Members signing up, but not posting!

[raiderlax]

Hey guys do you get members that just sign up and do not post? I have been getting a lot of people like this and I wonder why they do this.

Are their any tips you have that will help them post,etc... Also is there anyway I could ask them why they aren't posting for what reason - there feedback?

Thanks :)

[nexialys]

the usual problem is that they register for future use, or for leeching... leeching readings because they are interested by the content but not to participate...

does your forum is intended to provide documentation or support?... is your community is built toward interaction, or just questions/answers ?!

these are some details you have to evaluate to see why people are not posting...

[MRGTB]

They might be BOTs registering.

[Waf]

i was one to those :D

[cheat-master30]

Hey guys do you get members that just sign up and do not post? I have been getting a lot of people like this and I wonder why they do this.

Are their any tips you have that will help them post,etc... Also is there anyway I could ask them why they aren't posting for what reason - there feedback?

Thanks :)

Okay, there are three possible reasons why they signed up and never posted, and the main one is also the last. They are:


They signed up for some kind of malicious service, or to spam with PMs/Profiles/member list links. Pretty rare actually, but you could always check a few things just to make sure.
They failed validation. Such as having a misspelt or wronh e-mail, and never got an activation email. May then have either signed up correctly with another username and be someone active on your forum, or have just left to go elsewhere. Pretty rare, but anything can happen (no joke).
The typical lurkers and shy members. To be honest, about 60-90% of members on forums never, ever make even one post. Maybe they just come to browse. Or to leach contents from a gallery, arcade or other service. Or maybe they signed up for the heck of it and changed their mind about being a member. Don't ever worry about this, it's perfectly normal. Happens to every forum on Earth, is very common, and is pointless to bother about generally.How to help activity


Check what they are doing. If they are viewing a gallery, or using an arcade constantly, add some kind of costs to the feature to encourage them to post before using it. If they are just lurking, move on to another possibility.
Welcome them. Send a PM, comment on their profile, make a topic about the new members. This may encourage them to post.Finally, never give up. All forums have different activity rates and rates of growth, and what's small for one type of community might be huge for another. Same with activity.

Oh, and think of these for a start:

I have noticed that service boards such as download areas or support boards have huge amounts of members and low posting rates. This seems perfectly normal.

[jeremyalyea]

There are 2 mods I have used to help this. One starts a welcome thread on their behalf to get them to say something about themself. Another sends an email out periodically if they have not posted in 'x' amount of days.

[Shazz]

Okay, there are three possible reasons why they signed up and never posted, and the main one is also the last. They are:


They signed up for some kind of malicious service, or to spam with PMs/Profiles/member list links. Pretty rare actually, but you could always check a few things just to make sure.
They failed validation. Such as having a misspelt or wronh e-mail, and never got an activation email. May then have either signed up correctly with another username and be someone active on your forum, or have just left to go elsewhere. Pretty rare, but anything can happen (no joke).
The typical lurkers and shy members. To be honest, about 60-90% of members on forums never, ever make even one post. Maybe they just come to browse. Or to leach contents from a gallery, arcade or other service. Or maybe they signed up for the heck of it and changed their mind about being a member. Don't ever worry about this, it's perfectly normal. Happens to every forum on Earth, is very common, and is pointless to bother about generally.How to help activity


Check what they are doing. If they are viewing a gallery, or using an arcade constantly, add some kind of costs to the feature to encourage them to post before using it. If they are just lurking, move on to another possibility.
Welcome them. Send a PM, comment on their profile, make a topic about the new members. This may encourage them to post.Finally, never give up. All forums have different activity rates and rates of growth, and what's small for one type of community might be huge for another. Same with activity.

Oh, and think of these for a start:

I have noticed that service boards such as download areas or support boards have huge amounts of members and low posting rates. This seems perfectly normal.


Nice post if there was + rep I would add it ;)

[msudawgs64]

I am a new member, signed up today and for the most part I am learning the ins and outs of the VBulletin system so if you see me lurking around reading posts, as I am apt to do, in my case I am looking for answers or a possible solution first before posting for help.

BTW, I run a sports message board and members to the same thing there, they sign up and not post. Some of my fellow owners kinda get upset about that but I really don't have the time to worry about it, if they want to say something they will, otherwise I don't have a problem with them reading, though we did lock down the arcade to a minimum amount of posts needed.

[nexialys]

this site is not intended to check who is doing what... you are free to just leech information - this is a documentation place too... so you are welcome even if you keep silent and do not post anywhere... if you see the number of active members compared to the registered ones, you will see you are not alone to lurk on the site.

[ablaye]

I don't think that you can force anyone to post. If they feel like posting, they will.
You need to start interesting or controversial topics to entice them to participate.

[CDarklock]

Let me point out another reason people register and don't post.

Because you MAKE THEM.

Yesterday, I went to a site about nutrition and bodybuilding. I clicked the "About Us" link. It said "Sorry, you must be signed in to do that!"

So I registered, because I wanted to see if this company was one worthy of my business. And it wasn't (which is why I won't say who it is). So I left, and I won't go back, which means I'll never post.

Keep in mind that this isn't always an intentional feature of the site. The example above is, but it's also possible that some brilliant post in your forum was crossposted elsewhere by a member, and people are having to register so they can see it.

Oh, and also: what ablaye said.

[cheat-master30]

Let me point out another reason people register and don't post.

Because you MAKE THEM.

Yesterday, I went to a site about nutrition and bodybuilding. I clicked the "About Us" link. It said "Sorry, you must be signed in to do that!"

So I registered, because I wanted to see if this company was one worthy of my business. And it wasn't (which is why I won't say who it is). So I left, and I won't go back, which means I'll never post.

Keep in mind that this isn't always an intentional feature of the site. The example above is, but it's also possible that some brilliant post in your forum was crossposted elsewhere by a member, and people are having to register so they can see it.

Oh, and also: what ablaye said.

That is why I personally hate forced registration or the newer idea of making all forums private. But then again, I can't see this in action on the example forum, I can see the topics and posts just fine.

Although two things you may want to consider:


That enormous message saying the benefits of registration basically takes up the whole first page length of the forum. Seriously, in one whole screen view,that is just shoved in your face.
Don't feel too bad. You think have 115 members and 28 active is bad? I saw a site with FOUR HUNDRED PLUS members and 26 active members. Oh, and about no posts in the last week. Been around for about 4 years as well. Don't make the problem seem worse than it is. Put it in somewhat perspective.
You seem to have content, that's good.

[CDarklock]

That enormous message saying the benefits of registration basically takes up the whole first page length of the forum. Seriously, in one whole screen view,that is just shoved in your face.

I think I see the problem.

"Tons of contests and give-aways"

People may expect that free stuff will simply show up in their mailbox every now and then if they just register.

[Roxie]

This happens all the time!

I used to delete ZERO POSTERS, but now I don't even bother. My forum is kind of active so it doesn't bother me too much. I know that some register b/c you can't post or view the content of threads w/o registering (at least on my forum).

[DieselMinded]

Try an Introduction Forum Viewable to guest..

http://www.dieselbombers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=100