Hi guys

[Duck]

Hi guys (and gals),
I feel I haven't been contributing to the forum at all. I think I've become less and less productive on here as well. I want to contribute to the forum and the blog more, but I don't have any ideas on what to do. It's pretty disappointing, because this place has become my internet "happy place" if you will. Any thoughts or suggestions on what to do that would help or contribute to the forum and blog in any way would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Duck

[Stegotyranno420]

I understand how you feel. I kind of want the forum to be my main source of "me" if you will. But in person school has came and they make us use regulated laptops as opposed to the unregulated ones of online school last year, which I plead they will bring back. My friends off this forum have been trying to encourage me to join discord, and after months of pleas I joined, which caused me to sacrifice more time, and even more when I joined Twitter. It's kind of like a balance between my forum friends and non forum friends, and I dont wanna pick one over the other because both groups are crucial to me.
If you want to contribute more, try posting more opinions, try getting news on certain companies, or post your art. Something as simple as posting a cool dinosaur video can make others happy.
I have been here for almost 3 years and honestly in the overall I really like this place. I never been in such a community.
One thing I noticed is that the forum is getting stale and empty.  Now all I see is just news on the same company, or people pointing out an animal is fragmentary, which I don't blame but nor support.
I really hope theres something new that kind of excites many of the members.
Hope you can find a way to contribute.  Enjoy your stay my friend

[Libraraptor]

Hi Duck, noone has to justify their activity or their degree of contribution to this blog. No bad conscience is necessary, either. I have been enjoying the benevolent, open atmosphere for conversation here for 13 years. Some of these I was very active here and put out lots of reviews and thread entries per annum. Then again in other years I had to care more for my personal life and could not contribute to forum and blog that much.  Noone ever said "we expect more from you" or asked me for more reviews or threads.

You are around for a little over a month now. Your orientation is over and now you look for ways to set a course.

Everyone is here voluntarily, there are no entrance requirements except for some authenticity and of course the very reason we are here: The interest in everything prehistoric, especially figures or models or toys.

Where does your pressure to deliver here have its source? Do you feel inferior to the output of other members?  Are you bored by some topics repeating themselves over and over again? Or do you perhaps even think to be boring yourself?

How would you notice that you enjoy your time on the forum again? What should happen in your opinion, how much of this lies in your own hands? One does not have to be super original and reinvent the wheel.  What do you like except prehistorics? I recently asked the members about CASIO watches or LEGO. Members enjoy other members who listen and read carefully. We need both the stage hogs and the introverts. We are actors and audience at the same time.

[DinoToyForum]

Hi Duck, noone has to justify their activity or their degree of contribution to this blog. No bad conscience is necessary, either. I have been enjoying the benevolent, open atmosphere for conversation here for 13 years. Some of these I was very active here and put out lots of reviews and thread entries per annum. Then again in other years I had to care more for my personal life and could not contribute to forum and blog that much.  Noone ever said "we expect more from you" or asked me for more reviews or threads.

Same. I have phases when I'm very active here and other times – usually when I'm particularly busy with work or other personal matters – when I hardy post a thing. I'm sure it is the same for all members. Some like you and me have been here on and off since the early days, some people lose interest and stop posting completely, while enthusiastic new members join every year. Life on the forum ebbs and flows. 

[Shonisaurus]

You are not obliged to do anything, only your presence is in itself a mere contribution.

You could publish photographs of your collection to give an example but what I said, your mere presence even if you did not publish anything is valuable like gold. You don't have to traumatize yourself.

[Halichoeres]

There's nothing wrong with fluctuating activity on the forum, and you definitely shouldn't feel like you have to be 'productive.' There are sometimes long stretches where I don't really have anything new to add. The way I stay engaged is just by trying to leave supportive comments on other people's contributions. This isn't social media, and there aren't any 'like' buttons, so the only way somebody has to know that their post is appreciated is a comment. It's a way to make the forum a little friendlier.

[need4swede]

"Be the change you want to see in the world Dinosaur Toy Forum"

As others have mentioned, while nobody is obligated to contribute to the shared collective online environment beyond being a mere subscriber to its content, there's a lot one could do if one was so inclined to do it. What that thing is and how one goes about accomplishing it is a different matter altogether, but if you've recognized that there's something that you wish was different, then why not take the initiative of making the environment a better place - if not for everyone else's sake, then at least for your own.

The fact that you've recognized that you have a desire to contribute to the community, but don't necessarily know how, is the biggest step towards progress. The other would, undoubtedly, be acquiring the discipline and motivation to spearhead the desired changes.

Good luck to you!