Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
04:12:47pm
These are current as of November 22, 2017 at approx. 2000 UTC
Total people in the database: 4565 (includes active, deceased, expelled, inactive, etc).
Total membership listed as "active" in the database 1772
(following percentages are shown as a percentage of this number)
Members who have logged in:
In 2017 ---- 1124 63%
Since Sept 1 ---- 641 36%
in November ---- 419 24%
this week ------ 333 19%
today ----- 169 10%
"Logging in" does not require the entry of username and password every time. The system recognizes users as logged in whenever they engage in an activity that requires being logged in, and the date is updated each time. Some members may visit without being logged in, but they can only read, not post and can not participate in sales activities unless logged in. Such visits would not be counted as "logged in".
Based on these figures, my own definition of "Active Membership" is somewhere around the 400 mark. 333 "this week" is what I would call the "very active" membership. Unfortunately the data only tells us last login date, so we can't say that the 169 "today'ers" log in every day.
Roy
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04:43:11pm
Here are some auction statistics:
In the last 6 months (we no longer keep data longer than that):
Number of different sellers : 102
Total number of lots offered: 71,225
of these:
20 sellers listed a total of 800 lots and sold nothing (and presumably gave up)
12 listed a total of 20421 lots and individually sold less than 10% of their offerings
(total for all 12: 1062 lots sold or an average of 5.2% across this group)
Average value of lots actually sold: $0.91
18 listed a total of 14200 lots and individually sold 10-20% of their offerings
(total for all 18: 2042 lots sold or an average of 14.4% across this group)
Average value of lots actually sold: $1.03
23 listed a total of 21974 lots and individually sold 20-50% of their offerings
(total for all 23: 6604 lots sold or an average of 30.0% across this group)
Average value of lots actually sold: $1.36
29 listed a total of 13827 lots and individually sold over 50% of their offerings
(total for all 29: 11249 lots sold or an average of 81.3% across this group)
Average value of lots actually sold: $1.02
The "number of lots listed" includes relistings.
So, to me, it looks like we have had 52 "successful" sellers, and 30 who keep hammering away at listing auctions with little that actually interests the buyers.
Roy
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05:20:14pm
As a side note to the 12 "listers" (I resist calling them "sellers") who sell less than 10% of their offerings:
8 of them are responsible for 20,247 listings with only 1,051 sales (5.2%), and not one of them participates in any discussion board activity (I do not include promotion of these auction lots as "DB activity").
Roy
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Roy,
The breakdown of "Listers" is very revealing.
Is it possible to do the same with the "Buyers" of these items, please.
The same information for the Approvals would also be extremely informative as well
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06:49:29pm
In correspondence with Brechinite, he asked for some additional statistics. Here they are for all to see:
Active participants in the Auctions and Approvals.
From April 28 to date, there were 238 distinct buyers from combined Approvals and Auctions who each spent between $4400 and $0.24. The median purchaser (the 119th) spent about $40
They bought from 118 sellers who each sold between $4725 and $0.10. The median seller (59th) sold about $120
Active members who have never bought or sold in the A & A ?
The union of the "bought and sold" is too complex for my brain tonight. The positive statement "have bought or sold" will be over 238 and under 356 (238 + 118)
Can't answer "never", but in the last 6 months 934 unique members have logged in.
The number of items sold in the Approvals,
Last 6 months: 122,211 for $22,793.81
In the same period, the auctions sold $20,957. So it is basically 50/50 in sales value.
The number of items unsold in the Approvals for the same periods.
Can't be answered as ever-changing number of items available, and can only see what sold, and what is available now.
Roy
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Interesting stats.
So Approvals and Auctions generate almost the same total revenue per month! Interesting.
I am nicely surprised that the dollars are so similar
Other derived facts:
The average item sold on Approvals costs $0.186 ($22,794 /122,211)
The average item sold on Auctions costs
$1.10 (est) ($20,957/71,225listed...but what was sold is in the numbers Roy provided if you want to be exact and do the math! I just eyeballed it)
I would have thought that the $ value of the Approvals average item sold was lower, and that the Auctions average item (lot) sold was higher. There must still be a lot of low cost items selling on Auctions! And there are some surprisingly high item values sold on Approvals!
I am also encouraged that this club keeps both very active sales platforms going. By preference, I would rather buy here than at a commercial site, even if I can occasionally find lower priced items...I don't mind the few extra pennies...and usually if you factor shipping charges, I am always better off here.
I like the camaraderie here, and the flexibility almost everyone I have dealt with (selling or buying) has shown. It feels like a family Club, and not a commercial site.
So I would answer the question about what defines a dealer....in my book: Everyone selling here is not a professional dealer! If they were, they would not last long! The professional dealers come and go quickly, as they cannot be bothered by the small volume, and the "Club" requirements. Last professional dealer I had the misfortune of dealing with, when asked to retire older Approval books, answered..you do it, I don't have the time! No need to say, he/she is no longer here!
Wish some of the "sellers" who don't communicate at all on the bulletin board would elevate their "game". I for one, only buy from active members.... not from invisible ones. I don't look at what % each seller has bought or sold, but whether he is participating in the Club or not!
To me, that is what counts!
rrr...
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Stamporama qualifies itself very much like a strong stamp club...if only organized philately really paid attention.
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Dear rrraphy,
When you say:
"Wish some of the "sellers" who don't communicate at all on the bulletin board would elevate their "game". I for one, only buy from active members.... not from invisible ones. I don't look at what % each seller has bought or sold, but whether he is participating in the Club or not! To me, that is what counts!"
you are speaking SOR speak. It nicely captures what most of us feel about our club. How would you feel about reaching out to those sellers and communicating your thoughts? (Consider yourself part of our welcoming committee should this be acceptable to you-and I'll introduce you formally to the rest of the team.)
Best,
Dan C.
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"Last professional dealer I had the misfortune of dealing with, when asked to retire older Approval books, answered..you do it, "
I hope you did the right thing a retired him or her.
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"Wish some of the "sellers" who don't communicate at all on the bulletin board would elevate their "game". I for one, only buy from active members.... not from invisible ones. I don't look at what % each seller has bought or sold, but whether he is participating in the Club or not!
To me, that is what counts!"
Agreed! I tend to deal with people I banter with on the board. The buying / selling includes nice emails back and forth.
