I used to frequent this group daily, mostly lurking but always reading and learning. I took a hiatus for several years because of flame wars and such and, too, because I wasn't stitching as much. But now that I've peeked in again for several days I see that posts have gone from thousands a month to only a few hundred. What happened to this wonderful, wise, enthusiastic group?
--bru
This started many years ago, when RCTN gave us up and went public with Google and made it wide open to any and all, whether crafts or advertising everything from soup to nuts. Flame wars don't always succeed in getting rid of the real crafters. I've been here a long time. It gets aggravating wading thru all the ads, but soon as I read the title, I don't even bother to open it. If I see no new messages, I just go away until the next day and start over again. Maybe if they find their ads are not being read, they will eventually go away. Frances
You need a better way to read usenet rather than google groups - they are the epitome in frustration. What about trying eternal-september? It's free.
Usenet in general has suffered a decline, mostly due to forums, FaceBook, twitter etc. but it still hangs in there.
Flame wars might account for some, but very few I suspect.
RCTN has always been public and open to any and all. Before Google, the public Usenet archive was Dejanews. The main problem is that many of the major ISPs dropped Usenet service. Lots of people who used to be regulars probably don't realize there are still servers they can use to access Usenet newsgroups. Some of the servers are free, some charge a fee but whichever you choose all you need is a newsreader and you can access RCTN or many of the other newsgroups Google-free without ads. ~*~ Jeri
To echo, Sheena's comment. Verizon took away my newsgroups..so on the recommendation of the fine folks here, I tried Eternal September...and have been very pleased with it. I am checking on here several times a day...just hate to miss anything, you know how that goes.LOL. When we are away from home, I usually use Google...just to see what major thing is going on; I really hate it. It is nowhere near as user-friendly!!
Gillian
I don't ever see any ads here.
Edna in Sydney
Probably the same thing that seems to have caused such a reduction in good needlecraft magazines - less interest in stitching. Plus the ever increasing cost of supplies. Everything seems to go in cycles - no doubt there will be another surge of enthusuasm in a few years.
I`ve had a break from stitching as my eyes got worse, plus a few other health problems. Had my cataracts fixed a few months ago and can see like a hawk now, so have started stitching again. I can`t have seen colour properly for years! In fact it settled an argument with my daughter - I was wearing a pair of brown patns which she insisted were purple- it turned out that she was right!!! LOL!
If anyone`s needing the cataract operation, don`t hesitate - it`s more of a fascinating experience than a scary one and you don`t feel a thing. It helps, of course, having a husband who had it done a couple of years ago and was so enthusiastic about the experience!
My only complaint is that for several years I always saw a beautiful halo around the moon - and it`s now gone!
Pat P
There seem to be less good `handcraft mags` in general , many have become `style` mags. Magazines make less money also because a lot of the patterns and ideas people want are now on the internet. Thus people buy and subscribe less to those mags. The Economy Crisis is also a cause for that change, many of my colleagues, who for years crafted `only for fun`, have returned to making `useful items`. Knitting. sewing, renovating clothes has increased. mirjam
>as to the demise of needlework, I notice a great relutance of most needlworkers to attempt to pass on their skills and try to interest especially the young. EAC does have a few youth chapters, but most chapters are content to stitch and bitch rather than attempt to form youth chapters. some years ago I taught a class at my daughters school. after school hours. It was quite popular Ruby
When ever a young person asks about any handcraft, i help as much as i can. The various exhibitions we made over the year attaracted young people who asked about how to do. Since i knit/crochet while traveling on buses and trains, and People ALWAYS ask me about it , i prepared a card with basic knowledge, and terms,, which i give to those intetrested , I have had quite some calls from people, who told me that they started to knit/crochet..... mirjam
I think you are right Mirjam. I still read RCTN, but really don't have anything to contribute. I still do counted cross-stitch now and again, but for the most part I knit. Two years ago the knitting bug bit, and I'm loving it. I learned to knit when I was in my early teens, but now I knit socks, lace, and usually have a sweater on the go. The finished projects are useful, and once you are finished there is no additional cost. I used to spend hundreds of dollars on framing, but not anymore. I did get TIAG's Gift of Peace framed in November, but that is the first piece I've finished and had framed in years.
take care, L> > Probably the same thing that seems to have caused such a reduction in g= ood
I think you are right Mirjam. I still read RCTN, but really don't have anything to contribute. I still do counted cross-stitch now and again, but for the most part I knit. Two years ago the knitting bug bit, and I'm loving it. I learned to knit when I was in my early teens, but now I knit socks, lace, and usually have a sweater on the go. The finished projects are useful, and once you are finished there is no additional cost. I used to spend hundreds of dollars on framing, but not anymore. I did get TIAG's Gift of Peace framed in November, but that is the first piece I've finished and had framed in years. take care, Linda D. in B.C., Canada
Hallo linda ! how are you .. This morning i finished sewing a new woolen cloth skirt for me [some of my old ones are really old]. i bought this piece of cloth last year on sale. it has Green and Orange Bigger squares and some` 2 threads` blue and white lines in between. it is really a beauty. Imagine my joy and surprise when i noted that my last woolen threads purchase last year, in fact has the same colors,,,,thus i will knit a top to go with it. And since last year i knitted myself a new well needed vest in green. i really feel all renewed for this winter and the new coming year. Besides this i knitted quite some moebiouses, i do recommend this kind of shawl. As to some fiber art i just finished some works that include lots of cut parts from old clothes, and some felted parts i made from `ancient` sweaters. mirjam
Well hi Pat! I've been away forever myself but it's so good to be back! It seems something always comes up to keep me away from my stitching but I didn't realize how much I missed it until I picked up my needle last night. Now I realize the time has come to set aside two hours each evening just for me so I can unwind with my stitching, sip my wine and gaze at the Christmas tree lights. :)
Maureen
I'm thankful I have such a large stash of petit point & cross stitch, but even at that,I'm now knitting socks, hats, gloves etc because they're needed.
Maureen
Work is over today or early next week - DD has 3 games on Saturday and one on Sunday.
I have been stitching - got a sweet gift of one of those "mini banners" and I've been working on it at the rink or other places I "wait". More satisfying than just hanging out.
Cheryl
It's so good to see some familiar names as well as new ones. As for me, I learned to crochet last year - or at least, I can make one pattern, a scarf. One of the things on my "bucket list" is to learn to crochet and knit so as to make scarves and baby blankets for charity donations. I have maybe 10 scarves completed except for tucking in the ends (plus 2 I'm keeping for myself!). I am beginning to miss my xstitch, however. Must pick it up again soon!
--bru
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