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Is A2K Losing Some of its Luster?

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Phoenix32890
 
Reply Mon 5 Jun, 2006 06:21 am
I have been posting on A2K since the beginning of the site. I have loved the intellectual level of many of its members, and always found many fascinating threads to which I became involved. Sometimes, A2K was TOO interesting, and I found that I was at the computer, tapping away on my keyboard, when I really should have been attending to other matters.

Recently though, I have found that except for a few of the diehard regulars, that A2K does not seem to be bringing in new members of the intellectual quality of past times. In addition, I am perceiving an attrition of many of the regulars, who have either left, of are posting on a less regular basis.

I know that it is not my imagination, as the traffic has decreased over the last few months:

http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?q=&url=http://www.able2know.com/

Have you had a similar perception? If so, why do you think that this is happening? What do you think can be done to bring in some new "blood" of the high calibre of which we have become accustomed?
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Type: Discussion • Score: 1 • Views: 14,702 • Replies: 317
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Noddy24
 
  1  
Reply Mon 5 Jun, 2006 06:27 am
I think a great deal of subscriber energy has been spend on In Jokes and Old Member Togetherness--but this is always the case in the State of Denmark.

A larger problem is the return of pleasant weather. Many of our most interesting posters abandon their computers for the real world when the weather is fine.
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yitwail
 
  1  
Reply Mon 5 Jun, 2006 06:28 am
Re: Is A2K Losing Some of its Luster?
Phoenix32890 wrote:
the traffic has decreased over the last few months:


thank heaven for the influx of chinese students asking questions! otherwise, the traffic would be really diminished. :wink:
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Phoenix32890
 
  1  
Reply Mon 5 Jun, 2006 06:38 am
yitwail- I am enjoying some of the questions from the Chinese students. I get a kick out of knowing that maybe, in a small way, I am helping people from our two cultures to get to know one another.

The problem is, that explaining grammar to foreign students is not relating on the same level as having an important discussion with intellectual peers. On one of the threads, someone made a crack about a member saying the same thing, over and over again. I think that is what happens, when we are interacting for such a long time with the same folks.

After a while you KNOW what so and so is going to say on such and such a subject. In reality, the discussions DO tend to become stale. I think that is why it is important to bring in new blood to A2K, so that we will then have a more diverse viewpoint on different subjects.
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nimh
 
  1  
Reply Mon 5 Jun, 2006 06:53 am
High calibre level of intellectual quality?

Damn, I must have missed those threads.. :wink:

Seriously. A2K has always been a fun site and a good place to chat and find a smile or exchange the latest, or get some good daily-life related observations. But I almost always regret wandering into political or news discussions, especially the ones that centre on things American, because they pretty consistently result in the same tired talking points and antagonisms being barbed over and again.

This thread/article made me laugh so hard.. Razz
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msolga
 
  1  
Reply Mon 5 Jun, 2006 06:57 am
I understood that we had been experiencing a steady influx of new members for quite a while, Phoenix. A lot of new members.
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FreeDuck
 
  1  
Reply Mon 5 Jun, 2006 07:00 am
Doesn't this happen every spring/summer?
0 Replies
 
Phoenix32890
 
  1  
Reply Mon 5 Jun, 2006 07:06 am
FreeDuck wrote:
Doesn't this happen every spring/summer?


Yeah, I think that it happens to a certain extent. Maybe I am just noticing it more. I think that it would be invigorating to the site, if we got some new members who like to discuss ideas. I love the chatty threads, and the "auld lang syne" stuff as much as anyone, but I would really like some people come in with fresh ideas about the important issues of the day.
0 Replies
 
nimh
 
  1  
Reply Mon 5 Jun, 2006 07:11 am
Re: Is A2K Losing Some of its Luster?
Phoenix32890 wrote:
I know that it is not my imagination, as the traffic has decreased over the last few months:

http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?q=&url=http://www.able2know.com/

Cool site though, thats really interesting!

But if you look at the 1-year record, you'll see that traffic is actually pretty consistent, and is now higher than, for example, last November, and at pretty much the same level as last June through October. It's just that there was a spike last January-February that makes current numbers look low in comparison.

Compare:

Last three months

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/9713/a2k3months6xg.png

Last six months

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/6168/a2k6months7mn.png

Past year:

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/5581/a2k1year1mg.png

Past two years:

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/6195/a2k2years2yz.png

All time:

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/8169/a2kmax3bj.png

Admittedly though, a healthy site would have traffic growing all the time, rather than coming to remain stable - if only because overall traffic is growing all the time.
0 Replies
 
snood
 
  1  
Reply Mon 5 Jun, 2006 07:12 am
Phoenix, did you read that article nimh linked to?

It really gave me some perspective on all the "important" discussions we have here...
0 Replies
 
sozobe
 
  1  
Reply Mon 5 Jun, 2006 07:58 am
I'd suspect it has something to do with Craven focusing his energies on the new site and not putting as much effort into SEO (search engine optimization) as he has been.

Have you guys seen this thread?

http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15132

(Check out how many views it has!)

Craven's the man when it comes to SEO (and when he has time to do so)...
0 Replies
 
shewolfnm
 
  1  
Reply Mon 5 Jun, 2006 08:01 am
where are these interleckshuals you speak of?
0 Replies
 
Bella Dea
 
  1  
Reply Mon 5 Jun, 2006 08:13 am
I agree with you Phoenix. A lot of the newbies are rude, arrogant, stubborn and intellectually-challenged trolls. It's hard to hold a conversation with someone who thinks that something is so because they say it is. And even more hard to have one with someone who doesn't even bother to use their own words but cuts and pastes someone elses thoughts into their post.
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DrewDad
 
  1  
Reply Mon 5 Jun, 2006 08:17 am
It also seems that most of the traffic is focused on religion and relig... er... politics.
0 Replies
 
Reyn
 
  1  
Reply Mon 5 Jun, 2006 08:30 am
Re: Is A2K Losing Some of its Luster?
Phoenix32890 wrote:
.....A2K does not seem to be bringing in new members of the intellectual quality of past times.....

Hey, we can't all be geniuses!
0 Replies
 
Reyn
 
  1  
Reply Mon 5 Jun, 2006 08:31 am
shewolfnm wrote:
where are these interleckshuals you speak of?

Yes, I was wondering that myself.

Sounds a little elitist.
0 Replies
 
snood
 
  1  
Reply Mon 5 Jun, 2006 08:44 am
Just a widdle
0 Replies
 
DrewDad
 
  1  
Reply Mon 5 Jun, 2006 08:51 am
Dlowan... Is that you?
0 Replies
 
DrewDad
 
  1  
Reply Mon 5 Jun, 2006 08:52 am
shewolfnm wrote:
where are these interleckshuals you speak of?

Poop-head.
0 Replies
 
shewolfnm
 
  1  
Reply Mon 5 Jun, 2006 08:53 am
Bella Dea wrote:
I agree with you Phoenix. A lot of the newbies are rude, arrogant, stubborn and intellectually-challenged trolls. It's hard to hold a conversation with someone who thinks that something is so because they say it is. And even more hard to have one with someone who doesn't even bother to use their own words but cuts and pastes someone elses thoughts into their post.


exactly

and thats it just because I say so
0 Replies
 
 

 
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