November 06, 2006

• User since: November 30, 2005 Coincidence?
• Odd, now you point it out. My impression had been that there were more posts per day than previously. Possibly, though, it'd be worth working out the comments per day. Perhaps monkeys just like to chat.
• Or, what TUM said.
• Yes, but which links have higher quality?? It's the quality that counts, not the quantity. I would prefer one good site over a thousand mediocre. Or, what TUM said.
• Number of comments per thread for Nov. 1, 2004 --> =21, 2, 52, 32, 17, 21, 12, 10, 9, 27, 59, 15, 35, 20, 6, 13, 4, 11, 24, 7, 5, 4, 91, 9, 2, 0. (Total comments for day =492) Ditto for Nov. 1, 2006 =9, 16, 26, 67, 13 (Total for day=131) Ye can do the comparisons on the rest for yourself, I just picked one at random. I realize all three of ye have only been here since 2005, but if ye check this period 2005 for the same period, I think you'll notice there's been an ongoing decline.
• I refuse to post a comment.
• I am ambivalent about posting a comment.
• Ebb and flow. People Monkeys change, have less/more free time, use it differently. So what if there are less posts? Quality, yes, that's the ticket. Who needs a day full of elephant posts?
• Did I hear ye say urinal posts?
• I think the urinal post killed something inside you monkeys. Firefox wants me to capitalize internet, and I refuse.
• I can't help feeling the discussion has been somewhat less than substantive lately-ish.
• If we go on at this rate I figure in less than a year monkeys could be extinct. Not extinction, but evolution. Many of the current posts are being entered on MoFi2ndLife.
• Hmm, more precisely this noise charted backwards yields evidence of a great poo flinging sometime back in July 2003, followed by a inflationary period ending in October 2003, with the mofi channels finally becoming clear enough of posts in November 2003.
• That "clear enough of" should be "clear enough for"
• I refer to this theory as my big poo fling theory of the orgin of mofi. It is a theory, and it is mine.
• /flings poo and runs.
• people do get busy. I'm not one to talk, I've alwasy posted sporadically. Also, some posts are better than others for generating discussion.
• I just assumed that folks were moving back over to MeFi now that they are able to register again. After all, MoFi was created in response to the original close in MeFi memberships after the turn of the century. (Is it too early to be using that phrase? If no, then when? 2010?) Anyhow, I still see a place for 'more bananas, less poo.'
• I can't help feeling the discussion has been somewhat less than substantive lately-ish. Mh. So yes, maybe many of us start wiht the puns and jokes an triple entendres before a discussion has run its' course. Guilty of that. But hey, this place is supposed to be fun. Cripes, we're talking about monkeys here! *takes an oath to fling less and think before typing*
• I wish I could post more. I lurk these days, unfortunately, but with my schedule, I barely have time to tie my shoes, much less make a substantive post. I love monkeys dearly, but none of them are paying my bills, which leaves me in a somewhat unfortunately position of having to choose...
• I like the idea that people have gone back to Metafilter since they opened up the registration there. And I also agree that this site has become a very chatty site within the comments. What can we do? Well, we can make more posts here. I know that I can. I shall hereby make a vow to post something at least once a week (for me, this would be an enormous increase in posting). Others who comment regularly might want to do the same. And semi-lurkers and lurkers out there might want to make some additional comments or the occasional post. I am with bees. I think that the trend is that participation is decreasing. I don't want to see that trend continue, and I shall do my part to help reverse it.
• I just assumed that folks were moving back over to MeFi now that they are able to register again. I haven't bothered with MeFi since I stumbled on MoFi.
• Time for another "god" post
• I think the Internet has been overfished, leading to a decline in the breeding stock of posts.
• I haven't been able to find many things to post lately, & I have to move again in a month, so RL is getting in the way.
• MonkeyFilter: I barely have time to tie my shoes A monkey in shoes?!! Ok, ok, so I'll post already. *rubs hands together, wrinkles brow, ponders
• I'm just having a massive sulk, but I forget why.
• Because I stole your memory. No wait, forget that. Damn!
• In keeping with our time-honoured tradition that Curious George threads are not regular FPPs, I shall therefore try to find something elegant to post today. Or inele-gnat, as the case will more probably bee.
• In keeping with our time-honoured tradition that Curious George threads are not regular FPPs, I shall therefore try to find something elegant to post today. Or inele-gnat, as the case will more probably bee.
• O Infernal Server Error, bee-gone!
