h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

By which I mean:

How many people are using this site sufficiently often/widely/verbosely in order that other users can form an impression of their personality?

I.e. not how many accounts are there, or how many accounts are there that have posted in the last week, or how many unique users, or whatever.

How many people use this site often enough that at least a couple of other users could describe what they're like?

I started making a list of people whose personalities made an impression on me, and I got to 30 relatively easily, but I think I'd struggle to hit 100. Then again, I don't think I "know" 100 people IRL, either, so that's more about the size of my personal circle of acquaintances.

How many people are known/knowable on h2? 100? 200? Thousands? (I doubt the latter...)

Without counting, at a guess, around twenty who I have an opinion of, around ten who I know anything about..

Well, there are about 100 people who have me on their friends list, and of those, at least 45 are active at the moment and I'd have a fair idea of their personalities. Since I don't think I'm particularly special, I'd say that's just a small portion of the people on the site, so I'd say there are at least 10 times that - say 400 - 500 people.

I tend to pay far more attention to what's being said than who's saying it. At any one time, there'll only be three or four who I'll remember enough for impressions of them to build, and I'll usually forget any more than the fact that I've seen them before after a week or so.

There are probably between 15-20 users whose personalities I have an idea of and probably 30 or so more whose names I know and I am familiar with, but couldn't really tell you much about them.

~jwf~

i blame 2legs

I find it confusing when people change their names. I sometimes think I haven't seen someone posting for a while & then realise they've got a new tag. There are lots of names I see around but don't know much about them. Probably about a dozen that I have some idea what they're like.

It does seem quieter in the parts of h2g2 that I frequent, but at one time there were lots of people who dived in but didn't stay long. I wonder what is longest anyone has been regularly active here as well as the average time. Then there are those who come & go...

Woodpigeon is still a fairly active visitor, and he joined the site the day after h2g2 went live in 1999.

"I wonder what is longest anyone has been regularly active here as well as the average time."

Probably Jim Lynn and Peta! who both signed up before the launch.

Obviously Jim was launching the site, that was There are others who are still around from time to time with lower U numbers than me. I visit every day, but it seems the people I speak to (or perhaps more accurately, who will speak to me) is dwindling so much that days can go by before I post something.

I may be wrong here, but is it not normal for people to settle in, socially, and to find that there are people whom we enjoy conversing with others who we dont?

I dont get on with everyone and I am diametrically opposed to some for various reasons (their opinions, their style of posting, their choice of words). Chances are that if I met most of you my opinions would change again. I might be drawn to people I've previously found frustrating or annoying and I would no doubt find myself with little to share with someone who I've gotten on with on here...

But I *still* like to think I know most of the people I chat to in and around the place. I'm only human despite my best efforts

I'd say there are probably in the region on 25-30 distinct different reserachers I have some idea about based on the way they post here.

FB

Doesn't it depend where you hang out on site? I've got a really good idea of the people behind the tags for almost all the regular posters in the atelier - so around 30-40 there. Plus the 20 or so people I see knocking around elsewhere. There are probably loads more if I really think about it, but not all of them post so much anymore.

I'm mainly an ask/misc/pirate ship girl with the odd foray into the QI society...

Funnily enough the brotherhood are quiet most of the time, busy picking their toenails, drinking beer and thinking. Maybe not the last one so much.

I think I could pick several out from a crowd.

At least I hope so.

Sack the London meet, sack the Hull meet, sack the Scottish meet.

Let's meet somewhere more central.

Test me, people!

More central? Like Hamburg?

No no, Bristol...

I'd like to point out that anyone who thinks they know my personality is wrong.

Honestly.

B