I haven’t checked Trains, but the August issue of Model Railroader had a statement from the new owner.
In addition to the owner’s support of paper magazines, this statement was encouraging:
“Rest assured, we plan to keep the forums, but our roadmap includes significant upgrades to ensure their stability and functionality with more modern aesthetics and experience.”
I hope these forums can gain back some of the lost members.
I would opine that Trains (etc.) will need to push the fora to increase usage. Many folks may not need the fora even exist.
And we old-timers will need to be receptive of new users, who may well bring a far different dynamic to the action.
If I had a nickel every time I heard a statement like that. Even Kalmbach was promising that for 15 years.
I think I’ll take the wait and see approach.
The irony of that statement is that it comes in a magazine rather than on the forums.
A lot of people who read Kalmbach magazines probably don’t use or even read the forums, and a lot of people who read or use the forums probably don’t subscribe to the magazines.
If they intended to fix the forum, why wait? Why damage the future product by letting this wreck continue for years?
Now it is not accepting new posts. When I try to, I get the
That is a oldie but a goodie that arises from time to time.
They just got the company. The forum is the least of their worries.
I’m content to give them a chance. I didn’t see the term ‘years’ in his column.
Edit:
I’m going to edit my comment. After rereading it, I realize it sounds critical of some forum members, and that was not my intent.
There is a large percentage of forum members who do not subscribe to one of the magazines. I would guess the new company’s first order of business is to increase its paid subscriber numbers. The forum may have to wait.
I have been a paying subcriber for decades. I just renewed and converted to digital but then could never login to the digital side of the website. So I lost the last two issues, they are mailing them again and resetting my subscription back to paper. I used to subscribe to MR as well but dropped that as I don’t currently have the time for Model Railroading.
I subscribe to Classic Trains. Trains lost me, except for an occasional issue bought at B&N, years ago.
If these fora added a subscriber paywall, I doubt if they would survive. They serve as a marketing tool to attract new subscribers to the publications.
I agree. If I was willing to take a pay cut I would apply at TRAINS, I think I could turn it around with decent marketing. It would take time to do so though. I still think there is a bigger demand for the publication and the hobby than the current numbers indicate.
BTW, when I say pay cut, the presumption is sales is on commission in large part not anything negative implied for those of you that read with a shop for victims complex.[}:)][8D]
There is also a statement from the new owner inside the front cover of August Trains. It also says it will continue and eventually improve the forums.
I’m now a new me because they decided I didn’t know how to type my password even after I recoved and reset a few times, all to no avail.
After one of Kalmbach’s recent site “upgrades” I had to set up a new password for my account. This new password works great for the main site and accessing the digital magazine archive. If, however, I want to login to the forums I have to enter my old password. Fortunately, I remembered what it was.
Same here. I had forgotten my old password, tried to get a new one and it only worked for subscriptions, etc. I tried a few guesses at my old one and hit the jackpot (I think…) and got back on the forum.