What Ever Happened to the Earlier Tomatovillians?

[Salsacharley]

I was reading the post from Craig L on preserving basil that was started many years ago and it has posts from all kinds of folks who don't post now. I have seen this on many threads here. This raises my question of why these people don't post anymore? These people have huge amounts of good info. I just wonder what causes them to discontinue participating.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Salsacharley

I was reading the post from Craig L on preserving basil that was started many years ago and it has posts from all kinds of folks who don't post now. I have seen this on many threads here. This raises my question of why these people don't post anymore? These people have huge amounts of good info. I just wonder what causes them to discontinue participating.

I can't answer without knowing their user names and that b'c some have died, some have moved, some just stopped posting for reasons unknown. And some have been banned, not all that many compared to the total membership, but yes, banned for darn good reasons,

Carolyn

[feldon30]

Originally Posted by Salsacharley

I was reading the post from Craig L on preserving basil that was started many years ago and it has posts from all kinds of folks who don't post now. I have seen this on many threads here. This raises my question of why these people don't post anymore? These people have huge amounts of good info. I just wonder what causes them to discontinue participating.

It's something I have noticed as well. A lot of high quality posters have chosen to move on.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by feldon30

It's something I have noticed as well. A lot of high quality posters have chosen to move on.

And I should have said moved on to other message sites instead of just moved.

There are lots of competing message sites now, some dead in the water, some that are thriving, and there are many here right now at Tville who read/post at several message sites.

And not to forget those who are now retired and no longer simply have the interest at reading/posting almost anywhere. And that came up just last night when I was talking to a long time friend who used to post at several sites and now in retirement has cut way back on all of that activity to explore new hobbies and the like, and yes, he still grows tomatoes.

Fact is that if anyone looks at the long list of new members posted almost every day, this site continues to grow , and how many of them will actively partipate is not known. One just said yesterday that he joined only so he could see pictures and nothing wrong with that at all.

Carolyn

[Darren Abbey]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

One just said yesterday that he joined only so he could see pictures and nothing wrong with that at all.

That was precisely the reason I joined here. ;-)

[Worth1]

I have seen people come and people go.
Many I miss many I dont.
Some leave because they aren't allowed to pontificate their opinions and beliefs here as they can at other sites.

Worth

[Dewayne mater]

It is sad when we lose what I consider to be luminaries like an early founder Suze from Bastrop, Tx. Her advice, methods, garden pictures and seed sharing were absolutely critical in getting me from a clueless city boy who liked tomatoes to being a full fledged tomatoholic and reasonably successful heirloom grower. I miss her and others. Still, it is reassuring and amazing to me when folks like Carolyn137 shares her vast knowledge/education/experience and that goes for many other regular contributors who in spite of not being a world wide recognized authority like Dr. Male, still have so much to offer and regularly do. Love that! That is why I regularly chime in any time I think I may have learned something along the way that might help others not have the learn the hard way.

Dewayne Mater

[JLJ_]

Originally Posted by Dewayne mater

. . . I regularly chime in any time I think I may have learned something along the way that might help others not have the learn the hard way.

Dewayne Mater

I think that's great, and that people should remember that it's not only successful endeavors that are helpful. At one time, I spent a lot of time helping people with some types of technical issues. When they'd ask how I was able to tell them just how to solve an apparently mysterious difficulty, I told them the the only reason anyone can give you a quick right answer is that they've spent hours, weeks, years finding out by experience 5,697,593 things that will *not* solve that particular problem.

Same thing with gardening, except that gardening may be more difficult as so many components of the garden system are alive and have their own objectives, which may not be in accord with the purposes of the gardener.

[feldon30]

Originally Posted by Dewayne mater

It is sad when we lose what I consider to be luminaries like an early founder Suze from Bastrop, Tx. Her advice, methods, garden pictures and seed sharing were absolutely critical in getting me from a clueless city boy who liked tomatoes to being a full fledged tomatoholic and reasonably successful heirloom grower. I miss her and others.

Not to detract from the thread, but I did want to comment on this.

I too miss Suze and her contributions to gardening and this site in particular. I miss our long talks and occasional visits to trade seeds, sample varieties, strolling through garden centers, and of course co-hosting SETTFest. I still talk to her a couple of times a year on the phone and she's completely gotten away tomatoes and made a lot of health-related changes in her life which I hope work out for her. I do hope some day she'll come back.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by feldon30

Not to detract from the thread, but I did want to comment on this.

I too miss Suze and her contributions to gardening and this site in particular. I miss our long talks and occasional visits to trade seeds, sample varieties, strolling through garden centers, and of course co-hosting SETTFest. I still talk to her a couple of times a year on the phone and she's completely gotten away tomatoes and made a lot of health-related changes in her life which I hope work out for her. I do hope some day she'll come back.

It's not a detraction for me and I'm very glad you posted what you did b'c for many years we were very good friends and she called me, and me her, several times a WEEK.

I'm especially glad to hear that she made a lot of health-related changes in her life as well which I too hope they not only work out well for her, but more so will be permanent changes.

Carolyn

[tam91]

Originally Posted by feldon30

Not to detract from the thread, but I did want to comment on this.

I too miss Suze and her contributions to gardening and this site in particular. I miss our long talks and occasional visits to trade seeds, sample varieties, strolling through garden centers, and of course co-hosting SETTFest. I still talk to her a couple of times a year on the phone and she's completely gotten away tomatoes and made a lot of health-related changes in her life which I hope work out for her. I do hope some day she'll come back.

Oh I too miss Suze. She gave me some of the first Captain Lucky seeds - and that still might be my favorite tomato. I'm glad she is doing well.

[Blueaussi]

I'm not an old olbie, but I posted a lot for awhile; then life got busy, and I didn't post for several years. This spring I was talking to a co-worker foolish enough to ask me a tomato question, and I noticed that glazed look with eyes jerking involuntarily towards the clock.

I thought maaaaybeeee I should go talk to people who _ like_ talking about tomatoes...

[Bipetual]

Originally Posted by Blueaussi

I'm not an old olbie, but I posted a lot for awhile; then life got busy, and I didn't post for several years. This spring I was talking to a co-worker foolish enough to ask me a tomato question, and I noticed that glazed look with eyes jerking involuntarily towards the clock.

I thought maaaaybeeee I should go talk to people who _ like_ talking about tomatoes...

That's exactly why I joined! My family loves the end result and will help me whenever I need it. But the process just does not excite them. I don't get it. How come not everybody finds this stuff endlessly fascinating?

[shelleybean]

Yep, I start talking garden in November and December when the seed catalogs start arriving and everybody is looking at me like I'm a nut. Why would I be thinking about my garden over the holidays? My hairdresser told me I'm a vegetable geek. I kinda like that.

[NarnianGarden]

Originally Posted by Bipetual

That's exactly why I joined! My family loves the end result and will help me whenever I need it. But the process just does not excite them. I don't get it. How come not everybody finds this stuff endlessly fascinating?

LOL. My mom loves the results too, but she is not so keen on hearing endless repetitions on the various stages of development. Somehow she considers the growing part to be tedious work
I keep on telling her how priviiledged she is; she doesn't have to join some retired folks' gardening club to have the experience, she can have it in the (dis)comfort of her own home yard...
(for the recod: my mom is strong and healthy, and even without tomatoes, would spend lots of time doing yardwork...)