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Is it quiet in here or is it just me?


RedRabbit

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Has it been quiet in here lately or is it just me? Similarweb.com shows palmtalk.org's visits were down 60% in September. 

pt_visits.thumb.png.02ba4e2ca7e6e09474c2

 

I question how accurate that is, but it does seem like it has been quieter than usual lately. 

  • Upvote 1

Westchase | 9b 10a  ◆  Nokomis | 10a  ◆  St. Petersburg | 10a 10b 

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  I have noticed a drop on 3 other Forums , of varying subjects ,  that I frequent as well .

   I think that the Nation is stunned by the flow of events during this year.......

 

or not....

 

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....I agree...there are very few new topics...let's learn some new stuff but have fun doing it!

  • Upvote 3

The weight of lies will bring you down / And follow you to every town / Cause nothin happens here

That doesn't happen there / So when you run make sure you run / To something and not away from

Cause lies don't need an aero plane / To chase you anywhere

--Avett Bros

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I've noticed it within the past couple months too. :crying: I TRY to keep conversations going by posting photos, questions, and comments.

  • Upvote 2

Naples (inland), FL - technically 10a but more like 9b in the winter :hmm:

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Chat really motivated me to log on.

BRING BACK CHAT

If it won't crash the site.

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

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@DoomsDave I definitely miss the chats with you, Red, Tex, Pip, and everyone else.  I've not been as active due to injury, but I'm recovering and actually got to trim some palms lately.  Once I get my gardens back into some form of presentable shape, I'll help out @Missi with the pictures :)

  • Upvote 5

Lakeland, FL

USDA Zone 1990: 9a  2012: 9b  2023: 10a | Sunset Zone: 26 | Record Low: 20F/-6.67C (Jan. 1985, Dec.1962) | Record Low USDA Zone: 9a

30-Year Avg. Low: 30F | 30-year Min: 24F

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6 hours ago, DoomsDave said:

Chat really motivated me to log on.

BRING BACK CHAT

If it won't crash the site.

It was discontinued, so is no longer offered as option.

Thanks to those of you who help make this a fun and friendly forum.

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8 hours ago, PALM MOD said:

It was discontinued, so is no longer offered as option.

Maybe consider bringing it back.

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

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8 hours ago, DoomsDave said:

Maybe consider bringing it back.

Dave, this was explained earlier, the software maker stopped supporting it. It wasn't us that dropped it. We had no real choice.

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

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On 10/17/2017, 8:17:31, Bill H2DB said:

  I have noticed a drop on 3 other Forums , of varying subjects ,  that I frequent as well .

   I think that the Nation is stunned by the flow of events during this year.......

 

or not....

 

Natural progression of things thanks to the newer ways people socialize online - Facebook, Instagram, etc... Many of the really busy forums I once frequented are now gone entirely, while others are barely chugging long. PalmTalk has faired OK when all things considered. 

  • Upvote 3

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

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1 hour ago, LJG said:

Dave, this was explained earlier, the software maker stopped supporting it. It wasn't us that dropped it. We had no real choice.

Yes, I know.

But, if the time comes for another provider and one offers chat and other doesn't all other things being equal, bring back the chat.

I realize, of course, that all things rarely are equal.

  • Upvote 1

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

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I agree with Len that PT has fared pretty well given its format and audience. Palms do not appear to have a gigantic young demographic enthused about collecting them (space is a huge limitation for many today) so fora that attend this audience probably are suffering rapid age related attrition with little to offset in terms of Millenial add-ons. FB is indeed very popular with some plant collectors, but has a huge downside in its dysfunctional search features and an intentional skew towards the here and now that make it a terrible "knowledge bank". I don't belong to or participate on FB, but do use access windows provided by others to monitor traffic on open groups. It seems to me that many once popular FB "planets" and gardening groups also struggle to retain engagement.

All of these changing trends in online gardening exchanges are interesting to me. My guess would be that many people are now sampling more fora than before, which may be diluting their engagement on any one specifically. For lightly trafficked and economically distressed sites, this ultimately spells doom.

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What I was talking about was a recent slowdown, not longer term trends towards another site like FB. I suspect there may be some seasonality with the traffic here and summer is just a weak time. Perhaps Palm Mod could shed some light on what he's seeing in Google Analytics.

Westchase | 9b 10a  ◆  Nokomis | 10a  ◆  St. Petersburg | 10a 10b 

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I am been crazy, busy in my garden.  Fall, is my busiest time.  Just started 25 pots of crocus seeds, made up two big trash cans of kw's recipe for my palm potting soil, (I use no loam, or perlite, and add way more pumice, oh yes, two wheelbarrows of alpine plant soil (a mix of leaf mold, compost, river sand, etc).  I usually have around 100 seed pots from the seed exchanges I belong to.

