One thing to consider why so many new accounts never post, have no avatar, and give minimal info required to join, is the internet is full of information seekers. While this forum has no hidden forums, many do and only way to view them is to join. Information seekers may join this forum and do some quick searches and probably don't find anything worth their time, so they move on. If one isn't going to interact, only reason I can see to join here would be to see photos larger.
On some forums, you actually have to sign up to read the posts. They may sign up for that particular reason. Not everyone is a forum interacting person. They may not even be sure how to navigate a forum lay out. My mom would be like that. She would only join to read stuff and look at the pictures/ jokes. So...who knows how many people out there you may be making smile because of your post!!
We do have people who have registered and log in from time to time, perhaps even often, but never post. I have come across some who have even uploaded an avatar. That's fine. Lurkers are welcome, although participants are more valued.
I have not seen this on SOC but other forums I do know allow visitors on the site..without having to join..and simply read any post they wish. I often see the visitor/member ratio on a sports forum to which I belong and the former is tenfold that of members. I wonder how many of the visitors actually join. I know I always have a complete navigation of a prospective forum before any idea of joining it.
A lot of the "Guests" that show up here are actually spambots. Automated accesses that are recognized as bots will appear in the "Robots" section but spambots are usually not registered as bots so there's no way to track them, and they are reported as "Guests." There are, however, real people who read the forum without signing in, too. I don't know what the percentage might be. But when you see hundreds of "Guests," that probably means we're under a DOS attack rather than that hundreds of people suddenly decided to check out the forum.
I admit that I do look in in the morning to see what y'all have been up to. Gotta make sure y'all are behavin', you know. I don't usually have time to sign in until late afternoon.
I am baffled by what must be at least 100 NEW MEMBERS that joined our happy little forum and left on the same day. I did not peruse all pages of Registered Members but there was one of these New Members.. on the final page. New members that joined and stayed less than two months is also very prominent. What possesses someone to go to the trouble of checking out a forum to their satisfaction, registering to join with the intention of staying.. then inexplicably abandoning it the same day.
@Craig Swanson Well if "they" (real seniors live and in the flesh) joined with INTENTION of staying and being active, then there are several reasons for their abandonment the same day. Dr. Faye is looking into her crystal ball and seeing the following reasons. 1. Dementia A. They forgot they signed up B. They forgot their password and/or user name and too ashamed to asked for help C. The same person signed up 100 times and became more confused D. They forgot to pay their internet bill 2. Disorders of the bowel A. Irritable bowel syndrome and it was too difficult to operate a laptop while on the pot B. Constipation C. Diarrhea D. Anal seep and not ready for diapers yet 3, Schizophrenia A. Couldn't make up their mind which personality should be the one to post B. Their multiple personalities got in a fight and they banned each other from the internet 4. Coronary Arrest A. Once they joined and saw photos enlarged they suffered heart failure and were advised by their doctors to avoid aggravating circumstances 5. Medication A. Accidental overdose causing hallucinations B. Ate several of their grandkids brownies C. Misidentified a mushroom on a seniors nature hike 6. Hormone changes A. Females signed up and had their first hot flash which may have led to a domestic misunderstanding and significant or insignificant other threw the modem out the open window where it suffered permanent damage B. Males may have read on the internet that their estrogen was higher than females their age and had a gender crisis 7. Hygiene A. They read on Facebook that others could see them on their computers because they could turn on their webcam and they didn't want to spiffy up just to post on the forum B. They read an article that computers could now detect smell and they refused to give up snacking on garlic
Actually, there is nothing funny about any issues seniors may experience. A few years ago, I chose to find humor in even the worst as a means of overcoming some very difficult times. I am not and would never make fun of anyone, but rather in general at the senior issues that can be depressing. I make jokes about things that may affect me now or in the future or maybe have in the past. Because my mother and grandmother suffered dementia starting in their late 60's, I do special therapies to make sure I won't experience the same. I find myself forgetting things I had in mind. For example, when I decided to make my earlier post, I forgot what I was thinking earlier. I was going to make jokes about my 3 years in bed with vertigo and vomiting. There is nothing funny about having Perilymph Fistula, but using my experience of vomiting all over my computer, might be humorous as a reason someone signed up for the forum, but never posted. Nothing funny about bowel disorders or having cancer removed, but my humor is one of the reasons doctors say I have overcome or can deal with such devastating disorders. There is nothing funny about at age 51 my MRI looks like an 80 year old (one side brain sag) but latest MRI still shows that of an 80 year old. So I joke with my doc that when I am 81 and my MRI looks like I am 80, then I can say nah na na nah na. I sure many don't see the humor in that, but it made my doctor smile.
Very humorous @Faye Fox. Perhaps jealousy came into it when one spouse told the other that they had joined without consultation. I know my wife is not all that chuffed at me joining a private forum. First thing she asked me does it have female members and how much chatting will I do with them.
I have been guilty of B more times than I wish to admit!! Once a site (bank, google, etc) asks me to change my password for security purposes, it's difficult to remember what I changed it to. Sometimes I wait a few months....then go back and change it to my original one.