everyone is at home getting onto Xbox live for the first time to play Halo 2.

Some people on here now probably won't even remember that, because you may have legit been 4. You missed out on some good times, lemme tell ya.

Your connection to the internet hinges on your mom NOT calling someone. You keep using trial accounts for AOL to get around, and you probably post on sites like this and Gaia online. You probably DON'T have a camera with the ability to easily transfer videos to your computer, and smart phones don't really exist yet. Flip phones with 120p cameras aren't rare, but they're not ideal for taking... let's just say quality pics.

What kind of sites would take the LEAST long to load? Ones without pictures. Instant messaging chatrooms like IRC were niche and not entirely user-friendly, and often times, built-in IRC clients for websites were unreliable. Most folks didn't want to download IRC programs or, if they did, weren't very good with navigating around them. Instant messaging was limited to AIM, MSNIM, and private messages on forums.

So, you went to forums! Text pages have the smallest amount of data to push, so they're some of the fastest sites around. Lots of people, all with particular interests in an age where the internet was still bright and shiny.

Forums came about as a solution to a problem; everyone has terrible internet. That problem no longer exits. The majority of people in first world countries have cell phones, and their cells have the ability to connect to numerous free, public wifi and private home networks. Shit, I have 1GB internet for streaming now. I can push live gameplay, video streaming, audio streaming, AND make changes to it instantly and have it appear on stream with a mere half-second delay.

Forums are also communities. On something like, say, twitter, there aren't communities like on forums. You can really easily block users and NEVER engage in their content, whereas on forums, if you're in a spat with a well known and active user, it's like being in a spat with your neighbor. On social media (like Twitter, where I feel like the majority of active ABDLs are, besides fetlife), you only have to see the content you WANT to. I'm into messy padding, but not scat, so I block popular scat accounts and follow messy diaper content. This usually leads to finding more people who are into that niche, and as such, it's easy to cultivate the content I'll see and interact with.

Conversely, it's pretty easy for people to find my content and follow me on a place like Twitter. I don't *have* to respond to *ANYONE* in order to have a conversation, I can just post what *I* want to and *OTHER* people respond to it. As such, people who like me for my thoughts, opinions, and content will continue to find me. This builds cults of personality, and by extension personalities within the community, rather than large communities on forums.

That said, we also live in an age where information on ABDL stuff is common. There's WAY more resources and WAY more accessible content and communities with instant-feedback and instant-messaging on Discord, Twitter, Telegram and the like. I don't have to make a post and wait for 2 hours for a response; I can engage instantly. Hell, I voice-chat with people nightly and have actually MET my big group of friends. We've gone on vacation together, hung out, and built our own LOCAL group (tri-state area, ya know).

Forums are a dying breed. More ABDLs are popping up online every day. Capcon will probably hit 3k people this year or some crazy number. It's forums that are passing into obscurity, not the community. It kind of sucks, but let's be honest here; things like Discord, Telegram, and Twitter offer a more compelling user experience than something like Diapered Anime.

Thank you for coming to my Ted-Talk.

---------- Post added at 08:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:28 PM ----------



T_T Hey now... I was his replacement. I log on just about twice a day or more; morning and evening. I don't usually get those kinds of alerts. The systems we're working with here are archaic and, there isn't a proper ticketing system. I work in IT, and I can firmly say that this site needs an incredible upgrade, but that kind of work needs to be weighed vs. the chance that this site can be not just kept up, but improved to a point where the User Experience is so good that it brings in significantly more people. It's difficult, because this site turning into a social-media esque site wouldn't work out imo. Too big of a project for not nearly enough payoff, for anyone.

______

Yeah though isn't Discord less effective? Ive heard posts get burried see fast. Is it even possible to have multiple things going on? To have things private? I'm not a fan of just posting where anyone can just interrupt. Nore do I like the idea of stuff getting burried.

[LittleLiam117]

Originally Posted by Liliel

______

Yeah though isn't Discord less effective? Ive heard posts get buried see fast. Is it even possible to have multiple things going on? To have things private? I'm not a fan of just posting where anyone can just interrupt. Nore do I like the idea of stuff getting burried.

It's basically just an IM with like... however many people you want. you could have 5 people in your server, or 500. Yeah, some stuff can get buried quickly, but it feels more like a user-friendly version of IRC. That used to happen all the time. There are different channels for different stuff, and every server is different. Really depends on what you're looking for.

[Liliel]

Originally Posted by LittleLiam117

It's basically just an IM with like... however many people you want. you could have 5 people in your server, or 500. Yeah, some stuff can get buried quickly, but it feels more like a user-friendly version of IRC. That used to happen all the time. There are different channels for different stuff, and every server is different. Really depends on what you're looking for.

hmm. Sounds like a hassle. Never been a fan of instant messenger stuff.

[LittleLiam117]

Originally Posted by Liliel

hmm. Sounds like a hassle. Never been a fan of instant messenger stuff.

I mean, it really isn't. It's one of the most popular chat programs around; but, I suppose it's just like when Skype came into the fray, and everyone started using that.

That said, discord is solid. I'm part of a few REALLY great ABDL servers with good folks. Worth it to try, since it's free anyhow~

[Princess Yuki Mcnight]

Um if y'all ever need a new mod I'd be happy to help out I have experience