• Hm. I suppose I could visit more. :) And, you know, post once in a while.
• *instantly develops soft spot for smallerdemon*
• I'm applying to grad school, and that's taking a massive amount of time. I will get involved again soon, I promise. MoFi's a great site, and I look forward to being in a place where I can contribute more substantively again.
• My inertia is quite high: Monkeyfilter is usually the first place I go to when I get online, but it takes quite a bit to get me to post. I'm still here, though! I can barely stand even lurking at MeFi, with the backbiting vibe I tend to run across. MoFi is easily more inviting to those like me who pop in to post only once in a while (or maybe I haven't incurred the wrath of the monkeys yet?). Thanks to all for that.
• Well, I consider this post a challenge. I always like to walk in front of ladders & piddle past graveyards, so throwing a sabot in the works of somebody's statistics is quite up my flagpole (no relation). Thus I inaugurate the Official Monkeyfilter Make Those Statistics Wrong Marathon. Let's make sure there's a bump in them there figures for future statisticians so that their charts look like a silhouette of Lynda Carter circa 1977.
• Anyone who abandoned us monkeys for Mefi just because they can register over there now doesn't deserve the ceremonial banana peel and regimental poo-sash. Bad cess to their stinkings arses, as my mum would say.
• Wolof is guilty. Metafilter should be renamed Metabitter. Have you seen the way those turkeys prattle on at each other? It's like a marriage gone sour between 400 people.
• I'm guilty? Of going where I want when I want? OK.
• Yeah, you terrorist-hugger.
• Wolof, why do you hate America?
• monkeys need to post where they wishes simple freedom to choose is always delicious unless ye're a perfect fool such as I bee to feel suddenly squirmish when confronted by squee
• I haven't bothered with MeFi since I stumbled on MoFi. Word. As a relative n00b, I guess I just dont get it. What are we supposed to do here, if not chat amongst ourselves about both the original posts and the tangents they lead us down? Maybe I'm more of a stream-of-consciousness gal than others, but it seems to me as if there's only just so much you can say about each topic without veering off. And given the general interconnectedness of things, way is bound to lead on to way. *shrugs, flings potpourri*
• Dear TUM, it is with great pleasure that I hereby confer upon you this field promotion from 'relative n00b' to 'relative old lag', effective immediately. Carry on. *snaps salute*
• *stops chewing pop-tart in mid-chew* *considers FPP-worthy topic*
• I say we stop posting links altogether! I don't know why you people are in such a hurry to get to the end of the internet. There's a monster there!
• Looking back at the archives for that week in 2004, I noticed 2 things. One was SideDish, and the other was moneyjane. Thanks for making me sad this morning, bees.
• I love Wolof. In a manly way.
• I think Mofi is feeling the effects of the war on terror. I think we are in our final throes, if you will. Mission Accomplished!
• Ach, Mickey, first let me say I'm glad you're still with us! Be altogether pitiful if we didn't experience loss and sadness thinking of old friends who aren't around any more....but who might come back, as others have.
• Frankly, I don't perceive much of a change in MoFi compared to two years ago (aside from the loss of SideDish's daily postings). I try to post when I have the time and when I think I have something worthwhile. And if we've lost anyone to the Blue, so be it... survival of the fittest! Weed out the inferiors!! I have my dose of poetic bees... I have my witty, sarcastic, tagged advice from GranMa... I have the all-wonderful TUM... I have the one-and-only, untouchable and all-knowing Chy... I have beetroot-loving chap... and the ever-friendly Koko... I have the dedicated homunculus... The multi-faceted Pete! OK, I could go on and on. My point: I <3 this place. There's many a wonderful Monkey here. I don't think our species will die out. I expect to be here until the bitter end.
• Y'know it won't be long before our own Li'l Duke of Squeee will be posting his very own FPPs. Ahh, then we'll have arrived. Sir Bees, perhaps there's been more of a trend to notice the sidebar topics and use them, H-dogg style, as opposed to making new FPPs? I say we hold a meeting to discuss the potential reporting that could be done if an exploratory committee were to investigate probable causes by proxy in order to fully understand potential impacts of FPP expostiation upon third party representational projections in 3rd quarter profit-undermining resourcitude. Um, or some razamafrazzle jimjamicalatious hippity hoppity words to that effect. Any seconds?
• To the quorum forum!
• ...yes, definitely there should be more posts about probability. Good work, bees.
