Where has everyone gone?

There was a big push to get this sub forum set up and it got a bit of traffic at the start especially from a handful of passionate posters but only about 20 posts in the last year.

What has happened to have killed the passion for this topic?

The move to the new system killed it. Same with a lot of forums here. A lot are dead now

Caoimhe2

Anyone else having issues I am trying to find topics I type in the search bar and the page won't load

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120806842#Comment_120806842

I don't know about lack of loading, but the search functionality on Vanilla (the new system) is, well, crap

Faith

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120806841#Comment_120806841

This. Plus the tedium of constantly having to deal with the same small handful of posters who seem to take the existence of this forum as a personal affront.

batistuta9

Whatever about the site move issues, I think a lot of subforums actually hurt the site too, it just dilutes the posters. Look at this family category, 4 subforums and 5 more subsubforums in parenting. A lot should be consolidated, some forums are never needed in the first place, probably even this one, handful of threads with little posts in two years.

magicbastarder

it's a topic that runs out of steam fairly quickly, i'd have thought. you talk about the reaction of certain people or certain sections of society to you not having kids, people share a few stories, that's it.

Furze99

The original enthusiasts all got pregnant perhaps??? :)

Arthur Pants

The site search doesn't work, finding forums is a challenge.

pinkypinky

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120807121#Comment_120807121

It's this. I don't feel there's a huge amount to say and what is said gets repetitive. There's also a divide between couples who decide not to have kids and single people.

Caoimhe2

Search bar not working so can find any new posts only way I can finds posts I was following is through my bookmarks

ghostfacekilla

People are too busy enjoying their childfree lives to post. Only exhausted parents have the scope to use boards as their main eater of free minutes.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120816425#Comment_120816425

So having children gives you free time, and being childless means you too busy....

Ermmmm.....

Ok?

Appreciate all the replies. just found it strange that there was such a huge push to get this sub forum set up and it was so busy at the start before dying back to now only being a handful of posts every few months.

A part of me wondered if some of these posters met someone and changed their stance which is something I’ve seen many times. Same kind of thing you hear from single people saying they are not getting married until they finally meet someone.

Pawwed Rig

I thought it was an odd one for a forum myself and didn't think it would last too long (like many other forums). Probably would have been better as a thread somewhere else

It was going great until the vanilla switchover

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120817699#Comment_120817699

i doubt people changing their stance was a factor. i shared a couple of stories when it first appeared IIRC, but once i've shared those, there's not a lot else in terms of developments i would have to share; and that'd be the same with a lot of other people i suspect.

Dial Hard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120817699#Comment_120817699

I doubt anyone has changed their stance, tbh. I certainly haven't. As Faith said, it just got exhausting constantly having to defend that stance to a certain cohort who just can't seem to help themselves. I have never, ever told anyone with children that their decision to do so was wrong/misguided/ill-informed, whatever. But some people (and a number of regular visitors to this forum) seem to see the decision to be child-free as a direct attack on their decision to have children and respond to any discussion accordingly. It's a bit bizarre, tbh.

magicbastarder

i suspect the debate is in the process of being resurrected!

ancapailldorcha

I realised that I hadn't popped in for some time and I'd no idea where to even find the forum. I don't think the current site layout is doing it any favours.

Faith

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120828507#Comment_120828507

Nor is the forum being placed in between the "Parenting" and "Adoption" forums, IMO.

Wezz

I don't have experience of the old site so can't comment on that but I don't have much to say about being CF. I don't have kids, end of. What more is there to add?

I will note I don't have people in my ear all the time asking when I'm going to reproduce so I don't need a space to rant. I also don't want to be one of those people who make my decision not to have children part of my personality. I don't have kids the same way I don't have a car or a dog or a wife, it's not really worth much more discussion than that.