current state of the board

[Tea Ess]

Recently, I've had a growing concern that the ToO will simply never return to its old levels of activity. Some of the forums go weeks without a single post, nearly every faction is inactive, and there's no threads I think are interesting anymore.

I've included this helpful graphic to demonstrate the ToO's lack of activity:



As you can see, we were holding a relatively stable activity rate at about 400-500 until recently. Can the ToO ever recover from this? Or is the board dead for good?

Here's a thread that further documents the extended lack of life on the board.

[Knight Fisher]

Will the board ever return to it's previous levels? No.

Is the board dead? Nope. Out of all the forums I've been on over the years for fandoms this remains the most active.

[Connie G.]

Hmmm. What does the x-axis represent? Posts per...something? Active members?

[Moontide]

The mere fact that we are talking here means that the ToO isn't completely dead. However, I do think that because the ToO is failing to recruit new members, over the long term ToO is likely to decline in activity. Unless we attract new members,* the ToO will go inactive as members go inactive never to comeback.


Here is another chart:

Y axis is votes in election. X is the election number. This chart doesn't seem to show the dramatic drop off that your chart does. It also seems to predict that the last ToO member will leave around election 40 or so (assuming a linear trend).


If you want to increase there are two things you can do:
Post content, particularly new threads, because new threads inspire people to post more.
Recruit new members. However, I am unsure why a new member would want to join. Unless they love counting or something.

[snubs]

It is true that our main problem is the fact that we don't regularly get new members (new members that actually stick around and post). As the older members get older and busier things will continue to stay relatively inactive and likely decline with only little bursts of activity.

I certainly can see myself drifting farther and farther from the ToO as the future approaches, however, I can't imagine myself leaving completely (unless there is absolutely no activity).

[Tea Ess]

So if it wasn't clear, my post was mostly tongue in cheek, and the graph was just numbers I put into Excel, they aren't based off of anything.

I made this thread in celebration of a little known ToO holiday called "Is the ToO Dead Day." The holiday officially began in 2014, but it's been noted that similar threads mourning the death of the ToO tend to appear at the end of summer, after a typical period of depressed activity. I unfortunately forgot to make the official thread last year, although I did create some real graphs with election data to celebrate. My post here was mostly sarcastic, as I don't believe the ToO is actually dead, although discussions about increasing activity are certainly good to have.

[snubs]

Haha, I could tell that your graph was in jest and wasn't really based on any real statistics.

I was going to mention how I was a little annoyed with yet another "THE ToO IS DYING" thread, but I forgot about the ToO Dead Day, so I guess it's okay.

[Moontide]

Haha, I could tell that your graph was in jest and wasn't really based on any real statistics.

I assumed that Tea Ess was doing real data collection because that is how it feels the ToO's active (though this is likely from me being less active on the ToO for the past few months which make the site feel less active.)

(I also kept thinking that Tea Ess was Irwin) because of the avatar.

[Tea Ess]

Haha, I could tell that your graph was in jest and wasn't really based on any real statistics.

Okay, good. =p

I was going to mention how I was a little annoyed with yet another "THE ToO IS DYING" thread, but I forgot about the ToO Dead Day, so I guess it's okay.

Yeah, there have been a lot of these posts over the last few years. We could make a faction just for complaining about the lack of activity on the ToO.

I assumed that Tea Ess was doing real data collection because that is how it feels the ToO's active (though this is likely from me being less active on the ToO for the past few months which make the site feel less active.)

Yeah, it does follow the general pattern in your election graph (which looks very nice by the way), but as you noted the steep drop off isn't realistic.

(I also kept thinking that Tea Ess was Irwin) because of the avatar.

This has been an unfortunate issue I've struggled with before. I've traditionally only used avatars of Dr. Blackgaard, as well as some specialty ones from roulettes and contests, but in the past I've tried to use different versions so I don't get confused with Irwin.

[Dredge]

The ToO is not neccesarily dying. Rather, the ToO is getting older and is in a deteriorated physical state as it continues to bleed. In fact, the ToO's elections no longer nurture competition because outrageous pricing means that one must be very well-connected with those housing usable equity in order to afford the massive cost of running. I think it's time to consider redoing the election system into something more doable, like a Lousiana primary with a $100 entry fee.

[snubs]

@SimplyDredge: You are way too obsessed with the elections..

[Dredge]

@SimplyDredge: You are way too obsessed with the elections..

Who knows? All I know is we're doing something wrong when you can carry a punch card with all the users' names on it in your back pocket when you're running for mayor.

[Moontide]

In defence of lowing election fees, with lower levels of activity it is harder to earn money; however, because there is no way to earn interest*, the rich are only rich because they don't spend their funds.

The other reason that teams are struggling to raise funds is lack of support than to high fees.

*almost. (Though still no way to earn significant amounts.)

[snubs]

I earned a lot of my money from my auction house. And in contests.

[Tea Ess]

The election fees did get quite high, but if I remember right they were brought down to more reasonable levels in the past few elections. I like the idea of fundraising, but I would hate for willing and capable people to be ineligible because they couldn't raise enough.

*almost. (Though still no way to earn significant amounts.

Legally.

[Moontide]

I earned a lot of my money from my auction house. And in contests.

I meant earning just from money with no effort. Like if interest worked in the bank, then the rich people could stay rich without any effort.

[Tea Ess]

Now with a poll!

[Agent 86]

I vote really read.

[Moontide]

Well, to me it actually feels like activity might be going up a little bit right now because of old users returning, like Dr. Watson and Bob.

[Tea Ess]

I vote really read.

Oops. I think I'll just leave it like that.

Well, to me it actually feels like activity might be going up a little bit right now because of old users returning, like Dr. Watson and Bob.

I'd agree with you. Old members coming back is one of the neat parts of the ToO, and they always stir up more activity. CCDS has been more active recently too.