Member Count

[E Wall]

I cannot remember where I saw some discussion on the member count of the cove, so I'm adding an additional rather than look it up. Yeah, yeah...it's not my normal behavior. Just finished up in a meeting where they announced layoffs of 39 floor and 4 salaried personnel...done by seniority, I am safe (for now...) but it does make one wonder how much quicker resumes should be updated etc... Just wanted to get this out so if I seem snippish in the near future...dont' take it personally.

Anyway...I digress - Sorry all -

Marc, I believe you mentioned the 'most member online' stats as more of a valuable parcel of info than the actual member count of 2000+. Which led me to wonder if your new software also had the ability to weed out those that have not logged in for over 6 (plug your # here) months? If so can the system be set up to ID users by categories (active members vs. inactive members) then show # accordingly? I don't even know if it matters, just a suggestion if you are tyring to isolate this information.

Going to try and be productive now....

[Marc]

This is a good point. There are several issues involved. Since it is a database, I could, were I knowledgeable enough with php and MySQL to set up a database search and provide those statistics. I don't know enought to do that yet.

I can go in and literally wipe out all 'registered members' who have either : 1. Not visited since a certain date or 2. Not posted since a certain date.

Problems with the data and interpretation:

From 1998 until this last August 27th (or whenever this software went 'Live') I didn't require registration to post new threads or reply to threads. So the indicator of Registered users is sorta a questionable dataset. To be blunt - so what? Well, I sorta look at it as the number of people who took a more than glancing interest. On the other hand, some folks registered, never posted and never came back.

I re-worded the 'Out of the box' verbiage to read Registered since 1998 for the heck of it. Not that it means much. I could go in and do a mass delete of users and delete everyone who has not visited for a year or something. But - you would be surprised how many people actually have come back after a years absence.

I guess it all comes down to what statistics you really want. If you want to know if someone is active, each post has the user who posted and the number of posts that person has made. You, for example, as I looked back at your message, have posted 171 posts. If someone looks at your 'profile' I think it gives the last post (and its date and time) and last visit (date and time). From this you can tell who is active and who isn't. Well, I see these details in the profile and I think everyone does (remember, most of my time is logged in as administrator. About the only thing I can't see is people's personal messages or their contents. I can't see your password either - it's an encryption thing. I THINK I can CHANGE your password, but not see what it currently is.)

Now - why not just cull the board of everyone who has not been here for over a year? Well, I guess it's sorta like a 'hits' counter used to be. A somewhat useless number, but it kept going higer - which - back 6 years ago was a big indicator of the site popularity. Yes - I leave it to keep the number high.

If I was to estimate, I'd say there are probably 20 to 30 people who visit very regularly - like every day. Maybe 50 to 75 now and again. But I'm really guessing.

I do log file analysis but those figures are subject to interpretation as well. One thing I can see is that a lot of people visit who do searches and such but never register or post.

No - I'm not really interested in the numbers beyond in general knowing what's going on. I have 2 log analysis programs and I would have to sit with someone for the better part of a day going through them, and explaining what is happening and what the problems of analysis include. Much is predicted on IP numbers and time inactive.

Well, too much to go into here. It's just a 'counter' like the counter on each post which tells you how many times that post has been read. As I understand it, if I read the post it upps the counter 1. And if I see there's another reply tomorrow and go to it - that's another 'read' count. My point being many of these numbers are relative.

What really interests me is stuff like this - this is from an e-mail I received today:

> Cheryl Pritchard wrote:
> First let me say thank you, this site has been a wonderful
> training tool for me. I has given the task of QS Mgmt Rep
> approximately 1 year ago. This site has provided me an
> opportunity to learn and benchmark from the best. I pass
> along your address at every opportunity.

I get a lot of these - which is the main reason the site is here. To help people. The numbers are just fun. The only significant indicator to me - a number that tells what's going on - is the number of users online at any given time. Maybe I'll post a log analysis for folks to see. There's nothing personal in it, really. I'll bet it will blow your socks off trying to figure it out... This is not statistics as you know them. Many presumptions are made.

Well, I gotta get on. Was at Salt Fork today, got back late and have ton's of e-mail to check.
On with the show!

[Marc]

As I have more thoroughly gone through the forums software, I did find in my admin panel a few stats functions it will give me. I can ask for a list of registered users who visited in (as it says) 'The Last 24 Hours'. I've watched and most weekdays between 40 and 50 'registered members' visit each day (no - I did not chart - just watched and estimated). That does not mean all those members posted - it just says they visited.

There is also a 'report' on the 'Top Posters'.

