Board activity

[happymonster]

Is it me or has board activity decreased quite a lot from a few years ago?

[ptoing]

I just made this infographic to show, yes, there has been a dicline in activity, but I would say the quality of help offered is overall the same or better.

[junkboy]

I've been thinking about this as well, although I mostly lurk here.

What do you reckon the reason for this is?

[LoTekK]

The 06/07 relationship is rather interesting, but moreso the jarring cliffdrop from the end of 07 to the beginning of 08. o_O

[happymonster]

I think some of the more experienced and advanced artists that frequented this board have left and now been replaced.
Perhaps pixel art is seen as less interesting overall.

[Jad]

Definitely not less interesting in the eyes of the masses, on the contrary I'd say it's because DA and pixeljoint sorta catch lots of the enthusiastic beginners, and pixelation is seen as a place where the 'old grumpy' pixellers hang around, haha : D

We're seen as more exclusive now? We're less unique? Aruno ' 0 '

I'm not worried! : D

[Jakten]

Is that chart based off of only the new board or the old board as well, I always figured this place was dead because no one knew to look for it again so long after the board died that one time. (if so I can't believe the new forum has been around for almost 3 years already!)

I think probably the lack of activity is what is killing the activity, people see pixeljoint booming and figure they would rather go there. Or the fact that people lurk too much, myself included.

[vierbit]

Actually I donīt feel the forum activity is declining, the last collaboration activity shows that.
I also donīt see pixelation stand in any "competition" with pixeljoint, they also have a forum there, but its different than here.

That topic remind me, I should get out of lurkmode more often.

[heyy13]

I think a large portion of pixeljoint as it stands are almost or entirly lurking type people. In that we come and read everyone else's posts but rarely contribute anything ourselves. (atleast I work like that, and i lurked for some time on the original forum and then this one before i even bothered to join)

So just because there are less posts overall doesn't necessarily mean less people are actually visiting. This is the only site i check consistantly every day for replies (not even my email am i that good at checking). But i've posted... maybe half a dozen times this year? So it's all open to interpretation.

[Jakten]

Actually I donīt feel the forum activity is declining, the last collaboration activity shows that.

Yeah that's true, it's most likely just people lurking then. I guess people don't require Crits as much anymore. I think we should get more activities going anyways, the commercial critiques and stuff. I always really enjoy those things.

[miascugh]

Is that chart based off of only the new board or the old board as well, I always figured this place was dead because no one knew to look for it again so long after the board died that one time. (if so I can't believe the new forum has been around for almost 3 years already!)

This board still uses the Pixelopolis database started in 2005, the name-change back to pixelation along with the new forum theme happened late 2006 (when that boom happened there in the chart).

I myself have to admit that I haven't been very active anymore ever since I had started to go to university. Dropped lots of habits in the past three years, not playing computer games as much anymore, nor keeping in touch with acquaintances not from my immediate vicinity. I'm easily preoccupied with one thing at a time, which at the time is getting life and future worries sorted out .

I think there was also a point where I didn't see myself develop anymore with pixels (or art in general, only making technical progress, while noticing that the mind stays behind can be grueling). I don't know if it's true, but I kind of had had my fill back then. Although I never was much of a big poster anyway, and as a moderator most of the stuff I did/do happens behind the scenes.

[EvilEye]

Ya I noticed the board has seemed slow lately.

If you ask me it's because the more skilled members don't post as much work as they used to. I know when I am browsing the forums the threads that interest me are the ones with the better work. The better the work the more likely I am to comment or submit an edit, thus generating board activity. I am sure it's the same for most others.

My best guess is most of the skilled members got a job / a life / a family and don't have time to pixel just for the hell of it.

Also I never understood pixeljoint, it's forums are way worse then here. All the posts are by youngsters just starting out. Where is this huge "pixeljoint community" I've been hearing about for years? I can't seem to find it.

