Membership, what can we do about it?

[djohn]

No need to apologise abdul, you haven't done anything wrong. In fact your post explains it very well. Don't be afraid of saying anything wrong though, you can't unless you were abusive to another member or similar.

Say what you like when you like and only when you feel like doing so. Quality is always better than quantity but even then don't be afraid to say something frivolous or just add a smiley to a post. Do what makes you feel comfortable. :)

[Hurdy]

I'm like Artist, I go to some forums and never post.

Horses for courses.

[andsome]

:P

But, I believe that most Visitors, read Posts like this, plus most of the others, so why is there the Negative? We should all be Positive!! This Forum has had a big Jump in Members, just because WE ARE POSITIVE!

WE ARE DIFFERENT! and you people know that!

:wub:  :D

I don't honestly believe that threads like this have a detrimental affect on peoples decision to post again or not. We always welcome new members and make it clear that we welcome their participation in the forum. We can do nothing more than we already do. If people want to revisit us and contribute then they will do so, and no amount of e-mails exhorting them to participate will make a scrap of difference. If someone has not returned after several welcome posts, I frequently mention this in the hope that if they do return, they will see this and understand that they truly are welcome. Just banging on about it and offering to twist arms with e-mails will achieve nothing.

[doug]

I concur

[artist]

Maybe some of the ones that don't Post are just a little shy? and just maybe? a little timid?

I think this is a question to me, if this is not so then please excuse me.

I visit when I can, this is quite often. I read to learn and find it very funny. I am not shy but sometimes do not want to say the wrong thing .

Their are lots of expert technical people here and I cannot understand some of it. But I learn from a lot of articles on here. I appologize if I donot post many times and I am sure lots of members who donot write here get lots of enjoyment from reading.

It's lovely to hear from you and anyone else. :)

It is NOT an issue if people don't want to post.

We're a funny lot some days - It's no big surprise if some people are to bewildered to post! :rolleyes:

[djohn]

Some days! Don't you mean all days artist? :rolleyes: :lol:

[catgate]

What is interesting about this topic is the fact that the discussion has taken place largely between members who spend a considerable time here each day "browsing". There must be many members who just 'pop in' for a quick look only 'now and again'. I suspect that in many cases by the time these people find something upon which they would express a view/contribute than someone else has already pre-empted them.

[djohn]

I agree with you on this catgate. I myself log on in the morning and stayed logged in until last thing at night but I'm not always in the forum as I jump from here to another forum and do quite a lot of surfing just popping back in every now and then to catch up. :unsure:

I joined in Dec. 2002 and my postings were still below 300 until a few months back. This was when I started to feel a part of the forum and more comfortable with joining in the chat. :)

Can't keep me quiet now! :lol:

[artist]

Can't keep me quiet now!  :lol:

Sigh! :rolleyes:

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Joking - joking! :lol:

[christmascracker]

Agree with Djohn. It took me ages to start posting at the beginning. Like Abdul I was scared of saying the wrong thing and everyone seemed to get on so well I felt like I didn't really belong, or have anything relevent to say.

Then I got a PM from one of the members (thank you :) ) who made me feel part of things and gave me the confidence to post more.

Getting back to the subject, you cant make people post and I fail to see the problem if they dont.

This is a great forum and is fine the way it is :) :)

[nellie2]

nellie: i know thats the kinda of thing you have to say because you an admin ad all....but even if you do believe it...comon...you cant honestly say that you believe that those 300 members or whatever it was are active in any way....and whether they are or not...e-mail them and ask them....y cant that be done?

I don't have to say anything because I'm admin. In fact I can say what I like!!! :D As long as I stay within WF guidlines of course!!! :P

Andy yes I do really believe that. And every now and then we do email members but we have to be careful not to do it that often because essentially it is spamming, even if it is with the best of intentions.

People don't have to make an active contribution if they don't want to, but as long as they find the work we do here useful and informative then that is good enough for me. :)

[Besty]

I used to be scared of saying something that someone wouldnt likebut after I got over that then it was fine. I would still be quite scared of pming someone incase they dont like it or some thing :unsure: p.s are there a few new smilies

[Besty]

I have just been reading some of the previous posts. It is realy better to not say anything unless u want to also people might be scared of getting snapped at or something. I mean andsome is pretty intimidating with that big head of his ( needed for his humungus brain(yea right)). This is the point i am making and have used myself as an example. I have just used 2 posts when one would have done. So do not get bothered by a members lack of posts hint hint

[Agent Smith]

Their are lots of expert technical people here

Actually abdul, I think you will find that we are just very lucky guessers :P :D

Andy, as an example, I went to make a post on another forum recently, only to find that because I had not posted for a few months, my account had been deleted. Now as far as I'm concerned, that forum can now go take a running jump :angry: It's not my loss.

Now I would hate for that to happen to people here, you never know who we might lose :( afterall, Bill Gates himself may be a member and is just waiting for the right moment to make his first post :D :lol: :P

Mr. M.