• Sir Bees, perhaps there's been more of a trend to notice the sidebar topics and use them, H-dogg style, as opposed to making new FPPs? Brilliant insight! We can prove that as the number of old posts, N, increases over time, the number of comments C applied to those old posts will also increase. And assuming a fixed supply of posting energy e, which is proportional to N+C+N'+C', where N' is the number of new FPPs, and C' are the new comments on those posts it means therefore that the number of new posts N' should necessarily decrease!
• The quantitative discrepancy is noticeable when ye go through the archives, but clearly some feel there's not been much difference in overall quality of posts. I like your idea, petes. Be pleasant to think it's so, anyway.
• *punches StoryBored's formula into the Postoconfigulator 6200GX5, out pops a small lemon pie* Thanks StoryBored! *munch*
• Is it a natural phenomenon that we must, every few months, start to wonder what's wrong with Mofi? When so much is right? Maybe I'm just cranky today, but I say it does no good to make such comparisons. This usually leads to those periods of "we've got to stop chatting so much", "we must make more and better FPPs", "so-and-so's links suck" that usually cause me to take a short break until everyone simmers back down.
• Now, now, Lara. There's no dispute as to whether my links suck. Of course they do -- we all agree on that. It's intuitively obvious to the most casual of observers. If we need to have an Existential Crisis, I say it should be over why moneyjane doesn't come round these parts no more. Sweet Mothra, do I miss moneyjane...
• Lara has cooties.
• Of course we all miss Moneyjane, but heck she ain't here and may never be back. So really the thing to do is to elect a Moneyjane replacement or clone. I vote for the Captain to fill the role. *pokes absently among lemon pie crumbs*
• This repudiation of questioning that may or may not be surrounding lemon pie FPP's is frankly stalling efforts to have a real community spirit amongst those of us on radio MiFo and quite a lot of it is because of certain assifications becoming apparent when other people ought to just leave the preview button and link to shutting up!! I apologize to the fairer of you posters that had to see that. Fes to the brown monkey telephone . . . Fes to the brown monkey telephone please.
• He's gone walkabout. As for this here curious George...let me just point out that the period chosen for comparison purposes (First week of November, 2004) was the last stages of a hotly contested presidential campaign and thusly was an anomalous blip in the data, and that this here MonkeyFilter is not, as has been opined, dwindling.
• I vote for the Captain to fill the role. *weeps in resignation, applies ChapStick*
• rocket88, that is the first thing I thought too on seeing the dates. Personally, I'm apathetic. I've just finished several class assignments and have felt slightly hungover now for about three days, and I looked at this post and went "oh. Okay."
• MonkeyFilter: an anomalous blip in the data
• Oops. Forgot about the USian presidential election! /nitwit Well, the consensus in this thread seems to indicate that it doesn't matter, that all in all MoFi is much as it's always been.
• It wasn't a complete waste of time though. I got to have lemon pie.
• Hope you put some maple syrup on that Koko. I had some maple syrup on the weekend. that is some deliciousness. I just drank it out of the bottle. Weeeeeee!
• Ah, but what of November 2003? eh? huh?
• I say we come back to this thread in a year and find out if MoFi is still dwindling or if we're chock full of bananas.
• I say there are lies, damned lies, and statistics.
• I WANT PIE!
• Π
• This time . . it's piefunul
• Don't threads stay alive a lot longer, due to the sidebar showing when new comments arrive? Any stats on thread longevity? (Turkmenbashi may skew this) How about - Make this graph automatic, and put it on the front page. Or put it in the wiki, so the stats can be easily updated, and do histograms and stuff. May I say I never joined because I couldn't get into Metafilter, and I won't be leaving now. Please try and treat that as a positive.
• Yeah ok.
• It'd be interesting for someone (i.e. not me) to compare those results against the number of 'active' monkeys. Or it may not be. Idunno.
• Define 'active'? Different levels of monkey activeness: 1 = regular FPP 2 = regular comments 3 = "drive by" comments 4 = er 5 = trolls? 6 = CROWS CROWS I HATE THEM 14 = help me out here
• CAWWWWW!
• I know! Make MoFi into a Tamagotchi (or, Mofigotchi,if you will), which is fed by FPPs and comments. If Mofigotchi is dancing and singing an annoying little tune, we'll know we're doing allright. If he's dead, we'll just buy a new Mofigotchi. Double posts and snarky comments make Mofigotchi cry. Political and religious threads make him furrow his tiny brow. Comments from Chy make him wet himself. When Mofigotchi sleep, everybody quiet! Shhhhhh!
