Forum activity

[Rocker]

There is good news and bad news about the forum; the good news is that, as I noted a week or two ago, this forum seems to have the second highest membership (3685) of any woodwork forum in the world. The bad news is that only a tiny proportion (2.8%) of its members can be called committed and active. I know someone will ask why I don't get a life, but I spent an hour or so going through the members list and found that only 102 members have more than 100 posts. It is true that there are probably another fifty or so who are active, but joined too recently to have amassed the magic 100 posts. I am not going to speculate about why so many people, probably at least 50%, join the forum, but only make one or two posts before disappearing into cyberspace. Perhaps there is a sizeable proportion who actively follow the postings, but do not post themselves.

I hope this rather dismal news will not discourage the administrators who work so tirelessly to keep the forum running smoothly. Discovering this forum was one of the best things that has happened to me in cyberspace this year.

Rocker

[multinut]

rocker
so what is the bad news ?
i like to sit back and just read
if i know the answer to a question i will submit a reply
its a great forum
look ive reached the 100 mark
ye-ha
cheers
multinut
http://www.ubeaut.biz/crowd.gif

[Grunt]

I don't have time to read all the posts that get posted anyway so I'm happy with the level of posting on the group.

[Rocker]

Multinut,
I stand corrected, 103 active and committed members:) I grant you that the forum still has plenty of activity and interest, but it is a pity that it depends so heavily on such a small proportion of its members.

Grunt,
you are right; it does take some time to keep abreast of all the posts, so we have nothing to complain of. But I am sure there must be more latent talent out there waiting to be unearthed. People may be getting a bit sick of the same handful of garrulous posters like myself:)

Rocker

[MikeK]

Rocker,

I think that this is a great BB and I get a lot of value from it. Just a couple of points:
- not sure of "committed and active" means > 100 posts; and
- at the risk of invoking some heat from the group, I have noticed that there are a lot of very "chatty" posts that deliver pretty low value / insight. I think that if you recut your analysis without these posts, you would actually find that the 100 post club is lower!

So, what does this mean? Not sure, but if your posting encourages more people to post relevant information and answers, then more power to you! :)

Regards,
Mike.

[Sturdee]

Rocker,

I think your research is interesting and worthwile. However whilst it would be better if more members post I don't agree with your assumption that only those posters with a minimum of 100 posts can be called active or committed.

IMO regularly logging on and reading the posts is what makes them committed. Neil has in the past given statistics on the number of hits and according to that this board is very healthy.

I also think that the mix between serious posts and advice and a bit of lighthearted entertainment is also very good.

All work and no play will keep new members away. :)

Peter.

[Wongo]

Rocker,

I can understand how you feel. Imagine all of us just enjoy reading others contributions without contributing. (It won’t be anything to read in the first place.) The forum will be pretty quiet (if not dead).

That’s why we need someone to get things going. You people who have more then 500 post are the pillars of this forum. This is a woodworking forum but it does not mean we have to talk about wood every time. Let all do our bit to this small community.

Oh, I have no problem with people who don’t have many posts (just want to make it clear)
:)

[silentC]

I tend to agree with Rocker. Putting aside new members who have not had the time to clock up 100+ posts, I think that frequency of posting is an indication of the member being committed and active. If people are just reading the posts, then they cannot really be described as active. I would call that passive.

It would be nice to see a few more people joining in. Some great contributions have been made recently by self-described 'long time lurkers, first time posters'. Wouldn't it be great if one or two of these went on to become a Rocker, a Sturdee, a Derek Cohen, a Journeyman Mick, a Wayne Davey? Not a definitive list by any means but that's were the real value of the forum lies: the collective wisdom of some of the people who devote their time to answering questions, sharing their inventions, spreading their enthusiasm.

I really consider myself to be a social member. I'm not at a point yet where I can contribute on the level that some of these other characters can. I help out where I can but mostly I'm one of the 'chatty' ones.

[davo453]

I reckon a more accurate way of assessing active posters would be to count those that have posted within the last month regardless of their actual number of posts.

That way you take into account the regular turn over of 1 or 2 time posters.

Anyway the important point is that the forum works in attracting a high percentage of quality input where many fail, not quite sure why but that’s the way of the net.

Cheers Dave

[Slavo]

I know for myself, being a novice at woodwork it is difficult to provide input into some of the threads regarding technical issues and I can't provide input based on recent experience because I did most of my woodwork many moons ago at school, and the memory is very selective about what happened at that institution. But as my knowledge grows and my skills improve I hope to be able to provide more input. I'm sure there would be quite a few people such as myself, who, as their knowledge and confidence grows will become more active in posting.

Anyway, this forum is a fantastic resource and everybody should ave a go.

