For sure it has, you ask for help maybe get a couple responses,
Post about kenada or to whine about something hundreds of posts.

No, I dont think so. While there are an abundance of drama fueled threads, knowledgeable people abound to help with all kinds of repair challenges, troubleshooting help, etc. Pinside remaims a great community.

100%

More newbs coming in, more old schoolers going out; that's just a big knowledge base not chiming in anymore. I'm sure there's a natural flow of it, but I can also see more people phasing themselves out due to the current climate. I think you can still get more specialized help in certain(t) areas, like in the EM forums...but as a whole I would assume it's down a bunch.

I think it's been a little better here each year but when I have a tough problem I have always bypassed Pinside and went straight to RGP.

Nope, first off every city has a pin expert that can fix ur game for relatively low cost so its not as if ur unanswered query means the end. Has the site become more opinionated and toxic well certainly buts thats fun and thats also testament to the increase in amount of new games being released so I would much rather a toxic pin filled shit show that a site where old games are all we discuss and how to fix them. I have always up to recent times been given quality help when it comes to issues and if I can't find the answer here then I know several fellas who I know will solve whatever the issue is.

The hobby has gone from people who buy old machines and fix them up, to guys that buy NIBs and have them professionally setup in their house. You know, guys that listen to Yacht Rock and "summer" in the Hamptons. I'm kidding a little but you get the idea, less people that get their hands dirty with old machines, so less experience and advice to be given. BUT the good thing is there is a huge archive of helpful threads on this site. I just used a 7 year old thread to help me with an issue with my IJ4.

pbateman SLE pinball (resized).jpg

RGP?

IMO the availability of Pinwiki and other online repair resources means the questions getting asked are generally harder so fewer people are able and willing to spend the time needed.

The forum you want almost existed when Robin tried to ax this
82BE8418-EC90-4CF5-8E7F-E88DD2C16883 (resized).png

So for now, enjoy the popularity contest

I have had luck posting within a club thread. I also try to chime in if I think I can help, but my knowledge is limited as well. I try to answer the easy ones so the real techs have time to help with real issues.

I think you might be getting distracted by the noise. There is more noise than ever, but if you look you can still see the core helpfulness of pinside.

Speaking of "7 year old threads", whenever our older pins have issues, I google search and Pinside is usually the first thing to come up. If it is a common problem, there is already a thread with enough insight and suggestions that I don't have to make a NEW post to get an answer. I can get the answer from back in the day. Thus, less need to create threads about issues...

This is dead on.

I also notice techs giving good advice only to get a shitty response from the one asking.

It's become less useful for help with technical issues. I try to help where I can, but if you go back and do searches there's definitely more robust answers.

The site has much more focus on the newer games, which is fine, but I get a little tired of all the complaining.

The longer you been around the better everything used to be. That’s just life.

I don't think so. As others have said theres now more noise but I still find people to be very helpful here. We may complain and argue in some threads but it seems like members more often then not are willing to help each other out. Game club threads can also be extremely helpful for technical issues.

The one asking may get fewer or no responses next time.

LTG : )

A lot of times, tech threads are already well on the way to an answer or troubleshooting process by the time I dig into them.

Rarely do I see a thread that goes unresponded unless it's a really obscure or very complicated issue.

On the other hand, I sometimes see tech threads with responses, but the OP takes a long time to respond back with more info, if at all. So, progress can sometimes stop there.

Outside of tech subjects, it's no big secret that anytime there is a new release or any sort of drama, it's a huge draw to people. It's entertaining and just about everyone has an opinion.

Did you not see the mega thread welcoming a person who was invisible/didn't exist and the other where Pinside made room for just one more?

It doesn't get anymore helpful than that buddy!

Seriously, the techs are still here and more than willing to help you work through an issue. Like others have mentioned, use search first to see if someone has already had and resolved a similar issue. RGP (via a Usenet account/reader or Google Groups) has a ton of information.

Yeah, I always try to be as respectful and thankful as possible. I would not have a game collection if not for the help from some amazing techs on here. Thanks for all you guys do for us.

I still think the EM sections are still tremendously helpful. Lots of great people over there. I can't tell you how many times I see a question asked, only to have it answered with carefully highlighted schematic sections to help people. Doing that takes work, and I always appreciate it, even if I'm not the one asking the question.

