The forum as a knowledge archive

Fire

In the last year there has been discussion about how this forum is used. I would like to make the case that the forum is primarily used a knowledge archive.

-We have discussed before the social role that the forum plays for some regular posters (arguably a smaller and smaller group as the years go on). They/we often post daily and read lots of the new threads. They sometimes message other regulars and feel part of a long-standing community. In the past I have likened this aspect to a pub or WI meet up.

-There is also a significant cohort of 'happy lurkers' or passive watchers that enjoy observing and learning from new postings, but will probably never write or respond on the forum. A section of these will be people who would like to join but don't feel experienced, welcome, confident, neurotypical or perhaps not skilled enough to join, one way or another.

-A third role that the forum plays is as an archive of answers to gardening questions; also offering links, places to source, myth-questioning, problem-solving, inspiration, encouragement, resource lists, videos, lessons from personal experience, before and after shots etc.

I think this last third utility is very underrated/ignored by its regular users, possibly because some mobile browsers don't show just how many people are reading threads over time. The forum is also formulated as a stream -  so regulars mostly focus on the new or revived threads that pop up in real time during the day/week. But this is not how the forum is viewed by the majority of its annual users.

Unlike many forums and chat streams, our posts appear in search engines such as Google and Bing (and a hundred others we've probably never heard of).

A fairly innocuous 2019 thread on "bee bombs" has eight replies, but has over 12,000 views. One thread on mare's tail has nearly 50,000. @B3 's fun thread on 'plants that root in water' has been read by over 45,000 people. Of the four main rose threads in 2019 has 73,000 views and the current one has over 40,000 (which might double over the next few years).

All in, the forum gets roughly 500,000 views a month through the winter, and a million a month through the summer, mostly via search engines.

That evens out to something like eight million visits a year. I haven't tracked stats back over time, but over, say, the ten years of the forum in this form, you might have something like 80 million views.  Most of those are Q&A. It's one hell of a 'free' knowledge bank - accessible to most the planet, at any time, without registering; used somewhat like Wikipedia.  

 - -

I propose we value the threads in a more 'global' way: a minor question on Christmas tree care from eight years ago might have more hits than any other, and provide most learning for most viewers.  I feel sure we suffer from "recentism" where today's discussions are in our minds, and we foreground those. Last year's are forgotten. Threads that stay in tact have value, so that anyone can follow them and understand their flow. Main category discussions probably have more learning utility for most readers than potting shed chats. We are a learning resource.

Regulars might feel like old timers chatting in a cosy pub - pretty private, with the curtains closed, but it really couldn't be further from the truth. You are on a world stage discussing topics that literally thousands of people are reading every day.

I suggest we can magnify that learning by being forward-looking and outward-looking; Can we turn and be welcoming to young people, tech, new arrivals in forms we might not recognise? Can we be hosts of a valuable knowledge bank rather than suspicious gate-keepers: hosts that welcome people in, celebrating innovation and curiosity?

pansyface

I suggest we can magnify that learning by being forward-looking and outward-looking

Are we not?

Can we turn and be welcoming to young people, tech, new arrivals in forms we might not recognise?

Are we not?


Can we be hosts of a valuable knowledge bank rather than suspicious gate-keepers: hosts that welcome people in, celebrating innovation and curiosity?

Are we not?

This all sounds sad and very negative. I don’t recognise this negativity. If I don’t recognise it I don’t see how I can change.

Ergates

@Fire a fascinating analysis of the viewing habits of this forums users.
I was a lurker for some years, mainly using it for getting answers to gardening questions, before plucking up the courage to post a question of my own. 
I didn’t post much myself to start, as I felt, as a very inexperienced gardener, that I didn’t have much to offer. However, I got more confident in time, when I was able to identify a plant, or post a picture of something relevant from my own garden.
I think the majority of threads are an extremely valuable resource, very accessible and easy to use. 

