Egyptian Dreams

[Lost Pharaoh]

Since the last time I was here, the forum get kind a deserted. Only few posts here and there and few comments on different subjects. What happend?
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"To speak the names of the dead is to make them live again."

[A M Street]

No idea really.

It could be a network thing. You know, fewer people posting on topics, fewer topics so that people have less reason to log in as there may not be anything posted that interests them.

However, things are cyclical and sometimes there are quite a few posts, other times not so much. I bet if a really startling find was announced then you would find more people here.

As far as I can see it's not just this site. Both Jane Akshar's and Kate Phizackerly's seem a bit slow at the moment. Perhaps Egypt has moved off people's radar due to all the recent trouble and the decline of tourism.

I'll keep lurking and posting when I have anything to say and we always have Lutz!

[Mennefer]

Considering that this forum has been around for well over a decade (since 2001 I believe) and the number of registred users is quite small at 1600 (with only 300 something users with more than 10 posts), I think the activity is still rather good by comparison.

[Lost Pharaoh]

I remember forum from my first days after registration, it was very busy and posts appearing all day long. But it was long ago...

Yes, we have Lutz, but it was pity that he was left almost alone... From now, I will be also active. We must rise this forum from the dead.
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"To speak the names of the dead is to make them live again."

[Medjay Archer]

Hmmm. That was a question I also asked myself first time I arrived here. I was wondering why nearly the entire web has a growing disinterest regarding Egypt (and other ancient cultures). All fora are dying or died barely after their birth.

Interestingly, there are fora for Egypt, but barely for the multitude other ancient cultures like Babylonia, Assyria, Hittites, etc. Or about Mesopotamia itself.

I guess it all boils down to promotion in the media. Someone told me the lack of media such as movies about ancient Egypt is causing the lack of interest renewal.

For what I see now, from my point of view, I noticed few things in the past 2 months:

1) Egyptian Dreams suffered a huge setback of lurkers recently and I noticed that because it seems the site has lost its prime place when typing "egyptiandreams" on google. It was buried behind other sites. Last time, I couldn't find it without another tag. It is a strange event that happened about a month ago.

2) I ordered various books from different University libraries across the country and noticed a general defection of studies in history. Of course, that is an indirect, sample-limited, subject-focused and speculative assumption, but most books were often borrowed before 2000. Afterwards, some were entirely forgotten.

Somehow, I suspect this era of massive information distribution (intelligent phone, youtube, games, etc.) set an interest of Egypt quite low in the list of activities. Perhaps, people now just find it not enough stimulating. I suppose that has to do with the newer generation. The internet+game generation is hyperstimulated and has a lessening attention span.
I often wander on the popular image host named Imgur and see huge swathes of people praising the TL;DR tag (Too Long; Didn't Read). And it gets worse over time. It's their new god.


TL;DR summarized version of the previous wall of text:
People are overstimulated in this generation and have no more interest on a long span, effort-wise activity such as history. Defection is seen everywhere regarding Egypt.
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Kmt is not a racial term nor a reference to the black silt deposited on the Nile valley, but an expression of "standing on place wherein food is plenty, allowing to stop moving like the neighbouring nomads". -Asar Imhotep

[Lost Pharaoh]

I agree. The new generations are lost if you ask me. There only a few of people that are interested in some subject. Other wander without target. The technology will probably destroy us. It will destroy our will to acumulate knowledge. That is very very sad. Sometimes I really wish that I can go be trough time and live in ancient Egypt, when life was more simpler. Dangerous..bat simpler.

Is there any chance to fix that issue with forum finding on Google?
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"To speak the names of the dead is to make them live again."

[Medjay Archer]

Regarding living in ancient time, I'll pass on this.
I prefer the comfort of modern time where I can learn everything I desire and have certain freedoms. Ancient times were ripe of constant warfare and social injustices.

Regarding newer generations, one just has to read an entire panel of comments on Youtube. Daaaaamn, hieroglyphic scribbles in the digital time. And full of vitriolic "discourses". I'll look pretentious saying that, but I call this present internet age the "Selfie era", a.k.a. petty glory via media (youtube, facebook, etc.).

How to fix the hierarchy of results in google? I have no idea, but Kev...uh...I mean Admun...knows best. I suspect he temporarily lost the domain and bought it back again, losing the site hierarchy in the process. Or temp close down.
Why I say that? The site of IFAO (www.ifao.egnet.net) was down for a part of a certain summer. The site lost its rank on google for a moment.
Still, I speculate about EDreams.
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Kmt is not a racial term nor a reference to the black silt deposited on the Nile valley, but an expression of "standing on place wherein food is plenty, allowing to stop moving like the neighbouring nomads". -Asar Imhotep

[Lutz]

Is mass really an indication of quality? The latter I personally find much more important. Mass comes and goes and comes and goes ... It`s also in the other forums that I am writing, also in the German ones.

Greetings, Lutz.
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Ägyptologie Forum (German)

[A M Street]

Is mass really an indication of quality?

No of course not. Much of what is posted here is well reasoned and enlightening. What is needed is breadth.

Most of the people posting on this site have a real love for Ancient Egypt and usually have an interest in a particular topic, for example hieroglyphics. This is far above my level but I can still learn from what I am able to absorb. For others it may be the archaeological aspects. Again, for others it may be travel, or a general interest

With a greater number of active members we will get a spread of views and opinions. Thus adding to the appeal of the site. Now they might not all be of the standard of some of the posts to be found here but as the old saying goes "Variety is the spice of life."

[Lost Pharaoh]

I agree with A M Street. More people means more discusions and more opinions. Probably this forum must be upgraded, it would be great to this forum get some upgrade, re-design or something else so it could attract more peoples.
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"To speak the names of the dead is to make them live again."

[Medjay Archer]

Edit button, edit button.
I know Kevin is against it (because some reason about editing very old posts), but that is something painfully missing.

Nah, I don't think re-designing the forum will help. Sometimes, one must accept the truth; some things cannot be reverted.
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Kmt is not a racial term nor a reference to the black silt deposited on the Nile valley, but an expression of "standing on place wherein food is plenty, allowing to stop moving like the neighbouring nomads". -Asar Imhotep

[Medjay Archer]

[Daughter_Of_SETI]

I don't know what's happened to this forum, it used to be so active!
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In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this - Terry Pratchett.

[dzama923]

I find that the forums are very interesting place with a lot of stuff to learn. I feel that if I keep studying and talking and reading about what I like and learn, we can inspire people to make the forum active.