• I don't post as much as I used to because I'm a grouchy cunt.
• This Mofigotchi - how much does it cost, and does it come pre-loaded with gomichild's style sheet?
• or gomichild?
• Let's get her!
• Monkeyfilter: because I'm a grouchy cunt.
• For goodness sake, I already have to appease Cthulhu, The Werzog and the Tracikraken. Now I have to make the Mofigotchi dance as well? Intellectual threads make him stroke his chin. Self-posts make him pull a blade.
• Or a groin muscle.
• Ow.
• *mofigotchi urinates*
• Awwww not the desk! Not on the deeeeesssk! Shit!
• Is the mofigotchi ovoid or monkey-shaped? Can it roll of the desk and crack its shell? Or will it dangle from the edge, prehensile tail at the ready?
• *mofigotchi burps a tiny LCD ice cream cone, then whistles*
• A+B, Down, Sweep-Right+A
• cornholio cornholio CORNHOLIO Dammit! How do I access the God-Mode?
• bring down the console, then type god - then you can eek threads, bannnninnnnate etc or type 'map current:[username]' to jump to the current location of the user stated in [username]. Handy!

• >map current:petebest

  Aaaaiigh!
• >map current: ?pete?best?
• Stare into your darkened monitor and vjant "Bloody Mofigotchi" three times. Of course, then you die a horrible, gruesome death. But what a way to go!
• >map current: flagpole Flagpole flagpole? Flagpole! Flagpole flagpole flagpole flagpole... flagpole. Flagpole. Flagpole flagpole flagpole flagpole! *collapses*
• Hey, I vjant all the time. You wouldn't know her. She lives in Canada.
• oh! is that a Being John Malkovich ref Flagpole. I love that movie, they quote the letters of Heloise & Abelard!!
• Flagpole! I mean, yes, Malkovich!
• >map base:tracicle IM IN UR BASE, EEKIN UR THREDZ sorry
• I feel grateful to hajen/Melinika as well to Mathowie and the folk on the MeFi thread because they've shared their insights. You are all all my teachers.
• Hey, after a couple days of not checking Mofi, there's this bunch of good links. Good work, people. And that Mathhowie... if I give you $5, will you shut up?
• Curious George: The Dwindling... Comparison of the number of threads posted on MoFi in the past week with those posted on the same dates back in 2004: 2006 --> Nov. 5 =3, Nov. 4 =6, Nov. 3 =5, Nov. 2= 10, Nov. 1 =5, Oct. 31 =7, Oct. 30 =6 2004--> Nov. 5 =29, Nov. 4 =32, Nov. 3 =28, Nov. 2 = 23, Nov. 1 =26, Oct 31 =12, Oct 30 =20 If we go on at this rate I figure in less than a year monkeys could be extinct. What do other monkeys make of this? One year on, some of us are still here (not bees himself, alas) but we have dwindled just a little further... 2007 --> Nov. 5 =1, Nov. 4 =0, Nov. 3 =3, Nov. 2= 4, Nov. 1 =2, Oct. 31 =5, Oct. 30 =5
• I'm doing what I can to keep posting and commenting, recognizing that it's not always quality stuff. Perhaps the dwindling is not unrelated to that... It is getting quieter around here, that's for sure.
• Not sure what the answer is. At times I think I hear the distant chortling of the plughole.
• Some regulars claim to be busy with real life and such, and aren't checking in -- at least not like they were before. In any event, Quid and I are well on our way to being in the finals, and our lengthy war of attrition against everyone else seems to be soming along just nicely. There can only be one!
• "soming" being a part of my local dialect. Incredibly local.
• Like "steamed hams"? Funny, I was just thinking about this today. It says we have 8760 members, but I think only 12 are active, and 7 of them are mostly lurking. Sigh.
• I blame it on Turkmenistan. And squidranch.
• In the soming, oh, my darling, when the lights are dim and low...
• Some of our most active members are gone, or nearly gone. Real discussion is rare...replaced by puns and in-jokes.
• Real discussion is rare...replaced by puns and in-jokes. That's big part of the problem, right there.
• It would be interesting to see stats on total number of comments per day, as activity in old threads should be expected to increase over time. I dunno. I was gone for less than two weeks and my sidebar seemed infinitely long when I logged back in.