[pwp]

:P

But, I believe that most Visitors, read Posts like this, plus most of the others, so why is there the Negative? We should all be Positive!! This Forum has had a big Jump in Members, just because WE ARE POSITIVE!

WE ARE DIFFERENT! and you people know that!

:wub:  :D

I don't honestly believe that threads like this have a detrimental affect on peoples decision to post again or not. We always welcome new members and make it clear that we welcome their participation in the forum. We can do nothing more than we already do. If people want to revisit us and contribute then they will do so, and no amount of e-mails exhorting them to participate will make a scrap of difference. If someone has not returned after several welcome posts, I frequently mention this in the hope that if they do return, they will see this and understand that they truly are welcome. Just banging on about it and offering to twist arms with e-mails will achieve nothing.

you would be surprised from from the outside it looks very clicky.

if you know what i mean.

[Guest northamuk]

I, for one, do not know what you mean, there is NO clique here, perhaps you would elaborate.

[Sir Radfordin]

Any forum that has a 'core' group of users will always look fairly "clicky" as any group in 'real life' will. The sooner people accept that we are all different and visit forums and post for different reasons and move on to talk about something of purpose the better (IMHO!)

[-pops-]

Never forget the old phrase "quality not quantity"

I note that some, but not all, of the membership with the loudest "voices" are ones who have been here only a relatively short time yet they have produced thousands of posts of dubious merit, and almost none of serious intent.

Again, I may be thought of as the forum misery but there is, or should be, a serious purpose behind the philosophies of the forum and I think from some threads, this has been forgotten.

And before some clever clogs comes along again and points out that 26 point whatever per cent of my posts come under the "off topic" headings, that means in reality that 73 point whatever else per cent remains have a serious reason for posting.

Don't forget that new members may come here hoping to find the answwer to a specific problem they have. Fine, if that is answered all well and good. They may not come back again, that is up to them but, just because they may be taking up a miniscule amount of space on the forum data base, does not mean that they should be culled. Rather they remain members than the forum capacity be overloaded with huge quantities of garbage.

[pwp]

I, for one, do not know what you mean, there is NO clique here, perhaps you would elaborate.

as Sir Rad says really.

as iv'e said before i visited the site for along time before i joined and most of the

regular posters make refrence to the pit or pca so obviously know each other

from elsewhere.

you recently posted a link (in debates ) to an article in pca. nothing wrong with that but as i was not a member i couldn't view it.

so as iv'e no wish to be one of pcas non posting members i didn't join.

( killed the debate stone dead for me )

hope that clears it it up.

[artist]

you recently posted a link (in debates ) to an article in pca. nothing wrong with that but as i was not a member i couldn't view it.

so as iv'e no wish to be one of pcas non posting members i didn't join.

(

It's a very good technical forum...............Although you can find out anything you need to know here of course.

I agree with pops about some recent members who seem to spout off about nothing - and I know - I know - I spout off rubbish too!

:rolleyes:

:ph34r:

[mark2]

Any forum that has a 'core' group of users will always look fairly "clicky" as any group in 'real life' will.

I've been a member at the Pit(s) for several years, (before WF came into being) and probably have made less than 100 posts total.

Here I feel more at home I suppose, others will have the same feeling at other sites.

There are some days I visit here but don't feel I have anything to add to any of the posts

We like to think we're a very friendly site (we are) :P but some will feel lost, some will come in for a specific answer, once their problem is solved we may not hear from them for a long time or ever again.

But thats the nature of forums like this.:(

[Sir Radfordin]

I, for one, do not know what you mean, there is NO clique here, perhaps you would elaborate.

Those who are part of clique never know it is there. The forum has a culture and it takes a while to get used to what is the 'norm' - as I'm sure many of you know groups go through four stages (forming, storming, norming, performing...I think?) and when someone 'new' comes into that group they still have to go through that process.

Its the same as going into any new situation where there is a group. Think about starting a new job - do people go to lunch together, do people take turns to make the coffee, do you 'dress down' on Fridays - it's the unwritten rules that take time to find out and until you know them its hard to 'speak up' for fear of saying something that will appear stupid.

This forum has core group of users who do make an effort to welcome in new people but to deny that there is any level of 'cliqueness' is just nieve.

[trackrat]

Having read this post through I think everything has been said and it is time to close it.

[pwp]

you recently posted a link (in debates ) to an article in pca. nothing wrong with that but as i was not a member i couldn't view it.

so as iv'e no wish to be one of pcas non posting members i didn't join.

(

It's a very good technical forum...............Although you can find out anything you need to know here of course.

I agree with pops about some recent members who seem to spout off about nothing - and I know - I know - I spout off rubbish too!

:rolleyes:

:ph34r:

probably is good but rightly or wrongly from posts iv'e read about

the other place i decided its not for me.

[andsome]

- and I know - I know - I spout off rubbish too!

:rolleyes:

:ph34r:

Don't worry about it all, you are excused because you are a blonde.