Revisiting Forum Display Options: The Impact on Community and User Engagement

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The discussion highlights dissatisfaction with the current forum display options, particularly the removal of visible user names and viewer counts for logged-out users. Participants express that this change diminishes the sense of community and engagement, as users prefer to see activity without needing to log in. There is a concern about the impact on casual visitors who may want to gauge forum activity before deciding to log in. The rationale for the change is to reduce database queries, but this has led to frustration among users who find it inconvenient. Overall, the desire for a more open and engaging forum experience remains a key concern.
George Jones
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I only names at the bottom of forums when I'm logged-in. I much prefer how it was before - names and total number viewing on each forum. People want to drop by and see these without having to log in.

We went through something like this before. I can only say again that I love the sense of community that I get when I'm here, and I (and, I think, others) don't get the same sense of community, without the stats at the bottom of each forum.
 
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George Jones said:
I only names at the bottom of forums when I'm logged-in. I much prefer how it was before - names and total number viewing on each forum. People want to drop by and see these without having to log in.

We went through something like this before. I can only say again that I love the sense of community that I get when I'm here, and I (and, I think, others) don't get the same sense of community, without the stats at the bottom of each forum.

To save db queries it's now set to members only. Why would you view PF logged out?
 
Greg Bernhardt said:
To save db queries it's now set to members only. Why would you view PF logged out?

I hate viewing PF logged out. When you want to reply, you have to log in and...

Annoying.
 

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