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10:05:06am
Here is a breakdown of the "price buckets" from the Approvals for the last 6 months. Unfortunately our DB software does not have the facility to show properly formatted tables, so this is a picture. I have pasted the numbers below for anyone who wants to copy and work with the numbers:
Price range / Number Sold / Total Value
Free 309 $-
1c - 5c 40850 $1,861.65
6c - 10c 41825 $3,543.09
11c - 25c 26328 $4,531.00
26c - 50c 7106 $2,713.36
51c - $1.00 3916 $3,045.37
$1.01 - $5.00 2537 $5,060.64
over $5 191 $2,210.31
Totals 123,062 $22,965.42
The median price (half of the stamps sold for more, half for less) was 8 cents.
In dollar value terms, it is interesting to note that the over 50c and under 50c were almost equal, but the quantities are significantly different!
under 50c 116418 $12,649.10
over 50c 6644 $10,316.32
Roy
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I like it. From this thread we get a pretty good idea of whats going on !
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10:59:59am
"How would you feel about reaching out to those sellers and communicating your thoughts?"
While that is a very positive thought (and very typical for Dan!) I would not anticipate any degree of success. People are either inclined to participate, or not. No amount of encouragement is likely to change their attitude.
To these people, Stamporama is not a club, simply a venue to sell stamps with no fees. How they can bother to list 20,000 lots in 6 months with a 5% success rate is beyond me. 15 years ago, Yahoo auctions ran into the same problem and finally folded. Dealers were listing thousands of overpriced items, using auto-relist to renew them (which is why we do not offer that feature, although our bulk uploader comes close), and were happy with a 2% sell-through rate because it was both free and easy. As a result, the site became worthless to buyers and was eventually shut down.
If one were to plot "acceptable behaviour" on a bell curve, these people would represent the small, negative end of that curve. In any population, there is always that negative end of the curve. As I have stated in discussions many times before, the job of a programmer and managers of a site like this is to develop policies that protect the vast majority of users from the negative influences of the few who would abuse the system, while striving to have the least impact on the activities of the majority.
I believe the solution to this "negative auction behaviour" is to institute limits that will not impact the vast majority of sellers at all, but will curtail the excessive listing practices of the few -- including any new members who might view Stamporama as a "dumping ground".
Roy
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Thanks Roy! Very interesting statistics. The participation numbers are not much different than my experience in other hobbies. Very few people are joiners, and fewer become involved participants.
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Dear Roy & BenFranklin,
Recognizing the truth in what you both say, ought we not even to try? Wasn't it Ghandi who said "Be the change you want to see"? In that light I would measure success as our trying. Granted that it may not produce much, but worthy of the effort, no?
Respect,
Dan C.
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Dan- as a welcoming committee member with you, I'm all about seeing what we can do to encourage participation.
As we've spoke, one of my recent forays with new members. On November 10th, I sent "Welcome to Stamporama" messages to 13 newbies via the internal messaging system. As of just now, more than 50% of them have not read the message! So how do we get to these folks if they aren't participating up front?
Of the 13...
7 not read
6 read
1 reply
And why? Is it that they don't understand the software and that they've got a message? Or just apathy? I'm willing to send the next batch out via email. Maybe more people will read it that way? I like puzzles.
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12:14:15pm
"Recognizing the truth in what you both say, ought we not even to try?"
I never said you shouldn't try. I only said not to expect any degree of success in converting "non-participants", except possibly for more DB postings promoting their auction listings, which these people might interpret as "participation".
Go for it.
Roy
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12:20:11pm
"Last professional dealer I had the misfortune of dealing with"
Hey Ralph, I'd like to remind you that I am a professional dealer!
Roy
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Present company exempted ?
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One of the reasons why some people do not participate in the discussions, because they have been made to sound or look like a beginner, or stupid by someone who had an answer for everything on the discussion board.
I notice that this person has stopped replying on the discussions.
Everyone his here to learn and help and have fun, but when one person is so domineering.
Hopefully this will change.
Doug
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I suspect that when people sign up as members they can not really have much of an idea of what Stamporama is all about. Some will never purchase stamps...many will not join in the discussion.Others may just be curious and have only a passing interest in stamps. For the rest of us its a place to come and UNWIND !
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03:49:04pm
"Others may just be curious and have only a passing interest in stamps."
I suspect that a great many new "members" sign up just so they can ask one question about a found or inherited collection. When they don't get the answer they hope for: "It's worth a fortune!", they disappear.
Can you imagine what this board would look like if we did not require membership registration before posting?
Roy
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The new member participation does not surprise me. I see this on other non-philatelic forums. Many are looking for answer to some question and others are just too shy to join in discussions. I am a member of some Facebook stamp groups and it is the same there. More trying to sell something they know little about.
Types of philatelic posts (others?)
1. show and tell - collection, review, etc.
2. I have a question or need information
3. I want to buy or sell something
(excludes all the posts related to the auction/approvals).
The question is what posts cause people to post?
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I would say the number one element involves participation in a community of similar interests (or in some cases a sense of curiosity and the opportunity to learn).
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D1 stamper
I am mildly surprised about the reference to the person who seems to know everything. I don't recognise this person ( and no I don't want to know to whom you refer, other than I hope it isn't me!!! ).
Most of the people here are constructive and measured in their responses, and not in any way dismissive or patronizing. I suppose a beginner might feel intimidated by the range and depth of knowledge here, but I think that is their perception rather than ours. I am sure that most people here would say that the more they know, the more they realize how much they don't know - it certainly is in my case.
I think that the thing is that the people who join and then don't participate are not as "hooked" as we think or hope they are. It also takes a fair amount of self-confidence to participate in an environment which appears to be knowledgable and erudite, where one might be perceived as ignorant or stupid ( in your own mind). I was a long time accepting that I could participate and set myself up as an "Aunt Sally" to be knocked over by a fairground wooden ball ! I have made a fool of myself more than once , and I think I am big enough to take the criticism and correction as a positive experience - but we have to accept that many people take correction and disagreement personally.
We need to appreciate that while members may come and go, the number of active members will stay fairly static, or at least only increase gradually.
Also as a matter of policy I have decided not to participate in the trading activities here, as I think it allows people to see that I have no commercial axe to grind. I am not suggesting that anyone else has, but I feel easier that way.
Malcolm
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malcolm197
No it is not you.
This person had done it to me and others as well.
One person on the board emailed me privately and I told them to forget and ignore this person as this person is rude and puts people down. But it is hard to forget.
I agree with what you said.
Thank you.
Doug
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Hi everyone;
what does this statement, in a members profile mean?
"Membership Status: Suspense Mode 2017-08-13 10:35:02"
Hope this is not too far off topic....
TuskenRaider
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09:00:10pm
It means they have not logged in in so long that their membership is temporarily suspended, subject to reinstatement if they request it.
