Some January Family Woodworking Statistics that I Recorded

Frank Pellow

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Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
At the end of both November and December, I posted some statistics. The December ones are in the thread: http://familywoodworking.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1332

As I said then, I am not really very interested in forum statistics such as number of hits and percentage of resources utilized. Rather, I want to know things such as number of active members, number of new threads.

Here are the statistics for January:


____|_________|_________|_Members____|_Members with____|
____|_________|_Members_|_with 5 or__|_1 or more Posts_|_________|_Threads
Day_|_Members_|_Added___|_More Posts_|_During Week_____|_Threads_|_Added

_1__|_350_____|__5______|158_________|123______35%_____|1225_____|_20

_2__|_354_____|__5______|160_________|124______35%_____|1243_____|_18

_3__|_362_____|__8______|160_________|133______37%_____|1252_____|__9

_4__|_364_____|__2______|162_________|125______34%_____|1268_____|_16

_5__|_368_____|__4______|167_________|134______36%_____|1292_____|_24

_6__|_370_____|__2______|169_________|142______38%_____|1313_____|_21

_7__|_376_____|__6______|170_________|144______38%_____|1331_____|_18

_8__|_________|_________|_in place with no internet access____|________|___

_9__|_385_____|__9______|171_________|137______36%_____|1377_____|_46

10__|_388_____|__3______|173_________|140______36%_____|1401_____|_24

11__|_389_____|__1______|174_________|145______37%_____|1415_____|_14

12__|_391_____|__2______|175_________|143______37%_____|1427_____|_12

13__|_396_____|__5______|176_________|143______36%_____|1446_____|_19

14__|_403_____|__7______|177_________|141______35%_____|1465_____|_19

15__|_409_____|__6______|180_________|142______35%_____|1484_____|_19

16__|_415_____|__6______|181_________|144______35%_____|1496_____|_12

17__|_416_____|__1______|182_________|145______35%_____|1519_____|_23

18__|_419_____|__3______|185_________|138______33%_____|1535_____|_16

19__|_426_____|__7______|186_________|134______31%_____|1550_____|_15

20__|_430_____|__4______|187_________|136______32%_____|1570_____|_20

21__|_432_____|__2______|187_________|138______32%_____|1590_____|_20

22__|_434_____|__2______|189_________|136______31%_____|1605_____|_15

23__|_436_____|__2______|190_________|135______31%_____|1634_____|_29

24__|_441_____|__4______|190_________|134______30%_____|1654_____|_20

25__|_450_____|__9______|190_________|128______28%_____|1665_____|_11

26__|_450_____|__0______|190_________|131______29%_____|1678_____|_13

27__|_457_____|__7______|191_________|135______30%_____|1696_____|_18

28__|_460_____|__3______|192_________|138______30%_____|1718_____|_22

29__|_467_____|__7______|195_________|142______30%_____|1733_____|_15

30__|_472_____|__5______|195_________|139______29%_____|1744_____|_11

31__|_474_____|__2______|195_________|136______29%_____|1761_____|_17




Note that the member counts do not include “dummy” and “dead” accounts that have been set up for purposes such as testing.
 
Great stuff, Frank

You've picked some very interesting stats to track. The way you've got a handle on participation as opposed to traffic or memberships is excellent.

I'm glad to see that there is real growth going on where it really counts :)

Keep it up - you statistical whiz :thumb:
 
Thanks Ian. I agree that it is participation that really matters. In my opinion, the number that best reflects this is the one showing the number of members with at least one post in the last 7 days. Unfortunately, that number is not increasing and, in fact, is now tending to be lower than it was a month and a half ago. And, the associated percentage of active members with such posts has fallen from about 60% to about 30%.
 
I agree that it is participation that really matters.

As in everything that is worthwhile, you need participation.

We had a similar discussion (by 4 of us:eek: ) on our local woodworkers forum, where the lack of anyone posting/contributing is basically making it wither and die.
 
Frank

There was an event in December that caused a spike in new memberships. On Dec 01 Ken Salisbury graciously posted a message on SMC informing people there about Steve Clardy's shop roof collapse.

A major side effect of this was that it tipped many people at SMC about the existence of this forum. That's when I learned about it and made the leap over here. That spike in new people joining generated a lot of introductions and responses to greetings in the Introductions forum.

I think that might account for the 60% posting rate in December. I think it's a bit pessimistic to compare Jan to Dec for this reason - you statistical types might call Dec's figures an anomoly.

Now, in a "normal" month like January, I think 30% participation is outstanding. We're 10 points better than the old 20/80 rule. In volunteer organisations it's generally acknowledged that 20% of the members do 80% of the work. The "work" in this case is contributing by way of posts. (We all know that there's another group who contribute a lot more in keeping the place up and running).

So, I'm taking Jan's figures as an indication of good health and continued growth and I'm very happy about that :)
 
Frank

There was an event in December that caused a spike in new memberships. On Dec 01 Ken Salisbury graciously posted a message on SMC informing people there about Steve Clardy's shop roof collapse.QUOTE]

This is how I found out and jumped over...
 
There's about 130 member who have never posted. That doesn mean that they don't participate, many choose to lurk and when they have something meaningful to contribute they will come forward. I know this for a fact because some are on line now. :wave: Just waveing at the lurkers.:D
 
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Frank

There was an event in December that caused a spike in new memberships. On Dec 01 Ken Salisbury graciously posted a message on SMC informing people there about Steve Clardy's shop roof collapse.

