The question really should be as a leader in our world what are you (Leaders) doing to promote our ways of life and making sure there is something to come back to each day. Events such as the Golden Gloves boxing event, other competitions and contests are good for everyone. 

This is an interesting thought.  I guess I would question why is it on the leaders to make the streets a fun place to be at?  As a leader your duties are to protecting and building your family not necessarily appeasing the entire community.  Personally, I love running competitions and doing things (which there will be another GG comp coming up soon!), but I also fully believe that it's not fair to dictate how someone should live and function day-to-day.

I guess, aside from posting and driving the conversation, are there ways that you think a good leader helps promote the activity?  I'll be honest I've tried myself, but either someone wants to be a street presence or they don't.

Why is it on the leaders to make the streets a fun place to be at?  As a leader your duties are to protecting and building your family not necessarily appeasing the entire community.

Doesn't having a healthier atmosphere sometimes help everyone in your own family? I think these types of things generally bring people together and offer a health rivalry between crews. I'd rather two people get into an honest debate instead of just shooting someone because they don't like the things they have to say. 

Now, I agree that it shouldn't just be on the leaders to be pushing us forward, but who is better suited to the task of teaching people and guiding them? An example I'll offer is one of my own experiences here in Philadelphia. Stiffler isn't much for public speaking himself but behind the scenes is hugely supportive of anyone in the family who wants to get into conversations and get involved in street discussions. 

Even if you aren't a writer or a speaker yourself I think there is plenty you can do within the walls of your own HQ or businesses to get people more comfortable with interacting and communicating with one another. 

Some advice I always offer to people new to things is, start small and ask for help. Start off in your HQ bar, move to the local businesses, explore the community and what it has to offer. If all else fails, offering some incentives to get people out and about seems like a small cost for all the benefits it can bring into a family. 

Questioning why it’s up to the leaders to spice up the streets is part of why the streets are so lackluster, at least in my opinion. It’s up to them to actually assist their members and try to get them out into the world, free from the nice safe bubble that our headquarters tend to be.

While I am sure the streets could never amount to the more casual conversations as we tend to see within our cities’ coffee shops, trying that same idea in the streets, be it for general conversations or thorough storylines, tends to require some consistent effort to get it started.

Probably the biggest issue among the streets is that even with the presence of competitions and other organized events that are aimed to bring people into activities, most are locked behind a paywall. That paywall can be monetary, city-specific, or locked (sometimes seemingly locked) behind what I like to call the “group mirage”; events and competitions only attended by mobsters already well established rather than those otherwise.

I’ll use the boxing event of recent as a good example. While it may also be just how the cookie crumbled, the general majority of participants were people already or soon-to-be crew leaders, and, probably naturally, the last few people fighting were those same people.

This theoretically could have been avoided had crew leaders put more of an effort towards getting people to sign up for the competition, especially since there were zero requirements to sign up in the first place, other than the name of your boxer (if you so desired). Perhaps crews could’ve inserted their own mini groups of boxing competitors consisting entirely of people from their crew or city in order to have that early edge. Instead, you had the rounds be decided and won by the only people that signed up; crew leaders and godfathers.

We’ve generally grown tolerant of the lack of street activity because there isn’t any incentive to do it in the first place. That’s pretty much the bottom line. If there’s no incentives for those already established to talk in the streets then there won’t be any drive for them to get other people out there as well. “If I can’t benefit why should anyone else?”.

Even if you aren't a writer or a speaker yourself I think there is plenty you can do within the walls of your own HQ or businesses to get people more comfortable with interacting and communicating with one another. 

I will say for myself, I offer free VIP status and any assistance for anyone who would like to get involved in doing posting if they're interested but so far I've yet to have anyone take me up on the offer.

We’ve generally grown tolerant of the lack of street activity because there isn’t any incentive to do it in the first place. That’s pretty much the bottom line.

I think overall here is a good point of where I believe the biggest disconnect is.  In reality, some people don't want this kind of interaction.  There are a lot of things you can do in this world.  You could fill your entire day and never look at the streets, and I think that's okay.  Let's take the boxing tournament.  I can't speak for all cities but I will tell you that I sent mails about getting people to sign up and we did take all levels.  However, as is the reality of our world many don't come here for this.  

This is where I stand by, if you want the streets to have more activity contribute interesting things. I personally have yet to see any great content or interesting ideas come from most of the people complaining about this issue.  It's not like open competitions or things like that are failing.  Feel free to get something going.  If you're looking for upper structure(s) to sponsor things I can tell you that I'm willing to help, from Wellerman's post it seems like Stiffler is supportive as well.  I would hope you'll find no leader is opposed to the streets being bustling.

JubTheNub was sitting outside on a bench enjoying a hamburger. Busy as he was scarfing down the meaty grub he could not help but overhear a discussion about the climate of the very streets the men were standing on arguing with each other. He rose from the strained park bench, the sidewalk trembling under his colossal weight.

"I feel like whenever this subject comes up, people often point to the same few things (which this time have come up as well):

* The streets don't see as much activity because it is not incentivised enough by the leaders (through competitions etc)
* The streets don't see as much activity because the leaders set a bad example and don't participate enough themselves
* The streets don't see as much activity because of some of the more absurdist things a number of citizens shout or publicise in newspapers."

"I disagree with all of these."

"In my opinion, there is already plenty of 'added' incentive to go out into the streets already. The journals of my ancestors state that being an active street-participant can be an extremely lucrative occupation. Not to mention it's just a unique type of fun that's highly specific to our way of life and culture."

"I don't think competitions are what's going to push non-streetgoers into the streets either (or it will have no lasting effect). In fact, I've seen competitions being organised in an attempt to revitalise things so often now that it's almost becoming a cliche. I remember a time in the not-so-distant past where we saw muiltiple (distinct) competitions which either got no, or less than 3 entrants. I'm not stating this as some sort of complaint (and recognise it may have been legitimate efforts to blow some life into things), just that I don't think it's a solution."

"I don't believe it's up to the leaders to somehow force people to go out into the streets either. Sure, I think you could legitimately express a general dissatisfaction about the fact that we see few leaders themselves publically nowadays (and that more and more seems to take place in private communication instead of public communication), but I personally don't think a leader can seriously influence whether or not George the Goomba is going to actively partake in street-culture, nor do I think they should be held accountable for it. I think anyone who states they don't go out in the streets because their GFC/CL/hands/whatever don't are just formulating an excuse to make themselves feel better."

"So what is the solution? I don't know to be frank, though I am a firm believer in one particular line that I've seen fly by:"

Are people bored?  Then make your own fun.  Pursue your own vendettas.

"The most fun street experiences my ancestors had were those where they just kind of dove into the middle of something random, or decided to pursue somekind of arc which organically developed with other mobsters over time as they joined in. Don't look for others to provide a context, make your own."

"And are you dissatisfied with what is currently on offer in the streets? Are you annoyed by the newspapers or other absurdist content? Drown it out with the liveliness and mirth generated from the excellent content you create through pursuing your own fun. Show them an alternative way. But don't have your only appearences in the streets be the complaints you field at others."

"But hey, what the fuck do I know? My underchins are more numerous than the amount of days I've been in The States. I'm just a man with a big mouth and an even bigger stomach."

"I want another burger."

Would you have any comment or reflections on the phrase "empty vessels make the most noise" Miles_of_Style?

No, I have no comment on your empty vessel.