FAO Klondy

[dextrous63]

I'm curious and was wondering if you'd carry out a teensy experiment for me, assuming it's possible and no major effort is needed.

At the bottom of the screen is a list of people who had visited within the last 15mins.  Any chance of you changing that to, say, three hours?  If you could (even temporarily for a far or two), I wonder how busy the site might appear to be.

[klondike]

I've done that. Not sure just how useful it will be though.

Ignore "Guests" they are mostly spam bots and the like.

[dextrous63]

Thanks.  As said, am curious.

[JBR]

I see that I am 'active' within the last three hours, however the last time I posted here was about half-past-five.
I do keep my browser open all the time and this site is one of those open on it.
(It is no problem with me that my name appears at the bottom, of course.)

[dextrous63]

I see that I am 'active' within the last three hours, however the last time I posted here was about half-past-five.
I do keep my browser open all the time and this site is one of those open on it.
(It is no problem with me that my name appears at the bottom, of course.

Am interested in testing my theory about the turnip's veg allotment seeming to be busy with 40 or so members being around, when they're actually not.  How difficult/easy is it to create false impressions??

Not stalking the place BTW.  Have wondered for a long time.  Klondy is the first decent chap/owner who I felt I could ask to test it for me.

[Mups]

I see that I am 'active' within the last three hours, however the last time I posted here was about half-past-five.
I do keep my browser open all the time and this site is one of those open on it.
(It is no problem with me that my name appears at the bottom, of course.)

That's odd,  because it is working the opposite for me.

I last posted less than an hour ago,  and yet when I signed out it doesn't show me ever having been here within the last three hours?

My name is there again now,  but as soon as I log out,  my name disappears from the 3 hr thingy.

[dextrous63]

Interesting indeed Mups.  I recall how even after being shown the door on a-n-other site and thus automatically being signed out, my avatar would remain on screen for several hours afterwards.

Hence my curiousity of whether such misleading info can be replicated elsewhere.

[klondike]

I last posted less than an hour ago,  and yet when I signed out it doesn't show me ever having been here within the last three hours?

I'm guessing that the sign out must kill the counter. As I said I don't regard it as a very useful statistic. I certainly set my login timeout as forever and never log out. Comparing numbers accumulated by this forum code with numbers from a forum using some different code is not going to show anything of use IMO. The "Guest" numbers are especially useless as the internet is awash  with bots seeking vulnerable websites to hack and exploit. The sheer volume of traffic can impact sites running with limited resources and far exceed the load imposed by wanted traffic.

[dextrous63]

As I suspected (not exactly difficult to predict), the list at the bottom does make the place seem busier than it actually is.  Smoke and mirrors eh?

[klondike]

That much would be true of any forum I suppose.

[dextrous63]

Yep.  Just seems a tad disingenuous to use the technique. But then again, I am somewhat biased.

[klondike]

I'll swap it back to the default 15 minutes.

[Mups]

I'll swap it back to the default 15 minutes.

Yes,  good idea.

What does it matter what other forum viewing figures are, anyway?  Nowt to do with us, surely.

[dextrous63]

Yes,  good idea.

What does it matter what other forum viewing figures are, anyway?  Nowt to do with us, surely.

Nothing.  It was just one of those things I've fancied  finding out about for a while.  Verified, done and dusted.  Thanks Klondy.