# The elephant in the room. 4063 active members **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 4, 2017, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139 "2017-06-04T23:07:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139/41 "2017-06-05T15:05:53Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > EDIT: I initially misread that as saying something about quality vs. quantity, to which I replied that it sounds like a cliché but it’s really true – as long as good discussions from thoughtful and knowledgeable posters are forthcoming, that’s all that matters. Of all Internet venues for discussion of general topics, this board still has the highest ratio of informed posters to the inevitable gang of idiots and trolls that I know of. Too many active posters is actually a disadvantage at some point because discussions become unmanageable. It would be unfortunate if quality posters are leaving, but I’ve seen no evidence of that, and if a high proportion of the riffraff is being diverted to “social media” like Facebook, I’m not sure if much value is being lost. > > If quality is indeed being lost, then I agree it’s a problem. I haven’t been around long enough to see that. One of the aspects to “quality” of discussions on a message board is access to multiple opinions and experiences. As the number of posters dwindles, those experiences/opinions dwindle as well. I’ve noticed that General Questions is much less likely to produce a definitive response from someone knowledgeable in the needed field than in the days of yore. Or so at least it seems to me. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby\_Slippers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/94ad74/32.png) [@Ruby\_Slippers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby_Slippers)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139/42 "2017-06-05T15:07:32Z")
Some of us don’t post much but we enjoy reading this board! ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139/43 "2017-06-05T15:13:28Z")
I don’t think there’s any question that this online format is shrinking, not only in overall population but in quality of participation. There are any number of boards for special interests that have hundreds of thousands of users and thousands of active users, but I’ve dropped out of so many I’ve lost count. The days when I could go on, say, the Odyssey forum and ask a question and get two or three good answers within a day are long gone. Ditto the two Volvo forums. Great Dane forums. Cobra forum. DIY forums. You get no answer, brainless answer or blow-off answers. (What particularly irks me is that if you make your post short, you get a dozen completely useless posts suggesting you check obvious things or do irrelevant fixes; if you write the problem out at length, you get no replies or a “Jeez, write a novel, wontcha” blow-off.) SDMB seems to be the last great bastion of reasonably intelligent, reasonably civil, broad-spectrum, **long-form** , **persistent-topic** discussion. Yay. We win. But we’re still slowly dying off. Sucks that the long-form forums were killed off so thoroughly for bogus reasons and in favor of shiny biff-bam-boom modernity. Pretty soon no one will even know you can’t write a sonnet in 140 characters. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139/44 "2017-06-05T15:38:48Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > **Ambivalid** is on the money about 100 people generating the majority of new posts. That’s clearly wrong. Just checking “New Posts” for today, in the past 10 hours there have been 172 posts made by at least 130 posters (I just made a rough count). Only a minority of posters make more than one or two posts a day. Less than a quarter of posts were made by posters who posted more than once in that time period. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139/45 "2017-06-05T16:19:44Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > That’s clearly wrong. Just checking “New Posts” for today, in the past 10 hours there have been 172 posts made by at least 130 posters (I just made a rough count). Only a minority of posters make more than one or two posts a day. Less than a quarter of posts were made by posters who posted more than once in that time period. So you’re saying that 100 posters made more than 87 posts? Then Ambivalid is right! (In a meaningless way, but right.) ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139/46 "2017-06-05T16:30:38Z")
> [@Crazyhorse](#): > > According to [Alexa data](http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/straightdope.com)the entire [straightdope.com](http://straightdope.com) domain (the main column, these boards, and the games site) ranks 7,261 in traffic worldwide and 2,280 in traffic in the USA. The site has an 88% bounce rate meaning that only 12% of those who visit a given page go on to view another page in the same session, which means that “active members” make up less than 12% of the board’s traffic. The average time spent on the site by each visitor is just over 2 minutes and 54% of all visits to the site begin with a search engine. Let’s try to reframe this properly. Of all the sites hosted in the USA - all of them - the SD as a whole ranks 2280th, I don’t know - and I’m unsure anyone really knows - how many sites there are hosted inside the US but if it’s only 2 million that puts us in the top 1/10 of one percent of all sites in the US. Given that I feel certain the number of sites exceeds 2 million I’d say that’s a pretty good number regardless of how we get there. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139/47 "2017-06-05T16:56:59Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > There may be 4000 members but 95% of the posts are made by a very small number of people. 100 maybe? > [@Crazyhorse](#): > > Getting google searchers to click a link and view one page that has ads on it is far more important to the bottom line than maintaining higher numbers of ‘active members’ who post daily and read lots of threads. At least for now. In the board’s heyday so many prolific posters created so much content the board can coast for years like this with no new posts at all. Of course that isn’t sustainable forever but for the time being I wouldn’t worry that a year over year decline in active posters makes much difference. Little Ed is sitting on a gold mine in terms of search engine/ad revenue for the foreseeable future. So the key to the Board’s survival is simple. Every month, the 100 or so active members get together and agree to make new posts on subjects that can be best described as clickbait. When people Google those terms, they’ll find a steady stream of recent SDMB threads. 1. Click on thread 2. Be exposed to ad 3. PROFIT! Of course, to optimize this, the heaviest posters will need to change their focus slightly. Instead of Donald Trump, post about **Melania Trump**. Instead of Jared Kushner, post about **Ivanka Trump**. Instead of starting a thread called [Speaking Elvish for Pontecost](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=652129) call it **Lord of the Rings language** And instead of [Legality of owning counterfeit goods](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=827544), just rename it **One simple trick to save money on desighner clothes** ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139/48 "2017-06-05T17:07:50Z")