Here's the 'fast summary':

Showing records 1 to 28 of 2106.a

• Name
• Join Date
• Last Visit
• Posts

Marc and Marc Smith
1996-04-01 00:00:00
2001-10-11 15:34:20
4732

Al Dyer
2000-10-12 04:00:00
2001-10-10 16:34:03
915

barb butrym
1970-01-01 00:00:00
2001-10-08 01:50:23
665

Kevin Mader
1998-11-11 05:00:00
2001-10-10 13:14:44
645

Don Winton (aka dWizard)
1970-01-01 00:00:00
1970-01-01 00:00:00
491

energy
2000-11-21 05:00:00
2001-10-11 12:05:20
443

Roger Eastin
1970-01-01 00:00:00
2001-09-24 12:21:16
366

Jim Biz
2000-03-17 05:00:00
2001-10-03 01:43:56
349

Laura M
1999-08-20 04:00:00
2001-10-10 02:09:32
330

Randy
1999-06-18 04:00:00
2001-10-11 11:57:08
315

David Mullins
1999-11-09 05:00:00
2001-10-09 23:34:47
293

Andy Bassett
1999-06-14 04:00:00
1970-01-01 00:00:00
284

Sam
1999-09-10 04:00:00
2001-10-10 13:30:54
283

Dawn
1998-09-18 04:00:00
2001-10-03 01:55:00
265

Howard Atkins
1970-01-01 00:00:00
2001-10-11 10:17:58
233

E Wall
2001-06-08 04:00:00
2001-10-10 20:07:12
180

Jerry Eldred
1999-12-03 05:00:00
2001-10-11 15:11:21
158

CarolX
2000-06-28 04:00:00
2001-10-10 20:40:35
150

Rick Goodson
2000-08-29 04:00:00
2001-10-08 18:33:26
137

Dan Larsen
2001-02-06 05:00:00
1970-01-01 00:00:00
137

John C
1998-11-27 05:00:00
1970-01-01 00:00:00
129

Tom Goetzinger
1999-03-05 05:00:00
1970-01-01 00:00:00
123

Christian Lupo
1970-01-01 00:00:00
1970-01-01 00:00:00
117

Batman
1970-01-01 00:00:00
2001-09-30 18:11:40
107

ISO GUY
2000-01-26 05:00:00
2001-10-11 12:56:48
107

Steven Truchon
2000-07-12 04:00:00
2001-10-08 12:48:12
98

ALM
1999-06-16 04:00:00
1970-01-01 00:00:00
86

NOTE:

Where you see a 'Joined' date with a 1970 prefix, that is someone who registered in the old board system before a revision in that software where it started tracking 'Join' dates or there was an import error. In addition, the 'Time' field in that record is a 'dummy' for people who registered on the old system - because the old system only tracked Join Date, not Join Time as this software does.

Where there is a 1970 prefix in the 'Last Visit' date field, that means that person has not visited since this new software was installed and started at the end of August. People do come and go...

[Shannon]

This might not be the best place in the cove to ask the question, but as I was reading this thread I became curious.
Have you ever, or do you ever plan to, hold a "get together"?
I thought it would be cool to actually meet and talk in person with many of the cove members, and/or guests.
Nothing formal, not a convention or workshop, just an informal gathering at a comfortable location.
I realize many people may not be able to attend. But if they were scheduled far enough in advance, and a couple times a year, the attendance may make it worthwhile.
Just a thought.

[Shannon]

Me again.

I'm getting ready to travel to Atlanta to attend an ISO Lead Assessor training event, put on by Georgia Tech.
It will consist of four 12hr days of training (Mon-Thurs) with a 3hr test held on Friday.
Wish me luck.

PS
My bags are packed full of print outs from the cove forums.
I expect they will serve as valuable references.
I'm curious to see if anyone else at the event has similar material.

I'm game,

What do you think Marc, can we get along?

What a great idea. We can engage in some Cheech choking, barb bashin, Steel stomping (except I'm not sure who would be stompin who), Lucinda lusting, Laura lashing, Kevin kicking, thumb in the eye for the ISO Guy, Al D assault, db-ko's, maim two Mikes with my fishin spikes, creaming Carl, electronic shock therapy for energy and special events for our friends over seas. I have a few plans for Jim and Martin. But, they can't be allergic to Blow-Up Dolls. The rest of you dudes, and I know I forgot a few, wassssup? Canada, India, Iraq, Switzerland, Israel members, What's a few thousand dollars for a weekend in the Caymans with Marc? No rebates. Sorry! Limited number of spaces left, so act now! No COD's, please. RSVP requested. Cash and Money Orders only. Guaranteed money back if not satisfied. You just have to find the person responsible for the whole thing. Start with Shannon from sunny Southern California. You go Girl.

[Howard Atkins]

If someone really takes the initiative I will find the money to come.

The ball is in your court.