Board activity

[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?