Not only did the forum change but the entire website. The company that designed the forum format is gone and a new company, Hoopla was selected. While I like the layout of the website (everything that was on the old site is present in an improved format), I cannot say the same for the forum. There are plenty of other forums, all lacking in information regarding the great products from Cook Shack so this is truly the only game in town. Like it or not we are stuck with it and I am fairly sure that the folks at CS are not thrilled with the feedback and displeasure.
I spent last night going through the forum and saw very little recent activity. That is our fault. We own it the members own it. Today I am doing a small brisket. I SHOULD be enthusiastically taking photos of prep, the smoker, and the results. Yet I will not because old format or new, I have a tough time posting photos. But beyond that, we seem to lack folks asking questions, how to questions which the seasoned among us can answer. Maybe folks are not as helpless as in the past. Maybe they are too busy smoking and just don't have time or desire to sit and post comments on their exploits. I don't know.
What I do know is that is that this forum is no longer the watering hole it used to be with an exchange of all manner of information from the exploits at the smoker or grill to a new rub or a Q road trip or a new piece of gear or the birth of a new offspring. The "family" atmosphere is gone. We can bring it back, if we want to or we can continue to complain and whine. It is up to each one of us.
David