OldGuy wrote:Back when I was an active member and moderator, I kept detailed records of the site and all activity.
My last recorded site activity was June 20, 2020, when my computer crashed and the database went with it.
At that time, there were 5436 members and 711,498 total posts. As of this post, there are 6131 registered members and 868,101 posts. That is 695 new members and 156,603 added posts in the last 534 days, for an average of 293 posts per day in all that time. There used to be an average of 350 or more topics in a week. Now it is rare to even see 200 topics discussed in a week.
When able, I have stopped in many times in the last year and a half to view the site. I have watched closely and noted that those who were members back then and back to those still active from the start have been dropping off at a startling rate. It was pretty normal to see 60 to 70 members log in each 48 hour period. As always, that includes members who had been silent for years would suddenly drop in, post in a few topics and then vanish again while new members popped in and out like the latest zit but rarely stayed for long.
As it is right now, it is rare for more than 30 to 35 of the older members to show up, and out of that new list? It is again rare for more than even 20 to stay active long enough to count. All in all, there have only been 0.783% of all members who have logged in during the most recent 48 hours, well below even a 1% participation rate of just those who have registered. (Figures here are as of the writing of this post and will vary from any current reading.) This site is but a speck of dust for the rest of the world. There is too little content of value to get most to stick around.
It is painfully obvious that there are major issues that not only drives former members away but also discourages new members from staying active.
One big issue is the content. Members have been allowed to just slap in totally useless content to earn that penny with no serious repercussions. Junk content simply must not be allowed. It is a big issue that drives away anyone who might be looking for value added content. Negative rep points need to be generously given out when due along with a bigger financial penalty than earned by posting. Those who trip into a negative point rating should be banned immediately.
At the same time, perhaps that could be countered by positive rep points for value added content. If admin or a moderator issues the positive rep point, maybe those negative fines could be justifiably countered with some small added financial rewards. (That admin/moderator limitation is to avoid cheating.)
Again with a content problem, way too many topics are allowed to just stay active with well beyond 1000 posts. If you switch the topic view for posts to be sorted by author, it is too common to see a page, 2 pages or even more by a single author. (There are 15 posts per page.) Say your piece and move on to other topics. Members who post over and over on the same topics are generally not contributing value added content. At the very least, insert a posting block on any topic when a member has posted 10 times. Enough is enough.
And again with content. There are simply not enough active topics to keep new and old members active and participating. There should be a system that would allow members to post comments on ten topics, but then they must post a new topic to earn the right to again post on ten more topics. You can't post any other comment until you post a new topic to earn that right.
Unfortunately, there is still one more major issue that needs to be addressed.
The site design is dated from back in 2012. System software is always being updated. In many cases, newer systems can no longer even read or access old programs within 7 years. In other cases, just the lack of the latest glitter, bells and whistles will drive new visitors away. Sites that are not at least updated by then often fail simply because new visitors find it boring, or perhaps even difficult to interact with older software. Sites that have not been updated within 7 years often fail by neglect. The clock is ticking and this site is well beyond due for a much needed upgrade.
The point of all this is to make the site a viable and accessible place to read value added content that keeps the visitors and members alike interested, without forcing them to suffer the junk content that currently fills the site and drives nearly everyone away.
This is quite an amazing analysis! Multiple solutions are needed to keep Forumcoin thriving. I think that the referral program can be improved drastically too.
I would also like to know word limit for the articles. Also I'm trying to find how to write a post here. I use iPad, I would like to know if Forumcoin.com is compatible with my device.
