"It is not a matter of "vibe". It is a matter of relevance and survival."


I partially disagree. There are certain things people like about this site and its forums, that's why they're here and not elsewhere. It's true that without attracting new members this site will eventually die out. Plenty of sites do. But on the other hand, bringing in new members can change what it is that some people like about this site, and perhaps drive them elsewhere, which causes you to lose institutional knowledge that also contributes to a healthy site. No easy answers, of course.

"Then again, Face Book,Twitter and blog chatter may be the preferred method of communication for the younger generation of backpackers."

I certainly think there's truth in that, and also that there are so many blogs and such that "membership" in any one of them is minimal, another sign of the times.