Previous Post Quote: The story is only half done. If I can't gin up some interest, I don't think I'll be motivated to finish. I think we're suffering the progressive death of nobody replying to anything. The motivation you refer to that comes from board support is quite diminished at the moment. I've always held that we need at least eight enthusiastic posters supporting the work of others and any four of them turning out regular stories at any given time to maintain a thriving board. At the moment we're down to maybe six regulars and two or so writing as well as replying. I know some folks have pressing personal issues that inhibit their patrticipation; others have just gone into cover because there's not much happening to inspire them. The answer is for folks to write good stories and for other folks to read them and comment on them. It's a formula that's served us well for over a decade. I'd love to do something to re-engage people but I'm wary of committing to something I don't know if I can follow through. My "real" life is difficult just now, as a single parent caring for a terminally ill mother, and it ebbs my capacity to write regularly; I'm also writing for publication these days so the deadlines for people who are paying me have to come first. I keep telling myself that in a few weeks I'll clear some time to try and encourage some more PV activity; I hope I can. All of that said, I hope you can do your projected storyline. It's a strong start and I'd love to see how it all pans out. I can guarantee you at least one enthusiastic reader and respondent - seven to go!

I don't mind if they're simply not checking often because of low participation.

The possibilities that worry me are if people have decided they've grown up and don't want to come back, or the people who have settled in at Facebook or Blogspot and feel posting here would take away from their audience, or the people who washed their hands of this place because they believe it deserves to die already. That worries me because those people won't come back even if they're begged to, because they've put the PVB behind them forever, and because once it's known a few people did that, a few more will follow.

I'm hoping it's nothing so drastic, but I'm worried it could be.