Why don't people start posting?

[Ken Leung]

Originally posted by littlefish180
I'm surprised that I'm still the only person from my team to register for these new forums. Warren (one of our engineers) used to post often. I guess he's just busy and hasn't looked at them lately. Mr Higgins (our teacher) said that he often comes and reads what the boards have to say, but always feels like he has no reason or shouldn't post. I guess he's just unsure as to whether everyone else wants to hear his opinion. I told him that if everyone is willing to let me post my strang ideas then he, an adult, would much more easily be "accepted" on these forums. Just some thoughts..

~Angela who is no longer afraid at all to share her thoughts or ideas

I realize there are many people who are only reading the forum and not posting in here... Maybe as the reason mention above, they are just unsure as to whether everyone else wants to hear their opinion...

I even remember being such a person a long time ago when I just started reading this place. I was afraid that no one really care about what I had to say, and also that I would be wasting people's time and space by posting some non-sense in the forum. But some how that idea eventually disappeared and I started writing these long posts. And it's not really hard at all... Everyone treats everyone like a friend around here, and it is actually fun to speak out loud in here.

But I still want to know, why are people reluctant to start posting in here? Is it because you feel like an outsider? Is it because you think your opinion doesn’t matter? Is it because the discussions are too self contained that it is hard to add an outside opinion in there? Or are there any other reasons?

Since these questions are directed to the visitors who doesn't leave any messages. I am hoping that normal posters will let those people say something first... But then again, I am probably pushing myself into a dead-end by asking opinions from the visitors who doesn't post...


Then again, someone told me I am a "pain", so I suppose my job is to raise issues like this that no one usually talk about...

Everyone is welcome to reply to this thread, wether you post normally or not...

[Matt Leese]

Originally posted by Ken Leung

Then again, someone told me I am a "pain", so I suppose my job is to raise issues like this that no one usually talk about...

Was that Jess by any chance?

Matt

[Tim Baird]

I think that I can atleast offer my opinion here being a former quasi-frequent poster during the season and before the counter got zapped back to zero, yet currently ranked with I believe 4 posts (well, this will make it 5, but you know what I mean). Now that summer is here and I'm working full time again, I work from sun up till supper time. After staring at a computer screen all day, the last thing that I want to do when I get home is sit in front of a computer screen once again, my mountain bike is much more fun and relaxing. So, the only time that I look at the forums is during my lunch break (ie, right now) or before I go to bed. This leaves me with very little time to fully read all of the posts, and once I do, leaves me with very little time or energy (depending upon which of the two times I'm online) to reply. With that in mind, by the time that I do get a chance to post, any ideas that i may have regarding the rather dull summer time FIRST season (I missed Mayhem, I'm still bitter), they have already been posted by somebody else. Seeing as how I'm not emloyed by the department of redundancy department, I'm not going to say something that has already been talked about probably longer than it should have been in the first place. So, that is my personal reason why i have not posted, and I will go out on a limb to say that a couple of people out there probably share the same situation.
Tim

[A. Leese]

Originally posted by Ken Leung


But I still want to know, why are people reluctant to start posting in here? Is it because you feel like an outsider? Is it because you think your opinion doesn’t matter? Is it because the discussions are too self contained that it is hard to add an outside opinion in there? Or are there any other reasons?

I think that it is all of the reasons Ken mentioned combined that people don't post. I myself was very cautious in posting. I've since changed my frame of mind about posting, mainly after talking with Ken on the subject for an hour one afternoon. I've assured my team members that their opinion matters and have usually gotten the reply of "..ok..but I still don't have anything to say.." I'll keep trying.

~Angela who was called the Wise One by Ken b/c he was called a pain

[mike o'leary]

I even remember being such a person a long time ago when I just started reading this place. I was afraid that no one really care about what I had to say, and also that I would be wasting people's time and space by posting some non-sense in the forum. But some how that idea eventually disappeared and I started writing these long posts. And it's not really hard at all... Everyone treats everyone like a friend around here, and it is actually fun to speak out loud in here.

yeah i used to be hesitant to post...but not cuz i was shy it was mostly cuz anton left little room for me to post (he posted enough for the whole team)...but now i post a lot, even if theyre not all long...

mike

...or relevant (i try to not be random though...i really do)

[Andy Baker]

OK, I'll post more. I promise.

Andy B.

