How long will this forum last?

[LelaK]

It seems like there are fewer threads each day here than there were a few years ago.

What are the trends? Is crossdressing accepted now? Or are there backlashes? Are younger CDs finding other social media or venues? Do all good forums come to an end? Or can this forum adapt to changing trends and stay popular and helpful? What would members do without this forum?

[Tracii G]

Its changed a lot since I have been here.
Trends have changed sure and this site moves with the trends as far as I can tell.
New people join some old ones drop off thats how forums work. I think it will be here for many more years

[Teresa]

Lelak,
Who can say ?
Make the most of it while it's available . I do wonder how many people have been members here for years and still lurk in the background fearing to come out even on this forum .

I'm sure if someone poses the question of what changes would you like to see , the mods and management might welcome some useful suggestions .
Perhaps more people are using social online sites, like Twitter and Facebook etc. I prefer this site maybe naively because it feels more secure.

[Maria_mtf]

I agree with the fewer threads, I check at least 3 time a day and am always surprised just how few new threads there are. This is especially true in the shopping section which I find strange because many of us love to shop. I personally post all of my shopping trips on here because writing it down is almost like reliving it, but given I have only been 3 times it's not many.

I often check the ages of fellow members, it's rare to see members posting that are younger than me (29). So many of us started in childhood so where do they all go to talk?

[Nikkilovesdresses]

What are the trends? Crossdressing has always existed.

Is crossdressing accepted now? More in some circles, especially among youth, but there will always be those who feel threatened and outraged by it.

Or are there backlashes? There have always been occasional backlashes, just as with racial prejudice.

Are younger CDs finding other social media or venues? Yes they are, but I don't see that many young people engaging here anyway. Many of us come to crossdressing later in life.

Do all good forums come to an end? Trends come and go, but crossdressing isn't a trend in the way a diet fad is a trend.

Or can this forum adapt to changing trends and stay popular and helpful? I just don't think crossdressing is a fad, and members' needs tend to be the same, ie support, understanding, friendship.

What would members do without this forum? We would be worse off.

[mbmeen12]

How long will this forum last?

There are trends in every industry...Like car dealers on a particular street. If you were to Google advice forums for cross dressing you would find many hyper links. If look closely at each site, many are not relevant and out dated. This site is relevant and progressive. for many years now.

[DIANEF]

I've not been here long enough to notice any real changes, but there are always new members joining, which is a good sign.

[Kiwi Primrose]

Surely it is inevitable that a forum such as this slows down with time.
When I joined I was intrigued to find postings that showed me I wasn't alone in my feminine feelings.
Since then cross-dressing has become much more publicised and acceptable, much more information is available.
The many CDs that were in the closet are out and know how to join the real world if they want to. The need for support and advice has diminished.

[Nikkilovesdresses]

But Kiwi you could also argue that the raised profile will have brought a huge number of formerly closeted crossdressers into the light, with a proportionate increase in forum membership. The fact that crossdressing is now more publicised doesn't mean those previously hidden CDers don't have all the same questions and needs as the rest of us.

[Curiosity666]

The format that this website takes, i.e. that of a classic forum, is on the way out in general. Many message boards are migrating to sites like reddit etc. The UI is generally more user friendly, and there are no hosting costs.

[Bobbi46]

It will last as long as there is input about peoples experiences of dressing. of going out and giving and receiving advice.. Tell about an shopping trip whilst dressed and to get advice about what one should have done differently or not is a welcome thing .
This forum will survive because of the new ones joining us.

[Samm]

I'm sure most of the questions asked by new members have already been beaten to death. So using the search feature is probably more useful than it ever was. I hope this forum is here for us for a long, long time. I've never tried looking for other sites, this one gives me everything I need.

[Bobbi46]

Samm,
You are right, like you this site also gives me all I want, all I need. help support you name it, it is all her.

[GretchenM]

I agree with the others. A forum changes over time and often more or less parallel with social trends. Here in the U.S. there has been a trend toward more masculine dominance and a bit of a shift away from a more feminine orientation that was present a few years ago. People who are only very mildly a cross-dresser or trans may change their own orientation to fit with trends. But rarely are such shifting of general views permanent. It often follows cycles. Also, in some areas of the country gender expression has become far more acceptable. So it is a mish-mash of social changes and that will influence forums like this. I don't think this forum is going anywhere soon. It has obviously been around for quite a while and with more an more people facing the realities of their personal lives places like this are needed. The young are experimenting with other formats and outlets and that is a drain on membership here. But there are plenty of people around who still enjoy and need this outlet. It could close, but I feel it probably won't any time soon. Even if society were to fully accept our behavior (very unlikely) we would still need ways to communicate with others in our social group.

[Teresa]

Bobbi,
Finding friends is one of the best parts , the forum offers a fairly safe way of joining up on the net and better still in reality .

The forum is like many clubs/ societies etc. you get out of it what you are prepared to put into it.

Occasionally now I sometimes feel I've been here long enough I never expected to reach nearly 6000 posts, so maybe members are a little tired of Teresa and I should stop posting pictures and let others have their say. Then I think back to the mess I was in when I joined and should stick around to help others who may be in a worse state and try and give back what I have been given to help me move forward .

I will add we have lost some very supportive members, I'd like to think all of them move forward enough to happier lives, the forum helped them to achieve that.
Isn't it a pity we can't contact some of the old members to give us an update .

