Where is Everyone?!

[Richtee]

It’s plain to see... as I said before “they” don’t like us. We wield scary explosives, scary black rifles, and vote for scary tweets

 

The do-gooders and Left will destroy it all eventually. But not in my lifetime. I think.

[GoldenStars]

This phenomenon can be observed worldwide. There are only one active pyrotechnic forums left in the world and I am not exaggerating this is the APC Forum. The other two big one are dying 1. pyroforum.nl 2. pirotehnika-ruhelp.com. In my country, the Hungarian pyrotechnic community has been dead for years. But in the past was very active. The large pyrotechnic community was censored on Youtube. Nothing can be openly discussed on that site. Only childish things remained and allowed on that platform. And the biggest driving force was the videos on the internet. The other video sharing platforms only rarely have quality pyrotechnic content. And none of them work properly. There is no future in pyrotechnic community for platforms where it is not possible to bring people together worldwide on the basis of publications. People need to see it the users/publisher products how they working, what and how much it know the user/publisher. Video sharing (unlimited) with descriptions, and comments, file sharing, fully editable blogging, professional sites. Strong professional forum with open discussion (where personalization, deviation from topic, anything that is not pyro forbidden). Within this, the team should be filtered into a separate forum where only content owners can enter bloggers, video creators, who sharing files. In many countries, if someone can make a quality flash powder, black powder and a quality firecracker is considered an expert. Most people cannot make flash powder, Black powder, simple quality firecracker, or a working rocket. The majority do everything in the worst quality. And these are the people who give advice on the forums. There's plenty more to come Moles whose purpose: disinformation, spamming topics and provocation to prevent people from sharing effective techniques and speaking freely, scaring people with fake things, trying chasing away the real experts from publication. This forum only works because it was able to gather experts. Without fully editable blog, video gallery, file sharing and collecting the world pyro hobbyist the page would be dead. Save and share any pyrotechnic content you find videos, blogs, files, web pages, because they are slowly disappearing from the internet. The big pyrotechnic file sharing platform Pyrobin are dead, the are no new bloggers, pyro sites, and new real pro publishers like Ned Gorski, Passfire and Skylighter team, Richard Nakka. And blogging, website creation, file and video sharing are not easy either in the internet.

.

 

I totaly agree the information is disolving because of factor time and interest/difficulty. I'm attempting to recollect all things I can find in a ebook i'm trying to write. Mirroring websites is also a good idea with httrack or https://github.com/hartator/wayback-machine-downloader

 

Be safe,

GoldenStars

[mabuse00]

Those who fall in love with them at a very young age will become truly dedicated in this hobby. You can't fall in love like that when you're older. They need to get to firecrackers as young as possible

 

Words of wisdom.

 

That's why for example European class 1 pyrotechnics for kids are still important to fan the flames

 

At some point things will pick up again, but it won't be in the next five years, and then the APC forum may not even exist. Technically, it is not developing, the software are old, and this will mark the end

 

I disagree. The software is old, yes, but it does what is necessary.

You can use TOR without Java script - show me a modern site where this is possible!

 

Also imho you do not need all those fancy playthings to exchange information.

The more gimmicks and gadgets you implement, the more potential attack points for state authorities may exist.

In fact, a 1990s style newsgroup is all we need.

 

The more modern internet things become, being anonymous becomes harder and harder.

 

I would really like to exchange videos though, but I haven't found a save way to do so...Might not be impossible but my motivation does not overcome the troubles

 

 

See my alpha ebook release https://github.com/x...ses/tag/alpha-1

If pyros are intressted to bundle forces and write this ebook, send me a PM.

 

Does not work without java script, potentially unsafe... Edited October 3, 2022 by mabuse00

[MudDuckPyro79]

I'm still a big kid at heart and I'm working 9n 50 years old.

Edited April 1, 2023 by MudDuckPyro79

[dlking59]

I'm still a big kid at heart and I'm working 9n 50 years old.

I have a few years on you and my supply looks similiar to yours. I'm north of you up here in PA.

[cmjlab]

Where in PA if you don't mind me asking? I'm in Fredericksburg, VA.

[Mumbles]

In case it's not glaringly obvious due to replying some 6-7 months late, I've also been very MIA. I wish I wasn't. APC has been a part of my life for over 20 years in various incarnations over the years. I miss it and I miss you guys. There's a lot that goes into that. Partly real life getting in the way. Partly moving to a new area of the country. Partly less free time. Partly the local club not having many events over the last few years. Partly not having a good, local place to build until relatively recently again. I was relegated to being an armchair pyro for quite a while, and it's difficult to keep up my attention and interest without being able to get out and build and learn more.

