# SDMB has 44,000 members and 20,000 readers, so why the... **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 25, 2004, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-has-44-000-members-and-20-000-readers-so-why-the/231182 "2004-02-25T22:46:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-has-44-000-members-and-20-000-readers-so-why-the/231182/21 "2004-02-28T05:27:57Z")
> [@](#): > > Join Date: Mar 1999 > Posts: 1 :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Call\_me\_Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Call\_me\_Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Call_me_Frank)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-has-44-000-members-and-20-000-readers-so-why-the/231182/22 "2004-02-28T05:41:57Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > :eek: Yeah, I saw that too… ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-has-44-000-members-and-20-000-readers-so-why-the/231182/23 "2004-02-28T07:56:44Z")
> [@](#): > > Total Posts: 1 (0.00 posts per day) So that’s why your username is unfamiliar. 😃 Hmm… this might be several years late, and maybe it’s not my place since my registration date is so much more recent, but ah what the hey: Welcome to the boards, **EDS-MB20**. ---
**Author:** ![MattTheCroc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MattTheCroc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MattTheCroc)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-has-44-000-members-and-20-000-readers-so-why-the/231182/24 "2004-02-28T13:59:26Z")
Since this seems to be the “lurkers invade!!!” thread I figure I may as well post. I post a bit, but generally only in Cafe Society. I like General Questions, but there’s always someone who knows heaps more than I do. Even with things I _do_ answer, like stuff about Latin, it’s inevitable that I make one _tiny_ mistake and all the REAL Latin enthusiasts jump on me for it. When there are 40,000 members, it’s really hard to pretend to be an expert at anything 🙂 I don’t generally post in debate threads or the Pit because I only have time to visit the SDMB a couple times a week (because usually I spend about five hours reading threads… it’s awful! :)). And most of the Cafe Society threads aren’t about anything I can contribute much to (mostly Angel and music threads). And so that’s why I don’t post much. Too many smart people with better things to say than me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-has-44-000-members-and-20-000-readers-so-why-the/231182/25 "2004-03-01T18:50:49Z")
I’ve identified 30 people who registered the same day I did (4/13/02). Of these thirty, eleven have never posted a message; only seven post with anything approaching regularity. A quick review of posting habits shows that: Grenuaile - 155 - posts every few days Levdrakon - 458 - posts every day or so Nametag (me!) - 2380 - posts several times a day !ceQueen - 274 - posts several times a day for brief periods, then silent for weeks or months at a time Sheepi83 - 50 - didn’t post at all for nearly a year, then regularly (but not often) since then madonnaman - 31 - posted regularly for about a month, then sporadically thereafter Raoul Anatherwan - 32 Posted several times a day before he got banned (8 days) Of these, only Levdrakon and I are what I’d call “regulars”; I barely recognize !ceQueen, and I don’t recognize the less frequent posters at all. Assuming this sample to be average, maybe a tenth of all the members post often enough to be recognized, with some smaller fraction posting often enough to be “household names.” ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-has-44-000-members-and-20-000-readers-so-why-the/231182/26 "2004-03-02T09:05:50Z")
It’s funny you say that, **Nametag** because **!ceQueen** is more familiar to me than **Levdrakon**. Must be because we Dopers are kinda territorial, preferring to only read/post in specific types of threads. So we usually only see those whose interests are similar to our own. Come to think of it, that is more than likely part of the answer to the OP’s question. ---
**Author:** ![Lockz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Lockz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lockz)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-has-44-000-members-and-20-000-readers-so-why-the/231182/27 "2004-03-02T16:12:28Z")
I know I’d consider myself semi-active posting, but quite the avid reader of the Boards. There’s more of us out there than you think!!! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-has-44-000-members-and-20-000-readers-so-why-the/231182/28 "2004-03-02T16:32:22Z")
44,000 members, only 100,000 to go! waiting to see who gets that… _G_ ---
