Author Topic: Lack of Forum Participation??? (Read 2912 times)

andy750 · « **on:** July 16, 2009, 08:47:11 PM »

I have noticed this for a while but today it became too much...

Blackmax starts a thread:

" CB750- What plugs are you running? (NGK) D8 or D7 ? "

VERY simple question. 28 reads so far and only 2 replies. WTF!!? Do the other 26 people not have CB750s? Unlikely...do they not have running bikes? Again unlikely....

Now obviosuly there is no requirment to answer this thread but.....what I need help in understanding is WHY NOT?! If you have clicked the thread to read it, then why not answer the simple question...D8 or D7s...it will help the OP and maybe many others. If not then why are you really on this Forum? To gain from the knowledge but not return it?? I dont know...I am curious to know reasons why in this type of thread 90% of people dont reply. And its widespread....look at all the SOHC threads...about 15-20% people who read them actually reply to the question. What about the other 75%??

Curious to have opinions on this...is it just me?

cheers
Andy

seaweb11 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 16, 2009, 08:54:54 PM »

As for a plug question, I would have to go look? I'm no expert on plugs and it's fricken hot!

Sometimes there are so many answers that to add would be redundant.
Most times if I haven't had what ever issue it is, I don't reply simple because I don't know, but will read it to see what answers are given in case it happens to me.

If I know something for a fact I will stick my nose in to help.

Retro Rocket · « **Reply #2 on:** July 16, 2009, 08:56:25 PM »

Quote

As for a plug question, I would have to go look? I'm no expert on plugs and it's fricken hot!

Sometimes there are so many answers that to add would be redundant.
Most times if I haven't had what ever issue it is, I don't reply simple because I don't know, but will read it to see what answers are given in case it happens to me.

If I know something for a fact I will stick my nose in to help. Smiley

+1 Seaweb

Mick

Spanner 1 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 16, 2009, 09:05:49 PM »

Andy, you might have picked a bad example as the q. only had 2 possible answers which the 2 posters confirmed.........but I know what you mean, the same old dickheads ( including myself in that !) are answering all the time, I'd say about 20 guys out of how many thousand ? regularly respond......knowledge of these bikes is spread far wider than that among the members...IMO.

mlinder · « **Reply #4 on:** July 16, 2009, 09:54:03 PM »

I was too busy helping him in his other thread to notice that one. Sorry.

(Are you calling me a dickhead, Spanner..?)

BeSeeingYou · « **Reply #5 on:** July 16, 2009, 10:02:46 PM »

I would agree with Seaweb. I read that post but it had already been answered and to chime in to just say" yeah me too" does not seem to have any point except to maybe raise my post count.

mcpuffett · « **Reply #6 on:** July 17, 2009, 02:43:31 AM »

I chime in from time to time

but sometimes i leave it to others that are more knowledgeable than me

, cheers Mick.

Tom in Newcastle......Ontario · « **Reply #7 on:** July 17, 2009, 05:50:30 AM »

I have noticed that sometimes if you do answer a post it just gets ignored,maybe people are waiting for "the experts"

I also think that people are afraid of getting slammed by some of the other "experts"

tortelvis · « **Reply #8 on:** July 17, 2009, 05:59:11 AM »

Quote from: mcpuffett on July 17, 2009, 02:43:31 AM

I chime in from time to time but sometimes i leave it to others that are more knowledgeable than me , cheers Mick.

Exactly!

Caaveman82 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 17, 2009, 06:35:39 AM »

Quote from: srust58 on July 16, 2009, 10:02:46 PM

I would agree with Seaweb. I read that post but it had already been answered and to chime in to just say" yeah me too" does not seem to have any point except to maybe raise my post count.

Yeah me too. Oh wait...

I think a lot of people read the posts and either the answer they were going to give has been given or they don't know the answer. Either way what is the point in throwing something out there if either of those two are the case.

Gordon · « **Reply #10 on:** July 17, 2009, 06:50:49 AM »

This forum easily has some of the fastest responding, most helpful members of any forum (not just motorcycle) I've been a part of. Maybe you're just getting spoiled. Spend a decent amount of time on some slower, less helpful forums and you might not be so upset at the lack of participation you're perceiving here.

74cb750 · « **Reply #11 on:** July 17, 2009, 07:12:58 AM »

Should I reply to this thread?

74cb750 · « **Reply #12 on:** July 17, 2009, 07:13:35 AM »

Ok, with this reply this thread now has a 10% reply rate.

UnCrash · « **Reply #13 on:** July 17, 2009, 07:18:57 AM »

HA!

I've noticed since I joined a few years ago that thread response was about 10 - 15%. Hasn't changed much since then.

my78k · « **Reply #14 on:** July 17, 2009, 07:34:42 AM »

Another factor I see affecting answer rates is the title of the thread. Alot of times the title isn't specific (such as a current thread labelled "CB500 Carbs"). Now I am not knocking that thread since I haven't opened it but with a title like that you need to click on it just to know what the guy is asking about....does he need help with a rebuild? Is he looking for parts? Does he have jetting questions?

That thread has about a 6% reply rate...

Also, I click on a lot of threads to view possible answers to learn from.

