<p>I have been on CC for years and have never visited nor was I even aware that a community forum existed. </p>
<p>I wonder if the number of parents/students who stick around for years is small enough that we don’t really matter in the big scheme of CC? I have no idea what the numbers are, but I know that I would have never returned here after my second son left for college if I hadn’t found the Parent Cafe. I would have been mostly a lurker, looking for some specific answers for a few years, and then I would have not returned. I wonder if the changes to the CC site are purely numbers driven, with the idea that most people use CC for only a couple of years, or only come here looking for specific help. For the revolving door users, changes to the site don’t mean much. High school students would be more inclined to just roll with the changes, and many parents don’t stick around long enough to care much about the changes. </p>
<p>If CC is just looking for advertising revenue, do the longtimers’ opinions matter much? </p>
<p>I hope we matter, but I wonder…</p>
<p>Perhaps if this thread were closed, that would help. And all the other threads started by frustrated CC-ers.</p>
<p>ETA - And as someone else suggested, pin the new official threads in all forums. Many people don’t even know that the Community and Forum Issues forum exists. </p>
<p>A few weeks ago I couldn’t even find the community forum.</p>
<p>After all this time and even though a responsive approach was promised, I have decided that what I miss most is the e-mail notifications that included the response, not just the link. In fact, I turned off the e-mail notifications for updates to posts that I subscribe to because I was getting tons of links when all I really need is what we had before, the next new response that would draw me back to the thread. I feel like so many long timers are drifting away and the number of conversations has decreased in the Cafe. I miss the old CC.</p>
<p>I’ve noticed a significant decline in the College Life activity as well. </p>
<p>You know what I loved about the old CC? The thing was so unadorned. No pictures, no whiz-bang features, no fancy technology that constantly needed fixing. Just plain words, in a readable font. It was an atmosphere that attracted and fostered serious, thoughtful conversation. That is just gone now. I feel like I’m in a different room, a room which doesn’t make me want to engage in a complex discussion about important stuff. It is an uncomfortable room, and I’m not surprised that a lot of people have already left and it’s down to us hardcores. We won’t stay indefinitely either.</p>