'Most Users Ever Online'..... WHY?!!

Froggyted · Post by **Froggyted** » Fri Apr 02, 2021 10:34 am

Folks, is there anywhere in the ACP where you can remove the 'Most users ever online' statistic from the Board display? If not, there surely should be! I do not want this displayed, and feel that it is impeding the growth of membership. Since mid December the count has been displayed as 35, whereas existing membership stands at 14, making it appear to new visitors that members have actually deserted the Board (which is not the case) and therefore giving an impression that the Board is in decline, no doubt discouraging some from signing up.

Post by **KevC** » Fri Apr 02, 2021 11:00 am

It adds the registered users and the vistors together for that number. Realistically, no one actually looks at it so it's highly unlikely anyone will sign up or not based on that number. They'll look at whether topics and replies are in the forums to make that dcision.

The stats are in the template/index_body.html file

Code: Select all

{TOTAL_USERS_ONLINE} ({L_ONLINE_EXPLAIN})<br />{RECORD_USERS}<br />

change that to

Code: Select all

{TOTAL_USERS_ONLINE} ({L_ONLINE_EXPLAIN})<br />

and clear the cache with the button under the stats in the admin panel and also refresh your browsr cache.

Froggyted · Post by **Froggyted** » Fri Apr 02, 2021 11:26 am

Thank you very much for this advice. Might I suggest though that this could be incorporated into the ACP in future versions to make life easier? I don't see why this isn't a selectable option, since there is generally so much control regarding Board configuration. I'm not convinced that a new user won't ever look at this statistic, since it is in the same section displaying total members. Certainly in a very active Board it becomes largely irrelevant, but imo is a hindrance when trying to promote a newly launched Board.

KevC wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 11:00 am It adds the registered users and the vistors together for that number. Realistically, no one actually looks at it so it's highly unlikely anyone will sign up or not based on that number. They'll look at whether topics and replies are in the forums to make that dcision.

The stats are in the template/index_body.html file
Code: Select all
{TOTAL_USERS_ONLINE} ({L_ONLINE_EXPLAIN}) {RECORD_USERS} 
change that to
Code: Select all
{TOTAL_USERS_ONLINE} ({L_ONLINE_EXPLAIN}) 
and clear the cache with the button under the stats in the admin panel and also refresh your browsr cache.

Post by **KevC** » Fri Apr 02, 2021 11:33 am

Maybe make a suggestion in the ideas section for configurable stats

ideas

We occasionally get requests here to remove the whole stats panel but rarely to just remove the record online figure. People sign up to a board depending on the content. I honestly don't think that record online value has any influence at all on people signing up.

Froggyted · Post by **Froggyted** » Fri Apr 02, 2021 1:25 pm

KevC wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 11:33 am Maybe make a suggestion in the ideas section for configurable stats

ideas

We occasionally get requests here to remove the whole stats panel but rarely to just remove the record online figure. People sign up to a board depending on the content. I honestly don't think that record online value has any influence at all on people signing up.

Ok, I'll do this in the next day or two. I can't agree with you about it not having any influence, although neither of us can be sure without polling people. However, if this was the case then you are implying that the statistic is of no real interest or value to end users, so why have it displayed anyway? It may as well be hidden within the ACP. I feel that the best compromise would be to have a choice whether or not to display it.

PS. Faced with a choice of displaying a figure considerably higher than the actual membership figure, implying a decline in membership, I've temporarily reset the stat until I can change the code as per your instructions. This is a barely more acceptable option since the Board now displays a stat that only three people have ever been logged in at the same time, but I'll live with that for a day or two!

Post by **stevemaury** » Fri Apr 02, 2021 1:34 pm

It is, as you have seen, very easy to remove. As for becoming an ACP option in future releases, I will say in my 15 years here, yours is the first such request I have seen.

If you changed /language/en/common.php thus:

FIND

Code: Select all

'RECORD_ONLINE_USERS'		=> 'Most users ever online was <strong>%1$s</strong> on %2$s',

REPLACE WITH

Code: Select all

'RECORD_ONLINE_USERS'		=> 'Most users ever online including guests was <strong>%1$s</strong> on %2$s',

you could eliminate the drawing of the conclusion you fear.

