# I see at the moment there are 17 members.....



## AZ Jim (Feb 16, 2015)

online and 425 guests.  I wonder how many of the guests ever join up and become members??


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## hollydolly (Feb 16, 2015)

Sometimes we seem to get a lot of people joining..introducing themselves to us..we welcome them ,   then that's the last we see of them,,..I always wonder why they don't stay around...it's a shame!!


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## Ameriscot (Feb 16, 2015)

Yes, a lot of people just like to lurk.


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## AZ Jim (Feb 16, 2015)

And then there's the "invisible" member, yes? So, we don't know how many members are really on here at any one time.


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## QuickSilver (Feb 16, 2015)

hollydolly said:


> Sometimes we seem to get a lot of people joining..introducing themselves to us..we welcome them ,   then that's the last we see of them,,..I always wonder why they don't stay around...it's a shame!!



I've always wondered about that.   If I'm going to go through the trouble of registering and introducing myself... I'm certainly going to post.  Perhaps they just don't like us?


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## AZ Jim (Feb 16, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> I've always wondered about that.   If I'm going to go through the trouble of registering and introducing myself... I'm certainly going to post.  Perhaps they just don't like us?



Well you perhaps but who could  resist me????


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## QuickSilver (Feb 16, 2015)

I think that there is something called a "BOT"......  these are programs that troll forums looking for things... although I can't for the life of me figure out what... anyway, I am told that these "bots" can show up as guests...  So.. I think we don't have as many humanoid guests as we think we do..


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## Ameriscot (Feb 16, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> I think that there is something called a "BOT"......  these are programs that troll forums looking for things... although I can't for the life of me figure out what... anyway, I am told that these "bots" can show up as guests...  So.. I think we don't have as many humanoid guests as we think we do..



Can't remember if this forum had it when I signed up but if it has one of those boxes where you have to type what numbers/letters you see, then only humans can register. Or very smart animals.


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## AprilT (Feb 16, 2015)

hollydolly said:


> Sometimes we seem to get a lot of people joining..introducing themselves to us..we welcome them ,   then that's the last we see of them,,..I always wonder why they don't stay around...it's a shame!!



Which is exactly why I rarely go to the new members section and say anything.  I'll see if they're really going to become a member or a drive by.


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## AZ Jim (Feb 16, 2015)

With so many members invisible, I now wonder how many members are really online too.


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## QuickSilver (Feb 16, 2015)

AZ Jim said:


> With so many members invisible, I now wonder how many members are really online too.



I can't imagine why anyone would want to be an "invisible" member.... do they think anyone really cares if they are reading or not?  Seriously...


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## AZ Jim (Feb 16, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> I can't imagine why anyone would want to be an "invisible" member.... do they think anyone really cares if they are reading or not?  Seriously...



I don't do it but I reckon it's to each his own.


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## Vivjen (Feb 16, 2015)

I'm the same, April......but I do like lurking!


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## Josiah (Feb 16, 2015)

AprilT said:


> Which is exactly why I rarely go to the new members section and say anything.  I'll see if they're really going to become a member or a drive by.



That's my feeling exactly.


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## oakapple (Feb 16, 2015)

Although we don't want to put people off by being too assertive [that they should post comments.] Perhaps they would like to get 'the lie of the land' as it were, by lurking for a while.


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## AZ Jim (Feb 16, 2015)

oakapple said:


> Although we don't want to put people off by being too assertive [that they should post comments.] Perhaps they would like to get 'the lie of the land' as it were, by lurking for a while.



I prefer people do that.  Then they have enough insight to be familiar with the players and what goes on before leaping in totally ignorant as to what we're about.


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## Josiah (Feb 16, 2015)

Jim where are you seeing these currently connected statistics?


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## AZ Jim (Feb 16, 2015)

Josiah09 said:


> Jim where are you seeing these currently connected statistics?



At he bottom of the home page.  Hit "Forum" and go to the bottom.


