10 members,175 guests...

eagleswingwis · 05-02-2008, 05:28 PM

I am confused on why people go to message boards just to read, (I believe), and not become members and post there thoughts, wants, needs, or even whines...

Is it they are scared to get involved as others may not agree with them...

That they might get spam in there email box if they join in being a member...

What is the problem... I am confused...

Save my mentality on this please, for this makes no sense to me...

AlumniClub · 05-02-2008, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eagleswingwis

I am confused on why people go to message boards just to read

My main use of message boards is for research. Often I search Google for a Photoshop technique or recipe and end up in a forum. I get what I need from the forum and leave. Unless I think I can contribute something unique and commit to being a forum member, I don't sign up for an account.

I don't think lurkers are a bad thing... perhaps they are just researching too!

**MrKhay** · 05-02-2008, 06:28 PM

some of those guests are spiders from google, or other search engines...

pk · 05-02-2008, 07:49 PM

Maybe you could shed some light on this yourself. Even though you did sign up as a member last November you only posted one time until just a few weeks ago. Why did you linger here and not post?

just wondering.

pk

One more thought...even though it says 'members' and 'guests'...alot of the 'guests' could be members that just stop by to check on something and simply did not want to sign in since they weren't going to be on for long. I actually am here lots of times when I am just a 'guest'. Many times I am just passing by. So actually we don't know if our 'guest numbers' have any members in the numbers or not.

Kelly68 · 05-02-2008, 08:48 PM

Or you can be like me and always click the "x" and forget to actually sign off and it looks like I am here ALL THE TIME like I don't have a life.

Oh yeah, maybe I don't. lol Then you get people asking you to chat thinking you are actually "here" but not then they think you are ignoring them.

**MrKhay** · 05-02-2008, 09:09 PM

6 members and 176 guests...alot of these guests are "spiders"

eagleswingwis · 05-02-2008, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pk

Maybe you could shed some light on this yourself. Even though you did sign up as a member last November you only posted one time until just a few weeks ago. Why did you linger here and not post?

just wondering.

pk

Good ????...
I have been not here as I was taking care of all the crap in our lives... For example the reason we do NOT spend $$$ at Walmart any more to me having an op on my Gut 2 weeks ago...

Ma had a heart attack and well you get the idea...

So, I'M BACK...

The thought with the spiders are some are human...

Don't get me wrong,I like spiders...

pk · 05-02-2008, 09:42 PM

(10 members and 194 guests right now).....

Quote:

I also used to be a Lurker also but know am planning to be a more avid participant of this outstanding community...

Quote:

Well after being a visitor for to long,

Anyways, I have also been curious why so many guests are listed sometimes and I'm sitting here posting comments by myself. lol So thought with your couple of comments you have made in the past that maybe you could share some light on it. Guess I misunderstood.

eagleswingwis · 05-02-2008, 11:29 PM

With the thought I had of where are all the members and why they where not inputting there info...

I was confused of why all the guests where showing and not becoming members...

pk · 05-03-2008, 06:51 AM

Quote:

With the thought I had of where are all the members and why they where not inputting there info...

I was confused of why all the guests where showing and not becoming members...

With the thought of why so many guests are not becoming members....

this site is so large that as Kris mentioned earlier it is great for research, also with so many classified ads many come on to just check the ads I'm sure. And again as I mentioned, many of us that are members come on to check on things and simply don't sign in at the time. I do this a lot.

So it may look like few members on and LOTS of guests but actually the numbers can be very deceiving.

Many members such as yourself sign up and then go away for whatever reason and then come back months later and decide they have something to say.

I also think many people feel uncomfortable putting their comment on but they hang around merely for the entertainment. But someday they will join us in the forums. How can they not want to?? We are all a bunch of great people!

But it was a good observation and question... one that I also wondered about.

Hope some of this helped answer the question.

eagleswingwis · 05-03-2008, 08:49 AM

Thanks all for the info... Your back in the will...

rudedog · 05-03-2008, 01:50 PM

3 members and 166 guests on a sat afternoon.

I believe one of the reasons that so many people simply lurk on these types of sites is because they don't trust that the site wont spam them.
There are so many sites on the web that have spammer people or worse, in the name of making a few bucks that few people trust sites with their information.
The warnings on the web are constant about scams and identity theft.

however if there was a way to explain that the membership sign up is actually a way to keep things secure and to keep these types of scams out. more people would sign up. the sign up process should be considered a plus rather then a hassle, its just a part of site security.

Here is what i have told people in the past who were very Leary of a site sign up. Every piece of information that is asked for has a function on the site. mostly for security,but some is to set up functions like the birthday module, or your community profile. every reputable site (like this one) give you an op in to a news letter if they are going to send stuff out. I get it, no problems there.

If giving out your primary email address really bothers you then create a secondary one. plenty of free email services out there.(msn,yahoo,live,gmail,ect) Its just to verify that you are a real human instead of a spam bot,and to contact you if the site or another members need to. so keep the email active so that it can be used when necessary. personally i just forward all my secondarys to my primary then get all the emails in one place.

and lets not forget the best reason for a membership sign up. it allows the admin to ban those who want to be mean and nasty. which is just another big plus.

actually i have been on here for quite a while and i don't remember anyone getting banned. thats like gotta speak volumes about the crowd that hangs out here.

I once upon a time owned a site that banned so many people that we couldn't keep tract of who had banned who and why, not good. whats worse is now I have been banned, and noone seems to know why. LOL

pk · 05-03-2008, 03:30 PM

Quote:

I once upon a time owned a site that banned so many people that we couldn't keep tract of who had banned who and why, not good. whats worse is now I have been banned, and noone seems to know why. LOL

I just realized that I was sitting here reading this latest post and I was not logged in. My computer is in mid stream of the house so as I am running past or just want to take a 5 minute break..I just check out my emails and sneak a peek on here. Not here long enough to log on.

But couldn't help logging in to reply here and to laugh at Rudedog...getting banned on that other site (we both know which one that is!) lol how about me...I haven't logged on to that 'other' site in soooo long and I not only got banned...but talked about on yet another site that I didn't even know had a forum from those type of members. lol lol I am sooo thankful that this site does not allow junk like that to go on, and I'm so thankful that so far all the members are totally great here.

Of course we all have to watch Rudedog though..he can get a bit hard to handle but we then just put a leash on him or if he is to bad, we get out the muzzle.