This will soon disappear, as I have asked Tim to restrict the member search function to return only active members.
We have been busy getting the server backup load under control. As of tonight, it should be down to 1 hour, down from the over 12 hours when we started.
Roy
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07:54:29pm
I think that upon finally registering I spent some time reading the chit-chat and noting a few familiar names from the Usenet RCSD group before launching my first comment. So I am not surprised that most newer members are cautious about posting initial comments.
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cdj,
what suggestions might make newcomers more willing to risk initial posting?
Dan C.
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Nice to see that at this moment 124 visitors on line: The highest number I have ever seen!!
11 logged in 113 Guests.
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Ian,
You make a very useful distinction-visitors and members. Perhaps we ought to think of all newcomers as 'visitors' for a while, before considering them 'members' and expecting more of them too soon. Perhaps after posting/discussion/other involvement then might we look upon them as true members.
Thoughts?
Dan C.
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Hi Dan,
Current number is now 152. Great!
I believe current classifications are OK.
You cannot force people to take part. Besides every one takes out what they are interested in and with such a diverse range from Easter Seals to postal history to worldwide collectors there should be something for everyone.
I know you will find this unbelievable but I was quite shy when I first joined and it took some time to pluck up the courage to participate!
It took some time to get used to the various systems. It is one of the reasons I am wary about some changes as new members are just exploring the system or getting used to it and to have it change can be very off putting.
Can you remember what it was like to be a "newbie"?
I remember my first ever visit to a local Philatelic Society. It was the presidents display of nothing but Postal History of Penny Blacks and Twopenny Blues!!(value thousands of Dollars). I almost took up golf instead!!
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Ian, you asked "Can you remember what it was like to be a "newbie"?
I'm older than dirt, have been actively collecting over 70+ years and have trouble remembering what I had for breakfast-so the short answer is 'no'.
Very good chatting with you.
Dan
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"...what suggestions might make newcomers more willing to risk initial posting?"
Sometimes it's good to think about "walking a mile in someone else's shoes". So as I'm trying to imagine "what if I was a newcomer", rather than the hoary old veteran of 18 months that I am...I think we all need to step up our game with respect to ... uh, respect.
I'll start by admitting to having "poked the bear" sometimes with my "witty" observations, thinking I'm a "comedian" (which I sometimes confuse verbally with "Canadian"). But is that a good reason to post a public invitation on SOR to a fist fight - or a public declaration that anything not praising the USA unconditionally is anti-American, perhaps to the point of being racist? Maybe a "ha ha, not actually funny" could do it. So perhaps if we allowed for different opinions (or even lame humor) without losing our sanity, maybe newcomers would feel more comfortable. And the current ban on political discourse, although still available in archival posts, is a good step.
This is (thankfully) in the minority - since most members are VERY generous with sharing their knowledge - but sometimes people (usually longer-term members, not rookies) ask fairly simple (if naive) questions and get ridiculed for it. Or they offer well-meaning (if sometimes incorrect) advice and suffer the same fate in very condescending replies. So perhaps remembering to give people the sense that they won't be "stupid-shamed" would be helpful to encourage newcomers.
Then there are the personal animosities and inevitable flame-wars. "We are changing to..." says Thing-1. "This is fascism..." says Thing-2. ""You're a little sucky-baby" says Thing-1. "Yeah, well you're a @#%%..." says Thing-2. And away we go... So perhaps taking those personal attacks off-line to PMs would make newcomers feel more comfortable.
And finally, there are the constant attacks on "dealers" (perceived or real) - as if they are dishonest (at best) or predatory (at worst). Personally, I'm finding the level of vitriol is becoming increasingly intolerable. So perhaps having a civil discourse, and reiterating the point that "we are a community of like-minded lovers of stamp collecting - each with different interests - and each making different contributions to the greater good" we could make newcomers feel more comfortable.
Stamporama is a great "club", and for the most part a great "community". But frankly, if I read many of the posts I've seen in the past 6-9 months - rather than what I read as a "newcomer" almost 2 years ago when I considered joining Stamporama - I would have probably stayed with the "Australian Site" I had initially joined but was anxious to escape from for many of the same issues I've referred to above.
My 2c for today. Now, back to work...
Dave.
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I wrote this for an earlier post but found it more or less closed when I went to post it. I think it fits in well here even if there is a bit of overlap.
If only all "lively discussions" could be face to face there would be a far greater understanding of problems and solutions. It is difficult to put thoughts into the written word, and the meaning of what one writes is never as clear to the reader as it is to the writer.
And writing to an open forum seems to bring out the worst in people. There is a tendency to use words and phrases as weapons that is not found in private messages, and not usually found in face to face discussions. While the use of forceful language is designed to make a point it generally fans the flames.
Where did civility go? George Aiken and Mike Mansfield were on opposite sides of the political spectrum but met almost every morning for breakfast to share thoughts and contemplate solutions acceptable to both. (This can hopefully be accepted as an apolitical statement).
How about we all try to keep disagreements private,. I am sure that the same tired, old arguments can be found dating back years in these forums. We all agreed to the rules when we joined this club, something to keep in mind.
The most important thing to remember is that we are here to learn and to enjoy our hobby. If there is some facet of the organization that we don't enjoy we don't have to participate in it……enjoy the rest.
Just my two cents
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My reaction to the response by Webpaper/Carol is very simple.
Well said. And much more concise than I can ever be.
Thank you for your 2c. It's about 2.6c Canadian - and more valuable than that.
Dave.
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I have to agree with Dave et al. (Canadian unity, brother) I've noticed the tone has become somewhat 'testy' of late in a number of threads. As Carol pointed out, a little civility can go a long way. The exchange rate on her two cents is much greater than Dave lets on.
The old rule about taking a breather before posting a reply has merit.
Darryl
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I read with interest the comments made above. We should be able to have open disagreement with one another without abuse, belittlement or rudeness coming into it.
Regardless of who they are people have feelings, and some bad response could put them off joining in any future discussions, whereas their point of view may be very valid, and others may like to hear it.
I have recently resigned from another forum owing to a similar matter of ongoing abuse and rudeness towards some people.
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For the most part I agree with what all have said here but if you want to be a smart aleck someone might call you out on it. Some on here like to make snide remarks and then say "oh I was just kidding". It doesn't work that way. If you make a flippant or rude remark, some people won't have any interest in back and forth word games but rather will tell you what's up real quick. Some that make all of these self righteous calls for civility just need to quit.
Ernie
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02:37:41am
" ... what suggestions might make newcomers more willing to risk initial posting? ..."