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## Josiah (Feb 16, 2015)

In looking at the names of the currently online members I notice that some names are followed by a + any idea what that signifies?


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## AZ Jim (Feb 16, 2015)

Yes it means they are friends of yours!


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## Davey Jones (Feb 16, 2015)

AZ Jim said:


> online and 425 guests.  I wonder how many of the guests ever join up and become members??



A lot of guests just peek in a read a few posts from different posters, I use to be a member of 6 forums then I find out in some of those its the same old stories with the same old topic, eventually you get tired of it.  Im down to 3 forums now and have a life.


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## Ina (Feb 16, 2015)

Sometime we just want to see what our friends are up, but don't have anything to say. :grin:


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## Matrix (Feb 16, 2015)

The majority of guests found this forum by Googling specific information such as "cenegenics" other than "senior forums", they may not even realize they were on a discussion forum, they read the thread like a regular web page and leave.

_- Copied from an old thread on this topic._


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## Josiah (Feb 16, 2015)

Matrix said:


> The majority of guests found this forum by Googling specific information such as "cenegenics" other than "senior forums", they may not even realize they were on a discussion forum, they read the thread like a regular web page and leave.
> 
> _- Copied from an old thread on this topic._



That certainly explains a lot. I kept sitting here wondering why these hundreds of strangers were following our threads. Now I see they're not.


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## Kitties (Feb 16, 2015)

I'm not an invisible member. I'm not the biggest poster. And usually I'm not on the forum all week when I work. I'm very glad to have found this forum though.


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## Ina (Feb 16, 2015)

Kitties, Many of us have been here for a while, things happen and we must take care of them, then we come back to see how many of our friends are doing.  The nice thing is that a lot of times, we meet new members that are fun to speak to, so i hope you enjoy it here.


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## Butterfly (Feb 16, 2015)

Maybe "invisible members" are members who are reading but haven't logged in for their visit??


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## Matrix (Feb 16, 2015)

No, invisible members are logged-in, they set their online status to be invisible.


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## SifuPhil (Feb 17, 2015)

I always understood that the majority of the visitors you see on the front page are bots, and there are a ton of them out there - Google bots, AdWord bots, Alexa bots, cold bots, hot bots ... sometimes they're called "spiders", and what they do is crawl around the site looking for keywords, which in turn are what many people search for on the search engines. 

So yes, you might have 50 human members and 400 bots all scrambling around the site at the same time. Sort of like a picnic when you spill the honey on the blanket ...


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## Ken N Tx (Feb 17, 2015)

Matrix said:


> No, invisible members are logged-in, they set their online status to be invisible.



One Forum that I belonged to (Moderator/Admin.) we set receive e mail to default so new members would get an e mail if there intro post was replied to, we also had the PM set that way. They could change the notification later if they wanted to.


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## QuickSilver (Feb 17, 2015)

SifuPhil said:


> I always understood that the majority of the visitors you see on the front page are bots, and there are a ton of them out there - Google bots, AdWord bots, Alexa bots, cold bots, hot bots ... sometimes they're called "spiders", and what they do is crawl around the site looking for keywords, which in turn are what many people search for on the search engines.
> 
> So yes, you might have 50 human members and 400 bots all scrambling around the site at the same time. Sort of like a picnic when you spill the honey on the blanket ...



well... we have cooties then?


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## Ralphy1 (Feb 17, 2015)

Probably ants...


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## Ken N Tx (Feb 18, 2015)

I sign in in the AM on my desktop, I have my signin saved on my tablet, so it seems I appear as always here..


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## ClassicRockr (Feb 18, 2015)

Yes, there are a lot of "looky-loo's" on here! Some folks are afraid if they reply to something, they will say the wrong thing and it will turn into a debate or worse, as in "I know your new and seem nice, but what kind of crazy thing are you saying here?". One thing my wife really hates to do and that is, get into a debate. She's not real big on "confrontation", whereas I'm ok with it and will debate something.


