Hec, I don't know. I honestly see this as yet another fruitless, tension filled conversation, now with added poll that can be a font of more fruitless, tension filled conversation for years to come.

But to me there doesn't seem to be any more inclination to talk television than Harry Potter or theremins or fanfiction.

If that were true, then there would not be a push to have multiple TV threads.

Yes, but there is a thread for Harry Potter -- and white font isn't required in it, and another for all books (~a general TV thread, only with books). There is a thread for music, in which the theramin talk would not have to be white fonted. In the fan fiction thread, you can discuss all fan fiction. We don't talk about those things in Natter.

I know people keep calling us a TV board. I think we aren't, really. We grew up around two specific shows, branched out almost effortlessly to follow the work of two specific guys.

We don't even really do that. I mean, Joss won't give us anything to follow. Tim, bless him, keeps trying, but he can't keep the fox out of his hen house.

another for all books (~a general TV thread, only with books). There is a thread for music, in which the theramin talk would not have to be white fonted. In the fan fiction thread, you can discuss all fan fiction. We don't talk about those things in Natter.

Well, I talk about music in Natter, because I'm not into the kind of music that is generally talked about in there. And I know I've talked about books in Natter.

And on the flip side, none of those is a high-volume thread, because in most cases (Harry Potter aside), reading or listening to music or whatever isn't a mass media event that everyone participates in at the same time -- or even within a week of each other. It's just different.

I don't think there's really a serious suggestion that posters who donate more should have some preference. I think the real point was that some lurkers contribute to the board in other ways. Moreover, this seems to be a touchy issue for something that's not really serious. I would suggest we not go much further down the path of everyone expressing opposition.

People who post where ever are not lurkers.

This is it. If someone is posting somewhere on here, they aren't a lurker.

Those posters should speak up when we have these discussions and/or participate in voting, polls, whatever. If they don't, I think they've ceded what happens to the will of those of us who participate in this kind of thing.

Yep. There have been all sorts of votes or polls here that I haven't participated in because I didn't care strongly about them, and I was fine with whatever everyone else decided.

I only expressed interest in fund-collecting in terms of information-gathering. I don't believe in the existence of this theoretical army of poll-skewing lurkers and I don't have any opinion on what constitutes the core of this group, if such a thing actually exists. My suggestions were only offered as ways of working towards having the best information to make the best choices available.

Edited because this statement was overly negative, and I regret it.

You seriously don't think the people who expressed concerns about using financial contributions as a proxy for group participation were "scoffing" at the suggestion? If anything, Corwood, I think people took your suggestion overly seriously.

I don't believe in the existence of this theoretical army of poll-skewing lurkers

My Cyborg Army of the Undead Lurkers supports me in e-mail.

(Sorry. It just...popped in there.)

I wasn't scoffing at your idea. I was expressing my uneasiness with it.

Jesse has confirmed that some lurkers contribute funds. I don't know if further refining who gives and who doesn't or how much or whatever would be useful.

I would say, based on my experience, that Natter and Bitches are core community Buffista threads inasmuch as there's no reason to post there except to take part in the community. Which is not to say that solely posting in the show threads or music thread or whatever is NOT taking part in the community, it clearly is.

I thought that might lead me towards some sort of conclusion, but apparently not.

In the past there was real concern over what would happen with an influx of fans from Firefly and when the board was linked to in various sources.

When we were discussing our rules and regulations for dealing with unruly board members, there were fears that at some point, new people might be able to use what ever criteria we came up for to run out long term members.

I think the concern that lurkers or people who aren't "core" over ruling the core users is coming from that same place.

I suggested the idea for a census not because I think thre are 1000 lurkers out there, but that I don't think we, as a group, have a clear idea on how our members use board.

We know our personal use and the use of people we are close to but not everyone and it would be nice to see how people use the board.