 

I appreciate places like Passfire and Fireworking a great deal, but I spend even less time there. I find having a free to use pyro forum to be a valuable resource, and is something I'd like to continue to provide. The forum is largely searchable by Google, and I think provides a valuable reference source and a low-barrier way to learn something someone may be interested in. Maybe they decide it's not for them, maybe they stick around and get deeper into the hobby. Maybe they move on to another forum, and start talking trash about this one thinking it's too basic. That's their prerogative. We'll never appeal to everyone or at least not forever. APC is certainly not perfect, and there are so many things I wish I had the capability or time to build into it. In an effort to maintain this site long term we made the decision quite a while ago to use our own hosting so that information and files have a relatively permanent home. It's not free, but it's not terribly expensive. I've seen too many websites, forums, etc. disappear due to neglect or hosting issues.

 

I've always felt a major thing that sets APC apart and gave this forum it's longevity and high quality at times was the open nature of it. It provides a continual source of new blood and serves as an entryway to the hobby. Many of the more serious practitioners of the hobby are likely already members of Fireworking or Passfire. The population in this hobby is not that large though. If you attend an organized pyro event, in the US at least, most people are probably members of Fireworking for instance. At a certain point that population stagnates, and if a population stagnates so do the ideas often times. PGI, Fireworking, most regional clubs, WPA, and the like all have this issue to some extent. It's a constant topic of discussion and disdain at PGI conventions actually. The relative lack of domestic manufacture, an aging population within the hobby, and not a lot of public exposure don't always give visibility to people that this is a legitimate hobby. Getting new people interested is going to be important long term to keep the hobby and knowledge base alive.

 

I like to provide at least that little window of visibility to anyone who might have a passing interest. While we might provide that window, I'd say APC is failing at drawing them in and keeping them as of late. Part of that is keeping people engaged with an active and vibrant community. I'm certainly partly to blame for that by my absence, as one of the more prolific posters and hopefully willing sharer of what knowledge I do have. I'll do my best to do better.

 

Also, to answer the actual original question, we've always seen kind of a lull between the 4th of July and usually Labor Day. I've always thought it was a little bit of a burnout or relaxation time after the holiday and the annual PGI convention. After that, things often pick up in anticipation of New Years.

[dlking59]

Where in PA if you don't mind me asking? I'm in Fredericksburg, VA.

App. 40 miles north of Harrisburg. Used to come down to Culpeper quite often. Wife's sister lived there. I think Culpeper is only 20 miles or so from Fredericksburg.

[cmjlab]

Yep, Culpeper is right around the way (30 min with traffic - pretty spot on memory). I assume you were driving down for MAPAG? I would really like to join them, I just have been busy with work and school lately. Plus they had to move to PA (good for you if you're a member!).

[Arthur]

The standing rule for forums in all countries is that members hibernate until it's just too late to make all the components and form them into something to display. Americans usually want an outstanding display for the 4th BUT will try to get the ingredients mid way through June.

Edited April 28, 2023 by Arthur

[cmjlab]

Amazing, you just summed up most of my year, except, I already have all the chemicals and supplies, I've just straight procrastinated this year! I ought to get going on making stars, I've just been busy with other projects (also none of which have been finished).

[Arthur]

Most displayable fireworks take a month to make if you include stars and powder drying right up to paste drying. The less time you spend on manufacture the more time you must spend on preparation. I've built a big shell in a 8 hour day BUT every part was completely ready and close at hand at the start of the day.

[cmjlab]

Agreed. Last year, though I had all the stard and inserts made, we got a really hot/humid streak, and I had no energy to build shells. I started 3 - 3.5 weeks out from 4 July, and was able to slam out 100 3" shells, and around 25 (poorly taped) ball shells. In fact I finished them so late, I only had time to ematch 1/2 of them, and had to finish shooting the following weekend.

 

I'm currently on track for the same timeline this year, due to school this time though!

[Sulphurstan]

Procrastinating also, for all the reasons given here (how original I am!!).

@Mumbles I just want to THANK you for this forum, for the philosophy you've put in it, and maintain.

Old software (??) whatever,... It's still alive because there is very valuable content, kind people, and that are the reasons why I come back here.

What I just hope is that all this huge knowledge we all have put together can be recorded somewhere on a database, on a cloud, wherever... So it will last for the younger.

Thanx again,

[pirotek]

Good day to all, yes indeed, interest in the topic has seriously dropped. Regarding the closure of the two largest Russian forums, I can confirm their closure. The piroforum.info forum was closed due to the lack of visitors and new users. I have been providing its work for the last 5 years entirely at my own expense, which is not so difficult, but noticeable for my budget. But it is impractical to finance an almost dead project. Regarding the second forum pirotehnika-ruhelp.com, I can also confirm its closure, but there are more technical reasons, including the forum's domain name was bought by third parties and currently some Thai site with a totalizator is located at this address.
In general, over the past 5-7 years, interest in pyrotechnics among the new generation has disappeared, and the format of the forums themselves is incomprehensible and difficult for the TikTok generation to perceive.
My own interests have significantly shifted in a completely different direction, consider me a songwriter now  
https://youtu.be/NwJHnwi4_X4