Forum Participation

[Lou Van Anne]

Is it my imagination or is the number of participants on forum declining?

[ddub]

Sure seems like it to me. When I check in I click on "New Posts". It is now unusual to get a page full (25) and was quite common. My frequency of visiting has not changed. I wonder if those behind the scenes can shed statistical light?

[Chris Pile]

Well, I'm visiting more times per day - so it might seem like it, but we are getting new folks all the time.

[studegary]

I think that we would need real statistics on this.

Every week, we get many new participants.
With so many topics previously dealt with, many answers are already here for those that search for them.

Number of participants (Lou's question) and number of posts (Don's response) are two different things.

[2R5]

I find face book is the new norm

[1954khardtop]

I can't speak for others, but I tend to be on less in the summer. I still check in briefly each day, but am outside more and at the computer less this time of year.

[Sdude]

you sure you didn't mean "are a number of participant on forum declining"? I can relate to that.....

[Lou Van Anne]

Well, I can relate to that also.

you sure you didn't mean "are a number of participant on forum declining"? I can relate to that.....

[Commander Eddie]

I'm still here most every day, but I seem to have less to say over time. I spend more time just reading other posts.

[studegary]

Posts 3, 4 & 5 were all by people that joined this Forum Oct. 2004 (strange coincidence).

[62champ]

Would be interesting to see a chart that shows usage - both forum participants and lurkers.

[rockne10]

I stop in every day; sometimes twice a day. But I joined eleven years ago when there were only a couple hundred of us and it was not unusual to have half a dozen give and takes per day. Everybody always had something to add. There have been so many people join since then, who know so much more than I, that many topics that I would have previously responded to are now opportunities for me to learn from, not contribute to.

[Dwain G.]

True, the 'Studebaker Addicts' group on Facebook is very busy, but you also see a big drop in this forums posts during the International Meets and for about a week before and after. Zone Meets probably have an effect also. Surprises me more people don't seem to have their electronics with them to check forums, emails, etc.

[41 Frank]

I am here lurking and learning several times a day, but like Brad, do not have as much to contribute as I did 10 years ago as today more people are here with more knowledge than myself.

[wittsend]

Over at the PCCA (Ford Pinto) site I frequent the forum use has dropped - significantly. Most loss is attributed to Facebook. The same for the email based Sunbeam Tiger forum I'm on.

Regarding questions being asked numerous times, I would not discourage it. When people are new they have no idea what has, or hasn't been discussed many times. Frankly I find doing a "search" overwhelmingly does NOT provide me with the answer(s) I seek. I've then spent hours getting nowhere. And, there are some on the site who have no problem giving the same answer(s) over again. They just want to be helpful. Lastly there can be new developments, new part numbers, product discontinuation, change of methods etc. That would not be know if all people did was search and base their decisions on posts that were years old. Asking the question - again - often brings out this new information.

I hear of concern that the Studebaker interest seems to be waning. And to an extent I can understand the concern. It is sad to hear that someone who stockpiled parts is now too old to deal with them and they often are sent to scrap. But the reality is Studebaker is an out of business auto manufacturer where the youngest person having any recollection of a "new" one is at least 53 years old, and likely older than that. Nothing goes on forever.

For what it is worth I was very impressed by the volume of cars, parts and participation when I first logged on six years ago. Don't anguish too much over what the Studebaker community should in fact be proud of.