Multiple new members every week, but posts seem pretty steady in numbers. I guess the current discussions do move along quickly, but I still think the number of New Members doesn't accelerate the posting that much. True? What do you make of it?
Forums Membership Grows, But Do Posts?
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It’s like that on all forums. The majority of posts are typically generated by a few...
If the other new members are like myself (and I've been here a year now), there is a lot of content to read through and catch up on, (or they are terrified that @shermnatman will send them to "he who walks behind the rows").
To clarify, *I* am not terrified of the cornfield, my name is neither Isaac nor Malachi.
To clarify, *I* am not terrified of the cornfield, my name is neither Isaac nor Malachi.
Some sign up for one or two technical smoking questions and then are gone.
Posts don't grow. They're milled.
I noticed. Could be a number of things. Could be personality conflicts. We can be pretty harsh sometimes...lol.
Eh, a lot of people just lurk on forums and are fine with just reading posts, this is pretty common.
Others might be in my position early on, where I spent most of my time using the search functionality to see if any of the questions I had were already answered. A lot were, so I didn't really have anything to post for quite a while.
Some people just have one or two questions and then skip out afterwards 'cause that's all they wanted.
Some people are shy and can't work up the courage to join in on an ongoing conversation, or they don't feel like they have anything to contribute 'cause somebody else already said what they were gonna say.
Some accounts are probably just bots, this is common with popular off-the-shelf forum software, and the end goal is to sneak in with some innocuous first posts, then they go back and edit them a fair while later to insert spam links. This fails on setups like this one, where you have a time-limited editing window after posting, so there's probably a lot of bots with blue balls right now.
Still others sign up, forget they signed up here, and never return.
Then there are the people intimidated by mods or strong personalities.
It's a whole rainbow of reasons. Ultimately, most content posted to forums is frequently generated by a smaller portion of the active userbase
Others might be in my position early on, where I spent most of my time using the search functionality to see if any of the questions I had were already answered. A lot were, so I didn't really have anything to post for quite a while.
Some people just have one or two questions and then skip out afterwards 'cause that's all they wanted.
Some people are shy and can't work up the courage to join in on an ongoing conversation, or they don't feel like they have anything to contribute 'cause somebody else already said what they were gonna say.
Some accounts are probably just bots, this is common with popular off-the-shelf forum software, and the end goal is to sneak in with some innocuous first posts, then they go back and edit them a fair while later to insert spam links. This fails on setups like this one, where you have a time-limited editing window after posting, so there's probably a lot of bots with blue balls right now.
Still others sign up, forget they signed up here, and never return.
Then there are the people intimidated by mods or strong personalities.
It's a whole rainbow of reasons. Ultimately, most content posted to forums is frequently generated by a smaller portion of the active userbase
Don’t for a second think there not lots lurking. I posted about a certain pipe a few months ago. It’s nothing special just one I like. It had lots of responses on here. I go to eBay and suddenly the same pipe I could get for absolutely nothing now has 10 bids at almost 100 dollars. I know now to keep the most important things or buys strictly through PMs with trusted members. Watch what you advertise. People see it.
Forums like these have a lot of regular poster that post and post and post. I'm sure that it makes a lot of new posters think that they are invading a group that hasn't invited them. It takes time for people to get to know the regular "preferred members" or "senior members" (and I have no idea why there is such a branding) and what will and won't post well in order to participate without feeling awkward. I think that eventually, the people that feel comfortable post and those that don't, just read.
Or trolls. Several members of other forums refer to this one as "That other forum". I just employ the ignore option.
We used to swear by the old adage about the 80/20 rule; being: 20% of the people do 80% of the effort; and 80% of the people enjoy the fruits of the labors of the 20%.
While I wouldn't pretend to know the actual statistics for our little wing of the mental ward; it would not surprise me if we were not somewhere close to that ballpark in terms of: Lurkers v Posters. - Sherm Natman
While I wouldn't pretend to know the actual statistics for our little wing of the mental ward; it would not surprise me if we were not somewhere close to that ballpark in terms of: Lurkers v Posters. - Sherm Natman
I think a lot of new members myself included just don't know where to start. Also most people don't think of pipe smoking as a hobby. This forum seems to be more hobby geared. After they get the info they seek most will probably leave.
Forums feel that way to some, for sure. It can be intimidating, especially with the snarky humor we throw at each other on here.
Some people just might not have anything to add.
Another point...making a thread can be intimidating. I’ve only started like...three. So lots of new folks maybe just respond to posts.
I’m signed up for several aquarium forums just to use the search function, as well as an Ohio fishing forum. I don’t participate because the discussion is generally garbage. Here, people can at least spell-and there are several really well-spoken members who contribute great things. The aquarium forums devolve into arguments and it looks like people just type by banging the keyboard against their foreheads. I digress...
I joined an aquarium forum once for mbuna and it was a horrible experience. Your right about them being a flame fest.
That’s exactly why I joined, too. One or two guys who are the know-it-all types just take over and fight hahaha it’s a shitshow. Thank God this place isn’t like that.
Yeah, I thought those aquarium guys were all wet!
Sorry, I could stop myself. - Sherm Natman
I agree with what @PipeDad33 said. I have spent a lot of time already reading through past post in the areas that interest me. I like to understand the environment and cadence of the forums before I post. It's pretty easy to pick out the elitist from those giving genuine advice by just watching for a while.
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