• If I had remembered this thread I would have posted in it earlier today. Only three FPP's on a weekday? That's Sunday-ish.
• I should clarify...my comment wasn't meant as a complaint. I really don't know if the lack of discussion is a cause or a symptom of the disappearance of long-time active posters. Their absence is definitely noticable, either way.
• I dunno; I thought that the punnery and injokery had subsided lately.
• Real discussion is rare...replaced by puns and in-jokes. If I were a different sort of person, this comment would make me afraid to contribute for fear it wasn't profound or incisive enough to qualify as real discussion.
• Meetups increase, posts decrease. Coincidence? I think not.
• And TUM, blather like your last comment hardly qualifies as real discussion.
• Plus, we're getting near the holiday season. Folks is more busy.
• Shitbiscuits.
• If I were a different sort of person, this comment would make me afraid to contribute for fear it wasn't profound or incisive enough to qualify as real discussion. I understand that fear, but I also think that a lack of substantive discussion and a bunch of in-jokey comments also tend to make potential new blood think, "Eh, not for me," or even scare them away because the community looks too insular. It also takes away the incentive for existing members to post good stuff to the front page, if a serious post is just going to get a bunch of "quidcorpse amirite" comments in response.
• Too true, beardo!
• Otter bile.
• On the other hand, lots of serious posts get 1 or 2 comments, while the more fun ones get tons. I hate that we have to drag this up again. It always makes me want to stay away. Hopefully I'm the only one.
• From a pure marketing standpoint, the decline in participation should surprise no one, in my opinion. I realize that this is not an apples-to-apples comparison, but take the magazine subscription game as a comparitor. Even the best written, best designed and most compelling magazines have a subscriber retention rate of about 75% if they are lucky. In other words, they lose 25% of their regulars in each unrelenting year. They make up for the loss by marketing to newbies, hoping that the new subscribers will equal or beat the delinquents. I an no Mofi historian, but believe I am correct in that Mofi has only had one marketing push ever, that occuring when Mefi started limiting membership and/or charging $5 for the privilege. Since then, newbie Mofi's, including myself, have come on board almost exclusively due to word of mouth or by seeing something on Mefi that related to or linked to Mofi. So, basically, we are a magazine that is doing nothing to attract new readers/contributors, but are feeling the unavoidable loss of 25% or more of our participants annually. The demise of Mofi is predictable and possibly unavoidable. There is little chance of a "marketing push"; there is no budget, and every blog under the sun is in competition in the free market for the eyes of new readers. Word of mouth, in all but a very, very few instances, is never enough to feed a going concern. So, we diminish. What would keep Mofi alive? At the risk of sounding maudlin, the answer is true fellowship and friendship. If the remaining members find that this institution is of lasting value, then we will keep alive and continue, on the fuel of kinship, be it 8000 members or 80. If there is not a strong enough bond, Mofi will lapse, as did your subscription to Mad Magazine, Wired, and Rolling Stone. That's just the way it is. Regardless of the outcome, it has been a fun ride thus far.
• As a lurker/commenter/poster, I sometimes feel I'm not part of the "inner circle" (yes, you know who you are) but that's not a problem as the repartee suits my sense of humour, as opposed to the intense masses of MeFi, and the infantile "me too" that is Fark. So you're stuck with me, and one day I'll find that FPP that will exceed the comments record. Yeah right...
• The dog is correct. As I see it, we can try to draw new members, encourage the thousands of lurkers to be more active, or just live with the 30 or so active members we have now. I think we've tried option 2 a couple of times with no success.
• Ed, I'm glad we have you.
• Big love for Ed! (if that doesn't care you off, nothing will) I will confess to be being more likely to post a more serious link to MeFi now a kind friend coughed up my (OK, his) five bucks. I think it's often because it's things I think deserve the widest possible audience - especially China stuff, which is quite heavy in my posting, is about as unpopular or misunderstood there as anywhere (and here it is far less likely to turn into a "but in America..." dull-fest), but suspect it reaches more lurkers.
• care you off in a Care Bear scary way, obv.
