# How active is the Dope these days? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [December 16, 2025, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-active-is-the-dope-these-days/1025768 "2025-12-16T22:45:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2025, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-active-is-the-dope-these-days/1025768/21 "2025-12-19T18:18:54Z")
I do not think this is it, but this was a recent post of yours about the same subject. > [@Does anyone else occasionally see a poster they have never seen before post something and you check and find they have been here for 20 years (or a long time)?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-occasionally-see-a-poster-they-have-never-seen-before-post-something-and-you-check-and-find-they-have-been-here-for-20-years-or-a-long-time/1020038/11): > > On the hamburger menu there’s a [Users] choice. If you tap that you’ll get a roster of users active in the last week. Which you can sort by post count to see the busy ones. You can learn a surprising amount of stuff fiddling w the scoping & sorting options on that page. What’s amazing to me is some of the most vociferous posters are folks whose posts I almost never see. Why? Different categories mostly. ETA: That display is vastly more readable as a table on a tablet or larger screen vs near u… (It’s a whole lot easier to search through my posts than yours.) ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2025, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-active-is-the-dope-these-days/1025768/22 "2025-12-19T19:05:34Z")
Glad to see that over the past year 50+ folk posted more replies than I. Tho I do seem to start a lot of threads. Should probably tamp that down… ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2025, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-active-is-the-dope-these-days/1025768/23 "2025-12-19T19:32:57Z")
You’re right that wasn’t it. But still a good cite; thank you. The one I’m thinking of included some actual stats I developed by sucking that entire users page into Excel and after some laborious cleanup, characterizing the size and shape of the long tail. Hmm, that might have been a lot longer ago than I thought. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2025, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-active-is-the-dope-these-days/1025768/24 "2025-12-19T20:05:56Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I’d guess that something like just 40 posters are contributing 95-99% of all posts and comments. Nah, I suspect that’s at least partly confirmation bias. I consider myself a fairly active member and there are well over 200 people that have posted more than me in the past year and many that have posted less than me that I consider “regulars.” Of course I’m not one to generate fresh content - I’ve started zero threads in that same period. And of course one reason I consider myself “active” is because I’m in the top dozen of posts read - I scan this board a lot (and still miss tons of stuff). Relative to me you’re roughly in the top 100 of posters and one of the top 25 topic starters, but have read only about 1/4 the posts. ---
**Author:** ![Ancient\_Nerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Ancient\_Nerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ancient_Nerd)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2025, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-active-is-the-dope-these-days/1025768/25 "2025-12-19T22:02:04Z")
As a newcomer to the Dope, I find that I need to read an entire thread before responding. When there are hundreds or thousands of posts, I don’t have time. So, I stick to the short threads. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2025, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-active-is-the-dope-these-days/1025768/26 "2025-12-20T01:35:49Z")
> [@Ancient\_Nerd](#): > > When there are hundreds or thousands of posts, I don’t have time. So, I stick to the short threads. Same here. If I see a thread that already has thousands of posts, forget it. If it’s like a hundred or so… Maybe. It depends on what it’s about. I do participate in long threads, but only if I get involved with them early enough that I don’t feel like I’m left behind. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2025, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-active-is-the-dope-these-days/1025768/27 "2025-12-20T20:07:52Z")
Once it’s up in the hundreds, the smart thing to do is begin reading forward from the day you first notice it, or maybe back up a weekish and start there. After reading a few days’ posts, you’ll a) know where the conversation is now, and b) know whether you care enough about the topic and how the conversation is running to bother posting or even continuing to read. Some of the long-running threads are simply a very long list of anecdotes and news items about a particular topic. This are the “Great Ongoing …” and the “Omnibus …” threads. As long as you’re reporting something fresh, or responding to something fresh you’ll slip right in no matter how much of the previous 3 years’ posts you haven’t read. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2025, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-active-is-the-dope-these-days/1025768/28 "2025-12-26T07:55:41Z")