The potting shed seems as you describe it, a social forum for unrelated chat. Quite rightly placed at the bottom of the list, and in my case, I only started visiting when I’d become a regular viewer of the rest of the forum. 
I suspect that few viewers would be put off by much on the potting shed thread, it’s one of those areas that if you weren’t interested, you’d just glance through, and return to the threads of more personal interest? Like walking through the aisles of the Garden centre, and ignoring those primarily full of things we aren’t interested in buying, while enjoying and appreciating the rest of what’s on sale.

Uff

Being a new lass perhaps I can value GW forum more than if I'd been here a long time and possibly set in my ways if that makes sense. I joined because I needed answers about fungi that I've recently taken an interest in and hoped that members could help. They did it in a friendly way so that I didn't feel inept. 

As far as I can see, most members are forward thinking and look for new and interesting ways of doing things or learning things and not just about gardening but in other walks of life too. I agree pretty much with what Ergates says about The Potting Shed. It's good to have somewhere to chat about other things than gardening plus we get to know members better. The forum, same as life, would be dull if only gardening were discussed. 

Anna33

@Fire, to support your theory of this site as a knowledge bank, I've recently been searching back through posts trying to decide which Amelanchier to buy (if any), and have found previous discussions on the site to be invaluable. Saves me re-posting and duplicating, and I've learnt a lot.

In particular, this thread from almost 2 years ago is still up on my saved tabs, as there was a spectacular link from @Silver surfer to heap loads of photos of different Amelanchiers grown in a previous garden. Seeing these plants growing in real life has been far more useful than the often limited photos you get on a seller's website, which tend to only focus on one element of the plant, rather than what it looks like fully grown, or what it looks like through different seasons. Their photos have shown me what the form of some of the varieties, which helped rule them out as unsuitable.  PS Thank you, @Silver surfer!

Dovefromabove

The forum is a huge knowledge bank ... as a regular, I keep some particularly informative threads  Bookmarked so that I can find them easily and refer questioners to them ...  in particular @befuddled 's query on laurel hedging has grown into what could quite reasonably be described as 'the combined knowledge of the forum' on the subject, all accessible on one thread, and there are quite a few others that contain much information on a subject. 

The  threads in the Potting Shed have a use which is perhaps not appreciated by those that rarely use them .......... there are times during the year when gardening activity slows down a bit ... without folk popping into the Potting Shed for a chat there'd be few experienced gardeners visiting the forum and spotting the new member with a query.  I've been on a forum where there was no 'chat thread' ... it was sometimes days before anyone visited and answered a new poster's question.  

B3

Gardening can be a very solitary occupation. I think the social aspect is important. Well, it is to me anyway😊

pansyface

I agree with Dove.

Some years ago, I joined a forum for people who all suffer from the same medical condition. No chat section, just problems.

I’d say I’ve only contributed to about a dozen times.

It’s interesting to see how others are coping, what suggestions they can make to help others and so on, but it’s about as cheerful and empathetic as the Encyclopaedia Brittanica.

AnniD

I must admit l was amazed at the figures, thanks @Fire for that insight.

 I remember how nervous l was when l first joined, l liken it to moving to Senior school from Junior school. Just like school, or the workplace, there are all sorts of personalities. Some are happy to express their opinions and offer advice, and others are happy just to observe and pick up a few tips.
Just like real life.

I should hate to think that's it's considered to be some kind of Gentleman's Club, reserved for the privileged few. If l can help someone then l'm happy to at least try to do so, and l have learnt things that l didn't know.
I'd be interested to know how some of the younger members feel. Hopefully like @Uff , they found it a positive experience. 

Dovefromabove

The figures are indeed interesting ... is there any indication of how many of the recorded 'visits' are by real people and how many are by the various 'Bots' that roam the tinternet for various reasons?

Some members of a very small forum I'm a member of got very excited at the number of visits recorded ... until they understood that the majority of visits were from 'Bots'.

pansyface

Yes, if only the bots could be wiped, the place would be a lot cleaner. 😊