• I sometimes feel I'm not part of the "inner circle" Ed, there is no cabal. there is no cabal, there is no cabal, there is NO cabal Seriously, what would you like to discuss, folks? Many of our serious (and depressing) political threads remain on or return to the sidebar frequently, but there seems to be limited discussion--mostly just sighs and depressed heaving of shoulders. We haven't had much disagreement (and therefore, discussion) within the hive mind since fox et al left. I lubs it when our frogs and others drop back in and some of the lurkers are glimpsed sneaking in and out. Sometimes it does seem like a wank joke fest around here, but I gotta admit, it sure brightens up my day as well as feeding the inner snark. I will, however, post something, for the good of the Filter!! *poses, head raised, arm held high
• I will confess to be being more likely to post a more serious link to MeFi Me too. But I always do a search on MoFi to see if there's a related thread, and if so, I post the link there too. Continuing old threads is one of the great things about MoFi, but it also makes it difficult to assess activity here just based on new posts.
• The point about MoFi activity estimates necessarily having to include comments to old FPPs is well taken, but the fact is that having an ample number of new posts to the front page is key to attracting new monkeys and to turning lurkers into active participants and in general to keeping things lively around these parts.
• I hate to have to correct you maudlin, zombified idiots every time you blather lies from your gaping maws but - wait, actually I love correcting you all, who am I kidding? Anyway, the point is that the "8762 members" at the top of the page is actually a typo. It should read "8762 dismembered" - by the plural limbed and monsterous tracikraken. Activity on the site is decreasing because the admin-beast keeps eating people. I've asked time and time again for the blubbery ink-sack she hides her tyranny with and the tartare sauce for Hank, but you people are all "WAAH WAAH WAAH ITS BETTER THE MONSTER WE KNOW". Bush was re-elected for similar reasons, which I think should tell you all something.
• Yes. I am Bush.
• But with great milk bags.
• I could teach you, but I'd have to charge.
• Here are the figures, updated: .......30 31 01 02 03 04 05 2004---20|12|26|23|28|32|29 2005---04|16|15|10|12|10|09 2006---06|07|05|10|05|06|03 2007---05|05|02|04|03|00|01 2008---03|03|00|01|02|02|03 A bit more dwindling, not quite so steep?
• "not quite so steep?" It makes sense to me that the more active members that opt out the more the onus goes to the few who put some effort into keeping us going, especially in the absence of new members or lurkers who become inspired to contribute on a regular basis. Even Hank/Chy/Nostril, who gave us new posts at least once a day for ages, seems to have been diverted. I know that the humor and friendliness of the remaining regular contributors keeps me reading, but I seldom find a reason to comment, much less go look for something to post. Maybe it's due to too much consensus? f8xmulder and Fes were folks who opened up discussion, but they're gone, and no one has stepped up to take their stressful spots as the cheerful minorities willing to put themselves out on one limb or another. I'd really like to see a bit more friendly conflict.
• My election year theory doesn't seem to fit the new data.
• I've noticed a bunch of lurkers commenting lately. Not FPP-ing, but still. Am I the only one who pronounces "FPP" like blowing a raspberry?
• *becomes raspberry*
• I can't speak for everybody (obviously) but this year I've really had to learn to manage my time down to the minute. I have had to purge almost everything but Gmail from my "to browse" list. However, I did rush straight to the computer when I saw a TV ad for the return of the McRib. (I went to a McDonald's today, but it wasn't the right one, and they didn't have any. The search continues.)
• (I came for McRib, and stayed for the NaNoWriMo thread. One thing about stripping out all superfluous activities from your life: you're able to use the time to do crazy shit, like writing a 50,000-word novel in a month.)
• Enough navel-gazing! WE ARE MONKEY! HEAR US ROAR!!!!!!!!!! grrrrrrr
• I came for McRib... *fondly remembers when everyone came out of the woodwork after the 'Bashi had died*
• but I seldom find a reason to comment, much less go look for something to post. path - You've commented about this and the "death" of mofi before - and I think you are confusing it with "change". People come and go it's the way it is. While pining for old members (and yes some are much missed) is ok to some degree it might be clouding your judgment about the people are are posting and contributing. And with all of these things it's no damn good just whining about it - you get out what you put in - making thoughtful comments elicits thoughtful comments. There's no magic Discussion Fairy that is going to come along and make this happen.
• Gomi: I tried to take this to email, but clicking on the address in your profile just caused about 50 windows to to open to tell me that navigation was cancelled. So, let me point out here that I'm not the one who re-opened this thread. And, yes, I did, within short-term bring up a similar concern based on a post in Tracicles's blog to the effect that contributions were slowing down, probably due to monkeys leaving to go to Mefi, and knowing that many people don't read the blog, thought it might be of general interest. What I did do was express an opinion as to why the number of posts have declined. Just an opinion.
