This is kind of a hard thing to meter because if you go by 'users' online which does not separate registered users from those just stopping in to read then the site is doing fairly well. I suspect if you separated the members from visitors however the bulk of that number would be non-registered users which in short only contribute via ad-revenue from exposure and possible clicks. Active users contribute (hopefully) to the content of the site increases the information indexed by web spiders and therefore the overall chance to bring in new traffic. Even with the data above and say the new post count for the past maybe month you would need several historical samples to really determine any kind of trend in the site.

If anything can be singled out as to why AO is not some amazingly popular site it can be noted that its overall concept is stale as ten year old cheese. The forum thing has been done to death. By and large the site has not changed with the times but seeks to hold on to old concepts that no longer work for the current networked world.

As for other points people have addressed:

'Noobs' deserved to be flamed because quite frankly if they can't stand their ground and learn to take some heat they don't belong in the first place. Initiation is not just limited to this site; its everywhere you turn if you open your eyes just a bit. Ive had it happen to me several times at different jobs when i started; once i was established at said job it was no longer an issue. The point is that initial flaming for stupidity is supposed to make you learn much like the pain of burning your hand on the stove teaches you that its hot and you shouldn't just slap your paw down on it.

Good staff should be both feared and respected; respect for their knowledge and fair dealing but feared because its their job to smack the living crap out of morons who desperately deserve it and YOU certainly don't want to be on their wrong side.


Well that should satisfy my once-in-a-blue-moon post requirement as well as fuel some likely flames and nay-saying; commence with firing at will!