**Author:** ![hazeleyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/34f0e0/32.png) [@hazeleyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazeleyes)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-has-44-000-members-and-20-000-readers-so-why-the/231182/29 "2004-03-02T16:55:21Z")
I am one of those who read more but post little. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Papermache\_Prince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@Papermache\_Prince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Papermache_Prince)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-has-44-000-members-and-20-000-readers-so-why-the/231182/30 "2004-03-02T17:06:09Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > 44,000 members, only 100,000 to go! > > waiting to see who gets that… _G_ Would that be the number of the annointed that the Jehovah’s Witnesses believe go to heaven? ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-has-44-000-members-and-20-000-readers-so-why-the/231182/31 "2004-03-02T17:28:47Z")
> [@Papermache Prince](#): > > Would that be the number of the annointed that the Jehovah’s Witnesses believe go to heaven? Yeah, or the number of Israelites/Jews elect to survive the Great Tribulation. _G_ ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-has-44-000-members-and-20-000-readers-so-why-the/231182/32 "2004-03-02T19:20:25Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > 44,000 members, only 100,000 to go! > > waiting to see who gets that… _G_ Why it’s a grand gross, of course! 😃 Yes I read the spoilers. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-has-44-000-members-and-20-000-readers-so-why-the/231182/33 "2004-03-02T20:43:14Z")
And then there are the bloviating blatherskites who post great glurges of gallimaufric maunderings, till the hamsters cry out for mercy. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![the\_id](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@the\_id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_id)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-has-44-000-members-and-20-000-readers-so-why-the/231182/34 "2004-03-04T01:43:06Z")
I generally spend a great deal of time in GD, where the threads run 5+ pages long… I rarely say anything because I haven’t the time to read ALL the way through to the end, and don’t want to add anything unless I know that it hasn’t already been said. Yeah, that’s what I get for being interested in questions that have no obviously correct answer. Ah, well, back to lurking… ---
**Author:** ![Draknek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@Draknek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draknek)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-has-44-000-members-and-20-000-readers-so-why-the/231182/35 "2004-03-05T21:54:56Z")
I’m one of the 13800 who found this place through and signed up for the LotR thread. I come here with varying frequency, but as my post count makes obvious (I’m guessing this will be about my 10th post), I’m a lurker. I never have anything to add to any of the discussions I read. _goes back to lurking_ ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-has-44-000-members-and-20-000-readers-so-why-the/231182/36 "2004-03-06T01:51:20Z")
> [@Draknek](#): > > I never have anything to add to any of the discussions I read. Not even an opinion or an anecdote? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-has-44-000-members-and-20-000-readers-so-why-the/231182/37 "2004-03-06T02:07:19Z")
> [@cityboy916](#): > > Why it’s a grand gross, of course! 😃 > > Yes I read the spoilers. **Lynn Bodoni** and the rest of staff tend to frown on posters being gross! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilvert_s_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-has-44-000-members-and-20-000-readers-so-why-the/231182/38 "2004-03-06T02:14:32Z")
> [@EDS-MB20](#): > > Join Date: Mar 1999 > Posts: 1 I’ve never felt prolific on this board before - Thanks, EDS-MB20! 🙂 When I think of what has transpired since May 1999 - new lives and sad deaths, Y2K, HIPAA, months of business exile, I think I’m proud to have even as few as I have. ---
**Author:** ![Draknek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@Draknek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draknek)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-has-44-000-members-and-20-000-readers-so-why-the/231182/39 "2004-03-06T13:21:05Z")
> [@cityboy916](#): > > Not even an opinion or an anecdote? Not even that. I mostly read General Questions, especially the Maths-related topics, so I’m way out of my league. ---
**Author:** ![shimmery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@shimmery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shimmery)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-has-44-000-members-and-20-000-readers-so-why-the/231182/40 "2004-03-06T21:42:48Z")
> [@Qwisp](#): > > I think like a lot of other registered members, I read the board a lot more than I post. Most of the time in GQ the question has already been answered better than I could do it, or I’m just to lazy to type a reply out. I’ll construct entire replies in my head but decide not to post them for whatever reason. That’s exactly what I do! Sometimes I even type out a reply and then decide that it’s lame and I don’t want to post it. In fact, under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t even post this… but that would be too richly ironic! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-has-44-000-members-and-20-000-readers-so-why-the/231182.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-has-44-000-members-and-20-000-readers-so-why-the/231182.md?page=3)