How many people really read these forums ?

I don't think Stu or Ben are to publish the exact numbers caml but I am pretty sure that there are a lot more readers than contributors.

the best thing after a surf was spending the last hour of the day talkin shit with some friends at the beach,that doesn't seem to happen now,making a mistake here, is a lot easier than getting flushed for being stupid.

It's always hard to know caml. Different times of day, different weeks, different seasons. Certainly numbers would spike with big swell events in both the forecasting and the hindcasting, but it may be just a few afficionados.

I've spent some quite considerable time contributing to forums in the past, have been fairly quiet the past few years. There's an echo-chamber quality to it all, never sure if you are posting and 1,000 are reading it or 2 people, or nobody.

It's that lack of feedback that can be disheartening in a way. Somewhere many years ago I developed a habit of writing, way pre-internet days, and when the internet, and god almighty, public forums came along, I just thought here is an opportunity to write to an audience, even if I didn't have a clue who was reading.

Then there are the regular contributors, most of whom I have a high regard for. Most are highly intelligent, literate and although arguments start here and there, tend to be doing it in the best spirit.

But there are the trolls, the naysayers, 'the punishers and the straiteners', whose only purpose is to make sure that nobody else is having a good time, because sure as hell they aren't.

They ultimately just suck the life out of me. Of recent years I just haven't had the time like I did back then, but have had a bit of a recent spurt of posting activity. That will come and go. Sometimes I have nothing to say.

But I have made a bit of a pact with myself to try not to post anything that is personally directed to other forum members, while as far as possible analysing and prosecuting ideas, logic, rationality, a different perspective.

But the echo-chamber quality to it all remains for me. Is anybody out there?

batfink wrote:

Is anybody out there?

Pink Floyd

There is a significantly disproportional number of forum readers (or 'lurkers') to writers. As is always the case with most forums. Lots of people love to read but don't want to comment. 

That being said, our forum's traffic is a very small percentage of the overall website traffic. This may be attributable to a couple of factors:

(1) Our articles receive large amounts of comments, which have the same functionality as per our forums. But they're not seen in the same light (which is a good thing!).

(2) We have some tech problems with the forums, i.e. articles don't immediately go to the home page, it's not easy to search for new topics, the layout is pretty average. However, with a limited development budget we'd rather work on the surf reports/forecasts/cams than allocate time and money to the forums.

(3) Busy surf forums are not necessarily always full of good content. In general, most of what goes up on the Swellnet forums is of a decent quality. But elsewhere the ratio is much lower. 

batfink wrote:

It's always hard to know caml. Different times of day, different weeks, different seasons. Certainly numbers would spike with big swell events in both the forecasting and the hindcasting, but it may be just a few afficionados.

I've spent some quite considerable time contributing to forums in the past, have been fairly quiet the past few years. There's an echo-chamber quality to it all, never sure if you are posting and 1,000 are reading it or 2 people, or nobody.

It's that lack of feedback that can be disheartening in a way. Somewhere many years ago I developed a habit of writing, way pre-internet days, and when the internet, and god almighty, public forums came along, I just thought here is an opportunity to write to an audience, even if I didn't have a clue who was reading.

Then there are the regular contributors, most of whom I have a high regard for. Most are highly intelligent, literate and although arguments start here and there, tend to be doing it in the best spirit.

But there are the trolls, the naysayers, 'the punishers and the straiteners', whose only purpose is to make sure that nobody else is having a good time, because sure as hell they aren't.

They ultimately just suck the life out of me. Of recent years I just haven't had the time like I did back then, but have had a bit of a recent spurt of posting activity. That will come and go. Sometimes I have nothing to say.

But I have made a bit of a pact with myself to try not to post anything that is personally directed to other forum members, while as far as possible analysing and prosecuting ideas, logic, rationality, a different perspective.

But the echo-chamber quality to it all remains for me. Is anybody out there?

Right here BF, always look forwards to reading what you have to say.

Well said again BatFink;)

I read the forums here Caml but my posts are a little unorthodox. :)

Thankx for all the input SN contributors and you as well Sheepio..

I generally lurk here and just flick through the board design thread. I only enter the forums when the "latest" banner on the home page has something interesting. If I find a thread I feel I have something to add then I comment. I am, however, far more active on other forums. Nothing against this one, I just started on them earlier and there is only so much time in a day. I generally find the participants here of a high quality.

Steve, wellymon, thanks muchly and back at ya.

caml wrote:

Thanks for the info ppl . Is it important to keep knowledge secret or is it good to share knowledge ?

Thats a really good question.

caml wrote:

Thanks for the info ppl . Is it important to keep knowledge secret or is it good to share knowledge ?

It depends on how the knowledge is likely to be used. But, sometimes unfortunately, you'll only be delaying the inevitable because in the end others will find out or discover it themselves.

I generally think sharing knowledge on spots and working conditions online is a no no. Simply because it's there forever. Long after you're gone the info will remain for anyone who can be bothered looking for it in a google search.

Yeah, naming spots is a no-no.
But sharing info about board design, fins, diet, rehab etc etc is good.

Interested to read the chat all the time. Topics are mostly interesting and insightful,.As freeride suggests boards fins rehab etc all good. Good to hear alternative perspectives coming from invaluable experience. I have had some really good outcomes regarding chronic back pain from reading and learning from contributors here. The banter on some of the swell forecasting is always entertaining too.

There is some smart people on here for sure.

And if I met them I reckon I'd even like a few of them.

I could be wrong though .

Knowledge is to be shared.

People that treat knowledge as power are a stain on humanity.

Unless that knowledge relates directly to the detriment of fun through overcrowding of surf spots, then it's loose lips sink ships and STFU .

I recklessly and regrettably revealed a couple of names to an acquaintance only recently , an acquaintance that turned out to be a young Turk with an unquenchable thirst for social media grandstanding no less.

I've felt queasy ever since.

Silence is golden if you ever wish to ride a wave unhindered by the trials of the masses.

yeah a good parallel is what happened with amateur versus pro fishing in some fisheries.pro's before internet were absolutly secretive with their spots,handed down landmarks ect only to family or partners.amateur fishermen tend to share their spots much more freely,now we have a situation where nowhere is sacred and the fish have nowhere to hide.with the advent of sounders,gps,free sharing of knowledge has resulted in a massive reduction of some fish stocks.No going back now tho.i think we are the worse off for it.sometimes those great spots are all the more sweeter because of how hard won the knowledge was.

.

[quote=Blowin

Knowledge is to be shared.

People that treat knowledge as power are a stain on humanity.

quote]

.

What colour stain Blowin?

Pickle green.