Who are these people?

[alanmcorcoran]

When I stumbled across this site, I was impressed by both the number of registered users and the rate at which they were growing. The stats on the bottom of the page show an impressive 6500 plus registered users and it seems to grow by ten or twelve a day.

However, in reality it seems that there's a core of about 25-50 posters and, after that, actual activity drops off precipitously. I leave the site open pretty much indefinitely in an IE7 tab, and when I take the occasional peek, I am often the only registered user.

None of this is particularly important, the content provided by the core users is well worthwhile. What I'm wondering is... who (or where) are the other 6400 registrants? Are they all aliases of spammers?

Just curious...

[patrick_777]

A lot are spam accounts that are hard to weed out from the real users. There's also a good portion of actual users that register and then move on without a post.

Indeed, a quick look at the Memberlist shows 6386 registered users with 0 posts. Click Memberlist on the top and descend-sort by number of posts. The zero count starts after about page 8 and goes through 133.

[jonathan180iq]

A lot of these sniveling know-nothings just come here looking to steal advice without contributing anything and then run off to fairy lovers land.

We should make the free-loader list and have a "Free-Loader of the Week" tribute to a different one each day.

[Dupo]

Yep, they are spammers. I get atleast 20-30 spam signups a day. I can't stop it. Theres one way ive seen effective but it requires me to edit php files for every theme i have installed which is like 7 themes. One screw up and poof goes a theme and you guys see php errors instead of a forum.

So the only thing that works for right now is that i require people to email me directly asking to be activated. Its unfortunate we live in a world of greed for money that assholes have to spam forums with worthless garbage just to try to get a few clicks to their website and make .05 cents.

[Sarris]

Maybe you could just delete everyone with zero posts??

:??:

[Magnar Infectus]

I used to be an avid poster on the (now defunct) Deathguard.org forum. It was the same way there. 7 or 8 thousand members. 6 or 7 thousand with 0 posts. Only about 20 or so regular posters. I've always assumed that was the norm.

[Dupo]

Maybe you could just delete everyone with zero posts??

:??:

Nope, cant do that. If someone signs up and doesnt catch that they have to reply to me ... for 2 weeks ... then asks, their account will be deleted.

Ive tried deleting them once and that exact thing happened .... a few stragglers got their accounts deleted because they didnt see to reply to me via the welcome email to get activated. Caused such a mess.

[Easy Rider]

Maybe you could just delete everyone with zero posts??

:??:

No, I don't think so. "Lurkers" are not necessarily bad people! :)
Some even speak up after a while. :tup:

[alanmcorcoran]

...I am the moderator of three groups on Yahoo. They all have a potential audience that is much smaller than the number of GZ owners (I think, anyway.) Two of the three are all but dead and the third is on life support. Even with the 50-60 or so active users here, this is a very lively forum and actually quite an achievement.

With my others I noticed that there was a lifecycle of user interest.

1) Overenthusiam - we're going to change the world!
2) Fighting - My idea for changing the world is way better than yours - and you're a big poopy head besides!
3) Boredom - I've spouted out all my great thoughts, pissed everybody off, and now it's time to move on. Later dudes!
4) Silence.

The fact that Dupo doesn't even own a GZ and has soldiered on with this would be enough in my book for sainthood if I believed in that sort of thing. There seems to be a rare condition on this site in that there is a palpable pressure NOT to be a dick in one's postings that is sadly absent from nearly everywhere else I go. I hate the word "kudo" (it's a MySpace thing), but...

kudos to you Dupo and Badbob!

[countrydad]

Alan is absolutely right. I am not an avid poster, but have benefited a lot from the expertise and knowledge of those of you who are regulars. So to all of you a huge thanks! :2tup:

One reason I don't post more often is that I am not really qualified to speak on a particular subject. I am still learning. However, if I know something I'll share. I think that there are probably a lot of "members" who feel the same way. Fear of inferiority maybe. That being said, I have never read a post that beats someone down because they posted without any real knowledge or insight, and like Alan says that is rare.

Thanks for the great site from a "Lurker."

[patrick_777]

One reason I don't post more often is that I am not really qualified to speak on a particular subject.

You could always fake it...it works for Jonathan.

:lol:

[jonathan180iq]

Yeah, I'm about as useful as a condom dispenser in the vatican.

[patrick_777]

:neener:

[mrlmd1]

While perusing through the members list looking for someone, I noticed there are probably a few hundred spam members and porn/sex sites registered on here. Some of them are in English, some in other languages. Is there anyway to get rid of them or cull the list, and if so, do you need any help with this? I'm sure I can and a number of other members would be happy to volunteer to clean this up.
Search the members list alphabetically and just look under the P's and S's for instance and you'll see what I mean.

Also, is there an easier way to get to the middle of the alphabet other than going 1 page at a time, and is there a search function to look up a user name directly instead of going through the whole alphabetical list?

[Dupo]

I get emails when someone signs up to the forum. That way when someone does reply "im not spam, activate me" i can just search my email for their username and clicck the link provided to automatically activate their account.

Now, imagine the number of spam signups that show up in my inbox every day. Ugh.

I really wish they had a 'delete member' link in those emails so that i could just go thru them every day and get rid of their accounts. I've tried to weed thru them all but its hopeless. There are just too many.

