Probably because we're super niche. Facebook groups contain hostile actors...not worth it.

You're not alone. I remember in 2021, it wasn't uncommon to see nearly 20 members online at a time. But yes, things have since gotten quieter. I can think of several members who were extremely active then and aren't now. A few that come to mind are @Binarix128, @Metal Halide Boy, @Fluorescent05, @Bulbman256, @HPS_250, and more. But yes, there are still a few legacy members who still post every once in awhile.

Just because I was mentioned here I'm really trying to get back on LG, and I wish it could go back to how it was, but I think a major part of it is just how little non generic LED lighting is left in the wild in service and for sale, there's just overall a lot less content to post on this site

I've only been here for less than a year, and have noticed a slight decline in user activity, like commenting, posting etc. etc.
1. I don't see @HomeBrewLamps as much as I used too
2. My bud @bydgoszczanin13 doesn't do much, but I have seen him online and commenting occasionally
3. Quite a few people have left: Micheal, dudam001 etc. etc.
4. I don't post as much
5. I don't comment as much
6. I have ran out of things to say and to show
7. I like lighting from a niche country
8. I've been very busy
9. Damn Philips Lumistreets
10. I'm Stupid
11. I'm Annoying
12. I'm done

I've only been here for less than a year, and have noticed a slight decline in user activity, like commenting, posting etc. etc.
1. I don't see @HomeBrewLamps as much as I used too
2. My bud @bydgoszczanin13 doesn't do much, but I have seen him online and commenting occasionally
3. Quite a few people have left: Micheal, dudam001 etc. etc.
4. I don't post as much
5. I don't comment as much
6. I have ran out of things to say and to show
7. I like lighting from a niche country
8. I've been very busy
9. Damn Philips Lumistreets
10. I'm Stupid
11. I'm Annoying
12. I'm done

well I have been here as I have touch on in a post on the previous page for over 15 years now, and things are ticking along quite nicely I'd say, plenty of good high quality uploads and comments/discussions going on

items 2 and 4-through-12 are your own problem im afraid, im sorry that they are a problem for you, but I dont see how they are of any wider concern to LG in this context?,


and in general I am not sure why your intent on bringing things up in this manner? its not a particularly good look to just be seen trying to stir the pot like this!

It's been the most active here these last 6 months than it has in a while.
I would agree with Dez here... why are you needlessly stirring the pot?

Maxim is right, It’s been really good here lately. Specially since the slow running issues have been sorted. This is my favourite site out of them all!

To be honest, I wouldn't say there has been a large drop in activity, in the gallery at least, but rather a shift to lower quality photos of generally less special lamps and fixtures. I've noticed most of the strretlights uploaded are just super zoomed out, low quality smartphone pictures, or even some taken off google streetview, but croped to hide it! That said, each morning, there often times are at least one or two good, high quality uploads for things I'm personally interested in (mainly streetlights).

Aditionally it has been super nice to see some new or no longer innactive members uploading high quality photos of actually interesting and special lights, not just "look what I happened to see today", and it's a zoomed out photo with a common light in it, not showing anything new, nor creating any discussion.

The forum on the other hand, I have noticed a sharp drop in activity this year, though I'm not as active on the forum as I may have been in the past.

I've still been getting lots of new stuff in my collection, but I simply don't upload most of it here, as there usually isn't much interest in some of what I'm interested in. That's ok, everyone is different, I just don't want to clutter up the gallery with uploads that aren't valuable for most people. Just as well, if I have something that I think more members will be interested in, I'll upload it.

This is just my take on it all, and I hope it isn't just me 'talking for the sake of talking', like I've seen further up on this page...

@Patrick has been extremely diligent in keeping the site in perfect working order, adding in a guest sign-in option using Cloudflare, implementing 'For Sale/Trade' tags, etc...
It's clear he, among other many legacy, long-term members care about the survival of this site as information on the global web gets consolidated and absorbed by hallucinating AI models.

I’ve mentioned this before, will do so again. Internet forums in general are encountering similar declining patronage and participation abroad, both with new and established members. Some members may have simply just moved on or have exited the hobby as a whole. This isn’t exclusively a L-G matter, I’m on other forums (non-lighting related) that are in far worse condition. Remember forums like ours were the trend in the 2000s, with this site starting in 2005. I’d say L-G peaked in the early 2010s, and saw a renewal during the covid lockdowns, an era I feel some are reminiscing on.

