www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I've belonged to this board for a long time. I've belonged to some other boards even longer, although I've only had a casual acquaintance with a few of them, as they never really grew into anything. When CRT died I pretty much stopped coming here (actually a bit before that, when the information died, as opposed to the board), although I've dropped in a bit more lately.

I've observed that CRT isn't the only board to die or to have one foot in the grave. ISG seems to still be going relatively strong but not more so than before, and other smaller boards seem to be dropping like flies. Since CRT was once one of the tightest and best run boards out there, with one of the best informed group of members, and a number of those members still hang around here occasionally, I thought I'd pose the question here: "Where did everyone go?"

My thinking behind this is that technology has evolved and of course we all know we can meet up with chicas online via FB or Tinder or various dating sites, etc. but that doesn't allow men to interact (except on FB, and how would newbies find mongers there) and there's very little to guide newbies at the start, in my mind, without boards like this one. It has also occurred to me that there might be a generational bias that leans towards other sources of information, but again I don't know what those would be. It even fleetingly flipped through my mind that there might simply be less mongers in the newer generations, but I don't really see any evidence of that anecdotally.

So that's my question. I'm not technologically challenged, and I've been involved in a number of boards for many years, and and an experienced monger, so I don't consider myself sheltered in the hobby either. I can't figure out where everyone is going or where they're starting to get their feet wet if not on these types of boards. Can anyone venture an opinion, or considered knowledge? Please bear in mind that I'm talking about forums and bulletin boards in general, not just CRT. The reasons for CRT dying are actually pretty obvious and well documented, although CRT is part of the overall trend.

I have seen the same and wondered where the next generation is communicating, I don't believe that it is forums anymore as few are as active as they once were (there are some exceptions). What I have seen is the rise of the blogs, someone creates a web site that they post on for a while with some good information before giving up. But even those don't have the wealth of knowledge that a site like this possesses.

It might also be due to so many using phones instead of desktop computers to access the internet, they may be using apps that totally bypass the forums. But if so, then what apps?

I think that the scene in Costa Rica changes very slowly so after a couple of years there is not much to talk about except maybe a new venue or shutting down of some MP or new hotel.
A newbie can get a lot of good information by simply reading old posts and many of the veteran posters just get bored writing similar reports again and again. Mongers also get bored giving information in the Newbie thread as most of those questions have been answered many times over the years.
Finally some posters who try to give their opinions get ridiculed and shot down by others and so decide to drop off to avoid further criticism.

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Softbob

There is nothing either good or bad
but thinking makes it so.
HAMLET

My experience in viewing newbies this way is that even if they don't get an answer or don't get the answer they want (including snark) it still doesn't stop them from at least asking the questions, at least at first, and that's not happening. It's also true that vets get bored and drop off, but newbies become vets and there's always a new cycle of newbies etc to fill those gaps, or at east there had been until the last little while. Bear in mind again that I'm talking beyond just CRT. Newbies have to go somewhere to get their first does of information and ask their first questions, and they need somewhere to communicate with other mongers. I just can't figure out what that is now, because the self-renewing board member bases have stopped renewing themselves.

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If you let the devil ride, he's gonna want to drive

Interesting use of words
I could not find those meanings in an ordinary dictionary.
I guess the new apps. are able to provide the information that newbies want but without the precautions and pitfalls that one can fall into when meeting pro. providers at a particular destination. I see no substitute for a monger board for that sort of advice.

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Softbob

There is nothing either good or bad
but thinking makes it so.
HAMLET

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If you let the devil ride, he's gonna want to drive

Yeah, that was my point. I use FB and Whatsapp extensively for mongering, and have used wechat as well, but I already had a lay of the land and a basis for communication on these apps by virtue of women I had met or contacts via mutual acquaintances. I was looking at what if anything constitutes the modern day replacement for the boards and haven't seen anything.