I've been thinking about this for a while and I do not know precisely. The closest thing I could come up with would be some kind of magic mind meld that immediately erases some negative experiences acquired earlier at certain other sites, clubs pr associations.
Once burned, twice shy.
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Dear Ernie-just checking you out for clarification- when you say: "Some that make all of these self righteous calls for civility just need to quit" I'm not sure I get your intended meaning.
To me, all who call for civility would be doing the right thing, no?
Dan C.
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Dear Dan-
Civility is great. We all love civility. My point was that how is someone going to call for civility in one breath and then be rude in the next.
Ernie
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Understood-thanks for the clarification. Perhaps we ought to encourage the good etiquette and call out the bad? (Really in effect putting into general practice exactly what this series of posts does & following your lead.)Just saying!
Best,
Dan C.
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I really do believe we've reached a good spot on the discussion board. Although I haven't been posting much I really enjoy spending time after work reading through the discussions and seeing member's new items. I've learned alot here. There are actually fewer flame wars than ever. At least in the couple of years I've been hanging around. There are some members here that have been super generous to me and have sent me some really nice classic stamps and covers. Im humbled and grateful for those guys. You know who you are!
I wouldn't worry about SoR. There are no culture or climate issues here. Close knit groups have spats once in a while. Nothing to see here. Move along.
Wish I could go see my buddy bobstew down at Florex but it's my middle daughter's birthday so off to Tallahassee to see her and go to the 'Nole game. Maybe I'll drive down tomorrow.
Be well Stampheads!
Ernie
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And remember children... Santa Claus is watching! And it's less than a month 'til Christmas!
(There, that should fix any issues)
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"And remember children... Santa Claus is watching! And it's less than a month 'til Christmas!
(There, that should fix any issues)"
I usually use this example with my law classes to introduce surveillance and privacy laws. Good old St. Nick has capacities far outweighing those of any modern national security apparatus ...
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This has been an interesting conversation - I have read the thread through over my afternoon coffee and decided to come out of lurkdom and give a new members point of view 
First there are many people who are very knowledgeable here - this is good as it kept me reading the forum and half the attraction to stamp collecting is all the curious and interesting bits an pieces of information you can pick up - there is always a moment of "Gosh I did not know that!" which is wonderful but it does leave me wondering how I can contribute - one day I will be able to answer a question and jump and down with pleasure and being able to chip in.
Members are welcomed - but many people might not realise or understand the message function. It takes a little while to get used to forums - in the age of facebook, the interface for all forums feels old fashioned. Some people take time to find their way around.
I have not noticed any major disagreements here and I would notice. It would put me off in an instant as there is one forum online that I would never ever consider speaking up in. On that forum what some people see as rough and tumble and robust discussion I see as a bunch of bullying, bad mannered grumpy blokes behaving badly.(Not good in the long run for the hobby)
Probably the insidious thing about not interacting is that it is easy to swing by the forum and read but not participate and it becomes a habit. 
Also one reason I have not been so active is that I am a returning collector after a break of many years and still sorting out a large accumulation that was gifted to me. Part Estate and part recent stuff. Since I can't clearly define my interests yet (my curiosity is all over the place) I felt a bit silly chatting.
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Welcome Sharon! Your thoughts and input are always welcome on the board. This is a family and we're here if you have a question or need direction on what to collect, how to store it, or exactly what you have.
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What I like to respond to the most are questions regarding something that needs identification, about a cancellation or a cover and other topics. I don't mind sharing my expertise, where I can.
Chimo
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04:57:22pm
Well welcome aboard SoR and thanks for speaking out.
" ... there is one forum online that I would never ever
consider speaking up in. On that forum what some people see
as rough and tumble and robust discussion I see as a bunch of
bullying, bad mannered grumpy blokes behaving badly. ..."
I, and many other SoR members of long standing,
am also a refugee from that club. It is almost
a "Rite of Passage."
I sometimes wonder how many budding collectors
are so put off by the bad manners that they
seek different outlets for their hobby interests.
In fact, I think I spent about a year lurking about here
before deciding to share what passes for my wisdom.
So you should feel at home quite quickly.
One meme you will see posted occasionally is;
"The only stupid question is
the UNASKED question."
So good luck and feel free to chime in
when the urge strikes.
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It is important to realise that there are cultural differences between the various nationalities using this forum, and despite the fact that we all use English ( or an approximation of it {joke} ) misunderstandings as a result of emphasis or tone caused by these differences can and will occur. What I might find informative, you might find patronising, what you might think robust, I might think rude.
There are certain things which we would all find inappropriate, but other than that I think we need to allow everyone a little "wriggle-room", and by all means if you find something I say inappropriate, please say so ( preferably politely !!). Retaliation in kind leads to unnecessary unpleasantness - and don't feed the trolls !
Malcolm
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02:54:28am
A few evenings ago I noticed that there were 90+ members
and visitors on line looking at the auctions.
Is there a record to shoot at ?
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Cannot remember where I heard this (paraphrasing):
"When you mud-wrestle with a pig, you both get dirty, but only the pig gets happy."
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
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07:07:23pm
A little humor break;
T'was a year ago September, a day I well remember,
I was walking up and down in drunken pride,
My knees began to flutter as I fell down in the gutter,
Then a pig came by and lay down by my side.
I lay there in the gutter, thinking thoughts I dasn't utter
And thought I heard a passing lady say;
"You can tell a man who boozes, by the company he chooses..."
Hearing this, the pig got up and walked away
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BuckaCover.com - 80,000 covers priced 60c to $1.50 - Easy browsing 500 categories
22 Nov 2017
04:12:47pm
Carrying over from another thread, whose topic "diverged" from the original, here are some up to date membership statistics regarding the level of members "activeness".
These are current as of November 22, 2017 at approx. 2000 UTC
Total people in the database: 4565 (includes active, deceased, expelled, inactive, etc).
Total membership listed as "active" in the database 1772
(following percentages are shown as a percentage of this number)
Members who have logged in:
In 2017 ---- 1124 63%
Since Sept 1 ---- 641 36%
in November ---- 419 24%
this week ------ 333 19%
today ----- 169 10%
"Logging in" does not require the entry of username and password every time. The system recognizes users as logged in whenever they engage in an activity that requires being logged in, and the date is updated each time. Some members may visit without being logged in, but they can only read, not post and can not participate in sales activities unless logged in. Such visits would not be counted as "logged in".
Based on these figures, my own definition of "Active Membership" is somewhere around the 400 mark. 333 "this week" is what I would call the "very active" membership. Unfortunately the data only tells us last login date, so we can't say that the 169 "today'ers" log in every day.