A major side effect of this was that it tipped many people at SMC about the existence of this forum. That's when I learned about it and made the leap over here. That spike in new people joining generated a lot of introductions and responses to greetings in the Introductions forum.

I think that might account for the 60% posting rate in December. I think it's a bit pessimistic to compare Jan to Dec for this reason - you statistical types might call Dec's figures an anomoly.

Now, in a "normal" month like January, I think 30% participation is outstanding. We're 10 points better than the old 20/80 rule. In volunteer organisations it's generally acknowledged that 20% of the members do 80% of the work. The "work" in this case is contributing by way of posts. (We all know that there's another group who contribute a lot more in keeping the place up and running).

So, I'm taking Jan's figures as an indication of good health and continued growth and I'm very happy about that :)
Thanks Ian, that's a good perspective and one that I had not considered. :)
 
There's about 130 member who have never posted. That doesn mean that they don't participate, many choose to lurk and when they have something meaningful to contribute they will come forward. I know this for a fact because some are on line now. :wave: Just waveing at the lurkers.:D
I know that everyone will not agree with me, but I believe that if someone does not post that person does not participate!

And the number of so called members who have never posted is higher than you stated Don. Right now it stands at 214.
 
I know that everyone will not agree with me, but I believe that if someone does not post that person does not participate!

And the number of so called members who have never posted is higher than you stated Don. Right now it stands at 214.

frank, this perspective seems kinda off base to me......what about the "new" folks who have joined and are reading and sucking up information? lots of folks are hesitant to chime in on subjects that they feel they have nothing positive to add.....have you checked to see the number of folks who haven`t logged in to read? i think that would give a much better view of who is actually "using" the forum, instead of using the who has posted figures....heck sometimes my posts are totally worthless as far as intelectual content:eek: .....saying "hi" to folks or adding a "yup" or smiley really dosen`t count to contributing knowledge.......tod
 
frank, this perspective seems kinda off base to me......what about the "new" folks who have joined and are reading and sucking up information? lots of folks are hesitant to chime in on subjects that they feel they have nothing positive to add.....have you checked to see the number of folks who haven`t logged in to read? i think that would give a much better view of who is actually "using" the forum, instead of using the who has posted figures....heck sometimes my posts are totally worthless as far as intelectual content:eek: .....saying "hi" to folks or adding a "yup" or smiley really dosen`t count to contributing knowledge.......tod
Of course you are entitled to your opinion Tod and I knew that many people would disagree with me. But, I will stick to my guns and say that the thing that really matters is posts that people contribute. We won't go very far with people who simply read and never comment -and I am certainly not preparted to judge the quality of those comments -to me they are all good.
 
hmmm

Well I don't post much, I'm really a newb, not much to add other than just agreeing or disagreeing with someone.

Guess I better work on getting my post count up.

I do come here almost every day to see what's going on.

I feel like a participant even though I don't post alot.

Does my lack of posts make me less of a member?
I may have to rethink things if this is so.

This type of thing doesn't make me feel to welcome.
:(

I might be taking this too personal. (I do that sometimes)
 
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Well I don't post much, I'm really a newb, not much to add other than just agreeing or disagreeing with someone.

Guess I better work on getting my post count up.

I do come here almost every day to see what's going on.

I feel like a participant even though I don't post alot.

Does my lack of posts make me less of a member?
I may have to rethink things if this is so.

This type of thing doesn't make me feel to welcome.
:(

I might be taking this too personal. (I do that sometimes)
Sorry if I hurt your dealings Richard. You obviously do post here, so I was not talking about folks like you.

By the way, there is nothing at all official about the statistics that I am posting or about my opinions about participation. I am speaking in these threads strictly as a member, not as a moderator.
 
Sorry if I hurt your dealings Richard. You obviously do post here, so I was not talking about folks like you.

By the way, there is nothing at all official about the statistics that I am posting or about my opinions about participation. I am speaking in these threads strictly as a member, not as a moderator.

And that Frank is exactly why I disagree with your Stats. We have a lot of members. If some choose to lurk then so be it. Some of our contributors have been from folks who have chosen not to post. I think that YOU need to re-evaluate how you think of how folk participate. Just a note to all the folks out there Franks OPINION has nothing to do with the policies of this forum.
 
And that Frank is exactly why I disagree with your Stats. We have a lot of members. If some choose to lurk then so be it. Some of our contributors have been from folks who have chosen not to post. I think that YOU need to re-evaluate how you think of how folk participate. Just a note to all the folks out there Franks OPINION has nothing to do with the policies of this forum.
What's the point of your note Don? I already said that my statements about membership participation reflect my opinion as a member only. And, by the way, it is an opinion that I am very unlikely to change.
 
Can I make a friendly suggestion here? Well, yes I can :)

But seriously, if anyone wants to discuss this as a topic, could we at least move it to Members Only so our differences are not out there for everyone to see?

Thank you
Ian G

Frank has chosen to state his OPINION in the public area so I feel that I am obligated to recite his stance publiclicly. The reason for my last post was very simple. a new member felt that Franks post was an admonition (sp) as to why he/she hasn't posted much if at all. This is supposed to be a Family (friendly) site. I want to see that it remains a family (friendly) site. If folks want to join and lurk then so be it. After all if you want to view the pictures you have to be a member. I don't want anyone to feel that they are not welcome.
 
I have 2 reasons for suggesting a new thread. I think the thread has drifted considerably from its original topic. The other is that this forum is open to prospective members who may read this and be discouraged from joining.

That's all. Let the debate take place, just take it to a slightly less public forum and give it it's own thread to focus attention on it.

Forgive me for butting in.

IG
 
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