Does this usually happen?

[jenni_xx]

Ok, I'm a long time member, but an infrequent poster. Been a member since the mid 2000's, with a post count between 300-400. That stat alone tells you how frequent I post.

But I come here much more often than my post count suggests. Which I suppose makes me a lurking member. Reading many posts, posting on only a few.

Recently, I've noticed many new members - more than I've noticed in the past during my membership here. New members - even more so plenty in number - that's got to be a good thing right? More people in the world sharing the common interest that we all have. But then the cynical side of me kicks in - why so many new members in such a short space of time?

Is it usually like this - new members (numerous new members to the site) happening, while at other times the site isn't graced with new members for a sustained period of time?

Of course, there will always be the troll accounts - we can all spot them a mile away. I won't name names, because it would be unfair to do so, but new members pretending to be GG's, intent on vying for attention. Or maybe cd's with sock accounts, just laying a fishing line in the hope that some more established members will bite. But like I say, that's the cynic in me coming to the fore.

Perhaps the moderators, as opposed to simply the members, are best to answer this one. So many new members in such a short period? Is that usual?

xxx

[KayleeTaylor]

I am new here, I joined the site as soon as I found it :) I was actually browsing online for some new clothes when I stumbled on it. I never thought to search for a forum like this before. I am just glad to be here :D

[Jodie_Lynn]

Maybe it is just a natural rhythmic cycle: for example, when I used to work in a convenience store, there were periods of slow custom, followed by a wave of customers, then another lull. Maybe we get a large influx of members ( minus the trolls) for the same reason?

[kimdl93]

I don't know, statistically speaking, that there has been a significant uptick, but others have noted an increase. I suspect that these are by and large legitimate newbies, not trolls. The majority ask the kinds of questions we all ask and appear to be dealing with the same kinds of problems. That validates them in my view.

[Michelle789]

I came here because I was seeking answers to questions. I did a internet search on some questions and discovered very old threads that had similar questions with their answers. Then I decided to join and post my own questions. I've discovered many who share similar feelings, and am able to give and receive great advice here.

[Jean 103]

I am a new member. I read a lot more then I post. I only like to add to a thread if I feel like I have something to say other than you go girl. There are plenty of girls that do that, not that there is anything wrong with it. I think see your point. Some of the new member posts seem to have something that just doesn't sound right.

[Julie Gaum]

Just a guess: Don't know whether it's a fact or not but I've noticed a higher percentage of 19 to 29 year-olds recently. Perhaps young posters attract more young posters? That's great in my book.
Julie

[GretchenJ]

I joined the site recently, after lurking for a very long time.

I lurked to get the answers to questions that I wanted to ask, but someone was always there to ask it for me. The responses were always what I wanted to hear or needed to hear.

I joined because I recently found myself outside looking in, that I wanted to belong, also I wanted to talk to someone, anyone, about something that I have kept secret , and still do for over 40 years - and got responses that made me feel that I belonged

Just my $0.02.

[Shayna]

I joined because it just felt like a comfortable place to discuss cross dressing, and not feel alone. I still read more than I post, as I don't have much time to dress, so have no recent experiences or stories to tell. Once in a while I have a question or feel in the mood to comment, but general just feel good reading that others from all parts of the world sometimes feel like I do.

[Shanine]

i joined like 2 years ago I think, but never really posted anything. Then other interests took me, and I just did not keep up with most of the internet forums I used to frequent. Usually I am a lurker/reader, but am making an effort to express my feelings and opinions in topics that interest me, trying to be more involved. Thats my story, and I'm sticking to it.

[docrobbysherry]

Maybe the world really IS changing? And, younger dressers r more open to exploring their feelings?

I think that's much better than living guilt ridden, repressed lives until they can't stand it anymore!

[ArleneRaquel]

Sherry,
I totally agree. IMO trying to repress the urge to dress leads to mental depression, its better to be your try self.

[Tracii G]

I think its a cycle but there are quite a few new younger members and that is a really good thing IMO.
The ladies here can usually sniff out the trolls pretty easily.

[Lynn Marie]

What I've noticed is that a great many of the new members are starting threads and asking questions that have been thrashed half to death. This is nothing new, but the volume of new threads started by first time posters seems to be a new phenomenon.

[Beverley Sims]

Lynn,
New members with the same old questions have a new outlook on life and fresh ideas.
I did like regurgitating old threads more than twelve months old and see what a different spin new girls gave to the.
Even the answers to "What panties are you wearing?" gets a new spin now.

