Members of Secret Projects

[Steve Pace]

I noticed that SP has 5067 members as of today. I've also noticed that just a few of us are regular participants. Wouldn't it be great to have 5000-plus members participating on a more regular basis. -SP

 

[sferrin]

I noticed that SP has 5067 members as of today. I've also noticed that just a few of us are regular participants. Wouldn't it be great to have 5000-plus members participating on a more regular basis. -SP

That could be a double-edged sword.

 

[Steve Pace]

I noticed that SP has 5067 members as of today. I've also noticed that just a few of us are regular participants. Wouldn't it be great to have 5000-plus members participating on a more regular basis. -SP

That could be a double-edged sword.

There's a lot of knowledge out there that I'd like to harvest. We can always weed out the garden. -SP

 

[bobbymike]

I noticed that SP has 5067 members as of today. I've also noticed that just a few of us are regular participants. Wouldn't it be great to have 5000-plus members participating on a more regular basis. -SP

That could be a double-edged sword.

There's a lot of knowledge out there that I'd like to harvest. We can always weed out the garden. -SP

I agree with sferrin but the upside of 5000 people scouring the web for aviation/defense technology stories and bringing that information back could be cool. Although I am assuming everyone understands the rules of the forum and what should and should not be posted (and that's the big if it took me some time)

And just to be a conspiracy guy - how many members are monitoring this site for intel I say that only half jokingly as there are some amazing members here with incredible knowledge.

 

[Matej]

I think that it is the standard sociological layout. But as the appeal to the all of the members to share usefull info and their experience/praxis... why not?

 

[Nick]

What would happen to the numbers if we only allowed continuing membership those who have posted or signed in during the last 2 years?

 

[Matej]

Signed - probably a good idea (simultaneously if the member doesnt have any post)
Posted - probably not so good idea

 

[Jemiba]

Such rules would only increase the number of posts like "Wow ! Cool !! Thanks for posting", I'm
afraid, but not of useful information. :-\

Don't get me wrong, it's ok to say thank you, of course and such a post doesn't increase the
amount of memory needed too much, I think. Nevertheless I thought about the usefulness of
cleaning threads from such posts, as they make searching even more difficult. And that could
lead to members deleted, although they had posted during the 2-year period. And to demand a
useful post may be too much. There probably are members, who cannot afford to buy
many books or magazines and aren't or weren't employees of an aviation company.

 

[Nik]

D'uh, like me: I used to read 'Aerospace America' until city's tech library discontinued it, subscribed to OrionBB's journal until £/$ exchange rate and postage became *pernicious*, and just happened to know a few, now-obscure aero-engineering folk whom I'd contacted by accident...

No way have I access to open-but-obscure sources of anything novel or newsworthy.

FWIW, I was a lurker here for several years before daring to join-- And promptly put my foot in mouth...

 

[BAROBA]

I am an artist with an interest for anything flying and currently helping some guys out with 3d-art.
I also like to question the reasons behind a design, so I often ask more stuff then I post.
But behind the scenes I post a lot more.... Which reminds me

 

[Stargazer]

Nevertheless I thought about the usefulness of
cleaning threads from such posts, as they make searching even more difficult.

Why so? In what way would a "Thank you" message complicate a search? I don't understand it.

I tend to think that spelling mistakes in thread titles ("chinise" instead of Chinese) or wrongly constructed aircraft designations ("F-6F" instead of F6F for instance) are much more harmful in this respect. Indeed, given the amount of visibility this forum gets and the insistence on usefulness/accuracy around here, I'm surprised that the mods do not intervene more systematically on the topic titles.

 

[BAROBA]

Nevertheless I thought about the usefulness of
cleaning threads from such posts, as they make searching even more difficult.

Why so? In what way would a "Thank you" message complicate a search? I don't understand it.

I tend to think that spelling mistakes in thread titles ("chinise" instead of Chinese) or wrongly constructed aircraft designations ("F-6F" instead of F6F for instance) are much more harmful in this respect. Indeed, given the amount of visibility this forum gets and the insistence on usefulness/accuracy around here, I'm surprised that the mods do not intervene more systematically on the topic titles.

The searches will take longer,because also those messages have to be processed.

And I agree on the names and other spelling mistakes...

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Its a little irritating to rename a whole topic, you have to make a new topic with the desired title and then merge it with the old topic. Nevertheless, I do rename topics all the time.

 

[Dragon029]

Having too many people posting would introduce a lot of non-intentional disinformation.
Additionally, while this forum is far different in purpose, with larger forums, threads are often lost in a sea of activity and this in turn causes posters to become attention seekers with the ability to reach a large audience.

Personally I love checking this forum every day just to learn about the more peculiar and spectacular side of the aerospace industry / aviation history.
This is also one forum where the people speaking about topics generally know what they're talking about; what speculation there is generally is well educated.

 

[Firefly 2]

Having too many people posting would introduce a lot of non-intentional disinformation.
Additionally, while this forum is far different in purpose, with larger forums, threads are often lost in a sea of activity and this in turn causes posters to become attention seekers with the ability to reach a large audience.

Personally I love checking this forum every day just to learn about the more peculiar and spectacular side of the aerospace industry / aviation history.
This is also one forum where the people speaking about topics generally know what they're talking about; what speculation there is generally is well educated.

As is said on so many other fora: +1
It sometimes bothers me that I cannot participate in discussions, my knowledge being vastly innadequate. But what little I find and know I share, and I try to restrain myself from engaging in discussions I know I will lose ;D
I believe this attitude benefits the workings of this forum, whilst vastly improving my own knowledge.

 

[Jemiba]

Nevertheless I thought about the usefulness of
cleaning threads from such posts, as they make searching even more difficult.

Why so? In what way would a "Thank you" message complicate a search? I don't understand it.

It maybe just the difference of scrolling through 20 pages, instead of just 10 ....
Again, it's ok and good behaviour to "Thank you" and it's ok, too, to say "Wow, cool", and if it's a current
thread, it won't make searching much more difficult. But if you just remember vaguely, that somewhere
there was a post by .. who was it ? ... in the thread ... or was it another ? ... and you spent considerable
times to find, what you're looking for, it probably becomes clearer.

 

[saintkatanalegacy]

As is said on so many other fora: +1
It sometimes bothers me that I cannot participate in discussions, my knowledge being vastly innadequate. But what little I find and know I share, and I try to restrain myself from engaging in discussions I know I will lose ;D
I believe this attitude benefits the workings of this forum, whilst vastly improving my own knowledge.

same here but I *try* to contribute whenever I can :-[

 

[Mike Pryce]

I noticed that SP has 5067 members as of today. I've also noticed that just a few of us are regular participants. Wouldn't it be great to have 5000-plus members participating on a more regular basis. -SP

I see reading as an important way to participate, just the least visible. Presumably many register as members in order to see the pictures.

Although I don't think the 'wow, cool, thanks' posts are a problem, if they are thought to be so then perhaps a 'wow, cool, thanks' button, along the lines of Facebook's 'Like', could help as it would not add more posts, just show against an existing one. But maybe it would provoke popularity contests!

Regarding searches, the problem is not just wrongly spelled/spelt (!) titles, but also searching for something you don't quite recall the name of that can throw up lots of results you don't want. Both the result of there being so much information on the forum.