[Zed]

Now children, lets all hold hands and sing "kumbai-ya". After this a stiring rendition of the wodworkers prayer will be spoken and a great tree hug will commence.

I write this soley to get my numbers up so I too can be considered amongst the great al time prodigious posters - my next goal is 500. One day I too hope to be considered the holder of a golden member....

ook ook....

[macca2]

I visit this forum every day and have gained heaps of valueable info from searching past posts and reading the posts that are of interest to me, and responding only if I think I have something to add.

I don't see much value in posting something just to get my numbers of post up.

Sometimes it is better to say nothing and be thought a fool than open your mouth and prove it.

Macca

[outback]

This BB is like any other public forum or meeting. There are those that say heaps, command respect and everyone thinks are just swell.
Theres others that have a lot to say, waffle on to hear their own voice and everyone wishes would just siddown and shuddup.
Still others just seem to want to argue and denegrate anyone with a different opinion to their own
The majority sit quietly, nodding knowledgebly, and say nothing.
Perhaps the latter group took Murphy's advice, "It is better to remain silent and appear a fool, then to open it and remove all doubt"

Which group do you fall into? :rolleyes:

[silentC]

Which group do you fall into?

b. Theres others that have a lot to say, waffle on to hear their own voice and everyone wishes would just siddown and shuddup

[craigb]

Actually, I think that the signal to noise ratio on this BB is pretty high.

Certainly it's a lot better than most other forums I've had experience of.

Anyway, what's wrong with a little harmless chatter if it doesn't get out of hand?

A lot of the time I find it very amusing.

I don't think there's ever been much denigrating going on on this board and since the rep points have been instituted there has been even less IMO.

Craig

[DaveInOz]

b. Theres others that have a lot to say, waffle on to hear their own voice and everyone wishes would just siddown and shuddup

Only way to shut me up for any length of time is put a beer in my hand :) except that only makes the problem worse later :rolleyes:

[Wood Borer]

The Bulletin Board is an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas and have a bit of fun. Like many similar activities there will be those who just take and criticise behind the scenes. Those people are losers and in my experience will probably never change. I used to get upset about them and even had it out with them but it didn’t change them. Unfortunately for them I have given up on them.

Many of us use the Bulletin Board to expand our knowledge and try to give a little bit back and on both occasions we are rewarded.

- Wood Borer

[ozwinner]

I help out where I can but mostly I'm one of the 'chatty' ones.
Hummmm, so its you, for a minute there I thought it was someone else. :D

Al :o

[silentC]

I also have to have the last word :p

[Wood Borer]

Silent,

I was under the impression you were happy to be a male - obviously not if you want to have the last word.

- Wood Borer

[silentC]

How do you do a 'lip zipped' smiley on here?

[DavidG]

Lies, Dammed lies and statistics.

[echnidna]

Maybe too many of the 102 spend too much time making hot air instead of sawdust.

So most people lurk instead of getting involved.

But then again somewhat similar proportions of members lurk in most of the online forums.

[bitingmidge]

Can we please distinguish between committed members and members who should be committed? :eek:

P

[DarrylF]

It 'aint broke, and don't need fixin guys :)

Lots of people lurk, some wind up posting, some of those wind up being active posters. All three groups contribute in their own way. Obviously if nobody posts there's nothing to read - and what's the point in posting unless someone is going to read it? Some of you guys would be seriously lost without an audience :p

We have a decent balance here. Definitely we should encourage the lurkers to post. Doesn't take knowledge - most of those of us who are active are so because we enjoy the banter and we enjoy being able to help when someone has a question. A newbie with a question generally gets some good help & advice - as long as we keep that way this place has a good future.

[Grunt]

I really consider myself to be a social member. I'm not at a point yet where I can contribute on the level that some of these other characters can. I help out where I can but mostly I'm one of the 'chatty' ones.
If silentC is so 'chatty' why does he call himself silent? One of lifes little mysteries.

[echnidna]

Hey there's a problem

The counter isn't working.
All the posts in this thread are not being recorded. Just look at anyone who has a few posts, the amount has stayed the same regardless of the amount of posts.

So who has the missin numbers????????

[gatiep]

This BB is like any other public forum or meeting. There are those that say heaps, command respect and everyone thinks are just swell.
Theres others that have a lot to say, waffle on to hear their own voice and everyone wishes would just siddown and shuddup.
Still others just seem to want to argue and denegrate anyone with a different opinion to their own
The majority sit quietly, nodding knowledgebly, and say nothing.
Perhaps the latter group took Murphy's advice, "It is better to remain silent and appear a fool, then to open it and remove all doubt"

Which group do you fall into? :rolleyes:



I second that!!!!

Regards
Joe

[craigb]

Hey there's a problem

The counter isn't working.
All the posts in this thread are not being recorded. Just look at anyone who has a few posts, the amount has stayed the same regardless of the amount of posts.

