18,000 and counting.

[f1jim]

Congrats to new member jlowe and this person is the 18,000 person to join the McDougall Discussion Forum. I didn't think we would get to 18,000 till near the ens of the year but I guess I underestimate how much the message is spreading.
It's with a sense of relief I post this. I am under no illusions that 18,000 of us are following the program fervently but at least that many are getting the message in a most direct manner.
Welcome jlowe and enjoy your stay. You are uniquely number 18,000.
f1jim

[dlee]

SUPER!

[Vanilla Orchid]

So, shouldn't they win something special?

[Langeranger]

Hey jlowe, how about telling a bit about yourself in the meet the members window.

[f1jim]

Vanilla Orchid they win the opportunity to visit Pacifica, CA and visit with the local McDouglers.
f1jim

[darad]

How many active on a monthly basis? 180?

[f1jim]

It's complicated. Many lurk only. Some post everywhere. Some only in some forums, some only in one forum. We get every possible combination.
f1jim

[Quinda]

Nevertheless, we are all special, right?

[GlennR]

I don't know whether I feel glad or sad about 18,000. It's good to see the number of interested people increasing but with 18,000 forum members and only a couple of hundred success stories listed, that's about 1% reporting significant success. I don't think there are any better plans to follow but I do hope I end up a success story one day. I don't know about others but I find those stories provide me with real hope.

[f1jim]

In the years I have been on the forum it looks like significant progress. I don't really gauge the worth of a program by anecdotal evidence. First even among members we have a very small number of them fully following the program. Of that small number we have a VERY high number of people reporting success.
Don't judge the program on the number of people announcing their progress. Those stories are inspirational but simply incidental. Follow the program closely and judge for yourself. I have met so many people with positive experiences I can't count them.
f1jim

[darad]

A few member stats:

TOP TEN POSTERS f1jim wins hands down

USERNAME POSTS LOCATION
f1jim 10788 Pacifica CA
JeffN 7864
patty 6559
ETeSelle 6496 TN
colonyofcells 6128 San Mateo CA
GeoffreyLevens 5765 CO
ncyg46 5478 FL
bunsofaluminum 5043 UT
pinkrose 4823 China
Katydid 4688 MI

Member in list by no. of posts

< #120 1000 or greater posts
< #220 500
< #470 200
< #725 100
< #1125 50
< #1485 30
< #1825 20
< #3250 6
< #4470 3
< #5290 2
< #6790 1 or greater
#9685 and up, 0 (never posted)

Thus, ~45% of members have not posted

The top 4% (725) posted 100 or greater posts.
The top 6% (1125) posted 50 or more
The top 10% (1825) posted 20 or more

So there you have it. Roughly speaking, 4-6% post frequently, i.e. 50-10788 posts, and likely read the forum regularly.

[f1jim]

Nice stats but they don't account for the lurkers, many who have never posted and may never post. Many of them are here reading and nothing more. I consider them an equally important group of members.
f1jim

[Willijan]

I don't know whether I feel glad or sad about 18,000. It's good to see the number of interested people increasing but with 18,000 forum members and only a couple of hundred success stories listed, that's about 1% reporting significant success. I don't think there are any better plans to follow but I do hope I end up a success story one day. I don't know about others but I find those stories provide me with real hope.

I am a forum member, and I won't be posting a success story, although I have had great success on this diet. I am sure there are many others here like me. When I began eating this way, I didn't have any diet-related health problems, or at least I didn't know of any. And I still don't have any. That is likely at least partly because I am eating this way. But there's nothing special about me. I am just a run-of-the-mill successful McDougaller.

I didn't cure Type II diabetes, because I didn't have it. Ditto rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, osteoporosis, etc. Not very exciting, unless you are, like me, free of these diseases.

But I do love the official Success Stories. Yes, they provide hope and pride in being a McDougaller.

[darad]

Nice stats but they don't account for the lurkers, many who have never posted and may never post. Many of them are here reading and nothing more. I consider them an equally important group of members.
f1jim

Yep, there could be 100,000 lurkers who read the posts. As with Facebook or even Gmail, Twitter, there are so many who not register with these services for fear of the unknown. At least so far, the Lounge does not yet offer suggested REPLY to posts (like the new Gmail) -- or presenting Ads based on prior postings. perhaps. For having Google Maps on iPhone, Google tracks my every movement, and offers suggestions in the morning where to head and time to destination.

[f1jim]

I almost understood that.
f1jim