The quality of this board has diminished over the years and I blame the administrator for lack of interest. Too many personal attacks occurred between members to the point that people who regularly posted and kept the board interesting and alive tired of the bullshit. Little appears to be added in the way of new advertisers offering discounts. The scene here has changed. It is still great only different. The Del Rey use to be the place to be and brought excitement to the whole area. It is barely worth the effort to visit. That is the result of terrible management that has existed for years. The product is not what it use to be. The Cocal in Jaco is better than the Del Rey ever was as far as quantity and quality. San Jose offers a variety of options. There are three hotels where you can find entertainment, the Del Rey, Sportsman's Lodge and the Hotel Taormina. There are dozens of pensions (houses of prostitution) and there are quite a few strip clubs that are full service. Add to this unlimited access to women in the San Jose area over internet sites and there are endless opportunities to find entertainment. This board serves a useful purpose. A tremendous amount of information has been posted here over the years. Much of it is dated but it still gives insight into how to approach the hobby, what to do and avoid here in Costa Rica. Good information about where to stay, where to dine, and options for non mongering activities.

Agree with both Boynton and Pops. The technology has changed considerably over the years and where the BB’s used to be the main method of info exchange they are just not used as much anymore.

And Pops is right on the money that this site has been neglected considerably and that is a big reason why it has fallen off so much. Additionally to what he said I think the admin made 2 critical mistakes that have greatly accelerated the decline of this board.

First was abandoning the photo section. Major mistake. The second was putting the trip reports from around the world behind the VIP paywall. Both of those were attractive to newbies and veterans alike and without them readily available the pace of this boards death spiral quickened considerably.

There is also the decline of CR in general as a monger destination. I don’t want to get into a CR vs other destinations discussion. That has been beaten to death here. But with all due respect to Pops I don’t think you’d find many guys who’ve been to the current monger hotspots that would consider CR great.

The heyday of the Del Rey, Key Largo, Zona Blue, etc. is long gone and with it went most of the really prolific, active, and entertaining posters on this board. They have all since moved on to other destinations or other phases of life.

Apparently the changes that make up the current scene in CR are not as conducive to the kind of trip reports and other posts that we all used to enjoy so much. Those reports and those posters also seemed to feed off of each other and perpetuated themselves even more. At this point that is all ancient history.

I still enjoy reading CRT occasionally but at this point it’s a shell of it’s former self. It’s nostalgic reading some of the old posts from a historical perspective and yes, while they are certainly dated they still contain general information that could help a newbie.

I don’t really follow any of the other boards regularly but it seems the bigger ones are hanging in there while many of the more niche ones are already gone. Some people are now sharing information in private groups, while others share between friends, and some don’t really use much of anything. Like everything else in life, the only constant is change. Sometimes change can be good, other times not so much.

You can have fun in CR, but it definitely isn't a prime destination anymore. Having said that, again while the decline of CRT in specific and the CR in general are pretty well discussed that doesn't really come back to the original point, of which CR and CRT are only a by-product. Where are the newbies going to get their information at the outset? Vets can keep in touch with each other in a number of ways but they can't do that without meeting like-minded bros to start with. How are they dipping their toes in the pool? Sure, the boards are old tech. We all know that. But what's replacing them? There seem to be just as many mongers out there as there ever were. They need to be getting something from somewhere. Or is it that in the age of technology that they are actually less well informed now BECAUSE places like this are dying? I have no idea.

.

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If you let the devil ride, he's gonna want to drive

Well, first off I'm not sure if there is an answer. The answer may be that there's nothing and that it's just the times a-changing, as it were. Having said that while the board obviously isn't what it was once there's still a lot of guys with tons of knowledge and experience, well above the hobby's average, who drop in at least occasionally for nostalgia's sake if for nothing else and who might provide some insight. Finally there's also some newbies here, and CRT may only be one of a series of sources or who might be able to point out some of the challenges they are currently facing in order to get good information and to meet like-minded citizens. Exploring brains other than my own is likely to get me more answers than what my obviously not-fertile-enough imagination has provided for me thus far.

I visit here nearly every day.
Outside of Bill hosting events and promoting his business and the occaisonal post from Matt and his properties, where is there any input from local business or the advertisers.
The format of the site is stale, while some never want to see change, modernization often brings new energy.
The only posts from The Admin are basically promoting the events at Sportsman's. The chatroom can go weeks without a post.
This site is basically rudderless right now, just hoping it doesn't hit an iceberg or run aground.

I see plenty of trip annonuncements but rarely see the follow up trip report

I just check CRT to see if there's a fight.

mh

P.S. And the obits.

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mh