Couldn't agree more - so much is available here across the lifespan of Pinside that the answer, or at least a clue, to what your particular issue or concern has probably been posted. Plus, PLENTY of knowledgeable and helpful folks here every day giving good advice. I have so many bookmarked posts that I am beginning to need to be able to organize them like a filing cabinet. The restorations, from HEP to beginner tries are awesome to read, and I look forward to the Pinball Amigos every friday as much as any other form of entertainment. As far as social media sites go, the good FAR outweighs the bad. IMO

Create another Pinside account posing as a female. Use that account to ask for help.

I've received some top notch helpful advice on every tech issue i've posted here. The help is there if you need it, and i've always been super thankful for those folks that patrol the tech forums like it is their job. TYFYS!

I dunno...I posted a question and had 2 solutions within 30 minutes and my problem solved within 2 hrs.

Pretty helpful if you ask me.

I just glanced at the list of threads you've started, and other than a few WTB or FS ads, it looks like they all have responses. Are there specific ones that weren't resolved?

I wasn't active for years, finally got back into it and had a number of issues on almost all of my games. I approached them one by one in the 'owned' threads describing my issues and with the help of the community, and a lot of searching and reading they were all fixed. People are still willing to help, but they also expect you to be able to search and read. You also have to be very precise in your description of what your issue is, and what you've checked, or you will get a lot of repeat of the same things that you already checked.

I think what annoys me is when you find someone who has the same issue as you, after much troubleshooting (pages and pages) they post that they finally fixed it, but not what they did. I try to make a point to state what my fix was for the benefit of others later.

All in all the forums have been extremely helpful.

Well you did glance at the post number of the thread, missing the point.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/part-numbers-needed
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/5-ball-trough-assembly-issue
And another one we just started responding to today

Yeah, let's blame him!

...although there are a lot of "vid's guides" to look thru for answers.

I find Pinside to be useful in solving issues. Especially game specific ones. Usually in the game owners/fans thread for any particular game.

As for the drama, I drain a lot of topics to keep the clutter away.

1) There is a large amount of activity on this site, and sometimes threads quickly fall out of view. It's ok to bump it if you don't get a response the first time around.

2) It's sometimes easier to break apart a problem into smaller chunks; both for you and for others. Sometimes by listing every single thing wrong with a game, the core problem that you're trying to solve can get lost in a wall of text. Be clear about what is happening that is/isn't supposed to happen.

3) Good thead titles help. If someone summarizes the issue vs just "pin problem help me", the topic with the descriptive title is probably going to get more attention by people who might be familiar with the issue.

4) Everybody has different skill levels and everyone starts somewhere. Don't get discouraged when trying to find an answer. Sometimes is just a simple matter of finding out the right term or keyword that leads to a thread with a solution, or a clear description of a problem that someone else might recognize.

The forum is still very helpful. Not everybody logs in everyday. People are giving you free advice and giving their time to you freely. Sorry if not everyone jumps in and solves all of your machines complicated issues in the age of instant gratification immediately. Sometimes people have to think it through or they are busy with the rest of their non-pinball life. Not to mention we are also going off of people’s incomplete descriptions of problems that we can’t see for ourselves. Or it’s a problem nobody has seen before.

It's no longer a hobby, it's a lifestyle.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/how-is-stern-pinball-a-lifestyle-brand

There are lots and lots of help threads on here. Google search and you'll find your answers. I think for the longtime folks, they feel if you haven't at least looked a bit yourself, it's hard to jump in and help. I've usually found answers in older threads or club threads. If not, ask in a club thread. Be polite and let folks know where you've looked and what you've tried. I have had great luck in finding Pinsiders willing to help. Plus, I've learned to read some schematics, use a multimeter, and solder along the way. Takes time. Just don't expect to get a response if your initial question is, "what's the best way to clean a playfield?" There are like 50 threads on that one! And please, please, please, no more "bubble burst" aka "prices have hit the ceiling" threads!

I think at a certain point questions become so specific and weird that most people just can't answer them. Sometimes people will throw out a guess, but not always. Beginner questions can always get answered as long as they're willing enough to answer questions and learn. I feel like lately all the tech questions I see are either so simple they're already answered, or complex enough that I can't really think of anything, or just not good questions ("I did 20 things to my game and now this one thing is wrong please help!") that no one really wants to deal with

plus all the older members will soon be OAP's

Nailed it

Nailed it

I admit I sometimes hit a few of what I would consider low hanging fruit before I'd tackle a thread that takes 20 minutes to read through, plus additional time to research. Unless-- I find the issue particularly interesting, or related to something I was already or recently working on.