[mrlmd1]

Is there any way to change the website so that someone with an authorization code could go through the list and delete those porn/spam members? Or maybe that peerson would put them on a second list, and then some higher up (administrator) with a second authorization code could review and approve that list and then delete them?

[Jer]

There seems to be a rare condition on this site in that there is a palpable pressure NOT to be a dick in one's postings that is sadly absent from nearly everywhere else I go.

Damn right. That is UBER rare.

And when you find a forum that works this way you latch on for as long as you can. For they are truly awesome.

Thanks to all you guys for this place. Its raised my confidence in owning a motorcycle. :tup:

[Graydog]

This does seem to be a civilized forum where it is safe to post. One's like this are few and far between. Haven't seen one single troll (hope I didn't just jinx us).

[Magnar Infectus]

(hope I didn't just jinx us).
I think you did...
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/magnarinfectus/troll1.jpg

Sorry. I couldn't resisst. The Dark Side is too strong.

Seriously though. I agree. Everybody here is great.

[Sarris]

Looks like Don King!!

[Water Warrior 2]

Looks like Don King!!

Might be his Love child.

[Graydog]

Hey Sarris....Magnar found your toupee. Now you can be like me....just fat instead of fat and bald! :tongue:

[Sarris]

My hairdo is AWESOME.

LOL
:lol:

[mr. softie]

Between working, commuting, joy riding, working on my gz, eating, sleeping, going to physical therapy and doing my family stuff at home, I barely have time to read posts since last visit. I really enjoy the forum, and plan to contribute when I am able. I find the info priceless, and the comments entertaining. So a big :2tup: to y'all!

[Dupo]

Ottsville ,Pa? You arent too far from me there buddy.

[mr. softie]

I live in Bedminster village actually, 2 miles off 611. I like riding the back roads around here. Down to the river, up 611 to the water gap, around Lake Nockamixon and over the hills and valleys. Lots of good rides locally. Also prepping the GZ for touring, still tweaking the seat, Getting some luggage together. Thought about a bigger bike, but the mileage I'm getting can't be beat. On a very tight budget so every penny counts. Thanks for this site Dupo :)

[Easy Rider]

still tweaking the seat,

Share your thoughts, please ?? :)

[mr. softie]

I posted a "tutorial" of my latest attempt at making the stock seat comfortable, and it as been more comfortable, but I have refined it a bit by cutting back the three layers of blue foam at the very front of the seat, so the seating area is level from the very front of the seat back as far as possible. That helped some more, and it is now the most comfortable cycle seat I have owned. (various small Honda's, a BSA Lightning, and a Moto Guzzi 850T).

That said, I have plans to fabricate a new seat pan at some point and start from scratch with decent foam on an anatomically correct pan. The stock pan's shape has serious problems.



That mod I posted is here, I will try to edit in the latest change cause the seat is really pretty comfortable.

http://www.gz250bike.com/viewtopic.php?t=1122&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
[/url]

[Dupo]

I live in Bedminster village actually, 2 miles off 611. I like riding the back roads around here. Down to the river, up 611 to the water gap, around Lake Nockamixon and over the hills and valleys. Lots of good rides locally. Also prepping the GZ for touring, still tweaking the seat, Getting some luggage together. Thought about a bigger bike, but the mileage I'm getting can't be beat. On a very tight budget so every penny counts. Thanks for this site Dupo :)

I ride 611 all the time. Havent been to the water gap, but usually go from Easton --> south.

[Easy Rider]

I posted a "tutorial" of my latest attempt at making the stock seat comfortable,


That was YOU? :oops:

It would be better to post the final mods in a NEW message so it would pop up on a "new posts" scan.
I'll have to go back and look but a few additional close-up pic's of the finished seat itself from different angles might be helpful.

Don't want much, do I ?? :roll:

[mr. softie]

I will do that this weekend sometime Easy Rider. Thought of posting in mods or how to's. I am planning an all day ride Sunday and will know if the stock seat mod is a keeper. If it is I will post what I got.

As far as starting from scratch, I am thinking a fiberglass seat pan would be fairly easy to fabricate. Padded but shaped to be comfortable without any padding, like a tractor seat, height adjustable perhaps, low for cruising and higher for touring (more leg room). Probably a winter project.

I don't like the poofy look but I like the feel and the height.
http://www.postimage.org/aVxAhvS.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVxAhvS)

http://www.postimage.org/aVxAk00.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVxAk00)

[Easy Rider]

I don't like the poofy look but I like the feel and the height.


I agree. A little compromise might be in order. :roll:

Looks like a pattern is developing.....with the general shape and composition of the seats that "work".

What I'm looking for is a collection of pictures that someone could take to an upholstry shop with their stock seat pan and say "Here's what I want to change it to".

I'm beginning to think that maybe just filling in the "bowl" with something like memory foam and cutting down the back edge a tad might do the trick.

Egerly awaiting your report.

P.S. I just took out all the "adjustments" I made to my seat earlier and am now back to stock plus gel pad. Planning a 100 mile trip tomorrow to the dirt track races so I will have a report on that too. It might be appropriate for someone who wants a quick, relatively cheap partial fix......who doesn't do really long rides.

[Doug577]

I always have something smart to say... which is why I often have to keep my mouth shut.