Non-posting Members

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I'm finding it interesting all the people defending themselves in this thread have over 100 posts. I haven't seen a true lurker here yet.

OK. Point taken.
But should / could we call it any other word than 'defend'?
I mean, it's nothing to be eshamed of if you can't or simply don't post all that often is it? Like someone said a lot of good questions are already answered within this data base, so just browsing through it and posting on occasion would be fine by me. Better this than starting a rush and producing a lot more traffic and a lot less valid threads along the way. I like this board the way it is very much.
I have been to a board of my favorite soccer team and there people aren't that friendly with one another although they are part of the same club!!! In every second thread someone shouts at the threadopener and demands a closure of the topic by a moderator a thing that I highly dislike and which I have seldom to ever noticed among us. I'd love to keep things that way.

Oh and I give in to Sarge's point though, that it isn't good to register a nickname that a contributing member would like to put to more use than the actual holder does. On the one hand we all know that those things are bound to happen.
But on the other doesn't 'Old Sarge' have a nice ring to it as well

[spshu]

I'm finding it interesting all the people defending themselves in this thread have over 100 posts. I haven't seen a true lurker here yet.

True Lurker as opposite to the demi-lurker?

Of course you don't see a true lurker here as they don't register at all. I lurked about 3 years or so before joining. There were at times I though I would reply to a thread but some else already mention what I was going to post.

As I recall Don Mappin mention and Cpt. Lundgren continue (as far as I know) to purge members with no post after a period of time. Or was it with no activity? Some may have voted in a poll and show no post. Some may have had their post expire and be deleted off the forums.

As Ineti mentioned there are some with multiple names. There is TAS, TAS II & another member ID that are all the same person. Liquidator Queeg I believe is also Steven A. Cook.

There are the RPG professional here that don't post alow, we might not necessarily wish to antagonize them by delete there record for lack of activity. I know SteveCole of ADB is registered here with 7 posts. I know I run accross other professional with zero posts but their names excape me.

Methuslah has 23 posts but has contribute a netbook,'A Time For Heroes', to Memory Icon. (Just checking his record, I missed his birthday. ) I am aware of other activities he is up to and its been tough in 2005 for him.

[Cpt. Lundgren]

I do a minor cleanup at random intervalls. Mainly usernames that have not completed the email confirmation. But there are also some users that haven't posted, but their last activity is much more recent than their registration date.

I also know more than one time when I have started a reply, but by some reason haven't completed it. But unfortunately, it is not possible to dig out how common that is.

Hm, just a random thought, maybe we should have a welcome thread where a new member can say hi, and a suggestion in the registration mail to do so? Could help to break the ice. But I am afraid that to many don't want to be among the first ones that says hi in that thread.

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Hm, just a random thought, maybe we should have a welcome thread where a new member can say hi, and a suggestion in the registration mail to do so? Could help to break the ice. But I am afraid that to many don't want to be among the first ones that says hi in that thread.

We could do that, bit honestly what's wrong with how we do things right now?
Does anyone have a problem with people who read more than they post here?
Why 'force' a welcome thread into existance... those who will get into contact with us will do so and the others will read. No harm done I think

But as a suggestion in the registration mail would be a good idea. What are the numbers of new registrations anyway these days?

[Phoenix]

The only issue I can foresee is as Sarge said "having an user name sitting idle when there might be people wanting to actively use it". Beyond that, lurk all you want, if you have something to say - just do it, we're one of the nicest (if not the nicest) forums around. Even if it is just to say "Hi, I exist"

Adding a second thought here, maybe we could start contacting some of the idle users, just to see if any of them are even here? If we don't get a reply with in a reasonable amount of time (2 weeks?) or the E-mail just bounce, we write them off as "Just Passing-by" or "Forum Collectors".

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Beyond that, lurk all you want, if you have something to say - just do it, we're one of the nicest (if not the nicest) forums around. Even if it is just to say "Hi, I exist"

I second that. Of all the boards I have been to this has definately been the one with the most friendly tone and comments to whatever was posted.

