Guests

[Chuck Smith]

Some time around April 1st I will open the forums up to guests, so they can view all Forums. Hopefully it will bring in some new Members, and also, help get the new site URL into the search engines.

~Chuck

[LarryRB]

A lot of these type sites, a guest can read and not post. I think you're right as guest will be able to read and hopefully spark the interest to join

[bud16415]

Its kind of hard to say what will happen as far as members goes if you go back to the old way of letting guests look around first. I know the reason you went this way before was that all the activity was slowing the system down. Here is how I see it with making someone join to look around if they are a little bit interested they will take 2 minutes to join. Then look around an hour or two or a day and then they are gone forever in some cases. It gives you a member but maybe a member that’s never going to be here again. On the other hand if someone wants to remain a guest and read for a whole year could be the other case.
What I see is the normal mode someone would do here is view as a guest then say it’s not for me or like what they see and then make the effort to join. I feel that this type member is more likely to stick around and even post.

Just a question. As Admin can you like make a chart or sort the members as to members say that joined say 6 months or more ago never posted and have not logged in for 5 months? Or something like that?

I’m just wondering out of the 3400 members how many are totally inactive even as to viewing. I don’t know if that has any effect on the system at all or if anyone even cares just something I was wondering about….

Bud

[Chuck Smith]

::::::::snip

Just a question. As Admin can you like make a chart or sort the members as to members say that joined say 6 months or more ago never posted and have not logged in for 5 months? Or something like that?

I’m just wondering out of the 3400 members how many are totally inactive even as to viewing. I don’t know if that has any effect on the system at all or if anyone even cares just something I was wondering about….

Bud

I sure can. I know right now there are over 800 that are awaiting e mail confirmation. That means they either never got, or never clicked the link in the validation e mail that was sent automatically when they registered.

So that is over 800 right there, that cannot post.

Over the summer (perish the thought) I will be deleting Members, yup, I will. Unlike some "other" sites....

At any rate, you can expect to see our ranks dwindle over the summer.

~Chuck

[digger242j]

Over the summer (perish the thought) I will be deleting Members, yup,

Will we be able to nominate people to be deleted? :)

[scfall]

Hey Chuck, Please don't delete me I here daily even though I dont have much to say. LOL

:scramble Scott

[bud16415]

Digger

Be careful of what you ask for….lol….


Scott

I don’t think Chuck is going to boot anyone that logs in once in a while.

My mom had a poem in a frame at home when I was a kid that she got from her mom and I still remember it.

A wise old owl sat in an oak.
The more he saw the less he spoke.
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can’t we all be like this bird.

Strange the stuff you never seem to forget…..

Bud :)

[Chuck Smith]

Just deleted 644 "Members".

1. They have not visited in over a year.

2. They never made any posts.

If they chose to return, they can just register again.

It's cool to keep track, and wonder who the 3,000th or 4,000th Member will be, but I am going to keep it current. I don't need to have 10,000 Members, of which 4,000 have not visted in 2 or 3 years. 10,000 may look impressive, but it is a falsehood, IMO, if these people visited once, and never returned.

I think it is more impressive to have 2,000 active Members.

~Chuck

[digger242j]

I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. Well, 644 voices anyway...

[apgarconstruction]

Chuck, I feel the same exact way but have never said anything. I didn't want to stir the pot incase some people were against deleting members. I look at the member list every few weeks, and I always notice the people that were here a long time ago, and never even posted one message.

I think a lot of those people just need a quick answer to one or two questions, get them, and never return. nothing wrong with that, but it does clog up the numbers a bit.
I think it's a great idea to let guests read forums without registering, maybe you'll eliminate all the one time shoppers. :rockon

[bud16415]

Chuck

I agree with what Dan said and your way of looking at this also. Over the last couple weeks I have been watching the “Who’s Online” page and noticing what the Guests are viewing. They normally view some of the catchy newer threads but I also notice them digging out some older more specific topics. It’s not uncommon to see up to 6 guests viewing and maybe 15 members during the day. If I had to guess I would say most of the posts come from 100 or less members but when you view the who’ online I see a fair number of members reading regularly but seldom post. And then being snow related the interest peaks in the fall and winter.
I think we have a great core of people here and I seldom go a week without learning something new.

Any stats you would want to post I would be interested in viewing.

Bud