So who has the missin numbers????????

I think that the way it works is that when you make a new post, all of you previous post entries are set to that number. Rather like when you change your Avatar. All of you previous posts will now display that Avatar regardless of what it was when you actually made the post.
I.E your number of posts is a function of your user profile.

Hope that makes sense.

Craig

[silentC]

If silentC is so 'chatty' why does he call himself silent? One of lifes little mysteries.
It's the 'C' that's silent, not me ;)

[silentC]

Maybe too many of the 102 spend too much time making hot air instead of sawdust.

So most people lurk instead of getting involved.

But then again somewhat similar proportions of members lurk in most of the online forums.
Speaking for myself, I would spend a lot more time making sawdust if I didn't have to come to work every day. In fact you'd probably only hear from me every now and then. Unfortunately, I have to sit here for 8 hours a day and hanging around here makes for a bit of light entertainment while I'm working for the man.

[journeyman Mick]

Speaking for myself, I would spend a lot more time making sawdust if I didn't have to come to work every day. In fact you'd probably only hear from me every now and then. Unfortunately, I have to sit here for 8 hours a day and hanging around here makes for a bit of light entertainment while I'm working for the man.

When/if I'm working for the man I make lots of sawdust. Unfortunately there's sawdust making and there's Sawdust Making, even when I'm working for myself (i.e. a client) there's a lot of pretty mundane sawdust produced, but then, that's life - it isn't all beer and skittles :( .

Mick (who's about to go down to the shed and produce metal swarf whilst fabricating a splitter)

[LineLefty]

I was a lurker for a fair while, probably about 2 days before a posted!

In all seriousness though, theres a common thread passing through this forum that people who are novices think they have nothing to contribute. I think this is completely ridiculous. Fopr a number of reasons:

1) One of the main purposes of this forum is as a repository of knowledge. Need to know what finish to use on a chopping board? it's here. Want to find out the best plane to start with? Maybe a run down on the realities of scary sharp. It's all here. And who do you think asked those questions? Novices.

2) There is a lot of assumed knowledge in any instructions/plans that you buy or read on the internet. They're all written by experienced woodworkers. Many, many valuable contributions have been made by people who are learning the craft and sharing their experiences as they go along. Problems they encounter - and solutions - that everyone faces yet are so obvious to the encumbent "masters" that the'yre over looked. Examples - Bevel up or bevel down on a block plane? Cutting a through mortice from both sides, How to use a saw to cut half blind dovetail pins, how to actually use a honing guide, what if the bench grinder isnt as wide as the blade? etc etc

3) You often see fantastic answers from novices because they are stiil dealing with cheaper equipment/tools and learning from their mistakes at a very fast rate. Want to know what tablesaw to buy? I bet some of the best advice will come from those beginners who are struggling to get good cuts from a cheapy. Sure the 2 Tonne Jet ubermonster will be great but thats not much help, nor is a $800 Beismeyer fence. (Surely thats just a picture in a catalogue, nobody buys that..do they?)

So lurkers, lurk all you want, but please dont think that as a novice you have nothing to offer. If you do a search and some blindingly frustrating question remains unanswered ask it!

By the way, how DO you cut the pins with a saw in a half blind dovetail?

[silentC]

Right on Adam!

BTW To cut half blind dovetail pins, one tip I've seen is to file the first inch or so of teeth from your tenon/dovetail saw. You then saw diagonally to give you the lines on the face and the edge, then position the tip of the saw in the cut and tap it down with a mallet to complete the cut. Haven't tried it myself but sounds like it would do the job.

[craigb]

Another method I've read about is to use an old cabinet scraper with a mallet to complete the cut. Like Darren, I haven't tried it myself :)

[outback]

I've seen the cabinet scraper proposed, they didn't mention an old one. Seemed to be a bit risky on a nice newly burnished one. :eek:

[Wood Borer]

Chisels work OK for me. I would be reluctant to touch my handsaws with a hammer or mallet let alone file off some teeth. The idea no doubt works but I shudder to think how well the belted tools would work afterwards.

I could be wrong because I have never tried it.

- Wood Borer

[DarrylF]

thats not much help, nor is a $800 Beismeyer fence. (Surely thats just a picture in a catalogue, nobody buys that..do they?)
I did :D Had one for a couple years now.

[ubeaut]

Just to add a couple of stats.
104 over 100
164 over 50
360 over 20
540 over 10
and 70 over 5
the rest have 5 or less posts

Of those there are:
140 with 4 posts
250 with 3 posts
410 with 2 posts
630 with 1 post
and the stranges number of all.......

1815 members with 0 posts.

Go figure.

