where did the tattooers go?

[Shannon Shirley]

I started on here about a year and a half ago, I would not like to see this site crumble. It seems to me that lately, less and less knowledgable people are commenting,posting etc. It also seems that thier are more lurkers with "I know some shit" attitudes. those that fit this profile should understand that you are ruining this site. This site was started in hope of an intelligent place where some could learn about the nuances of this craft. Stating amateur attitudes on here does not help.Having gotten three tattoos does not make you an authority.

[YOMONEY]

im newish with a rising post count, so i hope im not a suspect here. im just here to browse and not really post in the tattoo subjects where people know way more than me, share about my laser experience, share random other shit in subforums, and then get some damn good art work going. i understand that the tattoo world, just like everything else in life, is a give/give culture. ive learned more in just the few months that ive been here than a lifetime of reading magazines or talking to people on the street. im greatful for that.

but i agree about the artists not being on here kind of sucks. when i got here i was learning a lot from guys like stewert and mario.

[Shannon Shirley]

im newish with a rising post count, so i hope im not a suspect here. im just here to browse and not really post in the tattoo subjects where people know way more than me, share about my laser experience, share random other shit in subforums, and then get some damn good art work going. i understand that the tattoo world, just like everything else in life, is a give/give culture. ive learned more in just the few months that ive been here than a lifetime of reading magazines or talking to people on the street. im greatful for that.

but i agree about the artists not being on here kind of sucks. when i got here i was learning a lot from guys like stewert and mario.

yes....If

It sounds like the counter at a tattoo shop,We get bored.

[YOMONEY]

ive been hanging around/walking into several shops all over a lot lately, and that dynamics comparison is on point. exept i can get a way with a little more in those situations, because of what ive learned on here haha..

but not even just the artists, a lot of the collectors in general who attracted me to this place dont seem to be as active anymore either..

[Mark Bee]

it could just be the normal ebb and flow that many forums experience. People move out and new folks come along. I'm new here and reluctant to say much about this trend, other to identify that it happens to almost all forums at one point or another. Hopefully the high standards in this forum, which is what attracted me in the first place, can weather these changes. Sometimes people just need a break and maybe they will come back. I suspect people are more likely to come back or at least stick around if the forums are active.

[Dhopper]

Maybe things have picked up for them. Thank you to the artists that do i.e. you Shannon, take time out of their day to comment. There does seem to be a lack of quality lately on the forum of questions and answers.

I don't think Stewart, Valerie, Mario, Dan, Bryan, you( Shannon), or who else that is a professional, wants to have their name on a thread about " I am new here and bought a tattoo kit off eBay" or " I am a vegan, that wants only tantric music playing while I get my tattoo of a reminder to not screw my neighbor that is an alcoholic because I pistol whipped him with my taser!"

[David Flores]

I can only speculate, but most of the people who have gone, have had things happen in their life that make their life a lot busier. A lot of people have gotten married and or had kids (grandkids), some people have become much more in demand as a tattooer, others have other projects that occupy their time.

I agree that the dynamic has become the same as the tattoo shop, and that is why I usually am on in the morning and not so much at night. Usually someone has sucked the life out of me by the time I get home from the shop, and i am done talking about tattoos for the day.

[Stewart Robson]

Thanks for bringing this up @Shannon Shirley while we've never met, people who I think are awesome tell me that you're awesome. Everyone here should pay attention to what this guy says.

I still check the forums every day but I told myself I'd try to only get involved if I could be constructive in some way (even being a dick in a particular way can have a positive outcome).

Lately there hasn't been much 'new' information or discussion where I felt my opinion would make any difference. Often someone else gets to the point before I do. I don't want every post I make to be a verbose "Me too."

On the other hand... The more help or insight we give, the more help or insight we're asked for.

Everyone likes to say they "Did their research" for their tattoo but that often just means looking at pictures in a Google search or checking Instagram. But what about the kind of research where you follow an idea that someone mentioned and find out for yourself? Learning and discovery is fun. Information discovered is more cherished and valuable than information that's spoon fed.

Everyone wants a book or website recommendation where the mysteries of life and everything will be explained, with pictures.

Explorers will eventually tire of conversing with tourists and consumers but they may feel nourished conversing with other explorers. (I use these terms with their proper, non-insulting intention) If more people try to be explorers (intelectual, spiritual or physical) this site, and the world will be a better place.

