Lurkers.

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So I was looking at the left side of my monitor and I noticed there were 933 people Online NOW!

"Wait, how can that be?" I thought. I've been compulsively reloading the forums that I watch and the posts.. trickle.. in.. slowly. And besides, when someone posts I generally recognize who they are anyway. If there were 900 some people online now there would surely be more posts. I feel that I would generally have something new to read when I press F5.

So I look closer and notice that only 100 members are on, and 800 people are vistors (people reading the board who haven't registered accounts). It seems really strange to me that the ratio would be like this. I lurk a lot of other boards, but I feel that this board is different in that it's extremely easy to post here - it's not a very hostile environment. I also don't get what you would get out of lurking this board, where I see why someone might lurk a board that has a more utilitarian slant instead of a community one.

So yeah, I guess I just don't understand people - the numbers are there and I can't argue with them - but they don't make sense to me.

The 800 visitors could just be people who happen upon this sight through 'googling' about AS, a link someone posted elsewhere, or the places Alex and others have posted info about it, or even 'googling' the words wrong & planet and getting this place as a hit.

At any given time, the visitors may be here only for a short moment being replaced by another vistor as soon as they leave.

Still, any of these visitors may go on to become members.
Check out the Introduction forum and you'll see that there are times when we have very few new members joining, and times when we have several join within minutes of each other.

It's just a factor of the internet, I believe.

1047 no ones posting

Lurk up. Awaaaaaaay up! topic

Lurking used to be looking in the days before computers. Maybe even peeping toms? I read many posts to decide if I want to comment or learn more about a topic. I have learned a lot about young people on this site, and a lot more about Autism. My conciousness bar has been raised. I may jump over it yet. Maybe my spelling will improve, or else dexterity on the keyboard, as I am dyspraxic. My eyes are definitely faster than my hands.

Good topic. It just gets you wondering. The Internet is a vast marketplace of ideas and information, and like it has been said, taste before you buy (it is hoped nothing will make you sick!).

also, a lot of people are only here for articles on the front page and come when a new article is posted. One was posted this morning, for instance, so everyone subscribed to the RSS feed got a new WP story in their reader. We have >400 RSS subscribers. Don't know how many of them are even registered WP members.

some of the articles have gotten 30,000+ reads

I've just stopped lurking, and now I'm starting to post!
As you say, this forum is superb for friendly, constructive threads where anyone's view is welcomed (or at least respected). That's why I've joined in.

Some aspies are so shy that they just don't like talking. So they just read what other aspies have to say and that's the extent of it, I suppose.

Nothing wrong with that, none the less.

yup

Is the "online now" number based on some heuristic that uses request times to figure out who's really awake, or does it include all the people who never bother to log out?

I think it's an AS thing to not be so enthusiastic with the idea of communicating.

*watches this thread silently*