Starting to work on my last year of protecting my P. Rupicola.  I got 8' of growth, this year, and I think it is the last year we will be able to put something over it.  It loves where it is.  Getting stuff ready to winterize my palms takes a lot of work.  Pulling out two P. Rupicolas that are just sitting and not doing much, because, they are not getting enough light.  Moved my Dioon Purpusii today, as it has just sat all summer, and I think it is not getting enough light, and staying too moist.  Cecile  

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For the last year I have had personal (mostly happy) distractions that have slowed my participation. As an absentee gardener, I only get to see my "real" palm garden twelve weeks per year, at most.  Add in the distractions and I've been away from PT a lot. When I do post pics, it feels like I'm posting the same stuff over and over. When my garden was new, the excitement of planting new palms was constant; things have really slowed down with the garden filling up and maturing. I am interested to read and respond to the newer members -- love their enthusiasm! -- but wish my expertise were more valuable. :o B) 

There remains a high level of enthusiasm here, whatever the traffic -- much more sincerely felt than on FB, just my own opinion. At its best, this is more of a community; FB feels more like "hit and run" postings. I do miss many of the old regulars, but understand only too well that life has its cycles.

  • Upvote 2

Kim Cyr

Between the beach and the bays, Point Loma, San Diego, California USA
and on a 300 year-old lava flow, Pahoa, Hawaii, 1/4 mile from the 2018 flow
All characters  in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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I have a schedule similar to @SHEP

The time period from October to March is my busiest time.  When our rainy season starts, it's everything I can do to keep the grass from getting a foot high.  I haven't been able to weed the gardens in 2 months, so they need some big time weed removal.  There is grass, Virginia creeper, and Adam's needle popping up everywhere.  All of my date palms have old, dead fronds that need removed.  The bananas have tons of dead leaves that need removed.  The nice thing is that the temperature and humidity are much more tolerable this time of year.  I'm hoping by Thanksgiving that I'll have my landscape back in pristine shape.

I've noticed a huge drop off on GardenWeb, but in this forum I can always rely on certain individuals to keep it interesting.  I've met a number of the people who post in Central and South Florida, and all have impressed me with their seemingly endless knowledge of every single species of palm.  My knowledge is a little more narrow than a lot of the folks here, so every post is an opportunity to learn for me.

  • Upvote 1

Lakeland, FL

USDA Zone 1990: 9a  2012: 9b  2023: 10a | Sunset Zone: 26 | Record Low: 20F/-6.67C (Jan. 1985, Dec.1962) | Record Low USDA Zone: 9a

30-Year Avg. Low: 30F | 30-year Min: 24F

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Have also noticed the recent thinning of traffic and agree with several who have have shared great thoughts on the possible why's or why nots.

Time, and a constant, engauging pace of events this year, plays a part,  busy schedules play a part ... Perhaps, in some cases, the dreaded " what/ what else could I post about" that can come with a maturing garden, or, one that is going through a somewhat discheveled phase.. when someone might feel a little apprehensive discussing until things get a little more in order. Someone might be moving, getting settled, somewhere in between without much time to sit down and think out something to post atm. 

Than, to paraphrase an old 80's song, " Seasons change, Feelings/ People change, etc, etc. Some get out of the hobby, retire and choose an entirely different direction, or just are doing their own thing..

I also have noticed that this isn't just a Palmtalk thing.. Xericworld is gone, Dave's Garden has slowed.. maybe changed format?? If I remember hearing correctly??, could be wrong. Anyhow, 

Like Len and Jay mentioned, some people move from place to place whether it be to a FB group, someone's Twitter feed, etc.. but those places also go through their "is hot now, goes cold later" lifespan. Palmtalk and acouple other sites I look over have been lucky to continue cruising on down the road, still on stable ground.

There was a good discussion over on Agaveville( P.T.'s cactus lovin' cousin) regarding the " Golden Age" of Plant discussion boards sometime ago that raised similar thoughts. 

A big thing that I think about, which mirrors Kim's thoughts, is how some of the veteran members, who have been absent for sometime, are doing. I'd name names that often come to mind, but greatly respect people's privacy. Just hope they, and their gardens, are doing well and hope to see them check in. It's possible some people did drop out when things like the Chat option was lost, or some other change that might have been disagreeable. That can happen I guess.. 

Still, overall, many show up.. and have something worth reading. Let's keep the wheels rolling..

-Nathan

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17 hours ago, RedRabbit said:

What I was talking about was a recent slowdown, not longer term trends towards another site like FB. I suspect there may be some seasonality with the traffic here and summer is just a weak time. Perhaps Palm Mod could shed some light on what he's seeing in Google Analytics.