Numbers from some years ago: In 2017: > [@The elephant in the room. 4063 active members.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139): > > Anyone concerned? Not an appropriate question? > [@Has traffic to this website decreased a lot? Seems to be a lot less activity on forums.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-traffic-to-this-website-decreased-a-lot-seems-to-be-a-lot-less-activity-on-forums/831553/64): > > Here are some data points of dates and active member counts. > > 11/18/18. . . . . .3423 > 12/19/18. . . . . .3429 > 01/23/19 . . . . . 3426 > 02/19/19 . . . . . 3485 > 03/09/19 . . . . . 3470 > 04/11/19 . . . . . 3400 > > That’s actually pretty stable. There hasn’t been all that much change in the last several months. > > Contrast that with previous years’ active member count. > > 10/10/16. . . . . . 5005 > 10/11/17. . . . . . 4825 > > Betweem 2017 and 2018 was a bit more of a change. A bunch of numbers from 2021: > [@Why is the SDMB membership declining, and what's the best way to add younger members?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sdmb-membership-declining-and-whats-the-best-way-to-add-younger-members/944208/530): > > [[image]](https://postimages.org/) Current stats: [https://boards.straightdope.com/about](https://boards.straightdope.com/about) Out of 20 new users registered, maybe 1-2 actually posted, that I noticed. As long as our hosts let us stay, then we have access to 25+ years of DOPE history. We’re trending downwards, that’s clear. And we have no idea what the hosts are planning, or when they might pull the plug. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2025, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-active-is-the-dope-these-days/1025768/29 "2025-12-26T08:29:51Z")
Here’s an interesting quote from the Elephant in the Room thread, which I don’t know how to link to. @LSLGuy “We have about 8 years left to live if the decline is linear. But it’ll probably pick up speed somewhere along the way. There is some minimum critical mass and once we fall below that threshold the collapse will probably be quick.” That quote is from June 2017 so, fortunately, his numbers were at least a little off. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2025, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-active-is-the-dope-these-days/1025768/30 "2025-12-26T08:35:04Z")
> [@steatopygia](#): > > Here’s an interesting quote from that thread, which I don’t know how to link to. I saw that, and then forgot to mention it. Here’s the link: > [@The elephant in the room. 4063 active members.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139/19): > > Hmm. Even allowing for the discrepancy vs samclem’s numbers the trend is pretty clear. We have about 8 years left to live if the decline is linear. But it’ll probably pick up speed somewhere along the way. There is some minimum critical mass and once we fall below that threshold the collapse will probably be quick. So 4 to 6 years is more realistic unless something changes one way or the other. OTOH, even if this place dies prematurely in 2019, it lasted a heck of a lot longer than Myspace… ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2025, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-active-is-the-dope-these-days/1025768/31 "2025-12-26T08:41:25Z")
I’m not sure which numbers VBulletin compiled vs. Discourse. Today, Discourse says “1.2k active users in the last 7 days” I don’t know what VBulletin counted as an active user. Could be comparing apples to oranges. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2025, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-active-is-the-dope-these-days/1025768/32 "2025-12-26T12:01:19Z")
Discourse only counts people who are logged in as active users. > - If three logged-in users visit your site four out of 7 days, they will account for twelve User Visits, but only three Active Users during that 7-day period. > **[Understanding User Visits and Active Users in Discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/t/understanding-user-visits-and-active-users-in-discourse/71358)** > > 🔖 This guide explains and differentiates two key metrics in Discourse: User Visits and Active Users. 🙋 Required user level: Administrator, Moderator “User Visits” and “Active Users” are two metrics designed to help site staff understand user... For vbulletin, according to a post [here](https://forum.vbulletin.com/forum/vbulletin-legacy-versions-products/legacy-vbulletin-versions/vbulletin-3-6-questions-problems-and-troubleshooting/240125-what-does-active-members-mean): [Active users] is the number of people who have visited your forums in the time specified in the setting above. I believe the default is 30 days. The “Currently Active Users” are those on your site now. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2025, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-active-is-the-dope-these-days/1025768/33 "2025-12-26T14:01:06Z")