I've said it before but I don't come here to help with tattoo questions. We have a phone at Frith Street Tattoo. Helpful people are paid to answer it and answer questions. Most tattoo shops work with a similar system. You can get a helpful answer pretty quickly that way.

Even if you're in another country. International calls are not very expensive compared to the price of a tattoo.

I come here because I realised that it was a place where professional opinion meant something. I only started typing when I knew that nobody better qualified had answered. The turning point for me was Bryan Burk's post about Japanese tattoo politics. Finally we had first-hand, sensible and interesting information or opinion from a reliable source instead of conjecture or wiki-regurgitation. I knew then that I'd beter keep my mouth (or keyboard) shut unless I was sure I could contribute something worthwhile.

I'm aware this approach doesn't make for a lively forum but it was great to see it in action earlier this year when Bart Bingham put a halt to some whining about tattooers drawing directly on the skin with a simple, direct and thoughtful post.

Sorry for the lack of links to threads and @ mentions. LST seems to be loading extremely slowly so I couldn't check where stuff was.

Other that the fact that one of my favourite tattooers started this site, I still like it that real-world experience holds water over post-count here at LST. I also like it that the mods (well, the one's I've met) are heavily covered with genuinely great tattoos. That really makes a difference.

[tammy]

@Stewart Robson, thanks for chiming in. Apologies for the forum running slowly. We are hopefully moving to a newer and faster server this week!

------------------

We have grown quite a bit on LST and that can be a good thing because we have had some great new members contribute, but like any situation, there are going to be some members you don't mesh with.

Our goal of LST is to help people understand how to get good tattoos. To do their research beforehand. To educate on the good artists vs. scratchers. Also educate that you sort of get what you pay for and tattoos are not something you want to start bargain shopping for.

We are going to get some noobs that do not know where to start but if we send them to Stewart, Valerie, shannon, Scott, Tim, etc. (too many to list) instead of some cheeseball, we have done a good thing.

Regarding noobs asking the same question: we have started to create a welcome PM that has some FAQ's directing them to more common noob threads like "is my tattoo infected?", "what lotion/ointment should I use?", etc.

Would love if we could get some input on this FAQ so we can put it in one place for noobs to read.

[ogjoeswanson]

Hello everyone, this is my first post here on LST, I'm a tattooer from California and have been curious to come on the LST forum and see what it had to offer. I do believe a controlled and open-minded forum is such a great tool to educated and enlighten folks to some of the nuances of the tattoo community.

As I began to read this post, I hoped, that I would find there are still tattooers with a voice contributing to this site. I find it absolutely refreshing to see that, not so far into this Post, a well respected and talented tattooer, @StewartRobson posted an articulate and well thought out reply. I look forward to 'exploring' the forum more and also contributing where I can.

Thanks!

Joe

[Johannes]

since i certainly know some shit....no not really. i like tattoos.

and i have to say, i do not like internet and such but i do check LST daily! I'm hooked. I wish i knew you all for real.

this is my facebook, instagram, whatever..

[Shaun1105]

Since there are obviously going to be far more tattoo collectors in the world than tattooers (especially good ones!) then as time goes on and the site grows the posts by tattooers will become (relatively) fewer and farther between. That's even if every one of them was as active as they were when the site first started out which for reasons already mentioned is unlikely.

I for one am always excited to log in knowing that there is going to be good discussion of quality tattoos going on. That there's a chance one or more of the best artists in the world has shared or contributed is a bonus and is what makes this forum great.

[Great Lakes Tattooing]

I am new to this. I am still trying to figure out the format, so I have not dug very deep yet. Most of the things Ive read do sound like counter talk. I get enough of that and have nothing to add. Some of the threads i have read(the ones i get the most out of) are a little out of my league and if i had something to add, its already been added. I do have some things to discuss, but they seem to come too close to giving away information to whoever may be on here. I own and am the sole tattooer at my shop and I am at a turning point in my ten year career. I have a customer base that needs education, but shows potential. I have nobody around me to take advice from, but I know I have a chance to bring real tattoo culture to my town. I am hoping this site fills some of those gaps for me and, in turn, I can find folks I can trust with advice i have to give. I am a tattooer and i am here, learning the ropes and waiting for my turn to contribute. Thanks for this.

