BassGuitari Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 It seems kind of strange since the TI wasn't nearly as iconic as the Commodore 64 or Apple II, but the TI forum on AA is the most active of the vintage computer forums by a considerable margin. It's not even close.I don't mean to knock the TI in any way here, I just think it's interesting. Thoughts? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+save2600 Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 Don't think there was much of a "home base" for TI users since the Usenet days, so maybe that's one reason. Also, not sure how popular www.99er.net is anymore as I haven't been to the site in many, many years... kind of just made AA my "home" for all things game related as it's just easier. Lots of other reasons too, but I bet a bunch of other users probably feel the same way and we all just kind of migrated here. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted March 2, 2017 Author Share Posted March 2, 2017 AtariAge is the only gaming forum I've ever been a member of, now that I think of it. It's just a great one-stop shop, as it were. If it weren't for the branding and slight emphasis on Atari systems (which has been diluted over the years by the increasing number of non-Atari subforums), AA should really change its name to "VideoGameAge" or something. I hadn't considered that Commodore forums like Lemon64 and Denial are very active, and thus there's not much incentive for them to come here, I guess. Could be similar with Apple and Radio Shack enthusiasts, but all I ever hear about regarding those are Facebook groups, or Yahoo groups that may as well not exist. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 Same reason the Intellivision forum is so active here, there really isn't any where else to discuss things unless you want to use the newsgroups. Most of the other computers and systems have at least a few other websites that divide peoples attention. I'm actually surprised that the Apple II forum here isn't more active since there aren't any other major Apple II forums and the newsgroup is pretty much dead these days. However unlike the other groups, the Apple II people seem to have all migrated to Facebook and setup shop there. In fact I got a lot of pushback when I tried to persuade people to use the AA forum. Lemon64 is still somewhat active, but it doesn't seem as active as the various C64 Facebook groups. I asked around on FB as to what other forums there were and I got a lot of shrugs in return. Denial is almost all Vic-20 isn't it? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesD Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 The yahoo group that has been around for years alienated a lot of people.When I tried to join they sent me a questionnaire asking for all sorts of things that were none of their business.I answered what I thought was pertinent and told them it was none of their business.So they denied my request to join.Real friendly people.Some people started frequenting these forums and people started bailing on yahoo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldSchoolRetroGamer Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 Honestly as with most things I do not think it is so popular, rather a few fanatical people just keep bringing it the front lol. Not a bad thing at all but just notice every time there is a new post or thread it usually involves a few specific hardcore TI99/4a "fanboys" that post constantly about it, posting every crumb of news about it etc. Thus giving the illusion it is much more popular than it actually is, again not a knock, the same can be said about other platforms. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+jedimatt42 Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 Partly there is no other active channel for us fanboys to share . So all of our noise is here on this wonderful forum! As I dig around, the other platforms, you might assume would be more popular, have more avenues to congregate, due to there popularity. And then, us 99ers have had no support outside the fanboy community since 1983. So I think, we are just loud. -- and I speak for no-one but myself. I am a total addict here. -- -M@ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S1500 Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 I never dared try to join the yahoo group, but what were the goofy questions like? Were they almost too specific, like they were trying to filter out one person? You no with Hoonoos tribe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+save2600 Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 I never dared try to join the yahoo group, but what were the goofy questions like? Were they almost too specific, like they were trying to filter out one person? You no with Hoonoos tribe! Yeah, think I totally skipped the Yahoo! thing myself. It's *still* around? Would totally forget it exists, if it weren't for some of you guys bringing it up from time to time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 Honestly as with most things I do not think it is so popular, rather a few fanatical people just keep bringing it the front lol. Not a bad thing at all but just notice every time there is a new post or thread it usually involves a few specific hardcore TI99/4a "fanboys" that post constantly about it, posting every crumb of news about it etc. Thus giving the illusion it is much more popular than it actually is, again not a knock, the same can be said about other platforms. This was my thought, too -- it's a noisy few. Their enthusiasm is pretty awesome though, and they seem more realistic about their fetish than the Jaguaristas. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlsson Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 (edited) Perhaps most Apple II users are hardware tinkerers who design their stuff privately, barely sharing the news with others in sporadic posts on Applefritter or otherwise dead Usenet groups? Oh, you mentioned Facebook, I have never looked for them there. Anyway, I think TI-99/4A users may feel a stronger relation with Atari 2600 gamers and all the other ones, so they don't really mind gather here at AA, while possibly Apple people wouldn't touch a retro gaming site like this with a pitchfork. Commodore has always been big about gaming though, but there are several specialist sites like Lemon64, Denial, EAB and lots of others for those enthusiasts to hang around at. I understand one of the major reasons why Albert set up sub-sections for Commodore 8-bit and 16-bit was that many of the mentioned sites are very Euro-centric, while AA is very America-centric so it felt like there was a lack of a place for US/Canadian Commodore people to gather at. Edited March 2, 2017 by carlsson 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+jedimatt42 Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 Maybe it is that the Atarisoft games for the TI were all simply great ports! -M@ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesD Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 (edited) I never dared try to join the yahoo group, but what were the goofy questions like? Were they almost too specific, like they were trying to filter out one person? You no with Hoonoos tribe! That was ages ago, I have no idea, and it was around the time my mom was dying, so it's quite possible I told them to pound sand... in less friendly terms. Edited March 3, 2017 by JamesD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fimbulvetr Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 Because the TI is AWESOME. That, and there ain't anywhere else to go if you are a TI fan. I am into apple as well, but I do most of my posting on the 68kmla forums for those. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarian63 Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 News to me, must be something recent, couldnt give away a used one a couple years ago. Hopefully cool retro games being made! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opry99er Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 Well, one thing you have to take into consideration is the history of the TI. The local TI User Groups were not just computer clubs, they were culturally encompassing. TI sucked at developing third party interest, but they rabidly supported the individual local user groups. Enter 2009 when retroclouds got us a subforum here on Atariage... The long-alienated TI users finally had a place to come and create again... With the freedom of the internet and the ability to stream and link videos, pictures, schematics--it was almost as though we were all back in our local user groups again, sitting next to and across from other fanatics like ourselves. With the TI, user groups are a culture... and this is now the biggest and best user group in the world. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted March 3, 2017 Author Share Posted March 3, 2017 News to me, must be something recent, couldnt give away a used one a couple years ago. Hopefully cool retro games being made! I dunno, man. The TI forum currently has 3,776 topics with 88,155 replies. The next closest computer forum is Commodore 8-bits with 645/6,441. That doesn't just happen overnight. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarian63 Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 For sure must have missed all that will have to check it out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opry99er Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 Awesome hardware stuff happening now... including programmable flash multicarts, sidecar peripherals, etc. There have been at least 30 New games made in the last year. It is a very active and vibrant community. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OLD CS1 Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 I dunno, man. The TI forum currently has 3,776 topics with 88,155 replies. The next closest computer forum is Commodore 8-bits with 645/6,441. That doesn't just happen overnight. To be fair, the other non-Atari 8-bit forums have only been around for a little over a year or so. That said, it was the AA group and retrocloud's release of Pitfall! which gave me the final push I needed to put all my TI stuff back together, get back into the game and expand the hell out of it. But, like most everything else, time and life has not been friendly toward this particular hobby and I do not get to do a fraction of what I would like. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesD Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 (edited) . Edited March 3, 2017 by JamesD 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsy Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 (edited) It's not the machine per-se. A casual observer the TI forum couldn't possibly know that the vast majority of us have known each other for more than 20 years. We've become friends, watched folk get married, have kids, mourned together when we lost old friends. It's part culture but the TI and its community and friends have been there as a soundtrack to our lives for decades. For me, since 1982. The TI guys are a fantastic bunch and you're all welcome to come and hang out with us any time! Edited March 3, 2017 by Willsy 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Usotsuki Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 Hey, there's a fair number of us Apple ][ geeks here too. XP 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsy Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 Oh... And our TI is BY FAR the best looking retro computer of all time 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 Hey, there's a fair number of us Apple ][ geeks here too. XP We need to represent more. I feel like the Apple II isn't getting all the love it deserves here. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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