Hello all! I usually lurk ...I often read it for 10 mins in my work breaks... I tend to read without commenting - just enjoying browsing and also sometimes using the search function to find things that match my gardening questions & problems. This forum really is a great resource, and I especially appreciate the fact that it's so eco-friendly, and also that it's well suited to gardening on a relatively tight budget .. it's a really good knowledge-archive-style resource for new &/or lurking gardeners
That's for unlurking and posting. Great comments. Thanks @CanterburyBells
[Our] knowledge archive is contained in the brains of its contributors …
Simply referring a questioner to an earlier thread is often not what questioners consult the forum for...
😊
My point is that the vast majority of readers, users, viewers are using historical threads as an archive. That it is exactly what they are here to consult. They are not asking questions here, the majority will never start a new discussion or make any post.
That's not at all to undermine the great usefulness of live discussions and the people as archives too. Pretty much whole garden has been informed, shaped and planted with the direct help of this forum. I'm just trying to broaden the gaze a bit to see all the other people the forum inform - the silent majority.
As I’ve said, I’ve always tried to post hearing in mind future readers, not just the person who posted the query. After all, even those of us who some see as the old regulars were new here once, and many/most of us found our way here in just the way you describe … googling with a gardening problem … even I was a newbie once you know. 😊
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I'm not sure that I want my posts to become part of an archive and I don't want the fact that the world can read my posts to affect what I say. If the world wants to observe or join the forum , that's fine but I feel really uncomfortable with the expectation that I should change to accommodate anyone who might Google. Maybe it's successful because it is what it is.
Sorry for what @pansyface? My comments are not about any individuals - they are not at all personal.
Mine are personal reflections after being here for four years or so (I'm fairly new). I'm trying to point up the great value in the threads that old timers might not appreciate - that you have all, perhaps, created (among other things) a kind of accidental, very human, encylopedia, that millions of people are reading, appreciating and learning from.
I'm not sure that I want my posts to become part of an archive and I don't want the fact that the world can read my posts to affect what I say. If the world wants to observe or join the forum , that's fine but I feel really uncomfortable with the expectation that I should change to accommodate anyone who might Google.
I would say that it's good to be aware of your audience. If we share the personal things be fully aware that thousands of people are silently reading along all over the world.
As very rough estimate, each Curmudgeon thread as has around 25k views. There are 20 threads over about four years. That half a million views total (v approx). Some of those will be by regular Curmudgeon contributors (there are not very many comparatively). Some will be repeat visitors. But most are not. For people who are sharing inimate details over those years, I personally think it's wise to know that half a million times, or so, people have been watching and taking note.
I will come back to the bot question.
This is not to suggest that contributors should change how they post, necessarily. Just to note how the forum is currently used by most people. You have a large audience.
I'm an oldish female with a garden and opinions. Come the revolution, I'll be to old to care. I haven't noticed anybody giving personal details on the curmudgeon thread. To be honest, I'd be hard pushed to identify the gender of half the posters. Amongst the groans and gripes there are interesting debates and empathy,sympathy and solutions.
From my perspective I use this forum entirely as a learning resource. Not usually for specific questions (though threads from here regularly pop up on Google searches), but I like to browse randomly just to expand my knowledge. As such, I only occasionally post and with some degree of self-consciousness as a relative novice; the vast majority of my visits are "lurking".
The bot question is interesting. Having a browse through past threads over the years it's obvious that there are common themes and common questions - roses, compost, fencing, neighbour conflict, choosing a small tree for a small garden, what to do with leyandii/ants/rats, what to plant in the shade, plant ID, my plant is dying, bugs, lawn management etc.
Looking back over the last 100 threads pages - which takes us back to August 2021 - we can view how many views each thread has. Very approx it seems that the average views per thread might be between 50-200. When a thread is very popular it really stands out in sharp relief. That sharp interest, is not from bots.
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It maybe that some posts, say, from the Rose threads, are being shared on other forums, by Twitter or rose FB groups. We know they are followed by some high profile rosarians and international rose groups (and influencing them). So it maybe that threads like the Rose ones are not just drawing in readers from Google, but via networks. News on those groups spreads like wildfire. Also, the Rose threads might have pretty much Google's only mention of a particular rose, so that unique quality (and all the pictures) probably draws people in too.
@Fire I find the reference to maybe thousands of people all over the world reading what I've posted very scary - I didn't realise that might happen. Do you really think that is the case? I thought you had to register on the site to be able to read anything on it. How many people world wide would bother to do that? I shall be a lot more careful what I post in future.
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Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Amongst the groans and gripes there are interesting debates and empathy,sympathy and solutions.