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## Ameriscot (Feb 18, 2015)

I am always signed in on my PC, tablet and phone so I guess I look like I'm here all the time.


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## AZ Jim (Feb 18, 2015)

Ameriscot said:


> I am always signed in on my PC, tablet and phone so I guess I look like I'm here all the time.



Me too.


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## Falcon (Feb 18, 2015)

Many new members are never heard from again because they take a look at the smugness and snide remarks on some threads
and *FLEE*, never to be heard from again.

Also, if a new member doesn't bother to fill out the profile, I don't bother to welcome them. (I know, I know; it's not required.)

 I never sign out. What's the use?  I'm gonna' be right back in the following morning.


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## mporta (Feb 18, 2015)

Maybe they sign up and then forget what site they signed up for?


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## mporta (Feb 18, 2015)

Maybe they sign up and then forget what site they signed up for?


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## ClassicRockr (Feb 18, 2015)

Have to fully agree with Falcon!



Falcon said:


> Many new members are never heard from again because they take a look at the smugness and snide remarks on some threads
> and *FLEE*, never to be heard from again.
> 
> Also, if a new member doesn't bother to fill out the profile, I don't bother to welcome them. (I know, I know; it's not required.)
> ...


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## ~Lenore (Feb 18, 2015)

*I am invisible. nthego:*


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## AprilT (Feb 18, 2015)

~Lenore said:


> *I am invisible. nthego:*



Me too, just call me a ghost.


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## AZ Jim (Feb 18, 2015)

Falcon said:


> Many new members are never heard from again because they take a look at the smugness and snide remarks on some threads
> and *FLEE*, never to be heard from again.
> 
> Also, if a new member doesn't bother to fill out the profile, I don't bother to welcome them. (I know, I know; it's not required.)
> ...



Would you rather everyone agree with everyone on every issue?  I see passion but I have yet to see anything beyond aggressive defense of an opinion.


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## QuickSilver (Feb 18, 2015)

AprilT said:


> Me too, just call me a ghost.



ok.... so I feel I can ask you..   why?


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## AprilT (Feb 18, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> ok.... so I feel I can ask you..   why?



I've always wanted the power to be completely invisible, now I have it.   With that, now I feel I can ask, why do you care. LOL!  Seriously, If I check those stats I have to be extremely bored and thinking maybe it's time I find something else to do with my time off line.  Really, because that's just way too much free time except for the mods and such.  LOL


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## AZ Jim (Feb 18, 2015)

AprilT said:


> I've always wanted the power to be completely invisible, now I have it.   With that, now I feel I can ask, why do you care. LOL!  Seriously, If I check those stats I have to be extremely bored and thinking maybe it's time I find something else to do with my time off line.  Really, because that's just way too much free time except for the mods and such.  LOL



Well April, I look at them occasionally to see whose online and whose Birthday and I have lot's of free time and nothing else I need  to do so there ya go.


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## AprilT (Feb 18, 2015)

AZ Jim said:


> Well April, I look at them occasionally to see whose online and whose Birthday and I have lot's of free time and nothing else I need  to do so there ya go.



LOL!  Jim, you know I'm just messin, as if I'm filling my time with important things other than visiting here most of the time myself these days.


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## AZ Jim (Feb 18, 2015)

AprilT said:


> LOL!  Jim, you know I'm just messin, as if I'm filling my time with important things other than visiting here most of the time myself these days.



I figured you burned your toast this morning....no big thang...


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## oakapple (Feb 18, 2015)

AZ has more important things to do....... but nothing better to do [there's a difference!]


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## AZ Jim (Feb 18, 2015)

oakapple said:


> AZ has more important things to do....... but nothing better to do [there's a difference!]



Not true, I took care of my bird feeders, bird baths and a couple of garage tasks this early AM so I am free as a bird.


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## Catraoine (Feb 19, 2015)

I am new, I have spent a fair bit of time just reading posts and getting to know people's views and what interests them. I definitely won't be leaving !!


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