All those lurkers... not sure what the answer is.

[steveoh]

It kills me to see 30 guests crawling the Guild, and not joining up, not logging in, and not contributing with their experience, questions, images, etc. This is a horrible ratio of guests to users.

Maybe, we kill the ads for registered and logged in users, and double or triple or quadruple the ads for guests.

Something to chew on.

And to think we're giving away stuff, and still, 30 guests vs 2 users. Curious.

Steveoh

[Alan]

I agree. So far, 23 people have posted a guess, but 10 of those have not qualified (at least 25 posts).

We're still going to give the gun away, but only to those who HAVE qualified.

[kkarmical]

I'll admit to reading here pretty much daily, posting here not so much, I'm placing myself on a self imposed timeout because there's really no excuse?

[Alan]

You're forgiven!

[Motorhead]

Just a long time air gunner / web forum user ....

The trend observed across the Net go's this way, folks want info for nothing investing nothing but a few mouse clicks, there need & want is so narrow in scope and attention so short before off again chasing another snippet of info that actually investing ones time and effort in contributing is not even in the equation.

For the experienced the questions asked by the less educated is a rerun of the same over and over & over again.  In a WAG ... pretty safe bet 90%+ of the questions one would ask have been answered before & the info is already out there.

So this creates a double edge sword for forums ..... People who actually use SEARCHES find what there after with no need to engage in conversations while those who can't or don't use search functions enter the forums & have trouble getting sound information because those who are posting in response frequently are simply regurgitating something read or heard elsewhere.  * Many times that's fine and info is sound, but a lot is a mix & mash mess of miss information too.

The world wide Web after 25+ years has for many lost it's allure turning into a data base that honestly really needs little content updating or conversation but for New tech & R&D etc ...


JMO 

[Joe]

Just a long time air gunner / web forum user ....

The trend observed across the Net go's this way, folks want info for nothing investing nothing but a few mouse clicks, there need & want is so narrow in scope and attention so short before off again chasing another snippet of info that actually investing ones time and effort in contributing is not even in the equation.

For the experienced the questions asked by the less educated is a rerun of the same over and over & over again.  In a WAG ... pretty safe bet 90%+ of the questions one would ask have been answered before & the info is already out there.

So this creates a double edge sword for forums ..... People who actually use SEARCHES find what there after with no need to engage in conversations while those who can't or don't use search functions enter the forums & have trouble getting sound information because those who are posting in response frequently are simply regurgitating something read or heard elsewhere.  * Many times that's fine and info is sound, but a lot is a mix & mash mess of miss information too.

The world wide Web after 25+ years has for many lost it's allure turning into a data base that honestly really needs little content updating or conversation but for New tech & R&D etc ...


JMO 

+1 Scott; well said!

[Alan]

Let me take an alternate view.

My other web site is amateur radio based, and aimed at mobile operators. 25 years ago, people did thing right. Like drilling holes in sheet metal to mount antennas. Now all they're looking for is ways around drilling hole, be darned how poorly those antennas work! Same goes for airguns I'd bet.

[Frank in Fairfield]

Adds?
What adds?
I don’t read no stinkin adds!

[steveoh]

I run a boat building forum that’s been around in multiple forms since 2000.  It has always been the same. You have a core group of contributors who are always open, friendly, highly experienced and often educated, who seem to be excited about passing on their enthusiasm. They are amazing teachers and it’s been an enormous pleasure to be associated with them. And, yep they have patiently answered the same questions countless times. I bow to these these amazing people.

Lurkers have the highest numbers. They have varying reasons for not speaking up or contributing. But it’s funny, almost every launch of my home built boat will entice folks to walk over to the ramp, introduce themselves as someone who read my boat journal and maybe belonged to my forum, but who was silent. I find it interesting and am heartened to find this is a small world.

I truly love the folks who start as lurkers, then become the person with a gazillion questions, gains experience and then graduates to become a core member of the group who is now educator.

This is the very best of the Internet, and why I keep at it.

Thank you all! You are all awesome in your individual ways.

[d_boom]

I was one of those guest, but when I saw content quality on the Guild I wanted to join. 
Question, do I always need to loge on?  Quite often I am not leaving responses, but just
reading should I then log on anyway?

[Motorhead]

Let me take an alternate view.

My other web site is amateur radio based, and aimed at mobile operators. 25 years ago, people did thing right. Like drilling holes in sheet metal to mount antennas. Now all they're looking for is ways around drilling hole, be darned how poorly those antennas work! Same goes for airguns I'd bet.

As kind of a side conversation, and keeping a light on folks wanting short cuts or simply not "Following the recipe" as prescribed.

There is the subject of UPDATE & MOD parts, some you can purchase some you make yourself that flood the forums technical areas. The latest & greatest Wizzbang devise to make more power, save more air, shoot smoother, quieter, better shot count, etc etc  ( airgun specific )

 UNIVERSALLY ... Folks read and glean many times ONLY WHAT THEY WISH TO UNDERSTAND or WANT and start down the road of a Mich-Mash self assembled project ... only to find many times the parts and pieces chosen & how assembled really don't play well together and there dream of awesomeness comes up short.

Which leads them back into the forums whining or cleverly wording there questions in an attempt to hear what they wish to hear w/o really engaging in solid educational conversation.
Again NOT REALLY participating ... but looking for the simple & quick fix.   If these said folks have had there fill of humble pie by this time, you may get them to open up and sit back and spend some invested time is actually learning what the hell there attempting to build and realistic end results .... If there not willing, they become / stay lurkers gleaning all the info they can on a bandage fix to a self created bastard project.


THIS IS NOT SPECIFIC TO any forum or subject matter ... it is universal and the end result of TMI ( Too Much Information )  digested by those who really have limited skills in applying it.



Sorry for my soapbox rant  ... I'm done.

[caniborrowsomeammo]

I was one of those guest, but when I saw content quality on the Guild I wanted to join. 
Question, do I always need to loge on?  Quite often I am not leaving responses, but just
reading should I then log on anyway?

My settings are to log me in "forever" whenever I click on The Guild. Option is right below your username and password when logging in. Well it is on my computer at least.

[Alan]

Yes the ads are gone, save for the links at the bottom of the page. Those, is case you don't know, are outstanding companies and individuals, who have helped sustain this site. Those shall remain.