What happened?

I used to frequent this group daily, mostly lurking but always reading
and learning. I took a hiatus for several years because of flame wars
and such and, too, because I wasn't stitching as much. But now that
I've peeked in again for several days I see that posts have gone from
thousands a month to only a few hundred. What happened to this
wonderful, wise, enthusiastic group?

--bru

On Dec 5, 9:40*am, crazybrunette64 wrote:
I used to frequent this group daily, mostly lurking but always reading
and learning. *I took a hiatus for several years because of flame wars
and such and, too, because I wasn't stitching as much. *But now that
I've peeked in again for several days I see that posts have gone from
thousands a month to only a few hundred. *What happened to this
wonderful, wise, enthusiastic group?

--bru

This started many years ago, when RCTN gave us up and went public with
Google and made it wide open to any and all, whether crafts or
advertising everything from soup to nuts. Flame wars don't always
succeed in getting rid of the real crafters. I've been here a long
time. It gets aggravating wading thru all the ads, but soon as I read
the title, I don't even bother to open it. If I see no new messages,
I just go away until the next day and start over again. Maybe if they
find their ads are not being read, they will eventually go away.
Frances

"'Nez" wrote in message
...
This started many years ago, when RCTN gave us up and went public with
Google and made it wide open to any and all, whether crafts or
advertising everything from soup to nuts. Flame wars don't always
succeed in getting rid of the real crafters. I've been here a long
time. It gets aggravating wading thru all the ads, but soon as I read
the title, I don't even bother to open it. If I see no new messages,
I just go away until the next day and start over again. Maybe if they
find their ads are not being read, they will eventually go away.
Frances

RCTN has always been public and open to any and all. Before Google, the
public Usenet archive was Dejanews. The main problem is that many of the
major ISPs dropped Usenet service. Lots of people who used to be regulars
probably don't realize there are still servers they can use to access Usenet
newsgroups. Some of the servers are free, some charge a fee but whichever
you choose all you need is a newsreader and you can access RCTN or many of
the other newsgroups Google-free without ads.
~*~
Jeri

On 12/5/2010 12:08 PM, wrote:
On Sun, 5 Dec 2010 08:29:15 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

On Dec 5, 9:40 am, wrote:
I used to frequent this group daily, mostly lurking but always reading
and learning. I took a hiatus for several years because of flame wars
and such and, too, because I wasn't stitching as much. But now that
I've peeked in again for several days I see that posts have gone from
thousands a month to only a few hundred. What happened to this
wonderful, wise, enthusiastic group?

--bru

This started many years ago, when RCTN gave us up and went public with
Google and made it wide open to any and all, whether crafts or
advertising everything from soup to nuts. Flame wars don't always
succeed in getting rid of the real crafters. I've been here a long
time. It gets aggravating wading thru all the ads, but soon as I read
the title, I don't even bother to open it. If I see no new messages,
I just go away until the next day and start over again. Maybe if they
find their ads are not being read, they will eventually go away.
Frances

You need a better way to read usenet rather than google groups - they
are the epitome in frustration. What about trying eternal-september?
It's free.

Usenet in general has suffered a decline, mostly due to forums,
FaceBook, twitter etc. but it still hangs in there.

Flame wars might account for some, but very few I suspect.

To echo, Sheena's comment. Verizon took away my newsgroups..so on the
recommendation of the fine folks here, I tried Eternal September...and
have been very pleased with it. I am checking on here several times a
day...just hate to miss anything, you know how that goes.LOL. When we
are away from home, I usually use Google...just to see what major thing
is going on; I really hate it. It is nowhere near as user-friendly!!

Gillian

I don't ever see any ads here.

Edna in Sydney


"Jeri" wrote in message
...

"'Nez" wrote in message
...
This started many years ago, when RCTN gave us up and went public with
Google and made it wide open to any and all, whether crafts or
advertising everything from soup to nuts. Flame wars don't always
succeed in getting rid of the real crafters. I've been here a long
time. It gets aggravating wading thru all the ads, but soon as I read
the title, I don't even bother to open it. If I see no new messages,
I just go away until the next day and start over again. Maybe if they
find their ads are not being read, they will eventually go away.
Frances

RCTN has always been public and open to any and all. Before Google, the
public Usenet archive was Dejanews. The main problem is that many of the
major ISPs dropped Usenet service. Lots of people who used to be regulars
probably don't realize there are still servers they can use to access
Usenet newsgroups. Some of the servers are free, some charge a fee but
whichever you choose all you need is a newsreader and you can access RCTN
or many of the other newsgroups Google-free without ads.
~*~
Jeri

"crazybrunette64" wrote in message
...
I used to frequent this group daily, mostly lurking but always reading
and learning. I took a hiatus for several years because of flame wars
and such and, too, because I wasn't stitching as much. But now that
I've peeked in again for several days I see that posts have gone from
thousands a month to only a few hundred. What happened to this
wonderful, wise, enthusiastic group?