Roy
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BuckaCover.com - 80,000 covers priced 60c to $1.50 - Easy browsing 500 categories
22 Nov 2017
04:43:11pm
re: Stamporama membership statistics
Here are some auction statistics:
In the last 6 months (we no longer keep data longer than that):
Number of different sellers : 102
Total number of lots offered: 71,225
of these:
20 sellers listed a total of 800 lots and sold nothing (and presumably gave up)
12 listed a total of 20421 lots and individually sold less than 10% of their offerings
(total for all 12: 1062 lots sold or an average of 5.2% across this group)
Average value of lots actually sold: $0.91
18 listed a total of 14200 lots and individually sold 10-20% of their offerings
(total for all 18: 2042 lots sold or an average of 14.4% across this group)
Average value of lots actually sold: $1.03
23 listed a total of 21974 lots and individually sold 20-50% of their offerings
(total for all 23: 6604 lots sold or an average of 30.0% across this group)
Average value of lots actually sold: $1.36
29 listed a total of 13827 lots and individually sold over 50% of their offerings
(total for all 29: 11249 lots sold or an average of 81.3% across this group)
Average value of lots actually sold: $1.02
The "number of lots listed" includes relistings.
So, to me, it looks like we have had 52 "successful" sellers, and 30 who keep hammering away at listing auctions with little that actually interests the buyers.
Roy
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22 Nov 2017
05:20:14pm
re: Stamporama membership statistics
As a side note to the 12 "listers" (I resist calling them "sellers") who sell less than 10% of their offerings:
8 of them are responsible for 20,247 listings with only 1,051 sales (5.2%), and not one of them participates in any discussion board activity (I do not include promotion of these auction lots as "DB activity").
Roy
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06:06:22pm
Approvals
re: Stamporama membership statistics
Roy,
The breakdown of "Listers" is very revealing.
Is it possible to do the same with the "Buyers" of these items, please.
The same information for the Approvals would also be extremely informative as well
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BuckaCover.com - 80,000 covers priced 60c to $1.50 - Easy browsing 500 categories
22 Nov 2017
06:49:29pm
re: Stamporama membership statistics
In correspondence with Brechinite, he asked for some additional statistics. Here they are for all to see:
Active participants in the Auctions and Approvals.
From April 28 to date, there were 238 distinct buyers from combined Approvals and Auctions who each spent between $4400 and $0.24. The median purchaser (the 119th) spent about $40
They bought from 118 sellers who each sold between $4725 and $0.10. The median seller (59th) sold about $120
Active members who have never bought or sold in the A & A ?
The union of the "bought and sold" is too complex for my brain tonight. The positive statement "have bought or sold" will be over 238 and under 356 (238 + 118)
Can't answer "never", but in the last 6 months 934 unique members have logged in.
The number of items sold in the Approvals,
Last 6 months: 122,211 for $22,793.81
In the same period, the auctions sold $20,957. So it is basically 50/50 in sales value.
The number of items unsold in the Approvals for the same periods.
Can't be answered as ever-changing number of items available, and can only see what sold, and what is available now.
Roy
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
Interesting stats.
So Approvals and Auctions generate almost the same total revenue per month! Interesting.
I am nicely surprised that the dollars are so similar
Other derived facts:
The average item sold on Approvals costs $0.186 ($22,794 /122,211)
The average item sold on Auctions costs
$1.10 (est) ($20,957/71,225listed...but what was sold is in the numbers Roy provided if you want to be exact and do the math! I just eyeballed it)
I would have thought that the $ value of the Approvals average item sold was lower, and that the Auctions average item (lot) sold was higher. There must still be a lot of low cost items selling on Auctions! And there are some surprisingly high item values sold on Approvals!
I am also encouraged that this club keeps both very active sales platforms going. By preference, I would rather buy here than at a commercial site, even if I can occasionally find lower priced items...I don't mind the few extra pennies...and usually if you factor shipping charges, I am always better off here.
I like the camaraderie here, and the flexibility almost everyone I have dealt with (selling or buying) has shown. It feels like a family Club, and not a commercial site.
So I would answer the question about what defines a dealer....in my book: Everyone selling here is not a professional dealer! If they were, they would not last long! The professional dealers come and go quickly, as they cannot be bothered by the small volume, and the "Club" requirements. Last professional dealer I had the misfortune of dealing with, when asked to retire older Approval books, answered..you do it, I don't have the time! No need to say, he/she is no longer here!
Wish some of the "sellers" who don't communicate at all on the bulletin board would elevate their "game". I for one, only buy from active members.... not from invisible ones. I don't look at what % each seller has bought or sold, but whether he is participating in the Club or not!
To me, that is what counts!
rrr...
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
Stamporama qualifies itself very much like a strong stamp club...if only organized philately really paid attention.
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
Dear rrraphy,
When you say:
"Wish some of the "sellers" who don't communicate at all on the bulletin board would elevate their "game". I for one, only buy from active members.... not from invisible ones. I don't look at what % each seller has bought or sold, but whether he is participating in the Club or not! To me, that is what counts!"
you are speaking SOR speak. It nicely captures what most of us feel about our club. How would you feel about reaching out to those sellers and communicating your thoughts? (Consider yourself part of our welcoming committee should this be acceptable to you-and I'll introduce you formally to the rest of the team.)
Best,
Dan C.
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
"Last professional dealer I had the misfortune of dealing with, when asked to retire older Approval books, answered..you do it, "
I hope you did the right thing a retired him or her.
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
"Wish some of the "sellers" who don't communicate at all on the bulletin board would elevate their "game". I for one, only buy from active members.... not from invisible ones. I don't look at what % each seller has bought or sold, but whether he is participating in the Club or not!
To me, that is what counts!"
Agreed! I tend to deal with people I banter with on the board. The buying / selling includes nice emails back and forth.
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BuckaCover.com - 80,000 covers priced 60c to $1.50 - Easy browsing 500 categories
23 Nov 2017
10:05:06am
re: Stamporama membership statistics
Here is a breakdown of the "price buckets" from the Approvals for the last 6 months. Unfortunately our DB software does not have the facility to show properly formatted tables, so this is a picture. I have pasted the numbers below for anyone who wants to copy and work with the numbers:
Price range / Number Sold / Total Value
Free 309 $-
1c - 5c 40850 $1,861.65
6c - 10c 41825 $3,543.09
11c - 25c 26328 $4,531.00
26c - 50c 7106 $2,713.36
51c - $1.00 3916 $3,045.37
$1.01 - $5.00 2537 $5,060.64
over $5 191 $2,210.31
Totals 123,062 $22,965.42
The median price (half of the stamps sold for more, half for less) was 8 cents.
