Decline in spudgun popularity

[Biopyro]

I was just playing about with google and found this graph
There is a clear downward trend in searches, and none of the seasonal variation I expected. Also note that Australasia had the highest number of searches by far.

Do you think that spudgunning is becoming less popular? I had definitely noticed less traffic on the UKSGC, but I thought this might have been just due to the winter slump.

[benstern]

Obviously everyone already found their respective spudgun forums!

[Brian the brain]

I think it means people don't use google to search.
Through youtube the subject has gotten more exposure and people now know were to go..

They come straight to this place...

[rcman50166]

There is definately an overall decrease in interest. This could be a good and bad thing. Publicity is not something spudders want. However, the hobby may be shrinking in size. The fact that there is a consistent decline overall means there is lees interest in it for sure. Hey, maybe we can single handedly change that by making that promotional for spudfiles. Or we can just google bomb it. It would be fun to see the search spike for only a month or so.

[Hotwired]

I've noticed a lot of spudcannon sites becoming dead either by not existing anymore or merely last being updated years ago.

I'm not hugely worried about it. From a totally selfish perspective I know all I need to know to continue with what I do.

Popularity is dropping because it's not an especially self sustaining hobby, you make the spudguns and then tend to use them in private, well away from other people. Generally because there's a large pile of it ready to drop on you if you don't.

It's not widely advertised and it's not widely advertised because there's not much money to be made from it plus legal worries.

If you really want to reinvigorate this global hobby you need to find out why it was such a hot topic back in 04 and see if that can be replicated.

Otherwise just accept it's a niche hobby that has surges in popularity.

Incidentally look at this cute graph for "hobby trains". No prizes for guessing what they do in the winter evenings

[magnum9987]

try yahoo next, maybe their is different results there

[Biopyro]

I don't think it can be a case of people know where to go. There must be a dynamic number of spudders, as older people go to university or just lose interest and stop spudding (as if!). At the same rate (hopefully) people should be discovering us. Perhaps GTA IV is actually decreasing kids liking for guns :O.
I hadn't thought of exposure through youtube, it's how I came across spudguns, but I think that even through links there newbies will hopefully still be searching google for research (or maybe they're not and they genuinely just get information from here???)

[Brian the brain]

This is the time for more peaceful hobbies...


http://www.google.com/trends?q=gardenin ... all&sort=0

[MaxuS the 2nd]

http://www.google.com/trends?q=porn&cta ... all&sort=0

I could not resist.

You and me Biopyro are just about the only ones who still troll the Uksgc religiously, several times a day. What a big shame there's only two of us .

[Biopyro]

I know, cornishtiger is still around, I still hope that it will pick up again in the summer but maybe not. Looks to me like even gardening is in decline, still huge in comparison to spud gun though, what seasonal trend for gardening too!
I think there are a lot less newbies coming in and everyone else but us has better things to do . Educashun? Who needs it!

[Hotwired]

The way that there's no scales on the graphs bugs me.

[benstern]

We need to start spudgunning in public. Get people interested (and hand out flyers for spudfiles.com)

I mean, go to a gun range with your combustion and just start shooting.

[magnum9987]

http://www.google.com/trends?q=Gun&ctab ... all&sort=0

I Believe people willing to defend themselves is going down as well

I might have contributed to that porn search a bit.

jk

[Hotwired]

Goddammit are we all wired exactly the same.

I searched for "porn" and "gun" immediately after having a good look at the spudgun trends

[magnum9987]

copy catting prick! jk