[Linkle]

A lot of us grew up on the internet. A lot of us, in our late 20s-mid 30s grew up during the height of the popularity of Avatar Sites. From the still somehow semi-alive Gaiaonline to the now defunct Ernya, Solia and even Roliana, Syndrone and many others. They were our escapes, our means of socializing before the rise of mainstream Social Media and even now a lot of us, myself included, hold a lot of nostalgia for them.

So that begs the question, are they truly dead, and how long until Trisphee, which even now isn't always active, or even Gaia have to close their doors?

With how things are now, is there any feasible way of saving them? I'd love to see a reemergence of them, see Gaia live up to what it was, maybe even see this site start to thrive.

Its a pipe dream but sometimes its hard to let go of the things you cherished so much. I wish I had been more active here for sure.

[KittyBeary]

The topic has definitely been brought up recently on here. However Trisphee as of right now has no plans of shutting down. :)

[Stabbsworth]

i'd say advertizing pays a big role in that sort of thing, but i'm no marketing guy.

[Chloe]

I remember being asked once on another forum site the main reason why most folks left and ways to get folks back. The main reason most have left mainly is due to the site not really being updated in.. about four years?
Gaia's success is mainly due to being able to offer their customers variety of options besides just forums. They hold contests, meet ups, have towns where folks can meet their friends and hang out, ZOmg.. Other forum sites had pets you could raise by clicks..
Also have spoken to past members who have said it's difficult to come back due to the loss of Glitch. I know on websites such as Subeta, you can have the account of a deceased member turned into a memorial account where the username can never be giving to another user so maybe doing something similar to that so folks will know even through she is gone, she is still remembered.

Other than that, I don't know what else to really say. It's basically like MMOs, I have seen tons of them shut down cause the player base is older folks who grow up playing Maple Story, etc where the game stops updating and eventually the player base moves on to something new or pass away, have had a friend speak about some players that had passed on. Eventually something new will take the place of Social Media, if by that time, Trump, Putin and Little Rocket Man haven't started WW3..

[Stabbsworth]

aye, yeah. i've noticed that there's been virtually no avatar contests since glitch died, which is through no fault of her own or anyone else's fault, i'm just guessing that the person that used to do those either no longer feels like doing them or is on an extended hiatus.

i could theoretically start that up until the person that originally did the avi contests comes back, but at the same time, i don't have a lot of items to give.

[KittyBeary]

Yeah the avi contests were fun. I loved seeing all the entries and creative avis. :3

[Chloe]

Probably wouldn't be hard to pixel and get items approved for an avatar contest or event but it's getting folks to come back. Probably a lot of old members who knew Glitch may take longer to eventually return, which can't blame them.

Now, I don't want folks to say I'm being cold here but I don't remember ever talking to Glitch through possible I did and while I'm sad to learn she passed away, her passing literally has no effect if I continue on the site or not. And going to be honest, even if I did know her, I would still log on and celebrate the place she worked hard for, not keep away. As I quote what my cousin said during a family member's funeral - the person is at rest now and they would want us to celebrate their life and remember the good memories, even if right now, those memories are painful to us, this is what they would want. For us to be happy they have passed over and not to wallow in their passing. Yes, it will hurt. I still feel sadness on June 20th each year cause two people who passed away the same year, both had birthdays that day.. and they passed away literally a month of each other as well but I end up going and putting flowers on the one grave, sadly for Jenni, I can't cause she was buried in the US and I have no idea if her father buried her in Dorchester where we lived growing up or in his county. Otherwise, I would find the perfect baby blue horse figurine and stick it on her grave, lol.. everytime I see horses here, it reminds me of her and I smile, esp if walking and the horses come over to the fence and I'm like, Jenni, did you come back as a horse? through I am sure she's probably taken Hell over by now, we always said when she passed, she would come the ruler of it.. lol.. was always our little in joke.

I would say focus on getting new members to stay and eventually older members will return. Even if it's something simple like a Trisphee July Event or work up to hosting an event for Labor Day at the end of August/September or even a small Trisphee Art/Avatar contest hosted by multiple folks.

Another reason I think most new members won't stay is cause it is daunting joining somewhere and everyone literally knows everyone and keeps to their little cliques. I got lucky on here I found rpgers that I eventually came friends with and we moved to other sites, etc together and chatted offsite. I also came friends with folks outside the group and with MMOs, I just lucky the guild I ended up merging with, ended up being the group I went with to new games. Even my ingame husband was from that group and while most have left whom I have ways of contacting off of the game via FB if needed, I have grown closer to someone I probably would never if everyone still hung on the game and even made friends outside of the guild. Probably helps no one else wanted leader and I was made it so I get to chat to anyone that has issues, lol but most of us share the same friends, it's just I probably have some my guildmates probably wouldn't choose for their friendlist.. lol..

But getting to the point, create maybe a hangout just for newbies to the site where they can get help with maybe toward their first avatar, have a place to get to know folks and help them get settled into the community - if they like art, help them get an art shop up and running, or if a rpger, right now the site is a little too dead for anyone to really run a successful rpg but they can discuss ideas and get something in the works.

