Most users are lurkers - Somersoft is not alone...

[Aceyducey]

I thought a few people might find this research on online communities (such as Somersoft) interesting.

From Jakob Nielsen's Alrtbox
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/participation_inequality.html

User participation often more or less follows a 90-9-1 rule:

• 90% of users are lurkers (i.e., read or observe, but don't contribute).
• 9% of users contribute from time to time, but other priorities dominate their time.
• 1% of users participate a lot and account for most contributions: it can seem as if they don't have lives because they often post just minutes after whatever event they're commenting on occurs.

Cheers,

Aceyducey

 

[lizzie]

omg - i have no life

must go and mow the lawns now - omg - i have no life

 

[Andrew_A]

Is there something fractal going on here? Or perhaps its a standard distribution curve with the centre being a lurker who visits x times a week? My maths isn't good enough to know what might be going on.

Eg: 10% of traders make the majority of money in the markets 10% of those 10% make serious money. 10% or those 10% make obscene money and so on... Actually most times I see this idea (80/20, 90/10 whatever) it is being mentioned by people passing the cliche on to others without any empirical evidence to back it up, so it's not proven in my mind even though I suspect reality is kind of like that somehow.

Actually I wonder how much seriously valuable data google and amazon have accumulated from time to time. The information and insights they have into such things would be unprecendented I think.

** edit.. Zipf curve, logs... ok got it

 

[bundy1964]

Just think how it feels to be in the top 100 on two forums
I also have a special interest mail group that I am owner of even though I don't take a big part in discussions there most things get asked and answered in American prime net time and I just mostly mop up the mess.

Edit: Better make it top 50 x 2

 

[MichaelW]

OK,

I can't be one of those ones with no life as I waited a whole 2 hours before posting a reply to Craig's thread. Oh, and I don't really know all the members' real names by heart.

I think I better go now...

Cheers,
Michael.

 

[Rixter]

IMHO its far better to be a lurker than a shirker!

 

[thefirstbruce]

I think creativity, obsessiveness, passion, and determination overlap significantly. And no doubt there is obsessiveness amongst high contributors.

Obsessiveness becomes a concern when real world relationships and responsibilities are compromised. However, people do that everyday when they stay back at work late, or get on the booze with mates, or tinker with cars in the shed. Gawd, being a passionate AFL, Big Brother, or Austalian Idol fan are worse obsessions than Somersoft.

I think the thing about high contributors on Somersoft is that they are a little more subtle in their self justification for spending so much time on the forum, as they reason it will help them make more money.

In relation to stats, the most interesting people I have met seem to be at least 1 z score from the median. and the highest achievers 3 z's.

Inverted U's with 1 long tail on the up side are good in my books. It is a sign of unihibited creativity.


Bugger, am late for work...........

 

[bundy1964]

I go to the football.........was the only positive thing to come out of a relationship with someone that talked me into going there with her.

 

[lizzie]

okay - so i slip into ss a dozen times a day for a few minutes between tasks and look. otherwise, if i leave it to only once a day, or once every few days, the number of interesting threads i want to read becomes overwhelming.

5 minutes 10 times a day ... an hour a day ... is that normal.

anyhow, just watched the secret again and must slip up the road and lend it to a friend - wow - amazing viewing again. i will watch it once very week as the sense of vitality and possibility increases every time.

 

[alexlee]

In my defence I tend to post while at work. So Somersoft doesn't affect my personal relationships........ My work performance, on the other hand......

 

[MichaelW]

In my defence I tend to post while at work. So Somersoft doesn't affect my personal relationships........ My work performance, on the other hand......

Ditto.

But don't tell anyone...

 

[skater]

In my defence I tend to post while at work. So Somersoft doesn't affect my personal relationships........ My work performance, on the other hand......

I'm jealous of all you guys who get paid to read the forum.

In my defence, I know there are days where I log on many times throughout the day, but then there are others (like today) where I am only on for a short time. It really is hard to keep up with all the interesting posts though on days where I am busy.

 

[dallee]

Lurking

This post is making me feel guilty for lurking and not telling forumites how much the forum has been of assistance so far.

1) It has helped me understand that negative cashflow isn't necessarily bad.
2) It has found me a mortgage broker who set up a line of credit.
3) It has helped me understand various markets within the QLD market.
4) It recommended a pest and building inspector on the Gold Coast.
5) As well as a solicitor.

While negotiations over the first property I've put an offer on continue, and may not come to anything, that's pretty good going really. So hats off to all of you.

Dallee.

 

[FrankGrimes]

In my defence I tend to post while at work. So Somersoft doesn't affect my personal relationships........ My work performance, on the other hand......

*cough*

I won't go there

I spend ALOT of time here at work, but my work is always done so everyone is happy. It's harder to concentrate at home.

 

[sailor]

My Goodness! That means I'm a SS addict!

I'm addicted to all the learning I get from SS...so that makes me a learning addict as well. Addiction x 2.

cheers
Sharon

 

[House_Keeper]

These stats make a lot of sense.

Most people are spectactors in life. They watch with interest what others are doing while they do fairly little themselves ... TV usage being the prime example.

Cheers,

 

[handyandy]

These stats make a lot of sense.

Most people are spectactors in life. They watch with interest what others are doing while they do fairly little themselves ... TV usage being the prime example.

Cheers,

Your comment implies that the lurkers on this forum aren't investors or renovators or any other activity associated property.

I class myself as a lurker as I don't post frequently but I certainly am involved in all the things I mention plus more.

I would think that many other lurkers are in the same catagory we come to read and absorb but don't feel the overriding urge to post a comment.

Cheers

 

[MichaelW]

I class myself as a lurker as I don't post frequently but I certainly am involved in all the things I mention plus more.

Andreas,

540 odd posts does not a lurker make!

True lurkers typically never post but surf through here on occassion to see what's going on. I class you as one of the regular contributors (9%) that post from time to time without being one of the addicted / no life (1%) types such as (arguably) myself.

Cheers,
Michael.

 

[simonjulie]

Hi Folks
Maybe just maybe, some of us who post a bit on the forum do have such really great lives that they want to share and encourage others to get great results also.
Simon

 

[House_Keeper]

Your comment implies that the lurkers on this forum aren't investors or renovators or any other activity associated property.

I was talking about participating to the forum, not investing in property.


Cheers,