There's a large number of "newbies" with less than 5 posts. How many of these have not logged in for, say, the last 5 years?
There's a large number of "newbies" with less than 5 posts. How many of these have not logged in for, say, the last 5 years?
< 1st Jan 2022 gives me 26 pages at I think 250 per page, so about 6500 of 32000 newbies.
There's a large number of "newbies" with less than 5 posts. How many of these have not logged in for, say, the last 5 years?
< 1st Jan 2022 gives me 26 pages at I think 250 per page, so about 6500 of 32000 newbies.
That's not bad. I was expectig a much larger percentage of newbies who had maybe asked a single question years ago, then lost interest and have not returned. But with the large majority of them still active last year, there is probably no need for a cleanup in that group.
That's not bad. I was expectig a much larger percentage of newbies who had maybe asked a single question years ago, then lost interest and have not returned. But with the large majority of them still active last year, there is probably no need for a cleanup in that group.
I never purge accounts that have at least 1 post.
I never purge accounts that have at least 1 post.
Unless it is spam

My post count decreased with one today due to the removal of a spam thread I reported and posted in
That's not bad. I was expectig a much larger percentage of newbies who had maybe asked a single question years ago, then lost interest and have not returned. But with the large majority of them still active last year, there is probably no need for a cleanup in that group.
I never purge accounts that have at least 1 post.
Not even the ones who just signed up to ask for the Saelig discount code?
That's not bad. I was expectig a much larger percentage of newbies who had maybe asked a single question years ago, then lost interest and have not returned. But with the large majority of them still active last year, there is probably no need for a cleanup in that group.
I never purge accounts that have at least 1 post.
Not even the ones who just signed up to ask for the Saelig discount code?
Nope, they might come back.
I just did another purge.
0 posts that haven't logged in for 5 months.
While a great many of those purged are spammers and others that won't be missed, I am sure that a significant fraction are those who have moved on from this life. Take a moment to respect those for those in our hobby and profession who are no longer with us.
While a great many of those purged are spammers and others that won't be missed, I am sure that a significant fraction are those who have moved on from this life. Take a moment to respect those for those in our hobby and profession who are no longer with us.
I think that's 0 posts *ever*? Not the last six months.
While a great many of those purged are spammers and others that won't be missed, I am sure that a significant fraction are those who have moved on from this life. Take a moment to respect those for those in our hobby and profession who are no longer with us.
I think that's 0 posts *ever*? Not the last six months.
Correct, zero posts ever. Just one post is enough to never get your account purged.
I was recently looking at the user tree for lobste.rs, a by-invitation site.
As at a couple of days ago there were 19244 registered users of which 9400 have 0 karma, 12060 have less than 10 karma, 15723 have less than 100 karma, 18200 have less than 1000 karma.
There are entire subtrees of people who have invited other people, several layers deep, and all with 0 karma.
This one isn't THAT bad, sanxiyn has 13277 karma, but a huge proportion of the hundreds of people under them have 0.
https://lobste.rs/users#sanxiynI guess I could automate a search.
While a great many of those purged are spammers and others that won't be missed, I am sure that a significant fraction are those who have moved on from this life. Take a moment to respect those for those in our hobby and profession who are no longer with us.
I had reason to note the size of the member list recently and so I think about 6000 accounts were purged. I doubt, without any facts to support this, there was many spammers since none of them had ever posted. Well OK one fact.
Yes probably none will be missed also since they never posted.
It is an idiosyncratic quirk that Dave has for the occasional purge to tidy up the member list. If he ever said why he does it I've long since forgotten. It is a sort of
virtual decluttering without actually throwing stuff out.
As for those who have died it again reminds me to not leave all my stuff to others to discard. Another actual de-clutter is in progress in my case.
It is an idiosyncratic quirk that Dave has for the occasional purge to tidy up the member list. If he ever said why he does it I've long since forgotten. It is a sort of virtual decluttering without actually throwing stuff out.
I want accurate user numbers.
Lobste.rs disturbs me. I feel it was better a few years back, with good faith discussions and the like. These days it doesn't feel any different to news.ycombinator, complete with comments filled with people that give me a sense they're investors in whatever is being discussed.
The invite-tree idea sounds great, but on it's own it does not achieve much. Tildes.net is also invite only and I'm keeping an eye on them.
I haven't been to the Orange Forum for years, but my recollection is that its users were worse than shills and investors - actually gullible enough to fall for hype
DAVE Please!
Allow more like keeping the last two years! GO ahead and purge all the spam, but I do depend on this forum, but am not as active in my electronics hobby. I now do a lot of reading posts, without posting. What frustrates me on all forums are all the "chiming in" of comments like
1. I agree
2. So true.
3. This is a really great thread
4. And the like
But there is no way to really stop this. it is just the nature of this type of websites. I see no way to prevent this in any forum. IT does provide for the heavy users provide me with a more reliable answer with these simple comments affirming me from a more experienced electronics person.
Besides I am guilty of this too...
SO DAVE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE! do not have such a short-term cut off! PLEASE...
DAVE Please!
Allow more like keeping the last two years! GO ahead and purge all the spam, but I do depend on this forum, but am not as active in my electronics hobby. I now do a lot of reading posts, without posting. What frustrates me on all forums are all the "chiming in" of comments like
1. I agree
2. So true.
3. This is a really great thread
4. And the like
But there is no way to really stop this. it is just the nature of this type of websites. I see no way to prevent this in any forum. IT does provide for the heavy users provide me with a more reliable answer with these simple comments affirming me from a more experienced electronics person.
Besides I am guilty of this too...
SO DAVE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE! do not have such a short-term cut off! PLEASE...
Err, you do realise that I only delete accounts with ZERO posts, right?
That's zero posts, ever. If you have one single post then your account will never be deleted.
Also, I have an older user profile (TheNewLab), that I have lost the password that I created maybe 10 years ago that I had to add this one (nonlinearschool)two years ago...
BTW, I am still looking for the password for that original user I created..
I do not want to lose that profile because I have numerous posts and links, I followed a number of people including an old friend from the early 1980's computer era that I was delighted to find. That is very impojrtant to me to keep. I am still determined to find that password somewhere!
So, maybe allow the last 5 years???
OOPS,
Sorry. I did not notice the Zero post part. My "very" bad...
Also, I have an older user profile (TheNewLab), that I have lost the password that I created maybe 10 years ago that I had to add this one (nonlinearschool)two years ago...
BTW, I am still looking for the password for that original user I created..
I do not want to lose that profile because I have numerous posts and links, I followed a number of people including an old friend from the early 1980's computer era that I was delighted to find. That is very impojrtant to me to keep. I am still determined to find that password somewhere!
Just send me an email from the email address of that account and I can reset it.
Please don't delete my account! I hardly ever post. I am a big time introvert and don't have much to say. But I love to read most of the posts about my life long hobby of electronics. There, I posted. I am safe for a few months
Please don't delete my account! I hardly ever post. I am a big time introvert and don't have much to say. But I love to read most of the posts about my life long hobby of electronics. There, I posted. I am safe for a few months 
You now have 27 posts in total. Before today's post, you had 26. Both numbers are larger than zero.
Please don't delete my account! I hardly ever post. I am a big time introvert and don't have much to say. But I love to read most of the posts about my life long hobby of electronics. There, I posted. I am safe for a few months 
To be very clear, only accounts with ZERO posts are deleted. That's zero posts, ever. If you have just one posts, even if it's 10 years ago, your account is safe.