Every time I look at the stats to see who is on line I am puzzled by the high ratio of guests to users(?) /members, sometimes it's higher than 3to1?  I don't have any problem with guests, the only thing that might happen is that they will learn something! Are the guest regulars or is there no way of knowing that?
I'm a member of a lot of forums some I visit seldom some I visit a lot. My posting at different forums varies from zero to reasonably often,  but there is not one forum I visit regularly where I am not a member and I don't visit without logging in! I  suppose a lot of members might visit/lurk, which also puzzles me as to why you would do that once you had gone to the trouble of registering?
In case any one is wondering why I have a question mark after user. The term has always puzzled me, if your a member, your a member and if your logged on, you are a contributor (giver) or at the very least a potential contributor!  Sorry for all the "puzzling thoughts!

Graeme

There are always lots of guests as opposed to members on the forum. Guests are counted any time someone finds the forum in a search, whether or not they even read the forum. There are also search bots and google bots checking activity on the forum.
We are in a small niche market, so we don't attract a lot of new members.

Personally I would rather someone be a guess, do their own research and leave, rather than join to ask one question, and never come back. And that question is always "how much is this tool that used to be my grandpas worth".  They are most often disappointed that this piece of crap grandpa had is not going to net them a new iPod.

But Papaw knows we're all out there preaching the gospel according to St. Perfect Handle!!!!  I know I've hyped this site up to a lot of folks at auctions and yard sales I frequent.  It would be interesting to see how many guests become members eventually.


Back to sorting through all the stuff from Wednesday night's chilly outside auction.  Posting coming afte Friday night's inside auction in Independence....

DM&FS

Most likely it's data miners. They'll see a discussion about a particular subject, say craftsman tools for instance, and next thing you know, you'll be getting ads for tool sales at Sears. On another board I frequent, a blues music board, I mentioned the time I saw one of those Large, Hairy, Creatures of Questionable Reality ( LHCQR) and the very next day someone from the Utah Association of people who investigate sightings of LHCQR joined that board just to send me a PM asking for details. I felt so violated. Everything we post on the internets is supposed to be private, right? :) :) :)

Quote from: pritch on November 17, 2012, 10:50:09 PM
the very next day someone from the Utah Association of people who investigate sightings of LHCQR joined that board just to send me a PM asking for details. I felt so violated. Everything we post on the internets is supposed to be private, right? :) :) :)