11,859 members - where are they?

[Secret Santa]

This one comes up now and again, but where are all those thousands of forum members? I don't think there's ever been more than about 30 or 40 active posting members ever!

What do the other 11,800 odd do?

Do they just dip in and leave, or are they just lurking and waiting for their moment of glory?

Surely out of 11,800 people there would be, conservatively speaking, a few hundred posts a week?

I just don't get it.   

[Malc.]

In my experience of running forums, the total number of members rarely  reflects the true number of active members. Infact, far from it.

The problem here is that people have to sign up to see the recipes. The majority of which I would imagine are only here to get what they need and not take part.

[George]

This one comes up now and again, but where are all those thousands of forum members? I don't think there's ever been more than about 30 or 40 active posting members ever!

My guess is that they never existed. I suggested a while back that it would be an idea to have a cull, down to the low hundreds of members who really do exist, even if most of them only log on two or three times a year.

[michaelpratt]

Axe,

I agree. By turns I try to be critical, helpful and inquisitive. I like this board and hope at least that some things I contribute provoke conversation. I am still looking for some recipes myself as it happens. But I would never decry anyone coming here for advice and then buggering off.

If they have nothing to say - well, maybe they have nothing to say. Or maybe (unlike me) a day job? And wouldn't you like to think that a contribution you had made sparked some recipe in to life, somewhere in the world?

A more pertinent question may be really why they join and go? The content here is deep but also a little labrynthine. (Without the help of several members I would have given up ages ago).
M

[Stephen Lindsay]

by George a cull is a great idea

no posts in past year - expelled

[Cory Ander]

They've probably all rather gone to Lidl or Morrissons to get themselves a frozen curry.....

[joshallen2k]

I do wonder, out of the "special interest" forums, like cr0, what percentage of members post, and what percent don't.

In that regard, is cr0 typical?

[Cory Ander]

My guess is that they never existed

Where do you suppose they came from then?

I suggested a while back that it would be an idea to have a cull, down to the low hundreds of members who really do exist, even if most of them only log on two or three times a year

What difference will it make (apart from to free up some server space, maybe?)?

[jimmy2x]

best to leave it as it is, some people may not feel they have much to say or contribute. for a newbie these forums can often be intimidating.

i notice a lot of people say hi then slink back into the background.


ah well better get off to work.

[adamski]

Probably a lot of people like me. I read the forums everyday, but rarely post.

Mainly because of time, also there are certain people on here that come across as a little bit intimidating.

Besides I rarely have much to add to some of the topics as most of you seem way ahead of me in the curry making stakes, I've only ever made a couple of bases and still cant get a curry that tastes like a take-away, although my wife complains that the house smells like one the day after.

I think kicking out people who don't post all the time would be counter productive, lots of people read forums but don't post.