In dollar value terms, it is interesting to note that the over 50c and under 50c were almost equal, but the quantities are significantly different!
under 50c 116418 $12,649.10
over 50c 6644 $10,316.32
Roy
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
I like it. From this thread we get a pretty good idea of whats going on !
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BuckaCover.com - 80,000 covers priced 60c to $1.50 - Easy browsing 500 categories
23 Nov 2017
10:59:59am
re: Stamporama membership statistics
"How would you feel about reaching out to those sellers and communicating your thoughts?"
While that is a very positive thought (and very typical for Dan!) I would not anticipate any degree of success. People are either inclined to participate, or not. No amount of encouragement is likely to change their attitude.
To these people, Stamporama is not a club, simply a venue to sell stamps with no fees. How they can bother to list 20,000 lots in 6 months with a 5% success rate is beyond me. 15 years ago, Yahoo auctions ran into the same problem and finally folded. Dealers were listing thousands of overpriced items, using auto-relist to renew them (which is why we do not offer that feature, although our bulk uploader comes close), and were happy with a 2% sell-through rate because it was both free and easy. As a result, the site became worthless to buyers and was eventually shut down.
If one were to plot "acceptable behaviour" on a bell curve, these people would represent the small, negative end of that curve. In any population, there is always that negative end of the curve. As I have stated in discussions many times before, the job of a programmer and managers of a site like this is to develop policies that protect the vast majority of users from the negative influences of the few who would abuse the system, while striving to have the least impact on the activities of the majority.
I believe the solution to this "negative auction behaviour" is to institute limits that will not impact the vast majority of sellers at all, but will curtail the excessive listing practices of the few -- including any new members who might view Stamporama as a "dumping ground".
Roy
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
Thanks Roy! Very interesting statistics. The participation numbers are not much different than my experience in other hobbies. Very few people are joiners, and fewer become involved participants.
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
Dear Roy & BenFranklin,
Recognizing the truth in what you both say, ought we not even to try? Wasn't it Ghandi who said "Be the change you want to see"? In that light I would measure success as our trying. Granted that it may not produce much, but worthy of the effort, no?
Respect,
Dan C.
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
Dan- as a welcoming committee member with you, I'm all about seeing what we can do to encourage participation.
As we've spoke, one of my recent forays with new members. On November 10th, I sent "Welcome to Stamporama" messages to 13 newbies via the internal messaging system. As of just now, more than 50% of them have not read the message! So how do we get to these folks if they aren't participating up front?
Of the 13...
7 not read
6 read
1 reply
And why? Is it that they don't understand the software and that they've got a message? Or just apathy? I'm willing to send the next batch out via email. Maybe more people will read it that way? I like puzzles.
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BuckaCover.com - 80,000 covers priced 60c to $1.50 - Easy browsing 500 categories
23 Nov 2017
12:14:15pm
re: Stamporama membership statistics
"Recognizing the truth in what you both say, ought we not even to try?"
I never said you shouldn't try. I only said not to expect any degree of success in converting "non-participants", except possibly for more DB postings promoting their auction listings, which these people might interpret as "participation".
Go for it.
Roy
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BuckaCover.com - 80,000 covers priced 60c to $1.50 - Easy browsing 500 categories
23 Nov 2017
12:20:11pm
re: Stamporama membership statistics
"Last professional dealer I had the misfortune of dealing with"
Hey Ralph, I'd like to remind you that I am a professional dealer!
Roy
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
Present company exempted ?
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
One of the reasons why some people do not participate in the discussions, because they have been made to sound or look like a beginner, or stupid by someone who had an answer for everything on the discussion board.
I notice that this person has stopped replying on the discussions.
Everyone his here to learn and help and have fun, but when one person is so domineering.
Hopefully this will change.
Doug
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
I suspect that when people sign up as members they can not really have much of an idea of what Stamporama is all about. Some will never purchase stamps...many will not join in the discussion.Others may just be curious and have only a passing interest in stamps. For the rest of us its a place to come and UNWIND !
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23 Nov 2017
03:49:04pm
re: Stamporama membership statistics
"Others may just be curious and have only a passing interest in stamps."
I suspect that a great many new "members" sign up just so they can ask one question about a found or inherited collection. When they don't get the answer they hope for: "It's worth a fortune!", they disappear.
Can you imagine what this board would look like if we did not require membership registration before posting?
Roy
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The new member participation does not surprise me. I see this on other non-philatelic forums. Many are looking for answer to some question and others are just too shy to join in discussions. I am a member of some Facebook stamp groups and it is the same there. More trying to sell something they know little about.
Types of philatelic posts (others?)
1. show and tell - collection, review, etc.
2. I have a question or need information
3. I want to buy or sell something
(excludes all the posts related to the auction/approvals).
The question is what posts cause people to post?
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
I would say the number one element involves participation in a community of similar interests (or in some cases a sense of curiosity and the opportunity to learn).
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07:48:17am
re: Stamporama membership statistics
D1 stamper
I am mildly surprised about the reference to the person who seems to know everything. I don't recognise this person ( and no I don't want to know to whom you refer, other than I hope it isn't me!!! ).
Most of the people here are constructive and measured in their responses, and not in any way dismissive or patronizing. I suppose a beginner might feel intimidated by the range and depth of knowledge here, but I think that is their perception rather than ours. I am sure that most people here would say that the more they know, the more they realize how much they don't know - it certainly is in my case.
I think that the thing is that the people who join and then don't participate are not as "hooked" as we think or hope they are. It also takes a fair amount of self-confidence to participate in an environment which appears to be knowledgable and erudite, where one might be perceived as ignorant or stupid ( in your own mind). I was a long time accepting that I could participate and set myself up as an "Aunt Sally" to be knocked over by a fairground wooden ball ! I have made a fool of myself more than once , and I think I am big enough to take the criticism and correction as a positive experience - but we have to accept that many people take correction and disagreement personally.
We need to appreciate that while members may come and go, the number of active members will stay fairly static, or at least only increase gradually.
Also as a matter of policy I have decided not to participate in the trading activities here, as I think it allows people to see that I have no commercial axe to grind. I am not suggesting that anyone else has, but I feel easier that way.
Malcolm
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
malcolm197
No it is not you.
This person had done it to me and others as well.
One person on the board emailed me privately and I told them to forget and ignore this person as this person is rude and puts people down. But it is hard to forget.
I agree with what you said.
Thank you.
Doug
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
Hi everyone;
what does this statement, in a members profile mean?
