More Members!

As a former "Lurker", I have to say that I don't personally have any problem with the term. Plus it is easier to say than "Philatelist".

Perhaps a lot of lurkers are there because they don't know how the system works. They want to see how it goes for awhile before they test the water. I realize that users are Anonymous, but still, people are afraid of making mistakes and being called out for them.

Maybe we need to improve the system a little and have a more expansive Forum for "New Users". Include the obligatory "Introduce yourself here", but maybe add the following:

- "So You just inherited/found a collection"
- Some Common Questions from New Users (and some Answers)
- How to Scan/Upload an Image (correct background, resolution, etc.)
- How to Link to previous Messages
- How to determine the stamp perforation (don't just count the holes on a side)
- How to measure a stamp
- How to find SCO users with the same interest as you
- How to use the SEARCH function
- How to Quote a previous Message (I still don't know how to do this one)
- Can I buy or sell items?
- What Books or Websites are best to answer my questions?

What I would like to see is a forum for each one of these topics that is already filled with some "Good" answers pulled from the history of the SCO. The only items in here would be ones that are approved by the SCO Management as being productive and contributory to the cause. New answers would be added, but only after review. Essentially, a locked-down section with high value.

Other than that, one possible cause for the loss or disinterest in some new users could be that they feel they have been or could be slighted in some fashion. As discussed in other threads, people tend to think/hear that their collection should be worth thousands of dollars. Some responses to their questions have been as simple as "All I see is common, low value, material in poor condition" which immediately disappoints them. Perhaps a section in the New Users forum could also be something like, "Some Common Stamps, Conditions, and their Value" so that they can first look and get a good idea.

And, of course, the current SCO members should remember that they were once in the same position and their answers should always be toned towards a positive, learning experience. I've learned quite a lot on this Forum and plan to continue to use it well into the future.

Have a great day.

Also on the 50 post topic- It is not there to aggrevate but more of a safety measure. Over a 50 post stretch you sort of get to know people and chances of problems with transactions decrease significantly. Obvious this forum is not made for sales but knowledge and education but of course the occasional transfers take place. Generally sales are small in the $5-50 range but on the coin side I can see the potential values being much higher hence the stricter limitations. In a nut shell the sales/trading aspect is just a bonus and from both the sender or receiver point of view you can feel better dealing with firmiliar people. It may seem strange or odd but the site moderators have designed it this way to help avoid hassles for everyone involved.

OK, Partime, I've done a QUOTE tutorial for you ...

https://goscf.com/t/29770

And a LINK

https://goscf.com/t/29772

See what a great Forum this is? Thanks so much Kirk.

DOUG2222 a 1:5 Participation Rate (Members: 33 || Just Lurking: 184) is better than you realize; I know merchants who would "kill" to have a 17.9% Response Rate on their Forum Sites!; which means for the most part things are just fine. (If the wheel ain't broken...) So, all you have to do is make it a bit more appealing to get people to participate... that means you need to make people more comfortable.

I was originally a "lurker" and I was put off by the terminology; I knew it as a "propeller head" term going back to B-B days; it did keep me from joining for a long time. Why? Because the RULES were saying one thing, the term LURKER was say another. It was only when I found out that the Rules were enforced; that ROHUMPY's statement (above) was absolutely correct. Then, and only then, did I JOIN and jump in.

What HEINZ55 says is absolutely true in many cases too. I know I've jumped online, viewed a post only to see it has been answered. I'm no going to respond with a meaningless secondary comment. However, I sure that the statistics counter counts me as a "LURKER" versus a "RESPONDER" after viewing that page

Your correct DOUG2222 -- A topic entitled "How a GUEST becomes a MEMBER" would be an excellent DROP DOWN. Members comments, like ROHUMPYs, and other testimonials should be included if you have them. If you don't have them, solicit them for inclusion. It should be in the form of an Invitation... "Viewers ...please take a moment to read this..."

Change "Lurker" to "Viewer" -- "Viewer" to encompass both categories of Members and Non-Members.

I'm usually going 4 different directions at the same time. It is fun and interesting to stop in and see what has been posted but I don't always have time to give my 2 cents on something. I still think it boils down to helping newbies and they will sound off or ask questions.

I continue to like the term "Guest" and respectfully ask management to adopt that term on this website. And I don't like the term "Viewer," sounds like TV.

The key, I am thinking, is not particularly the 1:5 ratio, but HOW LONG has a Guest been a Guest? If more than three months, we are doing something wrong. As new Guests find us, and existing Guests become members, the ratio may very well stay at 1:5, but the number of members should rise by at least 2 per day (out of 150-200 daily lurkers).

I just wanted to second what was said earlier about members not being logged in counted as "guests". I bet a large majority of "guests" are indeed members who aren't logged in.

Why aren't they logged in? The site doesn't give very good notification that you aren't logged in and log ins time out after a while. When I log in, I am logged in automatically when I visit the site for about a week or less. After that time period expires I am no longer logged in, but don't realize it until I post a message. Quite a few members are probably in the same boat.

Definitely, we (and the site) should not use the term "lurker" if the goal is to be open and inviting. "Guest" is much more appropriate.

People won't join without a reason, which at this point means either to submit a post or to buy/sell, since they can get information without joining. You can't buy/sell without 50 posts and a financial commitment (and I agree that is a good idea), so that's not going to help membership.

So as others have suggested, the road to more members are features that attract the inexperienced and uninitiated, but require membership. A few obvious ideas are:
1) downloads such as guides and how-to documents etc. (only available to members)
2) access to publicly available reference material (e.g., links)
3) breakdown information into region or country rather than just US and one giant bin for World Wide

I expect the majority of "guests" are merely seeking information or guidance. There is a wealth of information in the forum posts which could keep anyone busy for months (i.e., just reading old posts). That's good news for the site really. The more "guests" the better. When they have something to say, they will post.

I post quite a bit..not as much as when we had an active international group bantering some time ago...but I see on this thread several people have made their point..yet they continue to post..it could possibly go on forever !!

I agree on the 20% members and 80% viewers idea. Probably the same as reading a newspaper or magazine years ago when some would write in to the editor but most would just enjoy reading the articles.

I thnk a term for people using the site could be Users. When you call yourself or somebody else a Lurker then they think and act as a Lurker. Same for the words Viewer or Guest. You are then viewing or being a guest, but you are not using the site. Using includes contributing and reading.

Any information spread around about stamp collecting is all for the better for the whole community of stamp collectors worldwide.

If you're not logged in, this is what you see in a prominent banner just above the main part of the forum page.


Can't get much more inviting to new members than that, can we?!

Doug2222 Viewer or Guest -- makes no difference. (I agree)

To get "New Members" you need prominent "Callouts" like 'JOIN HERE!" "JOIN NOW!' "MEMBERSHIP IS FREE - CLICK HERE!" with catchy graphics. The easier you make it for people to see and find to find... the bigger -- BOLDER -- LOUDER you shout the message -- the better conversion response.

As a general rule I only log in to post something, otherwise I browse - or is it lurk?
I daresay many other members do the same, I think the important thing is people are looking (while they lurk), so they must be interested.
DavidR

I suppose, but when I'm logged out I never see that. I look straight at the Recent Forum Topics sidebar.