[JAllen]

I started lurking more and posting less after trying to encourage people to quit wasting time posting and talking about crappy tattoos and scratchers. The response to what I said seemed like people were determined to call me self righteous and that combined with how the guy flamed @Ursula off the board left me feeling less motivated to say stuff. I've posted occasionally since then but figure it doesn't really matter if I do or if I don't.

[Our Endless Days]

i haven't been here all that long, so i haven't realized noticed a significant dip in tattooers posting. like other have said, i'd chalk it up to being busy.

[hogg]

Thank you, @Shannon Shirley and @Stewart Robson for starting this thread and adding to it. I agree that part of what attracted me to LST is that some of my favorite artists posted here, along with other artists that I've come to be familiar with thanks to LST. And the passionate, knowledgable collectors here are unrivaled. I'd love to see more great tattooers post here. I know that Jojo Ackermann, Bryan Burk, Juan Puente, Mario Desa, Nick Colella, Doug Hardy (to name but a few) have posted here in the past, but don't much any more. I mention them by name not to call them out, but because I genuinely admire their work as well as their opinions. And of course, they all have great, great stories!

For my small part as a moderator, I try to help LST be the kind of place where tattooers feel welcome and want to share their knowledge, tell some stories, weigh in with considered opinions, and of course, bust a few chops here and there. Non-tattooers can only benefit from that kind of community. I am very grateful to everyone else who has the same goal.

[YOMONEY]

yeah, and thank you to all of the artists who contribute, operators, owners, mods, etc. and would like to think that most people on here would have the good sense not to harrass you guys with questions/hit you up with dumb stuff. although, i think stewert may have actually sold me on not blacking out a sleeve and one point, whether he knows or it or not hah.

[kylegrey]

I think we can be blasé and attribute the reasons to whatever but that's just speculation , what we do have is feedback from the artists that remain and should entertain the possibility that each of us is slipping and take it upon ourselves to do something about that .

Remember the words of my man Jimi Hendrix " Knowledge speaks but wisdom listens "

or that other hippie Arthur Schopenhauer " Treat a work of art like a prince : let it speak to you first "

[Stewart Robson]

@kylegrey perfect response. The crux of the matter is that this site is only as good as the things people here say. Lets ALL try to be thoughtful and help others be thoughtful too.

Although I can't say I speak for all tattooers... "we" - meaning tattooers, tattoo artists etc. were busy before we joined this site. We're still busy. That's not why we don't post.

Switch the focus from 'busy' to ' interested' and think about what keeps people interested. If someone can be entertained by, benefit or learn from someone else, they are interested. Otherwise it's a one-way-street. Entertainment is easy to find on the internet, so that leaves the other two if we're talking long-term.

Tattooers is peoples too.

[Erica]

Tattoo Galleries <3

[BoMcConaghie]

Can someone help me design my sleeve? But seriously, I only allow my self time to skim the topics in the new post section. If nothing grabs my eye I move on to illegal downloads and Mighty Boosh clips on youtube. Unfortunately most of what I found interesting were the posts by other tattooers, people who I know and or respect. Im really not interested inwhat people are planning on getting tattooed unless its from me. I do like seeing photos so the panthers, snakes and Rock of Ages type posts usually get a look. I will continue to stop by and check things out and hopefully chime in when appropriate. Till then....

[Deb Yarian]

I recently apologized for my inactivity here.

I still enjoy looking through and reading new posts - but haven 't contributed or posted as much as I used to--- I don't know if it's because I'm old or just an old tattooer --- but I felt like many of my responses lacked empathy and came off impatient or preachy.

Sorry, i'll try harder

[chuck chapin]

I try to check out all the forums, but I think with all the new stuff constantly popping up like instagram people are pulled in different directions. I'd say this is the best forum I've seen, so I would be surprised to see it fall off.

[Stewart Robson]

but I felt like many of my responses lacked empathy and came off impatient or preachy.

Sorry, i'll try harder

Of anyone here, you have more right to be preachy. You, Don and the rest of your family represent the kind of authenticity that cannot be faked, styled or imitated. A beacon for us all.

[tammy]

I recently apologized for my inactivity here.

I still enjoy looking through and reading new posts - but haven 't contributed or posted as much as I used to--- I don't know if it's because I'm old or just an old tattooer --- but I felt like many of my responses lacked empathy and came off impatient or preachy.

Sorry, i'll try harder

Nothing wrong with your posts being authentic. If people here are so soft they can't handle that, then this might not be the right forum for them.