Here are a few stats. Long term trends for postings are obvious. New registrations are fairly constant over the last two years. And I'm having a little trouble pulling up actual bandwidth/views at the moment. But last time I did it, the feeling was that while posting/participation was down, the actual use of the forum by lurkers and readers was up.

The take away during my last review (for me) was that people were just getting lazy. They visited and viewed as much or more than always - they just didn't take the time to post. Posting and contributing here takes more time/effort than the "Nice Photo,""Great Shot," and a Thumbs Up on FB.

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  • Upvote 6

Thanks to those of you who help make this a fun and friendly forum.

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For anyone interested in some other stats, here are the server bandwidth metrics - an indication of how much data is actually being transferred - a good proxy for traffic (at least for comparison purposes).

Notice a graph for the current year (fairly flat and consistent). And then screen shots of the month of Sept (last complete month) from past years. No graphs of more than a year are available. But as I look at all the previous months over the last 5 years, the bandwidth has remained fairly steady for the last three years.

So, as I suspected - people are still "using/viewing" PT as much as ever - they are just not contributing new content as much.

Bottom line - it's up to you guys to contribute. You can view and read all you want, but things will still seem slow if you don't post. 

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  • Upvote 7

Thanks to those of you who help make this a fun and friendly forum.

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Thanks!

That is informative!

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

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Get ready for the cold hardy palms forum section to become active in the next few months. And the freeze damage data... Well, hopefully not to much with the freeze damage data. 

  • Upvote 1

PalmTreeDude

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Great summary of traffic trends, Dean. It would be great if we could get more growers from Oz, the EU and SE Asia on board. That said, I do think that PT has slightly better international participation now than - say - a decade ago, when it often seemed it was a SoCal exclusive club.

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On 10/27/2017, 6:55:47, stone jaguar said:

I agree with Len that PT has fared pretty well given its format and audience. Palms do not appear to have a gigantic young demographic enthused about collecting them.

Agree, agree, agree! But hey! I'm trying to spread the word! People around my age seem to be more interested in having kids, though. :hmm: Bleh. 

On that note, I notice the IPS Facebook group is quite regularly active, but you rarely get the content in replies and posts as you do here. It seems to mainly just be people sharing photos. Maybe someone can make a post about PalmTalk there. Maybe I should make a post about PalmTalk there! :rolleyes:

Naples (inland), FL - technically 10a but more like 9b in the winter :hmm:

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On 10/27/2017, 10:51:40, Kim said:

There remains a high level of enthusiasm here, whatever the traffic -- much more sincerely felt than on FB, just my own opinion. At its best, this is more of a community; FB feels more like "hit and run" postings. 

You nailed it. Couldn't agree more!

Also, I happen to love each of your posts and especially all of your photos! :wub: 

Naples (inland), FL - technically 10a but more like 9b in the winter :hmm:

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8 hours ago, Missi said:

Agree, agree, agree! But hey! I'm trying to spread the word! People around my age seem to be more interested in having kids, though. :hmm: Bleh. 

On that note, I notice the IPS Facebook group is quite regularly active, but you rarely get the content in replies and posts as you do here. It seems to mainly just be people sharing photos. Maybe someone can make a post about PalmTalk there. Maybe I should make a post about PalmTalk there! :rolleyes:

Please note: At the end of every topic are a bunch of Icons for sharing to other sites. If you click on the "FaceBook" Icon, you can then easily share the topic to the FaceBook group. There are probably plenty of FaceBookers who are unaware of PT - or there are some exceptional topics that they would like to see. I agree, the FaceBook page should be better utilized to get people to PT.

  • Upvote 3

Thanks to those of you who help make this a fun and friendly forum.

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2 hours ago, PALM MOD said:

Please note: At the end of every topic are a bunch of Icons for sharing to other sites. If you click on the "FaceBook" Icon, you can then easily share the topic to the FaceBook group. There are probably plenty of FaceBookers who are unaware of PT - or there are some exceptional topics that they would like to see. I agree, the FaceBook page should be better utilized to get people to PT.

You should follow the IPS Facebook page to see that topics have been started and where people were asked to go to PT. I did a few myself directing to great topics here. Each resulted in little interest or "likes". People on our FB page are well aware of PalmTalk. It just seems that those on Facebook have lost interest with a forum setting - which has been stated many times by some of our Facebook users. 

Missi, I agree, I wish conversations were more in depth on FB, but I am also glad they are not or perhaps usage here would drop further. Thanks for participating here and keeping things interesting. Don't think because you don't get many replies that it goes unappreciated. Lots of lurkers on PT. 

