We have ___ registered users.!?

[Aircut]

hello

i don't run a web-board, and frankly speaking i don't fancy it myself....i run a mailing list since 94 and it is the best community among a niche market....

now i have noticed that in every we-board i check in my niche market, old and new, active or a ghost board, stats that number of registered users is 10 times what i would expect from 11 years of mailing list operation...

do you fake it in order to look more busier than you actually is? do you believe the "We have ___ registered users" statements?

[philbish]

Well yea I believe it. But I also realize registered is different than active.

[topr8]

well i believe it but it tends to be irrelevant ...

the point is are the posts recent, that is more important to me than number of users.

[Aircut]

just visited a site that stated 96548 registered users, 1 guest online and there were 100 posts across the board....

[rogerd]

That sounds like some kind of record for inactivity, Aircut. :)

Forum operators like to brag about the number of members because if you are around for a while, it can get quite large. The truth is that many register and never post, and many others leave after a period of posting, never to return.

Active members (either visted or posted in the last month, say) is a better measure. That number won't sound nearly as impressive, though.

[Aircut]

and back to my question....do u really belive the front page stats?

[basenotes]

I believe them mainly.

I can't remember the amount of webforums I've joined over the last few years. It's been lots.

I'm currently subscribed to one mailing list, which I have been a member of since 1999. I have subscribed to more since then. But have since unsubscribed due to the fact that the mailings no longer interest me, and I no longer want them in my in-box.

On the otherhand. If I'm no longer interested in redwidgets-forum, I just no longer visit their site. But I'm still a registered member

(not sure if any of that makes sense!)

[Casethejoint]

Many people just register to post a question when they're in a fix, get and answer, and then disappear into the wilderness.

[Aircut]

i m not pushing <bg> but...nayone who admit in inflating the rates?

[FourDegreez]

Don't forget about the fact that, in many forums, people create multiple accounts (because they forgot their password, want to post something anonymously, want to play games or troll, etc) and those also contribute to inflated membership numbers. I never believe the stated figures. Divide it by ten and you might get close to an accurate count. Divide by 100 for an older forum.

[spaceylacie]

"admit in inflating the rates"

I count the members who have never made a post. ;-( Guilty as charged, perhaps.