Soooo Quiet in Here

[Mort_Lemur]

User #69 (oo-er missus) on the old osC forum.

I was within 30 User #'s of you back then - under a different name

[tessthepup]

I originally stumbled across osc in 2006 and very quickly fell under its spell. I ran a few stores for about 5 years and then life took me on a different path for a while.

I tried to keep up to date with the movement from osc to edge etc but never really got back in the game until @burt gave birth to the bouncing baby that was Phoenix.

Fast forward several years and I now again run a couple of my own stores and also this year I am very proud to say that I am a certified dev which I love doing as it keeps my creative juices flowing.

[PiLLaO]

I'm shopowner and like others members like to diy.

My first online version was in 2009 with 2.2rca, but at least spend 1 year before release, but with zero knowledge of what was doing.

Although there was a time when the shop was doing well, I only keep it going now because I enjoy it.
If I had to pay for website maintenance, I would have let it go a long time ago.

My English level is limited, so you won't see me much in text-heavy posts.

[burt]

Sorry to hijack "Hi" thread. @azpro mentions a few factors. I've been thinking about it;

Quietness Factors Outside the scope of Phoenix;

eCommerce Landscape Change
I don't care about being in control of my own destiny. I don't care about digital sovereignty.
The rise of SaaS platforms such as Shopify `make it easy`. Fewer shopowners on Open Source = fewer posts in forum.

Advent of AI
I can use AI to solve problems and code. No need for that old fashioned forum, right?

Busy
I'm busy running my site, I have to put food on the table.

Vaction / Holiday
It's holiday season. I'm sipping a Pina Colada on the beach.

Everything is working
I don't need help today, why bother with "that forum".

Inside the scope of Phoenix;

Platform Maturity
Core code is cleaner, more stable, and better documented. Fewer bugs mean fewer support threads.

Core Stability
Store owners can extend functionality without hacking core files, eliminating the classic "I broke my site" threads.

FAQ's
After a decade or more...there can't be very many new questions available to be asked. A quick google reveals answers to questions already asked. Eliminates a lot of the "how do I do..." threads.

Marketplace
Pre-packaged, plug-and-play modules, hooks etc. Shopowners buy a $20 module rather than asking on a forum how to build it from scratch.

Gated Areas
The forum has always had gated/private areas. Not everything is completely public.

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I think all of the above is Fair. There's probably lots more reasons why `seems quiet` is the general consensus.

Can we combat any of it?

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The one thing I do `worry` about is this one;

I don't need help today, why bother with "that forum".

On the day you actually do need help, where are you going to get help from ?
Not me, that's 100% certain.

Put simple

Open source is free and sovereign, but its true cost is community stewardship. Spending 5 minutes a day to add some value to the Phoenix ecosphere is the insurance premium you pay to keep Phoenix alive and free.

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Please do note that when I say "I" or "you" that is I/you in the abstract - ie a generic shopowner running a generic shop.