[Mathias]

I'm in the same boat, evileye. If the work is good, my interest is much higher. Though I do often find myself commenting on the underdogs' stuff, too. I think I feel underqualified sometimes to "assist" the more advanced.

Vierbit says he doesn't think activity is declining due to collab turnouts. This is true, but occasional collabs aren't the essence of this community, it's everyone helping everyone with their pixeling. The collabs are easy fun stuff -  just follow someone else's rules to facilitate a fun pixel art based activity. The natural attraction to that is high. On the exterior this looks like community activity, but it's really just a veil hiding the slowly rotting core, is it not? Like that nice little pineapple I just bought from walmart, once cut open full of oozing decay inside.

I truly regret not joining up here when it was Pixelopolis early on, and starting in pixels when everyone else generally did, after the heyday of the demoscene. I feel like I'm late to the party. A party perhaps winding down? Hopefully not.

[EvilEye]

I first joined back when this place was at pixelation.swoo.net ( or something similar ).

I don't think I posted much back then myself, but I seem to remember a lot of board activity, a lot more then now.

Then it seemed like the board went dead a few times if I recall, then finally it went poof and was no more. Then one day many years later I think I typed pixelation in google or something, and found it was back

Maybe pixel art itself is dying. What will we do then

[The B.O.B.]

Maybe pixel art itself is dying. What will we do then

   Nothing lasts forever; just be glad to be part of something magnificent when it was around. I know your comment was made tongue in cheek, but I think this sentiment is a facet all humans or creatures should learn to accept. To keep something, or want to stay something forever, is a bit selfish.
    Of course when many of us joined back in the day, we were teens, or young adolescents, still learning in the fields of pixel art, and art basics. Yet most of this tight knit community has grown over the years to other facets of the field of art, or have taken part in professional pixel art jobs, leaving most limited time to be more active on the "pixel for fun" part of our schedule.
    Yes, there is a bit of a recession on this board as of late as well, but in any social group, this is to be expected. Things fluctuate over time naturally, to adjust to given environment. A lot of the artists submitting their art for assistance and critique in the pixel art thread currently, are admittingly a bit of lower quality then we're used to; but that's because our tight knit community is getting older, and moving on. And the younger bunch entering the boards now are at the period we were in when Pixelation was in it's hay-day; young, a bit ignorant in some of the facets of great pixel art, trying to adjust to user response by putting egos aside, and of course, still learning the basic general principles of art in general as well.
   In a twisted way, this also relates to the subject at hand. We're doing a service for pixel art by keeping it alive and passing it on to the next generation of people. Once some of these newer users get the hang of things, they'll start coming into their own and developing friendships along the way, with budding back-and-forth critiques to help themselves get better(along with some seasoned/pruned vets wisdom as well ). And once these groups get better acquainted, so begins the rise of more user activity. So passing the torch, so to speak, is really what's happening at this time. 
   And if it dies, it dies. There really isn't much to say about that. The main goal, for me at least, is education of the form; and that's what places like this serve.

[ptoing]

One of the problems is that the oldies such as myself could post a bit more critique, but many of us are busy with actually pixelling for a living now or with other stuff.
I will try to do some more critique and edits next year. Atm I am very busy with freelance and of course soon I will have to fiddle around with secret santa stuff.

As far as pixelart dying goes, I don't think so. There will always be a niche for it, just like people still using analog cameras. For some things pixelart is just way nice.
As long as there are sufficiently lowres handhelds and companies open to 2D (unlike Sony), then all will be well. But of course it is getting less what with 3D and higher resolutions.

[junkboy]

I think that one of the reasons for the decrease in activity is because posting pixel art here is seen as something of an commitment to improving the piece in question, rather than just throwing it out there to see what kind of feedback it gets. Maybe I'm just projecting?

[Helm]

I think that one of the reasons for the decrease in activity is because posting pixel art here is seen as something of an commitment to improving the piece in question, rather than just throwing it out there to see what kind of feedback it gets. Maybe I'm just projecting?