It's really the small things, not saying start pumping out monthly items like Gaia, etc but start small with maybe trying to get something set up with new items for an event, even if it's pushed back and turned into an User ran Halloween event and focus on stuff to get newer players wanting to be part of the community.

[Linkle]

I think Glitches passing was before I signed up, but I'm sorry to hear of their passing.

Wow I lost track fast, sorry about that. Maybe pulling in new users could help, but it would involve patience and effort for all the remaining users, since everything feels so tight knit.

[Chloe]

I believe she passed away in 2020? Or from what I gathering via the messages on her profile. But again, I stopped logging on around 2017 due to not running in to my ex which when share the same group of friends, is bound to happen and well, lets say, another reason was how my ex acted after the split. I can't say I witnessed the event, just heard about it via a mutual friend - they think the split was the reason and that I did the right thing with ending things. If I ran into her today, I would still be civil but I don't think we could go back to being friends and know most of my friend group outside of Trisph don't want anything to do with her.

Yes, on some sites, you have folks that get partnered up with newbies and help them get settled into the site, meet new folks, etc. It's not easy and at one time, we all were newbies once ourselves. Can't remember exactly how I met Nikko, etc, just happened we all clicked with each other and eventually more folks came into the group. Remember meeting Hero and bringing him into the friend group, probably wouldn't of happened if we didn't become friends first.

But yea, basically if any new members want to chat with me, I won't bite, etc. I'm not active as much on the forums but I do include other places to reach me offsite minus Gaia.. I am hoping they will be changing my username to an unactive one but so far, nothing back from Gaia Support, lol. But if folks want to reach me there, Cloighi.. it's the Gaelic of Chloe. Only thing I don't give out is my digits cause most folks are the USA and I'm the UK so texting or calling folks is off the table and to be honest, I'm not much of a phone talker unless I have known someone for years.

[8Nephila8]

Sign of the times I guess. I miss Menewsha, but if I didn't do what I did and leave I'd never work on what I want to work on with my life.

Voltra did alright for a while, as new avatar sites normally start out doing. I'm sure their events are busy, but not much else.

They also banned a power user so the people that normally don't talk to each other, don't talk to each other even less now. Making the activity even lower.

Re.color for it's flaws have some of the most active forums I've posted on of late. At least in the general chat and rp sections anyway. In the others parts its like screaming into the void.

[Linkle]

Wait Re.Color is still up? Huh. IDK Why I thought it was gone. Is Menewsha still up?

I never tried Voltra. But it sucks that people talk less and less now with the power user gone.

Also ah, it sounds like a lot has happened to you Chloe.

I'm not new but I'm not exactly old either, i think I joined, chatted a bit and then RL took me, but I'm also free to chat.

[Kaderin Triste]

Menewsha's still up, but it's badly broken (can't use multipose items, can't make new acciunts, can't preview items in the shops, the games no longer work, etc) and it's been pretty much fully abandoned by the staff.

[KittyBeary]

I go on Voltra but I mostly lurk. Though it appears the site is down right now. :0

[Chloe]

Use to be on Menewsha years ago.. Roliana, Eryna.. probably half of my rl friends had no clue what an avatar site was, most of them weren't little nerds like me. I remember being a girl and into video games/internet wasn't a girl thing.

Then again, most forums sites didn't come popular till I was in my 20s. I did light rpging via Yahoo Groups but eventually folks went to other places so I ended up coming to avatar sites.

Haha, let's just say.. the relationship was an interesting one and leave it at that. I don't know if she still logs on here and don't want to start anything through it's been five years now so possible it's all water under the bridge. if she decides she wants to reach out to me, then yea. But I am sure she's like me, wants to keep the distance.

Probably most folks only spoke to the power user to get stuff. It happens on most games, you have one person everyone wants to befriend, lol. Personally the reason why I keep away from power users, if they want to chat and are decent, then cool. but most of them act if their better than most users.

[Stabbsworth]

no clue who the power user on that site was.

i currently work for this site and pantheon online, pantheon online is fine with me working for tris as long as i don't break the agreements on either site.

my bf also works here, he does art stuff too. den's also around with item design.

i have reportedly scared the everloving shit out of espy by doing the art stuff on a mobile phone.

[Chloe]

*chuckles* I'm sure probably more than just doing art on a mobile would scare the shit out of her. If rpging back in the day with me and Natsu didn't scare anyone *pretty sure her character only interacted with my bat shit insane OC and not the ice queen/prefer nature ones* then can't see how doing art on a mobile can top that.

but yea, I remember years ago, folks said not to draw art via laptop mouse yet I booted up Gimp and put that laptop mouse to work. Now when I feel like drawing, if I don't want to set up a tablet, I just do the mouse/Gimp set up.

Never have worked for an avatar site, mainly cause I don't really pixel.. my last attempt at that was back during my digimon rpg days and boy, those OCs turned out scary.. and usually I try to save writing for rpg ideas.. through if an idea is needed for a setting/story for an event, then yea, feel free to pick my brain.. it's twisted enough from all the horror movies/stories I read/watch. But yea, can't see many of them not minding folks working for different sites, gotta earn living somehow.