[gniticxe]

Given the number of '0 posters,' who hopefully are readers, I figured this post could use a quick reply to get it noticed again. The diversity on this board is what makes it work. The more people who post, the better.

[Clark Gilbert]

Pulled this one out of the archive didnt ya? geez its old...lol

In some ways its good that 500 people dont post....and in some ways its bad....who knows....

[gniticxe]

lol, it actually came from changing the sort from decendng to ascending, and the range to 'from the beginning.' I was just curious to as how things were going a long time ago <I was quite bored>. But yeah, theres over 160 people who have never posted, and it would be cool to at least hear from them. btw, I was going to put 'the more posts, the better,' but yeah...i agree, if the posts got too numerous they may become ignored - and we don't want that

[Dan 550]

Okay, lets take a look at who posted on this thread. I see seven people above me, and I make eight. These eight posts are written by those of us that read this thread of Ken's and cared enough to provide feedback to Ken. In my personal opinion, the page view to post ratio is high on the view side because most people either don't actually have an opinion or they feel that their opinion was clearly stated by another person who already posted. I think it's a good thing, in a way, that not every single person posts on every thread, so as it does not get cluttered with posts that read 'I agree with Bo-Bo.' But, on another level, I'd like to see people get involved and truly state their own opinion on each discussion they feel is relevant to them. But that's me: just another guy trying to make a little sense out of our wacky universe here.

[Katie Reynolds]

In my personal opinion, the page view to post ratio is high on the view side because most people either don't actually have an opinion or they feel that their opinion was clearly stated by another person who already posted

Yep, that's why I do not reply to some messages! Lol, I agree with what Dan said...


- Katie
"Forget about friendship
Hey, let's destroy the enemy
That's one thing I've learned
My enemies are just as close to me...
Don't give up fighting
'Til nothing else stands in your way
Don't give up talking
Until there's nothing left to say
But no matter what you do -
Don't ever compromise what you believe!"
- The Ataris

[gniticxe]

Originally posted by FIRSTAE2004
Yep, that's why I do not reply to some messages! Lol, I agree with what Dan said...

lol, as do I, but it seems we've both just gone back on what we said!

[Tom Fairchild]

Many ideas that I have are already spoken for by the time I read a post. If someone has a question about drill motors, or something of that sort, and it has been answered, then I have no reason to post. Granted, sometimes I'll add on that "I agree with ____'s opinion" or something of that sort. Basically, I feel that as long as the boards are active, and all ideas are being brought to the table than its fine. If people have ideas but are sitting on their hands for one reason or another, but for now I'm happy.

~Tom Fairchild~, who posts when he sees fit, but tries (and sometimes fails) not to babble

[Carolyn Duncan]

Well, I hesitate to post here...
If anyone feels intimidated to post here maybe they should know this...
Even though I post often no one pays attention to what I actually post except to say that they disagree or think I post too much (I can't imagine why anyone would think I post too much) OK, now I'll be serious. If anyone doesn't post because they think they will be ignored ha I say. You won't be ignored, the stuff I post never makes sense and people still talk to me. If someone is worried about no one taking them seriously, again I say don't worry about that, no one takes me seriously. The people who don't post could always go to the Tigerbolt chat... then they would meet people and not feel like they dont know anyone. http://www.rit.edu/~us1stwww/chatindex.html I bet you guys thought I was gonna forget to say mad props to Ken didn't you? Well, guess what...
MAD PROPS TO KEN! Now I wonder who's gonna get mad at this post...

[Jessica Boucher]

I dont know if anyone else catches themselves writing a long post and then deciding randomly to not send it out...but I do....It's rather cathartic, just the sheer act of writing your opinion out. For this I am thankful for the forums....it's why I still read them when a lot of people I know have stopped.

I dont know, but what I do know is that it catches up with you...I used to post constantly...but now, I dont see the need for me to post. Someone usually has a similar opinion to mine and has already posted it. Even this point has already been pointed out, I shouldn't even be posting (but it is cleansing for me to do so).

I realise now that a lot of my posts were emotion-driven fluff. But it's in the past, I can't change it. Thats why I only sporadically post, to maybe add in a comment that hadn't been said. My posts were totally unlike the ones of the caliber of Ken & Matt L, or the standards, such as Andy Baker or Mike Martus or Joe J, who always post something intelligent, always are bringing new information to the table. They are the ones that keep this forum going, and we should all strive to post like that, at least occasionally.

Ok, I'm done.