On a Scale of 1-to-10...

[Dredge]

I have noticed that there are routinely only 1-or-2 human registered users on this board at any given time. The board is overrun by bots and months can pass with no posts. Is this a mere slump or has this board contracted canerva inactiva?

[Catspaw]

We can't stop the bots from looking at the board, but there are no bots posting (or doing anything else other than looking) on the board. I'm also not quite sure what you're referring to about the months passing with no posts. That's true in some factions that have been dead for a long time already, but not in the main areas of the board.

Things could be busier. Things could be slower. We have a lot of great members who make it worthwhile to keep coming here as people have time.

[Woody]

This isn't an atypical activity level, at least for the three, nearly four, years I've been here. Personally, I prefer the slower feel of the ToO to the fast-paced SS. It makes for a closer knit group of friends, plus you actually have time to read all the posts. Honestly, I would say activity has even picked up a bit recently...

[Dredge]

I tend to think of this as a coffee shop where everyone knows each other's lives but no one is in at the same time.

[Doll]

I tend to think of this as a coffee shop where everyone knows each other's lives but no one is in at the same time.

Personally, I don't think that's a bad thing..

Then again, I'm a total introvert..

[Paula]

I actually think that the ToO is pretty active. I mean I've said this before, but I really don't think that the SS can be or even should be compared to it. I know that the SS is so active, but literally if you take away all the Q&A's, it wouldn't be as active. Obviously the SS still has some good AIO threads, but I feel like it's turned into a place where people aren't truly being themselves. I know that that's a little extreme, but I've been seeing some changes in the users that isn't who they are or how they act, and I don't find it too attractive in the least, but then again my opinion on how y'all act shouldn't matter at all...Just as long as you're making sure that you're being who you are. As for the ToO, I just love how real and nice everyone is, and even if it's not as active as the SS then OH WELL! But if a forum has been around as long as this one...Then there must be a reason for that even if there's not 20 posts every day.

[Countess]

I'm going to have to disagree with you here Paula. I will agree the SS is active mainly in the Q&A's, but before that took a hit, the SS was still very active and that was centered around the Debate Hall and Community Courtyard. So I think people just gravitate toward whatever happens to be the most active thing. As for being myself, I feel most at home at the SS. I know everyone there while the ToO is a lot of strangers. But again, I'm "native SS" so I may be a bit biased. I honestly think both are great in their own way. And they've been working fine together as far as I can see.

[Paula]

I see your point...I guess I'm more so thinking about the users rather than the activeness of the forum *nods* I actually joined the SS before the ToO so I'm not sure where I'm coming from in how I feel about both of the forums, but I guess I just consider the ToO to be more friendly...

ETA: Another thing is that if a few members decide to make a certain subject (debate or Q&A) strive on a forum it doesn't necessarily make that forum, in it's entirety, "active"...Just one thing that a few people are enjoying, and are seemingly drawing it out over a period of time. Granted we still enjoy it, but it's literally a different version of the same exact subject being posted in over and over and over...

[Countess]

That is true. Although I would say there is also a lot of in-activeness on the ToO in certain areas and only livens up when a thread is posted on also.

[Paula]

Agreed *nods*

[snubs]

This isn't an atypical activity level, at least for the three, nearly four, years I've been here. Personally, I prefer the slower feel of the ToO to the fast-paced SS. It makes for a closer knit group of friends, plus you actually have time to read all the posts. Honestly, I would say activity has even picked up a bit recently...

I wouldn't say that.. it did pick up a lot around last election. But it has since slowed around a month before our term ended.

[Tea Ess]

This thread reminded me that I completely forgot about "Is the ToO dead" Day, which is September 1st.

There's not a good way to measure the rate of posting over time, but I did go through the memberlist and record those who had more that 500 posts by year they joined. I have included the following graph:

[Woody]

I love T.S. stats charts. I'd be curious to see a similar chart, T.S., that includes all members with >500 posts that have logged on in the last year, compared to other years...

[Tea Ess]

That would be interesting to see. Unfortunately, I don't have access to that data, or don't know how to get it efficiently.

I did graph the number of voters each election (excluding the 27th):