Boards not too active these days.....

Most of us who are still here most days (13 years out) hang out in private groups, FB etc. We are personal friends after so long. Transient people, like yourself, don't foster any sort of friendship or support so it's mainly pre and new ops on the public boards.

The menu threads show the people who are the most invested here on the public forums.

Personally I do not post often because I get tired of the same question. No one seems to be able to use the search function. Really how often do you have to answer to the three wee stall?

So people post they eat crap do not follow plan and want to be patted on the head. I do not post anything close to mean but have had enough of these people

This forum software format is so outdated. It make conversations and threads hard to follow.

Coming to this site is like stepping back to 2005 internet days.

A software update would really go a long way to increasing traffic.

You get what you pay for...Works fine for me!

Hi, I go back 7 plus years and used to read every word of this forum. Back then, there weren't that many people getting vsg so it was easy to get familiar with those stories. Now it seems that its mostly newbies with newbie questions which is totally ok and I try to answer if I can (and if I am still on my morning coffee.

But its true that many people a few years out hang out in other groups here rather than the main vsg forum. I am a daily poster in the vsg maintenance group which has developed a warm supportive environment. Joint it if you haven't. Or start your own group on whatever issues you like. Keep checking in. Diane S

I agree, much of the content is repeated, but I think it's often just a way to reach out and connect. Personally, I have not had any "new" question that I couldn't/didn't get answered by my medical team, but sometimes I'd like to connect with the OH folks who have been where I'm at.

I am also very careful how/when I post in an effort to avoid those waiting to pounce. I'm looking for support and to support--not to add negative energy.

All of that in account, the activity seems to ebb and flow, but I've found some of the threads so uplifting and enjoyable that it's worth it to check in often.

As others have mentioned, a forum dies unless there is participation. That includes you.

You found the time to complain about how the boards are not active, but couldn't find the time to update everyone on your progress. Which topic would you consider more important? Hmmm?

Well it was dead but now that you're here, WooHoo, party all the time, party all the time!

No, but really what happens is that most people leave. They post a question every now & then, make it to goal & never look back other than to give a surgiversary post or a help I've gained back so & so amount of weight post.

Most don't give back, most don't stick around to help & you end up with a very small group of vets that give over, n over again, but even they get fatigued from answering the same posts over n over., especially when advice given isn't appreciated or even acknowledged.

For a forum to thrive, people have to stay, post, give support & help if they can, otherwise you end up with a sea of newbies. Myself included.

anything else you'd like to know?

I had surgery in 2015 and have been active since then. I work 60-80 hours so admittedly that doesn't leave me much time for stuff.

Right now my current hobby is mapping the enteroendocrine cells of the small intestine, and I am writing a computer model that calculates malabsorption depending on procedure. I'm trying to figure out SADI vs. DS malabsorption in particular to quantify it more clearly, as studies are helpful (but they typically don't discuss enteroendocrine cells) and anecdotal SADI and DS observations are exceptionally useful, but they are not objective. You can then plug in patient measurements plus surgeon measurements (lengths of intestines, etc) and pair it with sleeve size to determine an overall projection of caloric restriction + malabsorption. Currently it spits out raw data, but it has no UI. Eventually I want to get it to import MFP data so it can calculate malabsorption macro and micronutrents based on that input.

...maybe I need a better social life after all. :P