I've been on this forum for 10 years:

Thanks and congrats to everyone else (too many to quote) for being a member for so long. Isn't it cool that after all these years we're still fascinated by cybersecurity (and IT), who would have guessed? Although I do have to say that it would be even more cool, if some of you guys were a bit more active, but I get it, we're all getting older.

 

I don't think it's as much that as it is that there just isn't as much interesting to talk about. Some AV companies are gone and a large number of them all belong to the same ownership these days. Though some will argue, Windows is much more secure than it was back when many of us signed up here. Some of the better major firewall providers are gone, ad and popup blockers stop a lot of issues. There isn't much left to do with PCs but use them. Linux and MacOS have too small of a user base to generate much conversation. More people than not these days are probably just using the default free security that comes with Windows and unless they release a broken update there really isn't much to say. More of the general software conversations are about licensing models than functionality and so on. Some of it is a fair debate, some of it is just arguing. Maybe we need a topic of the week about something interesting to spark some conversation? That said, I don't have any suggestions for a topic, so...

 

It's all true what you said, but I'm not so much talking about discussing security products, but more about discussing cybersecurity in general, for example related to hacks on companies. I see plenty of interesting topic where nobody responds to, but this means people simply haven't got anything to say, or it's not interesting to them. So that's what I miss on this forum, but to be fair, MalwareTips is barely more active.

 

There are a lot of threads started that nobody responds to. I will often respond hoping to spark further discussion. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not.

 

Fair points. I guess if everyone tried to comment on one more topic, there'd be a lot of activity generated. But, sometimes, there's really not much to say other than "Interesting"

 

Yes exactly. I miss the technical discussions from the past, but I can also understand that people are more interested in discussing the newest protection tools instead of hacks on companies. But the problem is that there are no new and exciting tools. But at least we can say, that we had a whole lot of fun on WSF in the last 20 years or so. Those times will never come back.

 

Today marks 15 years on this forum for me.
Security issues and concerns are escalating, not diminishing. There is more 'tech' imposed on our everyday life now. There will be much more to come - tsunami waves of it. A forum that focuses on security for discussion and primarily to raise awareness, is essential.

 

Congrats, that's quite a milestone and I hope you will make it to 20 years!

 

Congratulation on 15.
Security issue and concerns are escalating. Unfortunately most of the issues affecting most of us these days are hackers stealing our info from the companies we do business with. There isn't a security product I can buy that does a thing there. This would contribute to the lack of discussions. Raising awareness is a noble cause but does nothing to address these problems. I'm not attacking what you said, just questioning what can be done.

 

@Rasheed187 WORKING ON IT!

@xxJackxx I hear you. This is one of my favourite quotes from a Bond movie...
"A piece of advice, Mr. Bond. Don’t screw with a man who buys ink by the ton. It’s deadlier than uranium".

 

I just noticed I sort of missed my 20-year mark. 'Twas a couple of weeks back. 20 years, blimey!
Mrk

 

Belated congratulations. It makes me feel old that 2005 was 20 years ago.

 

Wait, 20 years ago was 1985. Or ... oh oh.
Mrk

 

Ithink we all got a bit senile around 15 years... I've got a year before I hit 20 and fall apart.

 

Good to know. I've got 2 1/2 years to go...

 

Valid points, all. When I first came here to Wilders (the first post of mine I can find is from February of 2004, under a slightly different name), things were different. It was people that were coming here who had either gotten bit by something they'd run into or were having soft- or hardware problems. Those of you who were here then might recall that this was an active site for HijackThis assistance, and Ten Forward, as frivolous as it could sometimes get, was drawing people all on its own. This forum was a busy place, and it had to be.

But times have changed. Fewer individuals seem to be getting hammered by viruses, trojans, and the like and, as such, they have less need for sites such as this. Most of us here now are, or were, pros in some IT-related field, and this is reflected in the range of topics that are discussed.

Gotta say that I sometimes miss the old days, when things were a little more wild.

 

I miss the old days too. Yes, I think less people are getting hammered by viruses but I also think that many people just don't care about computer security, their too busy with social media and being on their phone 16 hours a day. Many young people do everything on their phones now......pity.

 

Yes, it was more interesting back when. Also more software companies were here back then that have split off. ESET and Acronis both once had this as their official forum, and have both since left. They were what brought me here at the time. I followed ESET to their forum. I don't use Acronis anymore.

@digmor crusher
Agreed, most young folks, and some older ones spend the day with their phones. Most of them will likely never turn up here due to lack of interest. I don't have time to care what Taylor Swift had for lunch.

 

You forget DiamondCS (TDS3, WormGuard). They had their own forum, but also here their forum. Those forums were not the same but nevertheless.
And others ...
Look at the Archived Forums.

 

Thank you, admins, for having archived Ten Forward. I spent some time there the other night, laughing at bad jokes...and missing those who told them.

 

As did LnS, if I'm not mistaken.

 

Hi,
It were certainly not only posts with bad jokes in TenForward.
There were most definitely posts about very serious and very, very sad topics. We should never, never forget that!

So many posts about people, friends we lost; friends who passed away.

The most saddest of all: the passing of Marissia (Sassy Girl). Just search the board for Sassy Girl .....
Here is the thread. It still is here after 20 years :
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/threads/the-saddest-of-news.61565/

I'm still crying after all those years when I read it again

 

Hi,
Yes, the LnS forum is still in the Archived Forums.

 

Oh my time flies! this is still my favorite forum, I have learned a lot of things

Thank you experts

(I am always asking here LOL)

Came