I always knew we were a somewhat small group, but realizing that we are essentially few more than 1000 folk talking with/at each other somehow changes my perception of these boards. I think I had previously perceived myself as more “anonymous” than the numbers would suggest. And I had thought the boards a larger pool of knowledge/opinion. I can only imagine that my new perspective will affect my participation here - tho I’m not sure exactly how. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2025, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-active-is-the-dope-these-days/1025768/34 "2025-12-26T17:04:26Z")
Even if the headcount weren’t shrinking, whatever degree of anonymity any of us have only decreases over time. For me at least, I only need to see a username a handful of times to begin to assemble a mental bio of that person. Even if they share nothing of their IRL existence, at least I begin cataloging what they’re expert at, what they’re interested in, or how they express themselves. Each additional post adds a couple more brushstrokes to the ever-growing portrait. Your own 27K+ posts have painted a pretty thorough picture. I have no idea of your sekrit identity as a real person. But I still know a lot about how you think and what you do and how you live. As I fully expect you do of me. I doubt there’s anything special about you or me in this convo. Most of our posters are paying some attention to who says what and could give a pretty good description of somebody they recognize after years of hanging out here together. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2025, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-active-is-the-dope-these-days/1025768/35 "2025-12-26T17:07:47Z")
Nobody knows that my real name is Michael Pinnick and, frankly, I’d like to keep it that way. What? ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2025, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-active-is-the-dope-these-days/1025768/36 "2025-12-26T17:21:05Z")
We’re still a ways from getting down to Dunbar’s number, somewhere around 200. > **[Dunbar's number](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar%27s_number)** > > Dunbar's number is a suggested cognitive limit to the number of people with whom one can maintain stable social relationships—relationships in which an individual knows who each person is and how each person relates to every other person. This number was first proposed in the 1990s by Robin Dunbar, a British anthropologist who found a correlation between primate brain size and average social group size. By using the average human brain size and extrapolating from the results of primates, Dunbar... …but also, “all in all, we devote about two-thirds of our time to just 15 people” (footnote 33). ---
**Author:** ![LouMa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/louma/32/19472_2.png) [@LouMa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouMa)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2025, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-active-is-the-dope-these-days/1025768/37 "2025-12-29T07:40:07Z")
@LSLGuy As fas as I know, Americans have little interest in data protection and the corresponding laws and these laws hardly exist in the US. Elon Musk is trying hard to force the EU to abolish data protection; he wants to have more control over EU citizens. The greater sensitivity towards the disclosure of private data in the EU stems from painful experiences with politics in the past. Anyone who has experienced neighbors passing on private data (in exchange for payment or other benefits) becomes cautious. This is also because such disclosure is not necessarily done correctly and can have serious consequences: one cannot find a job, children cannot study, spouses are forced to divorce, etc. You say that you are gradually forming an image of other dopers. But this image is created against the backdrop of your personal psychological world and remains a fantasy that has nothing to do with reality; the real person of another doper can thus be completely distorted. The political system in the US is more and more leaning toward fascism. It’s not out of the question that dopers will be asked or pressured one day to share personal data or impressions of other dopers (or neighbors for that matter) with political institutions. Sharing one’s own idea of somebody else can have fatal consequences, for example, in job applications or legal proceedings. Not all dopers are on friendly terms with others, so one cannot know how people will behave, especially under pressure. That’s why I don’t put any personal data online, anywhere. What people might know about me is completely anodyne. You may find this paranoid. If political developments in the US continue on their current course, this might be more obvious at some point in future. I hope this isn’t a hijack, it is not meant to be. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2025, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-active-is-the-dope-these-days/1025768/38 "2025-12-29T13:01:13Z")
Your points are well-taken. I expect at least some dopers have adjusted their behavior or quit altogether out of concern for the future of US politics and how the info here might be used against them. But yeah, not germane to the thread. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-active-is-the-dope-these-days/1025768.md?page=1)