The Trajectory of Forum Membership

[tallannie]

So I think I have recognized a pattern in Forum membership...

STAGE 1: Newbie
--first joins and acknowledges newness....seeks information to help their own ride primarily
----------Alt 1: Previous experience in other forums...joins to lurk for a while and then jump to STAGE 2 quickly

STAGE 2: Contributor
--begins contributing to a few threads related to their experiences...but still primarily gaining knowledge
--gets intrigued by getting a higher post count
--watches certain members posts routinely to learn the feel of the board....
--moving slowly into the space of helping others
----------Alt 2: Starts hitting a hot button topic of their own.... stays focused only on their needs...may trigger anger in others
----------Alt 3 Becomes a 'post whore" and contributes inanities to as many threads as they can.

STAGE 3: Seasoned Member
--Interest in helping others broadens to searching daily for topics of interest
--begins to own the forum conduct rules and holds self and others accountable
--Probably less than 10% reach this stage
---------Alt 4: Drops out of the forum..

STAGE 4: Old Hand
--gets bored with seeing the SAME topics occur over and over ...may withdraw from active role
--may begin to refer people to the search box instead of helping....
--may spend more time 'off topic' than 'on' in search of wit
--level of contribution falls way off
--engages mostly with old friends... again, often with humorous intent
------- Alt 5: Continues to seek and help newbies ( rare )
------- Alt 6: Drops out of forum
------- Alt 7: Becomes moderator and hangs in for a long time in a more parental role

The duration of these stages varies...but I think it is a common trajectory...

Annie

[Motorcycle Forum]

[300winmag]

Annie, Great thread!!
Don't forget about the member who trolls around looking for reasons to pick apart a thread just to start arguments!!!
Who could be addicted to this site so much it drives him crazy so he takes it out on everybody else....
Who could have some serious short comings in life so he starts cyber bullying people to make up for it...
Who could also be a post whore...
I could go on but you get my point.

[tallannie]

yes...thank goodness you didnt name names.... !!! LOL

Annie, Great thread!!
Don't forget about the member who trolls around looking for reasons to pick apart a thread just to start arguments!!!
Who could be addicted to this site so much it drives him crazy so he takes it out on everybody else....
Who could have some serious short comings in life so he starts cyber bullying people to make up for it...
Who could also be a post whore...
I could go on but you get my point.

[frostbitevinnie]

I occasionally lurk here but I am somewhat involved with a specific (C90T) forum that is and has been very active. This place used to be hopping and I'm not quite sure why it died. Many of us MN members keep in contact outside of the forum and ride together.

I have to say that I really don't like the new format. I don't know, harder for me to focus on. Just me I suppose.

[inspiron]

So I think I have recognized a pattern in Forum membership...

STAGE 4: Old Hand
------- Alt 7: Becomes moderator and hangs in for a long time in a more parental role

Hey, I resemble that remark. Now go clean up your room!

[Aussie Steve]

Wow Vinnie IS alive!!!!

[tallannie]

Yes Dad !!!!

Hey, I resemble that remark. Now go clean up your room!

[tallannie]

It DID die... and I think it suggests the timespan to run thru all the stages is 3 or 4 years ? A big bunch of us were very active and kept the place hopping.... and then we reached stage 4....

I occasionally lurk here but I am somewhat involved with a specific (C90T) forum that is and has been very active. This place used to be hopping and I'm not quite sure why it died. Many of us MN members keep in contact outside of the forum and ride together.

I have to say that I really don't like the new format. I don't know, harder for me to focus on. Just me I suppose.

[intimid8er]

Facebook killed the motorcycle forum. Just as video killed the radio star.


Just a small part of the overall doins I'd guess. Other's would be 300 Winmag's observation. I see too much of a small cadre of members being the first one(s) in on a thread, and especially a "help" thread, and just out and out thrashing the poor guy for having the temerity to modify his bike, or give a thinly veiled lecture laced full of assumptions of what was or wasn't done to the bike. I dunno, I'd be discouraged if I posted a question, and the first response was either full on negative, or a thinly veiled negative one, that took a tone inferring that I somehow monkeyed with the bike to get to the situation I'm in, or rather, my monkeying was the cause, and I shouldn't ever touch it.

I'd take a good hard look at what was going on.

To whit, we also effin' rocked when we were Suzuki Bikes dot com. That had some sort of direction. Motorcycle-Journal was the beginning of the loss of the compass and the rudder falling off the back of the ship. Trying to appeal to the broadest spectrum as possible, without really having a draw at all in any of the categories hasn't been a big draw from what I can see. The exception being the M50 category. Which when we started that, was essentially the clearinghouse for all things M50 on the 'net. Every other forum virtually ignored the M50 and that brought us M50 owners, Volusia owners, C50, C90, et-al. The appealing to the broadest spectrum has, IMO, created a gradual erosion of participation of the regulars, and those that stayed, fall into the later stages of Annie's hypothesis. It almost feels as if we're aboard the ship from The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner. An empty ship manned by ghosts and skeleton's drifting about on the vast empty ocean of the interwebz waiting for a stout breeze to once again fill the sails and give us purpose.

[Aussie Steve]

^What?^

[300winmag]

Facebook could also heal us as I mentioned before.... in a thread that got jacked lol
I think I was told you needed the higher ups to make it so but they went on an "extended vacation" which sucks.
We would get a lot more "active" members if vacation time were handed out to abusive/trolling/annoying/instigating members.
All to often I see a newbie get pushed away because of harsh replies to the OPs thread.

[intimid8er]

^What?^

I like to ramble.

Prop me in the corner with a pint, and occasionally check in on me and wipe the drool off my chine, I'm good to go.

[artistic_gore]

I try not to scare off the newcomers. I will answer there questions to the best of my ability, if I feel like I can't contribute or can't do it peacefully I won't respond.

[Y2K]

I am such a square,I'll never fit in that round peg hole.........
I just hang around,sometimes to help sometimes to raise hell.

[Aussie Steve]

Sad really isn't it?...there were so many who have gone and in such a strange way too....remember Buster?? he just up and left mid stream...same with Kay in Japan....ahh getting all teary can't see to type mukink ereras...gauta gow!