What happen to all the people?

[Yukari]

Okie. i haven't been on AF in quite a while. But seriously. What happen to everyone? Did they all died?

[Skylar1]

Some of them are still here. Most of them left.

Though, every once in a while we get a surprise visit from some of the retro-member- like you~ =D

[Digital Dragon]

Which everyone, where? Seriously, people come and go from the forum, and there are still lots of active people.

[Skylar1]

It's also important to point out that the "currently active" members list is a lie.

If we did a quick head count of all the people that visit the site on any given day. It'd be around 200-300. It's just that not everyone is on at the exact same time.

[Yukari]

Yes I know that we not everyone is on at the same time. But about 3 years ago, there was at least 40 on at any time now the list is so much smaller.

[Skylar1]

Yes I know that we not everyone is on at the same time. But about 3 years ago, there was at least 40 on at any time now the list is so much smaller.

A little bit of forum dynamics that I've learned over the years is this:

The more people that use a forum, the more people will join and use it too. The reverse holds true as well.

So, basically if you stick around, the likelihood that the active members average will get higher the next time around is greater. A lack of interest in the forum in general is to blame. Which.. should be fixed since things got a super-boost from the upgrade.

[GameGeeks]

Never really got how a forum version could effect peoples interest in a particular forum. I always thought it was the community made a forum, not some format.

[Yukari]

Never really got how a forum version could effect peoples interest in a particular forum. I always thought it was the community made a forum, not some format.

That's what I thought. It something happen to the community while I was gone? I have never seen the forum much less the chat so empty.

[Digital Dragon]

Another thing to consider is that you have some people who lurk but are not logged on. Right now the list of people on the site says only 17 people are on officially but you have over a hundred "guests" who are lurking.

[GameGeeks]

Probably life, or just a simple lack of interest. Personally, I like smaller communities. It lets you get to know everyone better.

[Yukari]

Probably life, or just a simple lack of interest. Personally, I like smaller communities. It lets you get to know everyone better.

Haha. That is true. I suppose I just have to get to know everyone again. Which I am rusty with again. Seemed much easier with a bunch of people.

Another thing to consider is that you have some people who lurk but are not logged on. Right now the list of people on the site says only 17 people are on officially but you have over a hundred "guests" who are lurking.

Oh. I never thought of it that way. Maybe many of them are lurking.

[Skylar1]

Never really got how a forum version could effect peoples interest in a particular forum. I always thought it was the community made a forum, not some format.

Both are important.

One is necessary to attract people's attention enough for them to -want- to join. And the other is what keeps those members from leaving once they're here.

Another thing to consider is that you have some people who lurk but are not logged on. Right now the list of people on the site says only 17 people are on officially but you have over a hundred "guests" who are lurking.

Most of those guests are Search bots though.

Probably life, or just a simple lack of interest. Personally, I like smaller communities. It lets you get to know everyone better.

/implying that you couldn't get to know people if a community is larger.

Sorry, but larger communities makes for far more interesting conversation. And it also would mean that there wouldn't be any of that "idol standby" the forum goes through where nobody posts anything for sometimes hours.

I'm used to astronomically large communities. This forum was so low density when I first came on here that I almost left again.

Hm? you say this place isn't slow? There was a time many years ago, when Ericgamer1 was else where, that my "post per day average" was 120 posts. So, no. This is faaaaaaar from the e-metropolis that I'd become accustom to. =]

[Eris]

Yes I know that we not everyone is on at the same time. But about 3 years ago, there was at least 40 on at any time now the list is so much smaller.

It varies a bit with season, weekday, time of day, the weather, the state of the economy and so forth. AF seems to have dropped slightly in activity compared to a couple of years ago, but it's increased quite a lot compared to pre-upgrade figures. Now quit concern trolling.

[miniPhil]

It varies a bit with season, weekday, time of day, the weather, the state of the economy and so forth. AF seems to have dropped slightly in activity compared to a couple of years ago, but it's increased quite a lot compared to pre-upgrade figures.

Does anyone have the actually site hits or know I site I can look at em on. Would be very interested to see how AF has progressed.

[Eris]

http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/animeforum.com# gives you some clue. It's hard to discern any real trends, though. 2010 seems to have been shakier than 2009, but that's really the only conclusion that can be drawn (as the figures only extend as far back as late 2008). And the alexa information is only approximate, as it's based on statistics from volunteers.

They also seem to have changed metrics in measuring pageviews in newyear 2008, as most sites I test have abrupt changes at that date.

[Skylar1]

Does anyone have the actually site hits or know I site I can look at em on. Would be very interested to see how AF has progressed.

this might be useful

Though. then again, maybe not. Bigboards doesn't update it's stuff very well. Closest thing I could find though...

[-GAZKUL-]

i have noticed that its quieter than it used to be, the list of casualties goes on..... LordShinigami, Kirako Shima, Love Stuff.......

[DOOM!]

Yes, they are died. Somebody set us up the bomb.

[Wio]

You do realize that this thread gives a major "only losers and noobs remain" vibe, right? A lot of once key players seem to have left or changed their name though.

[Alcmaeonid]

We get signal. Main screen turn on.

[Aku no Hikari]

What you say !!

@Ericgamer1: Well, maybe I got you wrong, but the Currently Active Users list isn't a -lie-. It just shows you how many people are online at the moment of viewing it. It doesn't show you how many people are "currently" active in the sense of "logging in and posting during the current week/month/period of time".


Anyway, the forum might be indeed dead during some times through the day. For example, it's almost dead between 6 AM and 3 PM GMT (+0) daily. But this has to do with the fact that most AF members are from the US or Europe. When the major population is online, the forum isn't "dead".

[Skylar1]

What you say !!

Well, maybe I got you wrong, but the Currently Active Users list isn't a -lie-. It just shows you how many people are online at the moment of viewing it. It doesn't show you how many people are "currently" active in the sense of "logging in and posting during the current week/month/period of time".

Given that the OP was more than likely basing his/her conclusion that the forum is dead off of the Currently Active list, I was quick to point out that it only gives the illusion of there only being a few members here.

Oh, and when I said "it's a lie" I only did that as a reference to "the cake is a lie" to be funny, lol. =\ sorry if you didn't see it.

[Rongue]

That's what I thought. It something happen to the community while I was gone? I have never seen the forum much less the chat so empty.

As a new member let me give you my view.
I am only sticking around because it looks like there some interesting people here, however if the first reply to my intro thread was the one McDoom left I would never return to the AF the next day. Him having a lot of rep and still getting away with trolling is a big let down. If there too many people like that I wont bother with this site anymore.

Over all there seems to be at least a few good mods, and topics now and then to keep me coming. There is an arcade but idk...

In the end one troll if not delt with can slowly kill a forum. This would not be the first time I have seen this happen. Yes I am pointing a finger at McDoom or whatever his name is. What he did annoyed me to no end even though it was one post. If he did not care about my intro then he should have left it alone, I did not need him going in there and saying 'too long and don't care" when I put a some effort into that thread!

[Aku no Hikari]

Oh, and when I said "it's a lie" I only did that as a reference to "the cake is a lie" to be funny, lol. =\ sorry if you didn't see it.

Oh, you don't have apologize. If there's anyone who should be apologizing, then it's me for failing to get the joke.

[Capernicus]

In the end one troll if not delt with can slowly kill a forum.

This particular forum has the opposite trend. Eris, McDoom, faceless111, Masali, Batman, MP2K, etc are trolls. The forum seems to thrive when they are around and wane when they leave. I myself often find trolls funny more than anything. I mean, the forum was never so active as when Mavericker was blundering around. Everyone loved to take shots at him.