80% of members, but forums have global eyes on them as well.
Forums Membership Grows, But Do Posts?
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I’m a relatively new member and don’t consider myself an expert. I rarely comment, but I check the forum regularly because I find a lot of useful information here about pipes, tobacco, etc. For me the forum is a source of information.
Non forum members that read posts. That's why I always warn against openly posting product availability or favorite blends. Forum members are a drop in the bucket compared to the number of people reading the threads.
Meh. I’ve seen blowups and meltdowns on this forum both before I joined and after, and run-of-the-mill arguments, disagreements and jabs happen all the time in a mostly good-natured way. Aquarium forums are the seventh level of hell compared to here.
Like I said, wait for it. We had one about three years ago where several members never returned.
This is just another microcosm.
Before the great plague, I'd go to my favorite coffee house and find similar structure. A "root cadre" of regulars encircled by a ring of drifters that come and go. I think it's normal.
Before the great plague, I'd go to my favorite coffee house and find similar structure. A "root cadre" of regulars encircled by a ring of drifters that come and go. I think it's normal.
Before the great plague I was either at work or in my recliner.......seems like the world finally caught up with me.?
This is a good comparison.
I’ve heard this disaster mentioned in hushed whispers. I’m sure it’ll happen again at some point. Inevitable on Internet forums. At least it’s not daily is my point.
Another thing that I like about this place is that when someone new asks a question we don’t just say “Use the Search” like so many others do but actually attempt to help. That’s nice.
honestly, though, I don’t really understand the point of joining if you don’t post occasionally. We don’t have any benefits for joining besides the ability to post...
Since the forum update (still not a fan) if not logged in, viewers cant clearly see posted images.
Well, if you look at the recent "What Are You Smoking" threads, they've all exploded! And there seems to be a flood of new member introductions.
The more the merrier, I'm just here for the eye candy so these kids better be posting!
The more the merrier, I'm just here for the eye candy so these kids better be posting!
You have all given great answers to this question. Here's my take. Perhaps the newer pipe smokers simply don't feel they have anything to contribute yet. They are sitting there reading the posts with their new Peterson Dracula pipe and and a couple of ounces of 1Q, and looking at the vast collections of pipes and immense cellars full of blends of some members, and they may be thinking "What could I possibly add to these conversations?". This can be true for older members as well. I took a hiatus from this site for... over a year, I think. My reason was similar. When I joined, I was still in the adventure stage. I was buying pipes of every shade from every maker I could afford to try. I had to try every new blend. But then, almost over night, I changed. I went from a couple hundred pipes to 15 or so. I only smoke a half dozen blends, and only 4 regularly. I started thinking "What am I doing here? Who the Hell wants to see or read about me smoking the same blend out of the same pipe I was smoking two days ago?". I felt I had little to nothing to add here. So I left. I get it. Another thought is that almost all new pipe smokers have almost exactly the same questions, but if they ask, there is always one or two responses like "This has been covered ad-nauseum. Here's the link". Such responses, while true, are hardly welcoming. My thoughts on this don't matter a whitt, though. Maybe we veteran forum members just need to be silent here. So, new members, why don't YOU tell US why you don't post. Maybe we old salts can learn something.
I’m new here in comparison to most, but, I do my best to go out of the way and comment on whatever I find interesting, but, on top of already being a quiet person, honestly, posting is usually not necessary. 95% of the time, someone has either already asked the question I had, or there is enough information surrounding my query to build an educated guess. It’s a wonderful resource, but, perhaps the answer to the lack of posts from new members, on top of the intimidating aspect, is that this forum has already been built into an incredibly wonderful wealth of knowledge. Not to say that the wondrous, grandiose size and backlog of info invalidates new people from posting, as I think we all agree, the more opinions we can gather on the subjective musings based around a hobby founded on little more than burning plant matter the better, but perhaps there is only so many times one can see a “Which Blend Do You Like Best”-kind of thread or some other common subject before one realizes that most of the common topics have been answered dozens and dozens of times over. I think more people will become comfortable with time, and with it, more posts, and more regulars. Then, hopefully, the sheer amount of new, interesting posts will become so overwhelming that we’ll all crack wise about how back in the day it was much nicer when things were quieter, you knew all the regulars, and that we all didn’t suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome from having so much to type about.
Here are some ideas
1. Post in What are you smoking thread
2. Based on your interests post on - What are you xxx (Where xxx can be eating, drinking, cigars, books, movies, etc...)
3. Welcome new members
4. Cheer other members PAD / TAD
5. Post in Show us your xxx (xxx = pipes, books, tampers, lighters )
6. Post about sale / in stock notifications
7. Post a review or a discussion of your favorite tobacco/ pipe
8. Help answer other members questions
... lots of ways to contribute
1. Post in What are you smoking thread
2. Based on your interests post on - What are you xxx (Where xxx can be eating, drinking, cigars, books, movies, etc...)
3. Welcome new members
4. Cheer other members PAD / TAD
5. Post in Show us your xxx (xxx = pipes, books, tampers, lighters )
6. Post about sale / in stock notifications
7. Post a review or a discussion of your favorite tobacco/ pipe
8. Help answer other members questions
... lots of ways to contribute
I know a few people that are on forums and never say anything, but read pretty much everything that comes up.
Here's some perspective from a guy who came in all hot and interested, then faded away...
I got my questions answered.
I had a member piss me off - Warren, (he can't read, and will stay a miserable person)
The forum rules are hard for me... All words in initial title post capitalized? It's wrong in the english language and hurts my eyes.
The pipesmagazine podcast got political (in the wrong way for me, so I unsubscribed)
Finally, there's only so much to talk about when the topics are so limited. Just no where to go other than a few old people bickering about past blends vs new manufacturers of the same blends... I smoke my pipes, I try different tobaccos in my cellar, and don't give a damn what the internet thinks
I got my questions answered.
I had a member piss me off - Warren, (he can't read, and will stay a miserable person)
The forum rules are hard for me... All words in initial title post capitalized? It's wrong in the english language and hurts my eyes.
The pipesmagazine podcast got political (in the wrong way for me, so I unsubscribed)
Finally, there's only so much to talk about when the topics are so limited. Just no where to go other than a few old people bickering about past blends vs new manufacturers of the same blends... I smoke my pipes, I try different tobaccos in my cellar, and don't give a damn what the internet thinks
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