Topic: members...why do they join?

[Margaret]

Dan(and everyone),this is SUCH a good site,and now has an impressive 300 members.So why on earth have more than half of them joined and then not even posted once.? It really is strange.Why do you keep them on your books if they are never going to visit again? Could you not impose some sort of time limit on actually using this site,or is that me just being mean?

What do you all think?

[cleo]

One member not to post is me I fear-Snowball(unless there are two of us). I forget both that I had joined and my password so came back as Cleo.

Others probably are referred by cyber friends but find a site not for them-this is common to many sites.

One way to sort this out might be to send an e-mail to quiet members asking why they do not post and to say that if no answer is received within two weeks then they will be removed(but not that they cannot join again-hols, personal circumstances etc).

Just my thoughts-Stephan aka Snowball,aka Cleo.

PS-I am happy to be called any of the above but STEPHEN will make me sulk ;D ;D

[Colin_Bellamy-Wood]

I agree with you Stephan, but can I add another suggestion in that some prefer just to browse, and forwhatever their reason prefer not to post.   Reasons for not posting could be shyness, not as extrovert as thee and me, or perhaps "takers" only, and not "givers".

I would not go along with deleting a name because that person has not posted.   However, if Dan can interrogate the database to identify anyone who has not visited the Board for (say) six months, then an email could then be sent asking "permission" to remove that name.    Conversely, that would  mean that the number of members would certainly drop below 300, and might even drop below 100 - would that matter?

[Palustris]

I am on twice becasue I put the wrong Email address on and of course I cannot remove myself as you need the password to do that. However the Email should have bounced back to Admin as the address does not actually exist. But it is still there. ???

[Hyacinth]

Oooo-er! When I tried to register here I had 'certain difficulties' ...these resulted with me not receiving the confirmation e-mail, so I tried again....and again....and again!!!

AND THEN someone asked me  was I a 'spammer'????? And I replied that no! my Mum hoarded the stuff, but I could, hand-on-heart, swear that if I'd never, ever,  knowingly ingested the stuff....

But I've not flicked back over the date of the original entries...we're coming into such a quiet time of year, might this not be factored in?

For me (big breaths ("and I'm only 13??)) - OK, old jokes are the best... I STILL feel hesitant about being here - sure, my veg. patch is now the size of a veg. plot but will never be the size of a lottie...so I'm here under False Pretences??

And, if I feel that...may others? But does it matter if 1 plant-in-pot is ailing, vs 10-12 in a line, shouldn't we feel free to post & ask advice in just the same way?

Or not....

Lishka

[cleo]

I would not go along with deleting a name because that person has not posted.   However, if Dan can interrogate the database to identify anyone who has not visited the Board for (say) six months, then an email could then be sent asking "permission" to remove that name.    Conversely, that would  mean that the number of members would certainly drop below 300, and might even drop below 100 - would that matter?

Good point.

[Ragged Robin]

Am not a frequent poster, but am a frequent browser.
Its good to have somewhere to go to remind myself there are other humans out there!!!
Am busy revising for exams so have my head in books most of the time at present, add to that childcare and household duties and other cr*p going on in life, I often sign on to know theres smething proper out there!
Cant wait to get back out in the garden- large but not quite a lottie!! Still cropping runners (2nd crop), carrots, leeks and red cabbages to come.
Well back to my books ,sorry for the whinge. See you at the party, Sat nighht.

[Mrs Ava]

Don't shout at me, but does it really matter  ???  I belong to a couple of sites where people come purely to read info then flutter off elsewhere.  I am a chatterbox, not chance of shutting me up, but people come and go.  All of us 'chatters' should feel honoured that so many people come on to read the fountain of knowledge and information we are producing on a daily basis  ;D even if they do not wish to add to it. :)

[gavin]

I'm with you, Emma-Jane - I've joined lots of boards where I simply browse with varying degrees of frequency ---- and with fascination (if not, I resign).

All best - Gavin

[Admin aka Dan]

People join for all sorts of reasons, but one of them can be to grab the username !

I know if I like a site, I will join so that I can get my usual username before anyone else.

Cheers

Dan

[MagpieDi]

I'm in similar position to you Lishka as I haven't a lottie, but grow veg etc all jumbled up cottage garden style, so I'm interested in ALL  the gardening message boards.
However, I'm not a frequent poster. I enjoy browsing, and have taken wise old Tim's advice on board! :)  Which is....if you browse through several pages of previous postings, more often than not your query has been answered by the knowledgable regulars!! ;D
Plus, it's worth a ' silent ' visit just to read Ozzy's babble!!!  ;D ;D
Best wishes
Diane

[Hugh_Jones]

Quite right MagpieDi. Not everyone wants to get on the platform and speak, but without good audiences there would be no (or few) good speakers.

And these boards have the advantage that every `hot` topic comes back to the top of the board with every message posted, unlike the `other place`, where even the most interesting threads rapidly disappeared over the page and had to be hunted down.

[Jacque]

Hello everyone
Personally speaking, I "lurk" on a few boards but rarely post because I'm a bit shy.  It seems like I'm muscling in on a private conversation and if I do have a particular query, I find that, on looking through previous threads, the advice I need has already been discussed.  There have been many times that I have typed a reply to a particular comment and not sent it - I don't really know why.  
I'll try to post a little more frequently and get to know you all a bit better, maybe! :-/
Jacque

[Beebusby]

I sympathise with Jacque's comments, as a regular "lurker" on many message boards, I often come across messages that make you feel as though you are eves-dropping on a private conversation and shouldn't intrude.  :-[
Often members just like to read contributions, to gain advice and remind themselves that there aren't the only mad gardeners around. :'(