--bru

Probably the same thing that seems to have caused such a reduction in good
needlecraft magazines - less interest in stitching. Plus the ever
increasing cost of supplies. Everything seems to go in cycles - no doubt
there will be another surge of enthusuasm in a few years.

I`ve had a break from stitching as my eyes got worse, plus a few other
health problems. Had my cataracts fixed a few months ago and can see like a
hawk now, so have started stitching again. I can`t have seen colour properly
for years! In fact it settled an argument with my daughter - I was wearing
a pair of brown patns which she insisted were purple- it turned out that she
was right!!! LOL!

If anyone`s needing the cataract operation, don`t hesitate - it`s more of a
fascinating experience than a scary one and you don`t feel a thing. It
helps, of course, having a husband who had it done a couple of years ago and
was so enthusiastic about the experience!

My only complaint is that for several years I always saw a beautiful halo
around the moon - and it`s now gone!

Pat P

Probably the same thing that seems to have caused such a reduction in good
needlecraft magazines - less interest in stitching. *Plus the ever
increasing cost of supplies. *Everything seems to go in cycles - no doubt
there will be another surge of enthusuasm in a few years.

There seem to be less good `handcraft mags` in general , many have
become `style` mags. Magazines make less money also because a lot of
the patterns and ideas people want are now on the internet. Thus
people buy and subscribe less to those mags.
The Economy Crisis is also a cause for that change, many of my
colleagues, who for years crafted `only for fun`, have returned to
making `useful items`. Knitting. sewing, renovating clothes has
increased.
mirjam

as to the demise of needlework, I notice a great relutance of most
needlworkers to attempt to pass on their skills and try to interest
especially the young. EAC does have a few youth chapters, but most
chapters are content to stitch and bitch rather than attempt to form
youth chapters.
some years ago I taught a class at my daughters school. after school
hours. It was quite popular
Ruby

On Dec 9, 6:40*pm, Ruby wrote:
as to the demise of needlework, *I notice a great relutance of most
needlworkers to attempt to pass on their skills and try to interest
especially the young. *EAC does have a few youth chapters, but most
chapters are content to stitch and bitch rather than attempt to form
youth chapters.
some years ago I taught a class at my daughters school. after school
hours. It was quite popular
Ruby

When ever a young person asks about any handcraft, i help as much as i
can.
The various exhibitions we made over the year attaracted young people
who asked about how to do.
Since i knit/crochet while traveling on buses and trains, and People
ALWAYS ask me about it , i prepared a card with basic knowledge, and
terms,, which i give to those intetrested , I have had quite some
calls from people, who told me that they started to knit/crochet.....
mirjam

I think you are right Mirjam. I still read RCTN, but really don't
have anything to contribute. I still do counted cross-stitch now and
again, but for the most part I knit. Two years ago the knitting bug
bit, and I'm loving it. I learned to knit when I was in my early
teens, but now I knit socks, lace, and usually have a sweater on the
go. The finished projects are useful, and once you are finished there
is no additional cost. I used to spend hundreds of dollars on
framing, but not anymore. I did get TIAG's Gift of Peace framed in
November, but that is the first piece I've finished and had framed in
years.

take care, Linda D. in B.C., Canada

On Dec 8, 10:11*pm, mirjam wrote:
Probably the same thing that seems to have caused such a reduction in good
needlecraft magazines - less interest in stitching. *Plus the ever
increasing cost of supplies. *Everything seems to go in cycles - no doubt
there will be another surge of enthusuasm in a few years.

There seem to be less good `handcraft mags` in general , many have
become `style` mags. Magazines make less money also because a lot of
the patterns and ideas people want are now on the internet. Thus
people buy and subscribe less to those mags.
The Economy Crisis is also a cause for that change, many of my
colleagues, who for years crafted `only for fun`, have returned to
making `useful items`. Knitting. sewing, renovating clothes has
increased.
mirjam