Me thinks it may have something to do with a major glitch or 2 a year or so ago as there are a lot of members on 1 post who going by the stats made their last post 1 Jan 1970. Same with a lot of the zero posters.

Cheers - Neil :D

PS some of the figures may be out either way by a couple just went to the nearest 10 with the count. :eek:

[Driver]

Adam (LineLefty) has got it right. Some of the most informative threads on this BB have been launched by a novice asking a simple question. (I know, because on several occasions, I was that novice!)

As a consequence, many of us have learnt a great deal. Imagine the alternative scenario: a group of contributors who are all experienced, highly competent woodworkers. They would never need to ask each other questions. Novices joining that kind of forum would never learn a thing and wouldn't hang around.

The mix of experience, expertise and competence on the one hand and inexperience and a desire to learn on the other, mixed up with a common enthusiasm is what makes this BB work so well. Aside, that is from the undercurrent of daft jokes and general - highly welcome - silliness!

Col (still learning!)

[Rocker]

Neil,

Could you clarify the a point concerning the stats you gave? When you say 164 people with more than 50 posts, does that include the 104 people with over 100 posts, or not? Did you mean 164 people with between 50 and 100 posts? The anally retentive need to know.

Rocker

[GeoffS]

It is great that so many people use this forum BUT it can be a problem.
I've been busy and it has been 5 days since I logged on. I found a mere 15 pages (!!) of new posts. I am still not that UNbusy!
Sometimes one just has to be a lurker or just use the forum to look-up information.
What I would like would be a 'new threads' (not just 'new posts') tab. Would make a quick login more useful.
Despite all that - it is an immensely useful forum and even when not useful - FUN.
Cheers

[DaveInOz]

I would be interested to know how many unique hits this site gets in a month, and how many users hit twice (or more) in the one month.
probably not available but I think it would be a good indicator of forum activity. :shrug:

[Neil]

Rocker - The figures for over 5 posts are cumulative. A total all up of 610 with over 5 posts. ie: 104 over 100, 60 over 50, 196 over 20 etc etc.

The figures for over 4 posts are exact give or take a couple ie: 140 with 4, 250 with 3, etc.

DaveInOz - figures for individual hits are around 2.5 million per month, total hits are more than 10 times that number on an average month. Our stats are not working at the moment, something has gone bung but these are average figures.

It seems like a hell of a lot of people visiting the forums but in actual fact around 70% of hits are on the Forum Archives rather than the Forums proper, these are almost exclusively because of search engine enquiries. Around 20% of all individual hits are from search engines spidering the forums. Most of the people that visit the Archives never come on to the full forums, and from memory about 60% of them are unique users who either do not return or have had their first encounter with the site.

Might be able to get a bit more info when the stats are up and running again.

Cheers - Neil :)

[craigb]

[B]
It seems like a hell of a lot of people visiting the forums but in actual fact around 70% of hits are on the Forum Archives rather than the Forums proper, these are almost exclusively because of search engine enquiries. Around 20% of all individual hits are from search engines spidering the forums. Most of the people that visit the Archives never come on to the full forums, and from memory about 60% of them are unique users who either do not return or have had their first encounter with the site.

Might be able to get a bit more info when the stats are up and running again.

Cheers - Neil :)

Very interesting.
One thing I've noticed is how often a forum thread will come up in the results of a Google search for woodwork info.

Craig

[Rocker]

Neil,

Thanks for that clarification. It confirms the impression I had formed that, despite the pretty big membership, the active posters on the forum are relatively few. But nevertheless, I think this forum is a very valuable resource.

Rocker

[John Saxton]

I think that the active posters on the BB probably have more access time (free time)to contribute than others do with the possibility that numerous members may be in contact with computers thru their employment or extended leisure time.

With the numerous computer tasking employment facilities that abound in this day and age many are able to be on line and have access to the BB whereas others may only have access from the home front and when they do there with the numerous posts they face their limited time is restricted to "lurking" and only responding to those posts of interest...I know I do with the time restrictions I personally have and am often annoyed that I cannot have the time to have more input these days as I might have done previously but circumstances are always changing in our busy lives that puts different constraints on our needs in regards to time.

When I first joined this BB the time spent on it was obviously regulated to a large extent by the content offered up whereas now it has grown from adolescence to maturity that can involve you for hours on end with the now content being offered up, which is testament to the terriffic job Neil and his administrators have achieved in producing a fine selfless product bringing together all of same ilk.

The active posters are always there some with a lot to say, some with little,but lets not detract from the fact that any input may be of some assistance to that someone seeking the key points to his/her needs.
It is without a doubt that some will always contribute more than others ...that is their nature whilst others will offer up where they feel they can perhaps with their own limitations in their experiences and as the BB grows nothing will change.....for that is mankind.
Cheers :)