Feel yourself being complimented, guys

[Tobian]

As a suggestion: Why not email all the users with a welcome message.. As has been pointed out.. many don't even realise the boards still exists, and may come back once they do! While people may have changed their email addresses, if they haven't, they will simply recieve a hello from Trek RPG

I know on some forums, especially forums with downloads or files, registration is essential to be able to actually get at those files.. it isn't here, so I can't understand why they felt they had to register!

[LUGTrekGM]

I second that. Of all the boards I have been to this has definately been the one with the most friendly tone and comments to whatever was posted.

Feel yourself being complimented, guys

I third it.

I left a few other boards for other games systems / companies that were either rude, insulting, loaded with sarcasm, or flame wars waiting to happen, if not outright Harrassment.

I've participated in some heated discussions / threads here, but it has been (what I feel to be) Professional Conduct, all around.

I've never found so a nice combo of openness, along with helpfulness, and great quality free stuff, as I have here, these forums, and the associated downloads site.

It has renewed my faith in gamers, and Trek Gaming, spurring me to launch my USS Majestic Campaign, after about 2 years of break.

*begins slow clap for the entire community's efforts to get along, lurker, participant, game designer, or fan artist / publishers here, alike.*

[Hirogen Alpha]

I've spent a long time building up my post count to about 200. I've been on this website since the TNG RPG Guide (LUG) came out a long, long time ago, under a few usernames that I promptly forgot the passwords too and such. I finally settled upon this one a while back (and wrote down the password this time). Unfortunately, since the main site had all but shut down for a long while, this site is just a pale reflection of its former self. Which, by the way, still stands as the best, most mature bbs I've ever found on the internet.

Speaking of the main site, what's the news on that? Is it permanently dead, or coming back, or...?

[Balok]

Speaking of the main site, what's the news on that? Is it permanently dead, or coming back, or...?

Check out the sticky thread at the top of this forum for website status.

I generally check the site a few times a week - less frequently than I once did - and on many of those occasions, don't post. Our group isn't running Trek right now, and the game line and franchise are, if not dead, at least in a coma. I expect to be running Trek within a few months; as for the game line and franchise? I suppose time will tell.

[Cpt. Lundgren]

To clarify my position, I have no problem with members that only read on the forums. There are several valid reasons, beside being able to post, to register (i.e. some settings are not available without registration). The two reasons that I can't see as valid is membership hoarding, where someone resgisters at as many sites as possible without any interrest in the sites at all, and people who register with the intention to troll or spam. So basically, I don't see any need to change the registration or deletion policies at the moment.

But as a suggestion in the registration mail would be a good idea. What are the numbers of new registrations anyway these days?

An average of 8.5 new members a month, where about 60% have posted at least once. But we are currently running at "stealth marketing." The intention is to decloak when the new site is up and runnin.

[DaddyDragon]

I'm finding it interesting all the people defending themselves in this thread have over 100 posts. I haven't seen a true lurker here yet.

Cloaking device disengaged...

If anyone qualifies as a true lurker, I think I do. I read lots of forums, but rarely post. I was one of those that was surprised to find that the forums were still here after Don's announcement. Pleasantly so.

Re-engaging cloak...

Regards,
Larry

[Liquidator Queeg]

Liquidator Queeg I believe is also Steven A. Cook.

Yep, that's me. I registered under my real name when I started doing some work in the RPG biz a way back when. I don't really know why. I guess vanity and dreams of RPG domination and all that crap.

Cap'n Lundgren or other powers that be, if you're reading, feel free to delete that account. I'm not sure if I can do it myself or not? I'll only be posting as Queeg here.

LQ

[AslanC]

I post based on my interest in Trek RPGing... which is going to be picking up again as I am starting a new game next week

That said, lurking has been fun too

[spshu]

Yep, that's me. I registered under my real name when I started doing some work in the RPG biz a way back when. I don't really know why. I guess vanity and dreams of RPG domination and all that crap.

Cap'n Lundgren or other powers that be, if you're reading, feel free to delete that account. I'm not sure if I can do it myself or not? I'll only be posting as Queeg here.

LQ

Using your real name would identify yourself as more as a professional then using Queeg would. I think you have 593 under the Steven A. Cook account. Deleting that account might adversal effect those posts. Prehaps the two accounts could be merged in some fashion or another.