I just looked at the profile of a member whose name I didn’t recognise but who contributed to a thread I was reading, and it turns out s/he has been on here for more than 6 years.

Bizarrely, though, s/he has only contributed to about a dozen pages worth of threads, which essentially means s/he only drops in a couple of times per year.

Besides not knowing that such an approach was even possible(!), I don’t totally get it. How would you decide when to drop in? What would determine what you comment on? Wouldn’t it be like having a regular pub in which to enjoy a pint, but only popping in very, very infrequently, overhearing a conversation, adding a sentence or two, then running out again?

I can understand not using the forum at all, or using it all the time; these Christmas and Easter users, however, I just don’t get. 😉

They could be someone like me. I read the forum a lot but rarely have anything constructive to add to any threads outside the odd daft comment or link to a route in the North.

They are a lurker reading and only occasionally contributing. Or to put it another way they are laughing at you not with you 🙂

Some people don’t spend their days scouring forums for people who only post infrequently, then wondering why.

rarely have anything constructive to add

See, that doesn’t stop me

An outsider ….. GET HIM [or her]!

rarely have anything constructive to add

That’s two three of us, then!

I disagree vehemently, with graphs.

This forum isn’t the most welcoming to ‘new’ voices a lot of the time.
I prefer to keep my mouth shut most of the time as I don’t want to get involved in the usual STW circle jerk.
(Mainly the Chat forum that refers to, there’s a fair bit of useful info and help on the Bike side.)

Is it me? (scuttles off and waits for easter)

I’ve been here for probably 12 years and for a few years spent far far too much time posting every single day, all day.

After all this time I’ve seen it all before really. STW is very predictable. I still come here to scan through the Chat forum most lunchtimes for anything that piques my interest. Some of the old guard are still pretty funny.

I only ever post now if I feel I have have something worthwhile to contribute.

I love web fora and I’ve learned a lot from the members, especially when we owned a Land Rover and I was on LROI all day. For me thay are like a virtual pub full of only people who share your interest.

Wouldn’t it be like having a regular pub in which to enjoy a pint, but only popping in very, very infrequently, overhearing a conversation, adding a sentence or two, then running out again?

it’s nothing like that at all.

I disagree vehemently, with graphs.

What’s wrong with graphs?

some people post on here every day/hour but rarely have anything constructive to add.

It’s all audis and bigots these days. It used to all be fields and knowledge.

I tend to talk a load of old pony in real life.

I see no reason to be hypocritical by posting sensible, intelligent comments on here.

+1

Or they keep spamming me with their 38 degrees propaganda shite … sometime they got their propaganda right but most of the time just shite abuse of technology/new media whatever shite you call it nowadays …

I read it way more than I post – I use the forum as a content aggregator for my biking life…occasionally I post if I get drawn in…its great for learning stuff or asking questions..but i must admit I don’t understand why people ‘deabte’ stuff..it often seems to be taken the wrong way and then stuff goes round and round in circles e.g. that Maxxis calendar thread….just seems pointless to me…

Fine to dip in and out. All a matter of thread timing though.

It’s when people put up big posts where they quote excerpts from someone else’s post and answer each one in turn because of some perceived slight or misunderstood post, that any meaningful debate diminishes.

Lurking,it’s the future I tell yea.

Waves to Jamie

I’ve been here seven years but probably only post a couple of times a week if that. I’m constantly reading the forum though (or so it seems!!)

I have been on here for a few years. My very first thread was met with a first post of negativity and its pretty much been the same since.

I like reading the funny stuff not the opinions.

Lurking is by far the most popular way this forum is read.

Here’s a stat.

This thread…
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/flooding-1

Has 125 ‘Voices’ – ie people posting.

However, that thread has been read over 25,000 times by 18,000 people.

Rusty Spanner – Member
I tend to talk a load of old pony in real life.
I see no reason to be hypocritical by posting sensible, intelligent comments on here.

I disagree you seem to talk sense in real life, as to the guff you post on here 😉

How big?

where they quote excerpts from someone else’s post and answer each one in turn

well it’s the only way to keep things in context

because of some perceived slight

did you spill my drink?

or misunderstood post, that any meaningful debate diminishes.

I disagree

😉

🙂

I’m my defence, I’ve been stuck in a lot lately.

I shall try not to post on topics I’ve contributed to before.

It’s possible they took a job working for a bunch of fascist #*&@s who revoked their internet browsing privileges because they got caught posting on cycling forums when they were supposed to be doing something else and spent most of their non-work hours huddled in misery drinking the pain away so could only post sporadically.

They may have a life.

Ooh, is it me? That could definitely be me.

I read it plenty, but very rarely post. It’s not often I feel I have anything to add.

OP
Never mind all this,have you sorted out that front mech yet? 😛

They may have a life.

That’s crazy talk.

Personally I intentionally don’t post on here in many threads because I know that certain people will pick through what I’ve said and then try to raise an arguement – and it is typically the same few over and over again.

Tend to lurk a lot nowadays and see it happening to others on numerous threads.

I suspect many people don’t get involved in threads simply to avoid the conflict same as I do.

Contributing to the forum: The psychology of

lewislippiatt – Member

Ooh, is it me? That could definitely be me.

I read it plenty, but very rarely post. It’s not often I feel I have anything to add.

It’s not you. Go back to lurking.

Mostly lurker, sometimes poster.

3/4 of the things I write I usually delete on the grounds that no one is going to give a shit. When I do post, it is usually because I fail to apply this filter.

They may have a life.

Or friends.

I just looked at the profile of a member whose name I didn’t recognise but who contributed to a thread I was reading, and it turns out s/he has been on here for more than 6 years.

Was it me?

I’ve been here since it was called GoFar, but the hack means that won’t be reflected.