Dennis

dave400 · « **Reply #15 on:** July 17, 2009, 07:36:17 AM »

If he spent time using the search facility, I’m sure the answer would have been found without another needless question from a 750 bloke clogging up the board.

Cheers

ev0lve · « **Reply #16 on:** July 17, 2009, 08:22:05 AM »

Eh, I started writing a post about experts and cores of explicit knowledge and... crap basically.

Suffice it to say that if I answered every post I read the signal to noise ratio of good information would drop significantly and there's probably a few thousand of us here on the boards in that boat

Still learning though!

MCRider · « **Reply #17 on:** July 17, 2009, 08:36:49 AM »

Yes, that may have been a bad example. Many of the readers may have been guests not entitled to reply.

There is the issue like in grade school, always one or 2 in 30 that raise their hands to every question. I'm like that. Even though many others know and sit quiet. Just human nature.

If the question got answered in those 2 replies, no need to go on with replies.

Overall I think the response rate is pretty good, qualified people answering questions, peope trying to learn answer and ask questions. Not too mush bad info and when it gets out there its debunked quickly.

I'd like to see more answers backed up by links to info, rather than just statements of fact. Even though they may be fact, I like to see the backup.

I always try to provide my sources.

Love this place!

Duke McDukiedook · « **Reply #18 on:** July 17, 2009, 08:43:12 AM »

Yeah, I think the responses in this forum are usually quick and correct.

People from other sites seem to rave about the help they get here compared to other sites.

Blasbo · « **Reply #19 on:** July 17, 2009, 08:44:57 AM »

I'm fairly new to SOHC4s (but not forums) and a lot of the time I will click on a topic to learn. It might be that I have that same question or think I might have to do that someday.
Also as stated if someone has already answered the question, there's not a need to ad to it, except to maybe say +1.

Johnie · « **Reply #20 on:** July 17, 2009, 09:03:12 AM »

I agree...had I responded I would have just agreed with what was already posted on plug size. Just thought it was redundant. I also only post on things I am confident on. I do not get deep into engine rebuilding so will not answer questions about cam towers, cranks, pistons, etc. I stick with what I know and what I have already done. Now ask me a question on aluminum polishing and get ready and pull up a chair...

mlinder · « **Reply #21 on:** July 17, 2009, 09:13:58 AM »

I'ma go reply to every thread on the first 5 pages

I'm just kidding, Andy.

I DO know that there are some good questions out there that DON'T get answered very quickly, ones I do not have the answer to, or ones I know that could be answered more succinctly by certain other forum members. I usually drop in and give my 1.5 cents, but tell them to hang on 'til the proper guru takes notice of the thread.

Fact is, sometimes I answer 5 or 6 threads, and the problems are so nebulous (the OP for some reason doesn't want to follow through on certain steps, and report back with findings, they just want to buy something they think will fix it, without doing process-of-elimination), that the thread fills up with pages of "could be this, could be that, you need new tires, don't use synthetic oil, go eat a donut", that I can't freakin remember what I asked them to do, and what their answer was if they did check what I asked, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna go read through 8 pages of stuff on 10 threads trying to remember who did what I asked them to do inbetween the 9 jillion other posts.

Holy crap, talk about a run on sentence.

d_soles · « **Reply #22 on:** July 17, 2009, 09:30:52 AM »

I'm also new to these bikes (and wrenching in general, only worked on a Spree before this!), so, I too look into topics to maybe learn something. Generally, I don't know the answer. If I do, I say something (even it is just the same old "clean carbs!!!!", nobody ever seems to clean them good enough. I swear, if I see another thread involving somebody half-ass cleaning their carbs, I'm gonna explode!), but, usually, I don't know the answer, and I don't want to clutter up the topic with an "I don't know, sorry."

There.

Done.

Doug

lynchj · « **Reply #23 on:** July 17, 2009, 09:32:11 AM »

I love this forum, it's the best one I've ever seen and I belong to a few. Is there really an issue with lack of participation? Being a relative nube I don't have a lot of technical expertise to offer, mostly I'm soaking up as much as I can but I do try. I can mostly respond to "open forum" stuff because I'm learning with every turn of the wrench.
It's kind of funny this topic came up, I have a "project" thread that I started a couple weeks ago and 200+ have seen it but 0 replys from anyone other than me. I'm not hurt or nothing, there really isn't a lot to add to what I have done so far but seeing this just made me think of that. Now I'll probably get a bunch of lame replys that will clog up my thread (only kidding, ha ha ha).

Industrial Rat400f Killer · « **Reply #24 on:** July 17, 2009, 09:48:23 AM »

I can't speak of anybody else but I would assume that some of the other members use the forum like I do.

I click on a thread for several reasons
1. I think I have an answer
2. I'd like to know the answer
3. I think it might have cool pics that I can drool over

I usually only respond if I think my participation will be of some type of help or "I wish that was my bike" when looking at pics.

So I'd say I only respond to 10-15% of the posts I look at which is about the same as what the participation seems to be.

I do, occasionally, think that some posts fall between the cracks but there could be million reasons for that.

News:

Author Topic: Lack of Forum Participation??? (Read 2912 times)