• there are way too many sites competing for attentions these days... facebook, meta___'s, flickr, blogs, news, NaNoWriMo, etc.... I, for one, am impressed we've kept it up (har har, sorry) as long as we have. I think fluctuations are bound to happen, and people will come and go as their personal situations- work, health, personal issues, etc.- allow, but we monkeys are hardy folk and will last, mostly cause we all love each other deep down, and tolerate each others' crap. :)
• We tolerate it just long enough to FLING IT. Oh wait, we don't fling it.
• MonkeyFilter: There's no magic Discussion Fairy that is going to come along MonkeyFilter: Enough navel-gazing! WE ARE MONKEY! HEAR US ROAR!!!!!!!!!! MonkeyFilter: We tolerate it just long enough to FLING IT Man, I love you guys. Sersly!
• I think in order to compare apples to apples, we would need to compare historical stats on the number of comments per day/month/year. It seems that at least half of the conversation takes place on older threads (like this one). Personally, that's one of the things I love about Monkeyfilter. But it does tend to make the front page look quiet.
• Well I haven't booby trapped my email address - it works if you copy and paste. I didn't mean to imply that you reopened this thread - I was commenting on your opinion here and and the blog and was suggesting that your opinion in this case is not as positive and proactive as actually posting and commenting and engaging people in discussion would be. So please don't feel you need to take this to email - because I prefer to spend my energy and making comments and posting rather than hashing this out. You think that the site is still dwindling into nothing and I think that anyone who thinks that should try and improve their own level of contribution and stop complaining about it. So we are never going to reach common ground whether here or privately.
• Well, I'm not the Magic Discussion Fairy, I'm his wife, and I can tell you that he's not going ANYWHERE tonight. That's all I'm going to say about it. Some things are personal.
• You can tell us, fairywench. We won't tell anyone...
• I AM the Magic Discussion Fairy. I'll sneak out the back as soon as Corrie starts.
• Wait, I thought you were the Magic Disgusting Fairy.
• I don't know what you mean! *Eats booger*
• I'll know this place is truly dwindling when the stench of kit is no longer detectable.
• I haven't dwindled for 4 days straight! Just doing my part for the team.
• I've rubbed my stinking pelt all over this goddam place. And you all loved it.
• I haven't washed my face since.
• *opens door to thread* *tosses in bucket of hot bleach water on kit* *closes door and dusts hands off*
• aww, there goes my last chance at true love and marriage. thanks a LOT, you old hag. *drops house on GramMa*
• Oh, it's ok, Queso hediondo, I'll give you a link where you can find love at some furry site.
• three rescued kitties in my house already, i'm still holding out for mah kit. ♥
• *squeeges out pelt* *goes a woo-in'*
• Le Rowr Rowr!
• OK, get a room you two.
• *fluffs up pillows, puts chocolate and mints on bedspread*
• *surreptitiously installs webcam in bedside lamp*
• *oils*
• *turns picture of Jesus to the wall*
• *drops a quarter in the bedside vibrate option*
• *feels queasy*
• oh wait, i got distracted by something shiny in the month of February, sorry...
• *dons fedora to go in and intimidate motel owner into giving up a copy of the receipt* *contacts news*
• Knew I relished using the lovely long deleted posts list to romp through and play in. Probably to excess. So at the time of the original post, it seemed to me there was probably merit in petebests's comment above (306488). Nonetheless, it seems evident The Dwindling continued, regardless of the length of the deleted posts list. alas that facts are facts for this is where we are in even more urgent need of monkey CPR
• My last comment here is not shown on the front page.
• Only an hour and a quarter since comment 400589 posted but it's not showing on the front page for me. tracicle, I'm tentatively assuming there's something I'm not doing right. Any suggestions?
• Well, it's showing now. I'm using FF on XP --if that's any help. However, thread 4144 just manifested at the bottom of my bookmarks. *so confusing!*
• It did so without my adding it to my bookmarks. Realize this must be some kind of technical problem - but seems the Wiki is afunctional, and am unsure where to let you know of these oddities now.
• I see your comments, bees, and will look into it but it sounds like the weirdness is coming from your own browser.
• Expect you're right. Just dismantled a privacy add-on in FF and hope that rules out any further unsought bookmarks, tracicle. *grateful for Monkeybashi's patience*
• No patience required, bees. I just blame everything on cookies, as always. :)
• *licks lips, looks hopefully about*
• Honey and nuts for bees, of course...