This site was a useful tool for expats before Wechat became a thing. Now the China expat forum has migrated to the various wechat groups where people can talk in real time with each other on specific topics of interest. Similarly the Wechat subscription accounts made the articles sections of this site meaningless in comparison. The only thing this site really has going for it is the relative anonymity of use.

Marketing-wise, the forum was created to connect to expats in China. Ideally, fun-loving extroverts with infectious personalities and just-do-it lifestyles. They're more impressionable, and are more active in word-of-mouth promotion.

As hi2u described, wechat has more appeal to them. It allows real-time gossip, account/identity verification, unrestricted linking of websites (sales), and easily uploading photos, videos and other stuff that provides metadata that online ventures would kill for.

Left lurking in ECC are a bunch of dull introverts*. Not much of a catch. We're cautious about the personal info we divulge, we don't buy on impulse, and our conversations are esoteric, interested more in generalized discussions without direct real-time needs/wants involved.

IMO, ECC is neglected because there's no profit to be made from it. The mod is probably ignoring the forum because it's not worth his/her time. But if that were to change, this dusty old website might get a big revamp to accommodate whatever new business model the owners may have in mind. I'm not sure that would be a good day for the old users, though.

* Dull on the outside. There's a party in my head and it's invitation-only!

It all boils down to management ...or in this case lack of it.
George must have hired the wrong people to run his business.
I do think it could be salvaged with the right person at the helm ...but they cost money.
The current Australian Prime minister was in advertising. ..and will most likely be looking for a new job soon .
IMO and I've given it often over the last few years ...Ecc has been on life support since march 2016 and was in critical condition for about a year before that.

I don't really know how useful this site is, but I do find there are things you can find in this forum that you can't always get on WeChat/ QQ, etc. This forum allows us to find some info to querries we wouldn't be able to get on .. say WeChat. those forums are too personal. A good example is visa related issues. Of course we could always search out other sites. But this site might be better because most of us have similar experiences.

I think the neglected state is the only reason it's still here.

The owner seems to have lost interest in ECC, or at least the answers section, ages ago for whatever reasons and if he needed to put substantial time or effort into it he might just decide it's not worth it and pull the plug.

As it is, since it seems to be very low maintenance it's probably just as easy to keep it running.

I have been added to loads of wechat groups, but I dont stay long. About 50 50 ejection to leave ratio probably.

I have been in groups ranging from Scottish Whisky to Visit DPRK.

Now I just stick to a core of 3 groups, the largest of which is about 20 ppl.

As I get older, I find I cant be arsed with the non stop boob meme fest found on the larger wechat groups. I am honestly not interested in bouncing tits.

I keep coming back here because I like a good fighting debate. Wechat groups can tend to gravitate to being politically monocultural. And I find a good fight with right wingers such as Ambi to be critical to trying to attain a well balanced outlook on life. Cheers Ambi

I have said before, and will say it again. I have met some great folk on here. And travel has been involved to meet up. Well worth it.

Just last week, got a wechat message from a Russian student in GZ, 'Scots, whats that china job site?'. She had posted a question 3 years ago on here, I pmd her my wechat to intro her to another Russian student. All is well. Never met. But we tick likes on each others wechat. Good to see ppls adventures.

The good thing about forums such as this is the non convienience of posting. Maybe read a post in the morning, have a few thoughts through the day and reply in the evening.

Now I am thinking how can forum and instant be combined?

Because the problem with wechat is wading through 400 posts to find out what ppl are talking about.

In that respect, forums are maybe more instant given their subject indexing.

Anyhow, I will try do my bit and keep posting on here. Hope everyone else does too

It isn't anymore what once this place was. But I still come over and read through the postings. True, too boring and uninteresting, most of them, although some are able to keep my attention around. It was a great place to be, true too. Although it's so degraded I still find it the only China expat community to be with. Wechat cannot fit my understanding for a community of foreigner teachers at all. Besides, it is by far under the control of the Chinese censorship than this website. Probably I am wrong, but this is how I see it. Hopefully it will improve again, this place. Anyway, I choose this website than any other place.