  • Upvote 3

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

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since I don't Facebook

Viva palm talk!!! :D

 

  • Upvote 6

Carlsbad, California Zone 10 B on the hill (402 ft. elevation)

Sunset zone 24

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1 minute ago, Josh-O said:

since I don't Facebook

Viva palm talk!!! :D

 

I agree with you Josh.  I avoid FB like the plague for many reasons. PT and direct conversations via text or phone are the way I talk palms.

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Just now, Hammer said:

I agree with you Josh.  I avoid FB like the plague for many reasons. PT and direct conversations via text or phone are the way I talk palms.

couldn't agree more. I dont even have an account.

 

I'm sure this will  change once I put together a website for my up and coming nursery. until then i will never leave PT. I love this place!

 

I get it that FB, Instagram, ETC has slowed down PT a bit but there are lots of dead forums out there an PT is still going very strong. Nothing to worry about IMOP

  • Upvote 2

Carlsbad, California Zone 10 B on the hill (402 ft. elevation)

Sunset zone 24

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4 minutes ago, Hammer said:

I agree with you Josh.  I avoid FB like the plague for many reasons. PT and direct conversations via text or phone are the way I talk palms.

you need to come visit my garden/nursery soon I hope?????

Carlsbad, California Zone 10 B on the hill (402 ft. elevation)

Sunset zone 24

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I'm ALWAYS thankful for PalmTalk, but I'm ESPECIALLY thankful for it when I get trolled on the IPS Facebook group because I tactfully mentioned a plant he was identifying as Pinanga coronata was incorrect (other members actually id'ed it as a Ptychosperma species). I greatly appreciate that members here (including myself) are always looking to learn and appreciate corrections, whereas on Facebook, sometimes people are just looking to appear the smartest, etc. Yuck.

  • Upvote 1

Naples (inland), FL - technically 10a but more like 9b in the winter :hmm:

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13 hours ago, LJG said:

You should follow the IPS Facebook page to see that topics have been started and where people were asked to go to PT. I did a few myself directing to great topics here. Each resulted in little interest or "likes". People on our FB page are well aware of PalmTalk. It just seems that those on Facebook have lost interest with a forum setting - which has been stated many times by some of our Facebook users. 

Missi, I agree, I wish conversations were more in depth on FB, but I am also glad they are not or perhaps usage here would drop further. Thanks for participating here and keeping things interesting. Don't think because you don't get many replies that it goes unappreciated. Lots of lurkers on PT. 

Thank you for your feedback Len! I hold PT very close to my heart. It was always there for me in my early days of my palm interest. Popping up in my Google searches. That is how I first found out about PT and the IPS :wub: I was a big time lurker at first, but as my passion grew, I just had to jump in and learn from you good people, and it's always fun to share pics and stories! :yay:

PLUS, I really get a kick out of the humor and good-natured snark in some posts :lol:

  • Upvote 1

Naples (inland), FL - technically 10a but more like 9b in the winter :hmm:

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Ah, good, it's nice to meet FaceBook revilers. Me too.

Viva la Palm Talk.

  • Upvote 1

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

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9 hours ago, Josh-O said:

you need to come visit my garden/nursery soon I hope?????

I do man.  Been trying to twist my buddy's arm to do a San Diego trip one of these Saturdays.   Been rough schedule lately.   Haven't even been over to Palm Tree Jim's in a month!

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10 hours ago, Hammer said:

I agree with you Josh.  I avoid FB like the plague for many reasons. PT and direct conversations via text or phone are the way I talk palms.

True.....I have an account but my usage has gone way down this year. 

 

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55 minutes ago, Hammer said:

I do man.  Been trying to twist my buddy's arm to do a San Diego trip one of these Saturdays.   Been rough schedule lately.   Haven't even been over to Palm Tree Jim's in a month!

Is it the traffic?

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7 hours ago, Palm Tree Jim said:

Is it the traffic?

Haven't you noticed.  So bad.  Probably adds at least another 30 seconds on to the drive.

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You can appreciate Facebook for what it is or join the hoards who decry that it's uncool to be on it. I don't give a rat's %$! how you feel. I CAN tell you that without it I would never have known that a dear, dear friend of mine had contracted cancer and died in a matter of months. He chronicled his last few months of his life on FB and gave all his friends one last chance to share all the memories. I will always give FB credit for that opportunity.

  • Upvote 4

 

 

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… life has its cycles.

Yes,  even if they didn't passed away ( gladly ), I miss some Palmtalk friends who were very active on Palmtalk years ago since they don't visit the forum now; in Hawaii, Serbia, Tschec republic, Holland, Austraila … At this time, we used the chat room ...And in the recent years I discovered new members and wonderful posts.

and :

since I don't Facebook

Viva palm talk!!! :D

  • Upvote 2

5809129ecff1c_P1010385copie3.JPG.15aa3f5

Philippe

 

Jungle Paradise in Sri Lanka

 

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