If that's the case, that's great, hope it keeps up.

[junkboy]

If that's the case, that's great, hope it keeps up.

Even if the decreased activity, by extension, results in less quality artwork being posted?

[tocky]

what would be the cause for the spike in 2006?

[Helm]

If that's the case, that's great, hope it keeps up.

Even if the decreased activity, by extension, results in less quality artwork being posted?

Pixelation isn't a showcase board, it's for learning. I'd much rather we have 1000 15 year old newbies committed to helping each other than 100 achieved artists showing off and getting asspats.

edit: tocky, it was because Pixelation assumed its previous name (from Pixelopolis) and was reskinned.

[junkboy]

Pixelation isn't a showcase board, it's for learning. I'd much rather we have 1000 15 year old newbies committed to helping each other than 100 achieved artists showing off and getting asspats.

Fair enough, it's your forum. I don't necessarily think those two forum "cultures" are mutually exclusive though.

[Helm]

I don't think they are either, but if we're talking about how to get attendance up, we mean for people to do more critique and help each other, not for people to marvel at somebody skilled's showcase. There's pixeljoint for that.

[Arachne]

I agree with Helm. I still pixel a bit every now and then, but processing critique usually takes me a while, so I wouldn't be able to put advice to good use now and the thread would effectively become a showcase thread. There would be more stuff posted, but I don't think it would encourage anyone to give or ask for critique, which would be very anti-Pixelation.

That being said, I think it might be easy to get too focused on the critique part of Pixelation. If you don't have time to give or process critique, maybe there are some other ways you can get some learning/discussion started. Maybe there's a technique you're unsure about or a neat tool you'd like to teach others to use. There should be plenty of other ways to spark some activity even if you're busy. I think the donation drive shows that there's definitely some interest there, it's just a matter of finding an outlet for it that can be wedged into people's schedules.

I'm hoping I'll get to post more interesting stuff closer to Christmas.

[Helm]

yes the 'any questions?' thread was an attempt to channel other ways of proactive discussion... I'm not sure what else to do. I'll make a CC soon...

[EyeCraft]

I'll make a CC soon...

*Pees a little*. Looking forward to it! I had a bit of a CC of a few SNES RPGs in an IM with Corinthian Baby, and it was quite invigorating! Took me back a lot to the CCs on the old blue Pixelation, not to mention I learned a thing or two.

I think the point about multiple communities for pixel art since the early Pixelation is a good one. The community has spread out. I said it in the blog thread as well, but I don't really have a perception of this forum being slow or dead. It seems to be moving along steadily (at least in terms of the critique-grinder section). For me, I spend a lot of time looking at threads in the Pixel Art section, and I very rarely end up looking at threads in other sections. I actually find the board TOO active for my time!

I've been working on a game lately, so that's where most of my creative focus has been. That, and a lot of the art stuff I do now is in other mediums. I'm just spreading out with what I do, but I still love pixel art. To me, this community offers something special. A kind of balance of openness, friendliness, but also expertise. It's cosy and stimulating. When I go to other art communities, they are huge and bizzare to me, like a country boy entering a big city (okay, now I'm just getting cheesy  ).

Okay, I started rambling, but my point is Pixelation has its niche, and I think it will draw longevity from that.

[Froli]

I think the ones who "trained here" finally got their skills polished that it landed them some jobs.

[ptoing]

Well yes, learning on Pixelation did land me Jobs and now I am freelancing pixelart. That does not mean I can keep sharing the wisdom (as you might have noticed I am trying to give more crits with edits as of late and not just pull the levers in the background)

[Froli]

that is true, but for some people it's just hard to manage time. Real life/family+job+stress = less time to do other things. It's understandable.

One thing for sure, They will be back. I always think this place as my "home" as others do

[TheOne]

Bit confused by "Sprite Sheet: In Progress" having 141000 views. Is this an error?

[ptoing]

Uh, yeah, that seems odd.