[Tracii G]

I wish some would actually use the search function first if they have a question.
The same old questions always pop up prefaced with "has this been asked before?" "I couldn't find it in the search but will I out myself by under dressing"?

[Bobbi46]

Saying how long will this forum last is in a way a negative thing to say, it's almost inciting some to jump ship thinking it is all going pear shape, FAR FROM IT. Teresa has it right on the ball you make friends, you get support, you learn things and from there your journey continues. Yes you get out what you put in but to drift off elsewhere in my mind is not right for one main reason, if a special bond has developed and it has with me then moving on you loose friends. friendship is what binds us all together. Talking to each other takes us forward. Yes those that have been here longer have a far better inkling into our world and it is to those that turn to in times of need. We need to keep those experienced ones amongst us. I won't say I have more knowledge in our world than others but if I feel I can help someone on the road of discovery I will help them. I am here just as much for support and help when I need as to support and help others. We are all on a road of discovery and achievement in dressing and how one should look. Therefore we should keep together to achieve that goal for ourselves and to help others.

[Jane G]

As long as there are cross dressers that are not generally accepted by society.

It's certainty far more active now than when I first discovered what a wonderful place it was to exchange views and idea's about our shared lives.

I am a bit of a petrol head and I have seen forums die, as a result of members moving their active engagement to FB and such. As I am not likely to ever have a FB or twitter account I suspect this forum will last a very long time indeed and continue to provide members, such as my good self, with an invaluable glimpse into what the rest of the community is up to.

[Robertacd]

It is really a generational thing. The youth have abandoned "forums" in general.

I was part of a discussion with a group for a local makerspace on what kind of online presence would make the most sense for connecting people with skills to people who need help.

The people over 40 wanted a forum like this. The younger crowd wanted to use Slack, Facebook, or one of the other more modern collaboration and discussion apps.

[rachael.davis]

There's a lot of "more of the same" on the board, unfortunately it does get old -

[Lana Mae]

Forever, I hope!!! Because of its specific members and their interests, I think it will last for quite sometime! IMHO Lana Mae

[Amy Lynn3]

I have been around for many years and have noticed a down trend in post and members joining. I saw some good members drop for whatever reason. I really enjoyed Tx Kimberly, Karren Hutton and many more, who have moved on.
I hear all types of reasons for the down trend, such as other ventures, other sites, over moderation, being banned for whatever reason and the list goes on. I really miss the members, who have fallen by the wayside, but this site has added much to the life of many members, who would not have felt a part of being human and belonging to something or someone. Most of us know we are not in a group that feels well excepted by the majority of people, but we can come here for comfort, advise and friendship. I think most of us could ask ourselves..... where would we be in our walk, if not for this site being here.
May this site grow and expand to 100,000 members and more.

[Helen_Highwater]

It's an interesting question. I took a look at the stats at the bottom of the home page;

There are currently 361 users online. 63 members and 298 guests

Threads 187,115 Posts 3,580,460 Members 29,207 Active Members 3,609

The members/guests has been debated before. Some of the guests could be members who just didn't log on but I suspect that it's more likely to comprise of the odd surfer who's just stumbled across the site but mainly those who lurk unsure whether or not to join as many of us did, afraid by simply joining we'd out ourselves to everyone who knows us.

I'm sure the younger generation exist in an environment that is thankfully generally more accepting and that will have an impact, along with access to other online resources that are more familiar to that generation. That said there will be those who prefer the more contained, less visible to all on-sundry environment that this forum provides. And lets not overlook the fact that there will be many who are perhaps over 30 and grew up in less accepting times and still struggle with the guilt that society heaped upon them. This is a generation looking for what this forum provides, support, answers and friendship., not instant online limited character length gratification.

Most users ever online was 4,772, 11-06-2015 at 08:09 PM.

So the peak viewing figure was only 2 years ago so it's difficult to now say the end is nigh. I suspect this is a place that will continue to exist for many years to come if for no other reason than the quality of support and knowledge to be found here.

[Rhonda Jean]

I think it'll be around a long time. There is not the excitement of a newly discovered community for me anymore, but I like seeing that excitement in others, even if it means recycled topics. It reminds me of how exciting it all used to be for me. I've been wearing dresses for over 40 years. I don't even remember the first time. I love hearing the excitement of the girls doing all this for the first time, going out for the first time, etc.. I rarely participate in those threads because it's not really where I belong on here. I read them, though, and they serve as a little reminder of where I've been and how lucky I've been to have all the experiences I've had.

Truthfully, I just don't have much interesting to add anymore. Buying new clothes, going out... I hate to say it but that's old hat to me. I still struggle with relationship issues, and there's always someone in a similar boat.

I find it interesting that of the several sisters I've met in real life, none were on this forum, or at least not participants. I don't know what the other forums are. Everybody finds their niche.

I'm not easily shocked, but some of the things on YouTube and individual blogs from even teen and pre-teen "makeup gurus" and transformation videos is... hmmmm.... I don't know. I think I'm pretty liberal in the "let boys be feminine" camp. I'd have no problem with my son wearing makeup or whatever, but damn if I'd let him put videos of it on YouTube or start a blog about it. That's where I think the outlet for it is, though. I'm in awe of how supportive these parents are, the boys/girls (however they identify) are often stunning, but it's indulgent. I have no idea (nor does anyone else) how that kind of thing will play out in 10 years when these kids enter the real world. They may in fact be chipping away at the world most of us grew up in. Seems like quite a risk, though.

[Julogden]

It should be around for at least a few more weeks.