Why did so many people here join in the early to mid 2000's?

[Kitty 34]

I rarely see anyone here who joined after 2008. Why is that? How are you guys still active all these years later?

Cuz we're the Baby Boomers of the DIS!!

 

[Jennasis]

Wut??

 

[Allison]

Maybe because you were reading a 17 year old thread, that was started in 2007. If you read more threads, you’ll see people posting who joined at all different times.

This.

 

[pookybean]

I joined in 2002 because I wanted to plan a trip then totally forgot I joined until we actually booked a trip and went in 2006. I used the planning forums a lot at first but now I just mainly read the Community Board.

 

[GAN]

There were fewer alternative choices in those early days of Internet. A lot of people left in 2004. There was a mass banning in about 2009 or so.

Ah...yes. The Dark Ages.

 

[georgina]

I guess because many of us are old?

Our first Disney trip was in 1998. I lurked here for years before I joined.

 

[mistysue]

My first trip with my husband and kids was in 2000. The following year, shortly after 9/11 I made plans with a 2 week window since my sister and parents were going. That was and will always be the shortest wait between deciding to go and leaving on the vacation!!! I have no idea how or why I found this site. Forevermarypoppins is a 3rd pseudo for me. I lost #1 name years and years ago due to some tech issue and I gave up #2 name after I posted a family thing just for conversation and boy oh boy did it take a wrong way direction.

From the date, it looks like around the same years I found this forum to occasionally be dangerous. If you posted the wrong thing, which from what I could tell was even simple misunderstandings, people got NASTY and would dig in, attacking for weeks. I had a thread I was begging an admin to delete once because someone sent all their friends after me. The internet is still mean, but Dis people are slightly less attack-dog style these days.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

I joined in 2015 right after I moved to Mass. Then life got in the way and I was busy going up for tenure. I just re-joined this year as another link brought me here and I thought I'd stick around for awhile.

 

[GAN]

Our first Disney trip was in 1998. I lurked here for years before I joined.

I did as well ...just never thought of signing up. It was a relatively new thing at that time(late 90's)

 

[TheIncredibles!]

I've been here way longer than this screen name. 1999? maybe? 1998?

 

[ainmemphis]

OOPS braindead me missed that 1 in my joined year. It sure feels like I've been on here longer than that.

 

[leebee]

Yeah... I've been around a while and I've seen lots of changes. After 30+ trips to Disney (TBH, I've lost count) I don't really need these boards for planning anymore, although I occasionally have a question about something new, or something I haven't done before. Mostly I hang around because I like the conversation and the people; I feel like I've made friends here.

 

[dcassetta]

I was active on the old RADP newsgroup and came over to The Dis from that. Still have fond memories of the TDC and Loin Inspection Board.

 

[MICKIMINI]

As a long time DVC owner (1996) it was a good way to get news on what was going on at WDW and with DVC back in the day. During covid19 disboards was a daily obsession and my most active time here though many active participants at that time seem to have drifted away and I miss that interaction!

 

[lovesmurfs]

I was planning a family trip for December 2006. Then DH got deployed to Afghanistan, and we decided I'd go ahead and take the kids alone, as a way to bond early on in the deployment.

Went back in December 2009, and used it to plan, ask questions, etc. Then it just became a habit. This and the Dave Ramsey Debt-Free Fanatics forums are the only ones I use.

 

[tchk]

We bought our offsite time share in 2006. Knowing that we would now be going at least once a year, I joined here- it was recommended by friends as the best site for WDW. I don’t write much here, but I read pretty regularly. It is still the best site for good/accurate information.

 

[Dan Murphy]

What happened in 2004

This should cover 2004

What happened in 2009?

2009 (maybe 2008) is a little trickier. Around that time, there were fairly regular bannings of individual posters, as there always is, though maybe a few more in that time period, what with some of the more 'feisty' folks from back then. Then, for some reason, a small group of folks were banned. No idea here for what, some infraction of some sort. That incited a small group of folks here who were friends of the banees. They made a ruckus about the bannings, so they were banned. And then some more, and then some more.

Then in all that ongoing turmoil, there was some software glitch of some sort here where people who were trying to post here were being sent, in error, to a different website which itself is banned from here. Then those people were getting banned. So it was a several days long banning time. Not sure how many were actually banned, but I know there were a lot of long time posters who were gone. I presume a number have drifted back over the years with new names.

So that sort of summarizes 2009 (or maybe it was 2008). That's pretty much as I saw it as an observer at the time and as I've heard about it subsequently.

If either of these scenarios are in error, maybe a moderator type person can clarify.

 

[runwad]

I forget what year I joined, I'll see after I post. But we had just got back from a trip and wanted to go again so I joined to learn all the tips and tricks. It was a great place to be in the early 2000's. Lots of lively discussions, I used to learn a lot from different peoples perspectives about all kinds of topics, then they shut all that down and I think the board dropped off then. I pop in every now and again.

edit, I joined earlier than 2006, but stupidly my user name was my real name, so I rejoined under an alias in 06.

 

[starry_solo]

Hmm, when did I join?

ok, 2010. I think I joined when I was researching DVC points rentals…

 

[Hook326]

I have no idea why I joined or how I found this board. I guess once I post I’ll be able to see the when part of when i joined at least!