I wish I was going to the ETF convention; why are my posts on VK ignored?

[Jeffhs]

I wish I could go to this year's ETF convention, but that is darn near impossible. I live in the middle of nowhere, 30 miles east of Cleveland, and do not drive. To make matters even worse, there are no antique radio or TV collectors anywhere near here, so I am out of luck when it comes to going to these things, none of which are anywhere near Cleveland.

Why on earth does VK have absolutely no active members other than myself in this part of Ohio? I feel like I am, as I mentioned, in the middle of nowhere (the town I live in is 30 miles east of Cleveland and not near any large city; this is a residential area with nothing at all in the way of electronics stores--the nearest hardware store is about five miles away in the next town south of my residence; the area's only TV repair shop is in that area as well), not being able to get much help if anything of mine breaks down or if I have any questions regarding servicing, let alone trying to help others with their TV and radio problems. I don't know much about solid state or digital TVs or radios, but I still remember most of what I know about tube-based gear and could be of some assistance to those of us on the forums who have (or have had) such TVs, radios and so on.

I am downright jealous of VK members like Doug Harland and others here on VK who are so much more popular on this forum than I am, or ever will be. I feel bad enough having had to give up my workshop when I moved to my apartment seventeen years ago (I enjoyed working down there more than I can tell anyone here), but to join a forum like this and be ignored, for the most part, is too much. I joined this forum 15 years ago because I thought I could meet people who shared my interests in vintage and antique electronics, but since I am being ignored most of the time when I post here, even with information I am sure someone could use, I don't see much sense in staying here any longer. I may not be a TV repair whiz like Mr. Harland but I do know a few things about how older TVs work, and would like to be able to share some of that knowledge. Like Mr. Harland, I like Zenith televisions and audio gear, having had a basement full of TVs and radios of that make when I was still in my house in a Cleveland suburb. (I still have several antique and classic Zenith radios here in my apartment, but no consoles and certainly no fabulous 3-way entertainment units, Zenith or otherwise--I just don't have the room for anything that big.) What is the use of having the knowledge I have of older (1950s to '70s) TVs and radios (I am an amateur radio operator, having gotten my first license 43 years ago) if I cannot share the information? There was a time when some VK members, many if not most of whom have not been heard from here for years, knew that I am very interested in and have a lot of knowledge of Zenith radios and, to some extent, Zenith televisions, but that was a long time ago. Gee, how I miss those days.