"Big 3" forums stats ... what do they mean?

[Eric VB]

As of this moment, here are the stats from the "Big 3" forums:

 

 
Forum                 Topics Posts  Ratio
--------------------- ------ ------ -----
Keyboard Corner (KC)  15047  190425 12.7
Guitar Player (GP)    12793  167957 13.1
Low Down Lowdown (LD) 12428  181013 14.6 

Where the Ratio is the ratio of Posts to Topics (average number of Posts per Topic).

 

How can we interpret this? Assuming the Topics online for all forums are from the same time period, it appears KC has more concerns than GP or LD, the latter two of which are fairly even. The surprising stat is that LD has the highest Ratio.

 

Is this because LD posts more serious Topics that prompt more responses, instead of short queries that can be answered in one response? Do we probe our Topics more deeply? Are we more in tune with each other? Is there more of a family community here such that we have more active posters than passive lurkers?

 

I like to think that it's partly because more than any other instrument the bass has to listen, and that behavior carries over to the rest of our life. That is, we are all great listeners on the Lowdown.

 

Also, bass is naturally a support instrument. I think this leads to a more helpful disposition. If an old lady needed to cross a busy street, would there be a preponderance of bass players offering to help? (Yeah, corny example, but then again, don't we as a group have a slightly "off" sense of humor, too?)

 

(I know there was a type A/B thread earlier, but I think this is a little different.)

 

What's your take?

[EddiePlaysBass]

I've never actually thought this through, but it is a fact that I'm a good listener ...

 

Even people who hardly know me, open up to me in a heartbeat, because they feel that I actually pay attention to what they're saying, rather than wait for their mouth to stop talking (or, in the female case, look at their breasts ...)

 

As for the LD ... I haven't spent that much time on other forums (mainly the Bandwith forum) but this one, compared to similar forums, does have a more "serious" approach, both in topics posted and replies to topics. I guess this invites people to post more, and post more serious and in-dept topics and replies.

 

Just my 2 cents, of course.

[Cthulhu Fhtagn]

Keyboardists have notoriously short attention spans and change the subject as rapidly as a jazz ensamble changes chords (OK, 09 excepted).

 

Guitar players have fewer posts because all those letter and word thingys make their heads hurt, and in the case of my guitar player, there are only 7 letters in the alphabet. Not to metion it's hard to type with a pick.

[butcherNburn]

It's a shame there is no "quality of posts" factor. I admit mine would lean toward the LQ side but the ones I read and gain valuable info from are numerous.

 

It's true for me as far as being a listener. With music, I've always been an active listener. Even as an ankle-biter I had the knack to appreciate each instrument separately and their contribution to the music as a whole, but I admit it was easier when things were only recorded on a few tracks.

 

Warning: LQ factor ahead....

Personally I'm a listener too. I love to make jokes, out of what I hear from others, even if I keep them to myself. That and people I've know for only a short time (women most notably) never held back in telling me the most embarrassing details about everything. I've heard "classy" and reserved people tell me of their most disgusting bodily functions, whether I wanted to hear them or not.

[ATM]

Originally posted by butcherNburn:

I've heard "classy" and reserved people tell me of their most disgusting bodily functions, whether I wanted to hear them or not.

You sir, are blessed.

 

Following the feeling of the previous posts, I find that we actually contribute, the way a bass player should.

 

That and threads such as the official and unofficial What I Found on Ebay and my own Movie Quote Game help bolster our ratio.

 

ATM

[davio]

Dang it...ATM stole my answer.

[Danzilla]

ATM and Davio stole most of my answers. Plus there's the "must be raised at least once every three months" thread of "P vs J: which one's better"; our rabid desire for each of us to tell EVERY newbie where the search button is; and SteveC's weekly "Maybe I really need Xgear"/"Getting rid of Xgear" posts. And our need to needle him about that. Love ya, Steve!

[Danzilla]

Plus, we like to see our post counts go up.

[Danzilla]

And up.

[Danzilla]

And so on.

 

(Much Ado About Nothing)

[Tom Capasso]

I like to think very positively about the fine qualities that the people here possess.

 

The stats mean nothing. You could even trend them over the last 4 years, and I don't think it would mean much (even if the ratios and comparative numbers changed). From being here for a while, I've seen our own board get "hot" with many long threads and be "cold" with few posts and few new threads.

 

To me, what counts is the type of show we have here, and the quality of the people. Seeing that post where Way2fat was willing to help flood victims was the most recent of many caring actions.

 

And if they install quality-of-post standards, I'll be thrown out for sure.

 

Tom

[Eric VB]

Originally posted by Tom Capasso:

[...] And if they install quality-of-post standards, I'll be thrown out for sure.

Actually, Tom, I think you and the other mods do an excellent job here. You let the discussions go where they may, hardly interfering. (Biggest "manipulation" I've seen was to softly request a new e-bay thread to replace its burgeoning predecessor.) Occaisionally you guys step into the discussions and usually offer an amazing depth of knowledge, insightful analysis, and/or meaningful summary. Great stuff!

 

And then there are times when you guys throw in just a touch of humor or a personal note or something else that shows your humanity. The Fender "BenLoy" bass, Steve's bad GAS problems (uh, that didn't come out quite right) , personal concern for fellow Lowdowners ... I think you get the picture.

 

So, maybe in addition to a receptive, listening audience here, we have a cozy place to hang out because of the welcoming hospitality of the mods? Either way, kudos to Bob, Tom, and Dave!

 

 

(Hey Danzilla, you were right about the post count thingie! It went up!)

[ATM]

"Brownnoser!"

 

Oops, that belongs in the Movie Quote Game .

 

ATM