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For an enthusiast of Rob's calibre to be leaving the site, we must be doing something badly wrong.

brigham wrote: ↑Fri Nov 25, 2022 8:44 am For an enthusiast of Rob's calibre to be leaving the site, we must be doing something badly wrong.

Brigham, I don’t t think this site or people has done anything wrong, the lack of a thumbs up or response to every post does not mean people do note care or are not interested . I guess I have always seen YouTube channels as an entity in themselves. As such I do not post my videos here unless linked to a post under a topic relating to the machine. Rob's videos are more unique due to the passion and dialogue which adds to I guess the history of the machines past as such fall into to unique category of important future reference material for those who have yet to discover our hobby.

Can you imagine if Mr PM got the hump and shutdown this site (please don’t ) and I keep saying this, over the years I have seen big well known collectors who were on this site disappear, but know they still look. I have had this conversation with Steve Hunt who tells me he never looks at Pennymachines, yet through a topic on a machine discover the only way he had info in our conversation if he had looked here. The fact so many can’t be bothered to contribute is more the issue and maybe people get annoyed about forum format.

I personally am finding YouTube exceedingly annoying when they introduced mandatory adverts which affect peoples interest halfway through. I cannot stand Facebook groups that are mostly dead or people just selling things.

I know in the past some people I have spoken to got annoyed with the forum due to rules and that they did not get the response quickly they wanted, but I have said to them I do not see you help others and respond to anyone else. It takes two to tango and people need to be more collaborative….. If it were not for this site I for one would never have got into this hobby and gone to my first Coventry auction in 2007

There are only two sites you get hits from on google searches relating to companies and machines associated with slots, this one and Paul’s site…….

I've no idea the real reason he makes his videos and whether that reason has changed over the years, as never met the chap. When I first became aware of his videos, his engaging style and first hand knowledge and experience makes them really enjoyable. Even though I am not really interested in the majority of the machines he films, as I have never collected allwins, wall machines and the like. However, after seeing a number of them, I don't think I've watched one since. In my case, it is likely, as with me playing on allwins and wall machines, that any fun, interest or enjoyment soon ends. However, members here who share his passion will no doubt enjoy the majority, if not all his videos on an ongoing basis, but maybe not comment for whatever reason.

I suspect on YouTube he will get a far higher number of visitors and with that, a far higher number and probably % of first time visitors who trawl YouTube and click on various links and end up there without actually searching for his content, nor even wall machines, are fascinated by them and his video style, prompting many comments from individuals, who then link to the next item whatever that is and maybe never see another machine. I hope he still enjoys making his videos. He is free to make his own mind up, where he wants to place his content, at any one time. If he does still enjoy making them, I hope he continues to do so. I hope he continues to be a member here too. Again, that's his choice of course.

TF makes valid comments that many regular posters here will post new thread,see many views, never to get a reply. Or add a new post to another thread, which in their opinion should initiate replies but again lots of views after their post but gain no further replies. If all these posters then never posted again..there would be very few regular posters.

Rippys doesn't seem to post that significantly in threads over and above his videos. However, anyone that contributes, in whatever way, are valued contributors to the site, whether I agree or disagree with their input or whether I make a comment or not, or indeed, whether I don't even view their input...

Dangerous waters here so I'm going to just try and dip a toe. I see our hobby as a modest attempt to honor and maintain a slice of British history that entertained the masses for decades. Those times are long gone but the memories still resonate for a small number, mostly aged, who remember the kinder times when these machines were a focal point of family fun. For the older set, they represent memories. For the younger, curiosities. Engaging in this hobby represents, to some degree, homage to past times and the inventors who enchanted us with mechanical marvels able to seduce pennies from the stiffest of pockets. I see this hobby and this marvelous site as "casting bread upon the water." We cannot know the reach and depth of impact. I can only say for myself that Pennymachines is a wonder and its demise would be a catastrophic loss not only to our community but to the greater world of British history. All efforts to support the site are greatly valued, whether acknowledged or not.

J Peterson
Outlier, USA

I was in touch with Rippy yesterday to see if he might change his mind but, as he said above, he feels there was insufficient interest in his videos and wishes to leave us. I'll miss his input here and think the removal of his characterful, entertaining and informative videos is a great loss both here and on youtube.

I've now deactivated his account, as requested, and moved and merged all the deleted video posts, together with the comments they garnered to this topic, so if he decides to re-upload his old videos to youtube at some point, at least we can re-instate links to them here. Certainly, they represented a huge amount of work and often received little or no comment, although looking through them yesterday, notwithstanding the Swinging Swinger, there was a notable increase in handsome, effusive praise from members over the last few years. I'm sure if our many unregistered visitors were able to comment in the forums, there would have been more.

I thank him for all the fun and knowledge he provided and hope he continues to create new content. Of course, if he wishes to reinstate his account here in the future, we'd love to have him back.