I’d say it’s held up respectfully, and the owner has shown commitment to it, such as adding Cloudflare. Today with newer forms of social networking, competition has definitely come into the neighborhood and taken some of the marketshare from here.

I know I've only been back a couple of weeks having been gone for 3 years but I'd say LG seems to be holding up really well especially considering how long it's been on the Internet, 2005 is an amazing run.
Even though it's only been a couple of weeks sure I've noticed it definitely doesn't have the activity I remember when I was here between 2020-2023, though I'm not entirely surprised by that.
Younger members have grown and are away at college and for older members like me and a few others of you out there I guess we're kinda stuck in our ways, not collecting as much just moving through life, working, family, or whatever the situation is.
Though during the 3 years I wasn't here all the activity is Reddit discussions and topics that seems to be what's popular nowadays.
People don't have to invest a lot of time into it like hobby site like LG.

well I have been here as I have touch on in a post on the previous page for over 15 years now, and things are ticking along quite nicely I'd say, plenty of good high quality uploads and comments/discussions going on

items 2 and 4-through-12 are your own problem im afraid, im sorry that they are a problem for you, but I dont see how they are of any wider concern to LG in this context?,


and in general I am not sure why your intent on bringing things up in this manner? its not a particularly good look to just be seen trying to stir the pot like this!

Sorry, it's kinda the way I speak/type, I bring things up randomly. 

But I have noticed a decline user activity

But yeah sorry if thar looked a bit strange 

I rather am going to dispute that, sure things change, and there have been up-n-down's but I would certainly not say LG has been on the decline, theres still been *plenty* of activity on this site, and I have even seen some older figures, like Dimbulb and Dave start posting again which is nice to see

just from my own perspective for example from my own uploads, I still see plenty of activity on them, and there are still plenty of activity and discussions going on in general, and cool finds that get posted, see for example the F100T17 that @Al_M recently posted for example, and I have been on LG for over 15 years now (Eeep! LOL) so I feel I am in a good position to talk about these things


just in the last week theres been 7 pages worth of "recent additions"! thats 210 uploads! in a week! if my maths is right, thats about 30 uploads a day, i'd say things are ticking along pretty well no? (also for people that are unhappy that maybe all the uploads appear to be of one style or the other, you can go into individual categories and monitor those, for example if only lightbulbs are your thing, but not fittings fixtures or streetlights, then just keep the lamp album open and then you can blissfully ignore everything else! https://www.lighting-gallery.net/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=229 )



I do know that people sometimes complain about a lack of comments/interactions  on their stuff, but on that front I do notice a lot of times, the people complaining, have poor descriptions when it comes to their own uploads, that dont do much to stimulate the conversation so to speak



"here is GE 175W Mercury lamp" and thats all the description is, its especially annoying, when the lamp is something special, and they do nothing to talk about it!

 
I have seen a few people guilty of that, and I think the best example of that, is a user by the name of Vez Lighting, https://www.lighting-gallery.net/gallery/index.php?cat=10029

and this is from well long ago, so no one here can say this is a recent thing!, he uploaded some great rare and special lamps, his pictures where all high quality, but he barely put any description into them, and notice how so few of them have comments!

so I think if those concerned about a lack of comments on their uploads put a bit more into their descriptions, I think they might get some more comments


and I think sadly in todays world it seems to be "the thing" to complain how things are going down the toilet, when actually its a lot more nuanced then that, and really it is when people do suddenly throw a strop and delete of their stuff that hurts sites the most

its very much a catch 22 "oh this site is going down the toilet so I am going to delete all my stuff" well how is that going to make the site get better? thats just actively doing harm by removing existing content from it. if for some reason you dont want to take part in the forum anymore thats your choice, but please dont delete all your stuff! because even aside the loss of ones own content when one deletes their gallery, its not just your stuff that your deleting, but all the comment and the such like that other people have posted under your uploads get deleted too, and then that in itself can cause people to go "whats the point of commenting if its all just going to get deleted"

and often times valuable information to the wider community, like technical comments from James and the such like get lost when people delete their galleries


its the one thing I wish people would not do, is please dont up-n-delete your galleries if you do decide to leave LG!

I can't say I've looked too much into the lamps posted by Ves Lighting Dez?, but his lighting night shots are some of the best on here 😎, but I do agree with most members, the rise of LED has definitely been a big factor for lighting sites going much quieter since I originally signed up in 2011🤔

DONT LEAVE!