Diegetics

Over at ATOL, there's a new thread that posts how many users are viewing the forums at any point in time—usually 12 to 16. Obviously, far fewer than that number are posting.

First, why would anyone want to know or be interested in how many people are on the forums whenever?

Checking here and at FT, it would seem there are two to four users at each forum at any given time. But ATOL has over 5,000 users, here there are a bit over 500, and at FT a little over 300. In relative numbers, it would seem then that ATOL should be, what, over ten times as busy as here or FT at any given time? If these fora have four users online, then wouldn't ATOL be expected to have forty users online?

I dunno . . why does anyone care about such things?

Yes, this forum has a very active membership, whereas ATOL has a large but inactive membership. I think in terms of posts per day, they probably still have a greater number than we do. I don't think I've ever seen 14 users browsing this forum at once.

But why would anyone care how many people are browsing a forum? Isn't what counts is how many are posting?

Beats me . .

Haven't looked at InsularThings in ages, however, SF is bordering on dead judging by number of actual posts made.

My guess is that most of the "users" listed as being online are spambots.

Yes, most of the registered at ATOL are spambots, and always have been. At its peak, there were perhaps 100 active posters, now its down to about 20-30, I would guess, not so much more than here.

This place is a cosy club to have nice conversations among, mostly, friends (yes, even the weirdos amongst us). I think it's all 100% ex-ATOL. The outside world doesn't know about it. That's all well and good, but gradually some will drift away, then traffic moves below a viable level. But if you publicise the place more, the "no moderation" will be hard to maintain, as sure as anything with good new posters will come the trolls. Still, it's up to Tinker, and it's doing OK for the moment.

Marcus One of the reasons I look at who is currently browsing the forum, is that it will lead me to answer their posts immediately in the hopes of getting an immediate response. There is also a visceral feeling of being in participation with that person at the time if you are both online together.