I find the stats from Alexa interesting, but to access their more complete lists you need to pay. They do offer for free the top 50 sites in the US, which include mostly obvious ones like google, reddit, etc. A few porn sites, but I see no message boards in the top 50. The categorization they do isn’t clear to me how to find message boards either,[but we are #1](http://www.alexa.com/topsites/category/Recreation/Humor/Science)in the Recreation \> Humor \> Science category! ---
**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:** [June 5, 2017, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139/49 "2017-06-05T17:12:14Z")
I love it – “Recreation, Humor, and Science.” That should go on our official seal, in Latin. (Maybe Sig could design it). RECREATIO HUMOR SCIENTIA ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139/50 "2017-06-05T18:19:59Z")
yeah I get the point a lot of the people that made the board interesting to read are mia … or in one specific thread like the mmp thread But no one realizes that 40 percent of our registered members are people who sign up for single threads … we had one lord of the rings parody thread where the premise was you wrote it in the style various authors… that thing was the biggest single thread for years and an estimated 1 to 2 k or more people signed up just that single thread there are others like theres one that pops time to time like the "I hate tne new girl singing styles " thread that people say things like "I signed up to the board just to bitch about this " but its always been mostly the same people talking to each other just we don’t seem to have the more prolific ones any more ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139/51 "2017-06-05T18:56:14Z")
That’s my fucking ATM PIN! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139/52 "2017-06-05T19:03:44Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > That’s my fucking ATM PIN! :mad: Hey, everybody, I’ve got an idea for where we could get some money to keep the boards running! ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139/53 "2017-06-05T19:20:06Z")
I don’t think it’s accurate to say the message-board medium is dying. It’s unclear to me why there should be a distinction between say SDMB, Facebook, and Reddit. They are all sites where users post content directed at each other. If this site is dying (and if you’re not growing, you’re dying), it’s because the namesake newsprint column is in a dying medium. I haven’t seen the Straight Dope column in the wild for over a decade. As the advertising slows, so does the foot traffic to here. Has anyone looked into starting a Straight Dope subreddit? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139/54 "2017-06-05T19:59:33Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > I don’t know - and I’m unsure anyone really knows - how many sites there are hosted inside the US but if it’s only 2 million . Yeah, 'bout that… Netcraft’s Survey for **[May](https://news.netcraft.com/)** 2017 contacted 1,814,996,345 sites. Netcraft may be off sometimes; these are world wide not simply America; even the majority maybe null pages — often a microsoft trick to increase headcount, or parked domains, or just there to later sell the domain name, but since I’m no good at maths I ran it though an online converter to words. ---- **[Nicholas Academy:](https://nicholasacademy.com/numbertowordconverter.html)** _One billion, eight hundred and fourteen million, nine hundred and ninety-six thousand, three hundred and forty-five._ ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139/55 "2017-06-05T20:27:49Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > Hmmm. I had assumed there were about 30 people and a lot of socks. Maybe it’s good! I think there are only two of us and a lot of socks. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139/56 "2017-06-05T20:30:42Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I think there are only two of us and a lot of socks. Definitely! ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139/57 "2017-06-05T20:57:23Z")
Many of y’all have talked about message boards being passe. Would someone explain to this old fart what the yutes are using in their stead? Speak clearly so I don’t have to turn up my hearing aid! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139/58 "2017-06-05T21:11:22Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Let’s try to reframe this properly. > > Of all the sites hosted in the USA - all of them - the SD as a whole ranks 2280th, I don’t know - and I’m unsure anyone really knows - how many sites there are hosted inside the US but if it’s only 2 million that puts us in the top 1/10 of one percent of all sites in the US. Given that I feel certain the number of sites exceeds 2 million I’d say that’s a pretty good number regardless of how we get there. Looking more carefully that statistic it’s based on how many visitors from the US come to the site, not necessarily related to how many sites are hosted from within the US. In other words out of all web requests coming from inside the US, whether those requests go to sites hosted within the US or anywhere in the world, we are 2,280th and out of all requests originating anywhere in the world to any sites anywhere in the world, we are 7,261st. Considering there are over a billion active websites in the world that isn’t just pretty good, its \*really \*good. Extremely good. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139/59 "2017-06-05T21:14:03Z")
> [@D18](#): > > Many of y’all have talked about message boards being passe. Would someone explain to this old fart what the yutes are using in their stead? Speak clearly so I don’t have to turn up my hearing aid! 😉 Facehole and the like. ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139/60 "2017-06-05T21:18:16Z")
OK - so if I have a question that I want to ask thousands of people, how do I do that on MyBook. Or is it FaceSpace? I thought it would only go to my so-called friends? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-4063-active-members/788139.md?page=4)