"Membership Status: Suspense Mode 2017-08-13 10:35:02"
Hope this is not too far off topic....
TuskenRaider
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BuckaCover.com - 80,000 covers priced 60c to $1.50 - Easy browsing 500 categories
24 Nov 2017
09:00:10pm
re: Stamporama membership statistics
It means they have not logged in in so long that their membership is temporarily suspended, subject to reinstatement if they request it.
This will soon disappear, as I have asked Tim to restrict the member search function to return only active members.
We have been busy getting the server backup load under control. As of tonight, it should be down to 1 hour, down from the over 12 hours when we started.
Roy
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
27 Nov 2017
07:54:29pm
re: Stamporama membership statistics
I think that upon finally registering I spent some time reading the chit-chat and noting a few familiar names from the Usenet RCSD group before launching my first comment. So I am not surprised that most newer members are cautious about posting initial comments.
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
cdj,
what suggestions might make newcomers more willing to risk initial posting?
Dan C.
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08:12:38am
Approvals
re: Stamporama membership statistics
Nice to see that at this moment 124 visitors on line: The highest number I have ever seen!!
11 logged in 113 Guests.
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
Ian,
You make a very useful distinction-visitors and members. Perhaps we ought to think of all newcomers as 'visitors' for a while, before considering them 'members' and expecting more of them too soon. Perhaps after posting/discussion/other involvement then might we look upon them as true members.
Thoughts?
Dan C.
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10:25:48am
Approvals
re: Stamporama membership statistics
Hi Dan,
Current number is now 152. Great!
I believe current classifications are OK.
You cannot force people to take part. Besides every one takes out what they are interested in and with such a diverse range from Easter Seals to postal history to worldwide collectors there should be something for everyone.
I know you will find this unbelievable but I was quite shy when I first joined and it took some time to pluck up the courage to participate!
It took some time to get used to the various systems. It is one of the reasons I am wary about some changes as new members are just exploring the system or getting used to it and to have it change can be very off putting.
Can you remember what it was like to be a "newbie"?
I remember my first ever visit to a local Philatelic Society. It was the presidents display of nothing but Postal History of Penny Blacks and Twopenny Blues!!(value thousands of Dollars). I almost took up golf instead!!
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Ian, you asked "Can you remember what it was like to be a "newbie"?
I'm older than dirt, have been actively collecting over 70+ years and have trouble remembering what I had for breakfast-so the short answer is 'no'.
Very good chatting with you.
Dan
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
"...what suggestions might make newcomers more willing to risk initial posting?"
Sometimes it's good to think about "walking a mile in someone else's shoes". So as I'm trying to imagine "what if I was a newcomer", rather than the hoary old veteran of 18 months that I am...I think we all need to step up our game with respect to ... uh, respect.
I'll start by admitting to having "poked the bear" sometimes with my "witty" observations, thinking I'm a "comedian" (which I sometimes confuse verbally with "Canadian"). But is that a good reason to post a public invitation on SOR to a fist fight - or a public declaration that anything not praising the USA unconditionally is anti-American, perhaps to the point of being racist? Maybe a "ha ha, not actually funny" could do it. So perhaps if we allowed for different opinions (or even lame humor) without losing our sanity, maybe newcomers would feel more comfortable. And the current ban on political discourse, although still available in archival posts, is a good step.
This is (thankfully) in the minority - since most members are VERY generous with sharing their knowledge - but sometimes people (usually longer-term members, not rookies) ask fairly simple (if naive) questions and get ridiculed for it. Or they offer well-meaning (if sometimes incorrect) advice and suffer the same fate in very condescending replies. So perhaps remembering to give people the sense that they won't be "stupid-shamed" would be helpful to encourage newcomers.
Then there are the personal animosities and inevitable flame-wars. "We are changing to..." says Thing-1. "This is fascism..." says Thing-2. ""You're a little sucky-baby" says Thing-1. "Yeah, well you're a @#%%..." says Thing-2. And away we go... So perhaps taking those personal attacks off-line to PMs would make newcomers feel more comfortable.
And finally, there are the constant attacks on "dealers" (perceived or real) - as if they are dishonest (at best) or predatory (at worst). Personally, I'm finding the level of vitriol is becoming increasingly intolerable. So perhaps having a civil discourse, and reiterating the point that "we are a community of like-minded lovers of stamp collecting - each with different interests - and each making different contributions to the greater good" we could make newcomers feel more comfortable.
Stamporama is a great "club", and for the most part a great "community". But frankly, if I read many of the posts I've seen in the past 6-9 months - rather than what I read as a "newcomer" almost 2 years ago when I considered joining Stamporama - I would have probably stayed with the "Australian Site" I had initially joined but was anxious to escape from for many of the same issues I've referred to above.
My 2c for today. Now, back to work...
Dave.
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02:51:43pm
re: Stamporama membership statistics
I wrote this for an earlier post but found it more or less closed when I went to post it. I think it fits in well here even if there is a bit of overlap.
If only all "lively discussions" could be face to face there would be a far greater understanding of problems and solutions. It is difficult to put thoughts into the written word, and the meaning of what one writes is never as clear to the reader as it is to the writer.
And writing to an open forum seems to bring out the worst in people. There is a tendency to use words and phrases as weapons that is not found in private messages, and not usually found in face to face discussions. While the use of forceful language is designed to make a point it generally fans the flames.
Where did civility go? George Aiken and Mike Mansfield were on opposite sides of the political spectrum but met almost every morning for breakfast to share thoughts and contemplate solutions acceptable to both. (This can hopefully be accepted as an apolitical statement).
How about we all try to keep disagreements private,. I am sure that the same tired, old arguments can be found dating back years in these forums. We all agreed to the rules when we joined this club, something to keep in mind.
The most important thing to remember is that we are here to learn and to enjoy our hobby. If there is some facet of the organization that we don't enjoy we don't have to participate in it……enjoy the rest.
Just my two cents
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My reaction to the response by Webpaper/Carol is very simple.
Well said. And much more concise than I can ever be.
Thank you for your 2c. It's about 2.6c Canadian - and more valuable than that.
Dave.
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I have to agree with Dave et al. (Canadian unity, brother) I've noticed the tone has become somewhat 'testy' of late in a number of threads. As Carol pointed out, a little civility can go a long way. The exchange rate on her two cents is much greater than Dave lets on.
The old rule about taking a breather before posting a reply has merit.
Darryl
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
I read with interest the comments made above. We should be able to have open disagreement with one another without abuse, belittlement or rudeness coming into it.
