Lurkers Anonymous

General Tactifer · Post by **General Tactifer** » 21 Oct 2003, 19:55

Ref the broadcast email concerning lurkers, I hold up my hands as someone who has (until now) not posted. But I wouldn't worry too much about the apparently high percentage of lurkers using the site - I would have thought that most fora have at least as many people who don't post. All things considered, if too many people post pointless messages, it may be worse, as users will not want to wade through dozens of irrelevant postings! (I know some sites where I wish some people would participate LESS

). Anyway, keep up the good work and no doubt Portobelleans will keep using the site. I promise to post again (but only when I've got something worth saying!)

Rex · Post by **Rex** » 26 Nov 2003, 21:30

Hear, hear. I too haven't posted before, and I'm doing so now only to express my concern at finding in my inbox this evening another broadcast email with much the same message as the earlier one.

No doubt the reasons for keeping quiet vary from lurker to lurker. My own reason has been that I don't live in Portobello, have only recently (though with great pleasure) discovered the place, and don't feel I yet know enough to make a sensible contribution. Like General Tactifer, I shan't be slow to post when I have something worthwhile to say.

I realise it can be dispiriting to put a lot of work into a website which doesn't generate as many contributions as one would like, but the number of active contributors isn't the only valid measurement of a site's health. Compare this forum with a public meeting where hundreds of people are present. Is the meeting a failure unless everyone in the hall chips in? As long as people choose to attend, and know they have the freedom to speak their minds if they wish, it's anything but.

In my view this website is a very good thing and Porty is lucky to have it. I'd be dismayed if it ceased to exist – especially if the reason it vanished was that its users posted only when they genuinely had something to say.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 26 Nov 2003, 23:46

Rex wrote: the number of active contributors isn't the only valid measurement of a site's health

... and there's a lot to be learned from browsing the forums. It's early days yet. Sure, I'm disappointed it isn't busier in here, but these things take time...

Burt Toast · Post by **Burt Toast** » 27 Nov 2003, 21:17

The fact that there are only two responses to the lurking post proves the point! Come on forum users !

jacktar · Post by **jacktar** » 29 Nov 2003, 13:32

I expect using an online forum is a new experience for many folk in Portobello and its takes time to get up the confidence to make that first post.

I also agree with previous posts that we don't wish to have people posting just for the sake of it, who wants to wade through a lot of drivel, that quickly can drive people away.

Surrealist · Post by **Surrealist** » 31 Dec 2003, 23:57

Pointless messages are actually the lifeblood of any half-decent forum.

It's amazing how many interesting directions other people can send you in, by making you think about something in a different way or pointing you to a useful corner of the internet you might not have thought of.

I think it would be worse to start pruning topics which weren't quite relevant - we might end up like the Press & Journal !

Uncensored, the internet will always be a bit anarchic.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 01 Jan 2004, 00:06

Yeah, I'm up for a bit of anarchy!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EdinburghPunks1970s

Surrealist · Post by **Surrealist** » 01 Jan 2004, 00:09

...especially if purveyed by the Exploited....

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 01 Jan 2004, 00:17

Well, I was asked to be their manager once, but that's another story. The Exploited were second wave caberet punk for me. Anyway, who wants to talk about Portobello's finest, the Valves? 'Ain't no Surf in Portobello' anyone?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 01 Jan 2004, 11:54

Bob wrote: Anyway, who wants to talk about Portobello's finest, the Valves? 'Ain't no Surf in Portobello' anyone?

oooh... oooh... oooh! I will! You mean it really exists. My friendly local pub bore has been going on about that record ever since I moved here. I was beginning to think he had made it up. I wonder if I can find it on Kazaa.?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 01 Jan 2004, 13:46

Well, we seem to have gone off at a complete tangent here. I think the Valves deserve a thread of their own so let's re-locate this discussion from here...........

Talk Porty ~ Portobello