Post by **KevC** » Fri Apr 02, 2021 1:59 pm

Froggyted wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 1:25 pm I've temporarily reset the stat until I can change the code as per your instructions.

Personally I think that's worse than the number you had before. Now it looks like you have a certain number of members but none of them have ever bothered to come back.

Froggyted wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 1:25 pm I can't agree with you about it not having any influence,

When you go to a new forum, the first thing you look at is the content. It doesn't matter how many people have been there on a day, it's about whether there is anything of interest to post about.

Post by **stevemaury** » Fri Apr 02, 2021 2:17 pm

Also, that number can be spoofed/artificially increased.

Froggyted · Post by **Froggyted** » Fri Apr 02, 2021 3:01 pm

KevC wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 1:59 pm Personally I think that's worse than the number you had before. Now it looks like you have a certain number of members but none of them have ever bothered to come back.

Well all it actually says is that they never came back at the same time! Imo, it's better than there were once 35 people online but now there are actually only 14 members, because guests viewing the Board aren't going to know they need to differentiate between guests viewing the platform and actual members, to say nothing of the bots that probably distorted the figure, so the 'most users online' statistic is actually meaningless and therefore, imo, useless.

Froggyted · Post by **Froggyted** » Fri Apr 02, 2021 3:04 pm

stevemaury wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 2:17 pm Also, that number can be spoofed/artificially increased.

Well there you go, more proof that the statistic is meaningless and useless, but because uninitiated guests aren't aware of this it could also be misleading.

I'm actually quite surprised if others haven't raised this point before.

Froggyted · Post by **Froggyted** » Fri Apr 02, 2021 3:11 pm

stevemaury wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 1:34 pm It is, as you have seen, very easy to remove. As for becoming an ACP option in future releases, I will say in my 15 years here, yours is the first such request I have seen.

If you changed /language/en/common.php thus:

FIND
Code: Select all
'RECORD_ONLINE_USERS'		=> 'Most users ever online was %1$s on %2$s',
REPLACE WITH
Code: Select all
'RECORD_ONLINE_USERS'		=> 'Most users ever online including guests was %1$s on %2$s',
you could eliminate the drawing of the conclusion you fear.

Thanks, that might be worth considering, although I might opt to remove the stat altogether, at least until the Board has grown somewhat. Even then, I would still think it's a pretty useless statistic as far as non-admin members and guests are concerned.

Post by **P_I** » Fri Apr 02, 2021 3:25 pm

I know some boards and their membership use the information somewhat as a 'badge of honour' as it often relates to a significant event related to the subject matter of the board. For example, when a new game was released corresponds to when the most users were even online.

Post by **stevemaury** » Fri Apr 02, 2021 4:30 pm

How about "Most people ever viewing this board at one time"?

Every single number displayed by phpBB - number of posts, number of topics, number of users, number online, starting date, and more - can be falsified. Should we get rid of all of those?

Froggyted · Post by **Froggyted** » Sat Apr 03, 2021 9:18 am

P_I wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 3:25 pm I know some boards and their membership use the information somewhat as a 'badge of honour' as it often relates to a significant event related to the subject matter of the board. For example, when a new game was released corresponds to when the most users were even online.

That's fair enough..... that's why I suggest having it as a configurable option in the ACP.

Froggyted · Post by **Froggyted** » Sat Apr 03, 2021 9:23 am

stevemaury wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 4:30 pm How about "Most people ever viewing this board at one time"?

Every single number displayed by phpBB - number of posts, number of topics, number of users, number online, starting date, and more - can be falsified. Should we get rid of all of those?

No..... have them as a configurable option in ACP (as I have previously suggested earlier in the thread); then it's up to administrators if they want to falsify them or not. But I'm specifically talking about the 'most users ever online', which imo is of considerably less use than the other stats, for the reasons I've previously stated, but which I'll repeat: that the number can get artificially inflated by bots, and guests who may have come to the board because you promoted it somewhere, but who don't then sign up.