Regardless of who they are people have feelings, and some bad response could put them off joining in any future discussions, whereas their point of view may be very valid, and others may like to hear it.
I have recently resigned from another forum owing to a similar matter of ongoing abuse and rudeness towards some people.
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07:21:47pm
re: Stamporama membership statistics
For the most part I agree with what all have said here but if you want to be a smart aleck someone might call you out on it. Some on here like to make snide remarks and then say "oh I was just kidding". It doesn't work that way. If you make a flippant or rude remark, some people won't have any interest in back and forth word games but rather will tell you what's up real quick. Some that make all of these self righteous calls for civility just need to quit.
Ernie
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
02 Dec 2017
02:37:41am
re: Stamporama membership statistics
" ... what suggestions might make newcomers more willing to risk initial posting? ..."
I've been thinking about this for a while and I do not know precisely. The closest thing I could come up with would be some kind of magic mind meld that immediately erases some negative experiences acquired earlier at certain other sites, clubs pr associations.
Once burned, twice shy.
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
Dear Ernie-just checking you out for clarification- when you say: "Some that make all of these self righteous calls for civility just need to quit" I'm not sure I get your intended meaning.
To me, all who call for civility would be doing the right thing, no?
Dan C.
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07:06:11am
re: Stamporama membership statistics
Dear Dan-
Civility is great. We all love civility. My point was that how is someone going to call for civility in one breath and then be rude in the next.
Ernie
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Understood-thanks for the clarification. Perhaps we ought to encourage the good etiquette and call out the bad? (Really in effect putting into general practice exactly what this series of posts does & following your lead.)Just saying!
Best,
Dan C.
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08:43:38am
re: Stamporama membership statistics
I really do believe we've reached a good spot on the discussion board. Although I haven't been posting much I really enjoy spending time after work reading through the discussions and seeing member's new items. I've learned alot here. There are actually fewer flame wars than ever. At least in the couple of years I've been hanging around. There are some members here that have been super generous to me and have sent me some really nice classic stamps and covers. Im humbled and grateful for those guys. You know who you are!
I wouldn't worry about SoR. There are no culture or climate issues here. Close knit groups have spats once in a while. Nothing to see here. Move along.
Wish I could go see my buddy bobstew down at Florex but it's my middle daughter's birthday so off to Tallahassee to see her and go to the 'Nole game. Maybe I'll drive down tomorrow.
Be well Stampheads!
Ernie
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
And remember children... Santa Claus is watching! And it's less than a month 'til Christmas!
(There, that should fix any issues)
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"And remember children... Santa Claus is watching! And it's less than a month 'til Christmas!
(There, that should fix any issues)"
I usually use this example with my law classes to introduce surveillance and privacy laws. Good old St. Nick has capacities far outweighing those of any modern national security apparatus ...
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
This has been an interesting conversation - I have read the thread through over my afternoon coffee and decided to come out of lurkdom and give a new members point of view
First there are many people who are very knowledgeable here - this is good as it kept me reading the forum and half the attraction to stamp collecting is all the curious and interesting bits an pieces of information you can pick up - there is always a moment of "Gosh I did not know that!" which is wonderful but it does leave me wondering how I can contribute - one day I will be able to answer a question and jump and down with pleasure and being able to chip in.
Members are welcomed - but many people might not realise or understand the message function. It takes a little while to get used to forums - in the age of facebook, the interface for all forums feels old fashioned. Some people take time to find their way around.
I have not noticed any major disagreements here and I would notice. It would put me off in an instant as there is one forum online that I would never ever consider speaking up in. On that forum what some people see as rough and tumble and robust discussion I see as a bunch of bullying, bad mannered grumpy blokes behaving badly.(Not good in the long run for the hobby)
Probably the insidious thing about not interacting is that it is easy to swing by the forum and read but not participate and it becomes a habit.
Also one reason I have not been so active is that I am a returning collector after a break of many years and still sorting out a large accumulation that was gifted to me. Part Estate and part recent stuff. Since I can't clearly define my interests yet (my curiosity is all over the place) I felt a bit silly chatting.
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
Welcome Sharon! Your thoughts and input are always welcome on the board. This is a family and we're here if you have a question or need direction on what to collect, how to store it, or exactly what you have.
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
What I like to respond to the most are questions regarding something that needs identification, about a cancellation or a cover and other topics. I don't mind sharing my expertise, where I can.
Chimo
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
20 Sep 2018
04:57:22pm
re: Stamporama membership statistics
Well welcome aboard SoR and thanks for speaking out.
" ... there is one forum online that I would never ever
consider speaking up in. On that forum what some people see
as rough and tumble and robust discussion I see as a bunch of
bullying, bad mannered grumpy blokes behaving badly. ..."
I, and many other SoR members of long standing,
am also a refugee from that club. It is almost
a "Rite of Passage."
I sometimes wonder how many budding collectors
are so put off by the bad manners that they
seek different outlets for their hobby interests.
In fact, I think I spent about a year lurking about here
before deciding to share what passes for my wisdom.
So you should feel at home quite quickly.
One meme you will see posted occasionally is;
"The only stupid question is
the UNASKED question."
So good luck and feel free to chime in
when the urge strikes.
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04:24:06pm
re: Stamporama membership statistics
It is important to realise that there are cultural differences between the various nationalities using this forum, and despite the fact that we all use English ( or an approximation of it {joke} ) misunderstandings as a result of emphasis or tone caused by these differences can and will occur. What I might find informative, you might find patronising, what you might think robust, I might think rude.
There are certain things which we would all find inappropriate, but other than that I think we need to allow everyone a little "wriggle-room", and by all means if you find something I say inappropriate, please say so ( preferably politely !!). Retaliation in kind leads to unnecessary unpleasantness - and don't feed the trolls !
Malcolm
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
22 Oct 2018
02:54:28am
re: Stamporama membership statistics
A few evenings ago I noticed that there were 90+ members
and visitors on line looking at the auctions.
Is there a record to shoot at ?
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re: Stamporama membership statistics
Cannot remember where I heard this (paraphrasing):
"When you mud-wrestle with a pig, you both get dirty, but only the pig gets happy."
Cheers,
/s/ ikeyPikey
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
23 Oct 2018
07:07:23pm
re: Stamporama membership statistics
A little humor break;
T'was a year ago September, a day I well remember,
I was walking up and down in drunken pride,
My knees began to flutter as I fell down in the gutter,
Then a pig came by and lay down by my side.
I lay there in the gutter, thinking thoughts I dasn't utter
And thought I heard a passing lady say;
"You can tell a man who boozes, by the company he chooses..."
Hearing this, the pig got up and walked away
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