[Sarah Beth]

It might be that this site is coming up in web searches relatedt to crossdressing now where in wasn't before. Its how I found out about it, I wasn't looking for a forum just some information. I'm glad I found this forum though its helped me a lot in a lot of ways.

[Zylia]

I guess I'm pretty new and I joined now instead of a few years ago because of my personal situation, it didn't really have anything to do with changes to the forum.

I'm not staff, but I am aware of at least two recent changes (IIRC): I believe that more subforums are now hidden for non-members, but I know for fact that even as a long-time member you now need to have 10 posts before certain subforums open up for you, including high-traffic ones like 'Beauty' and the gallery. Additionally, posts in the introduction section no longer count towards your total amount of posts. That means that there's more incentive for people to create accounts and actually use them. Right after the admins made the changes I certainly experienced a slight uptick in 'spammy' posts if you know what I mean.

It wouldn't surprise me if people signing up and posting new comments inspires other people to sign up as well. Dedicated internet forums are something of a dying breed thanks to sites like Facebook, so it's actually quite special. I wonder if people have started to move away from Facebook again because it's so big and convoluted now.

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Jenni, The new and younger members are so lucky to have sites like this .
I sure wish that I had all this information available to me when I was in my 20s'

[mykell]

being one of the new members i assumed its normal and was impressed, then i read a thread that suggested that it was the Halloween bump,
either way figured OK, back when i joined i wondered how many joined with an arterial motive, to harass, or out people but assumed that as long as the site has been up that was squashed out a while ago and there would always be some who still try, not sure what a sock account is?
i joined as soon as i found it, most of the posts i read seamed like i had wrote them.

I have felt a comfort being here since and hope i never have to second guess that decision.

[Sissy_Michelle]

I will continue to lurk. I check in about three to five times a week to see what has been going on. But mostly I will comment from time to time. Sometimes it is better to lurk.

[Georgia_Maine]

I lurked here for 4+ years before I decided to become a member. Looked at many CD sites and this one was the most comfortable for my sensibilities, if you know what I mean. Perhaps others have the same feeling?

[Karren H]

So there's a bunch of new members? Apparently I wasn't paying attention.... again! lol.

[Nicole Erin]

The weather is now icky so people are spending more time in front of the computer. If they look up "crossdresser forum" this is the first result and was also when I joined 500 years ago.
Also, this whole "social media" thing is getting bigger. People are probably getting bored of facebook cause of it's mundane "what I ate for breakfast" or "MORE pictures of my darling brats". So, they need SOMEthing to tide over their boredom.

Or, maybe they are wanting to know how to join the National Sarcasm Society. (see above member's signature)

Pattern I have seen - new members join, post a lot for the first couple months, then kind of fade off. I tend to be that person on a lot of forums I join.

[Wildaboutheels]

Yes, there has been a veritable flood of new folks. Along with an almost exponential decline of "regular" Forum Dinos.

And perhaps, as at almost any Forum, the bus drivers fit into the picture somewhere? I don't believe it is ever possible to know how much of the "turnover" is simple housekeeping.

It's quite common at Dating Forums.

[Debra Russell]

All newbees hold hands and chant , "one of us, one of us" When I joined this forum I searched for like minded people - found a different one but it was a little too slow (still a member) this one had more reality to relate to and more of an informative venue -- and was a little scary at first but soon felt at home. I wish all new members the same experience - lets still recognize them with the same respect that we all received ...........................Debra

[kellibra]

forums are by definition platforms for people to express their feelings. those change over time and so does the nature of the forum. just look at topics from years passed and see how many girls from then are still active today. very few. yet those folks then had the same concerns and questions we have today. history just repeats itself. new girls, same issues.
are there more active users today than before? that is a question for mods with a historical perspective going back to 2005. but it could also be that many of the we grapple with issues are becoming more mainstream today and the courage to express them has sufficiently increased for some of us to come out of the shadows and seek answers?

[Bria]

I joined in Sept after lurking for several months, I haven't started any threads as others seem to pose more questions than I know to ask. When I get to the point of going out of the house I will post that. I post to a thread only when I think I can make a real contribution to make to the discussion. Otherwise I absorb the wisdon of those who do post. I think is is fine to start some thread that have been discussed before as there will always be new prespectives, maybe its a little like why do we get a new cataloge in the mail every month from the same retailer, it gets our attention anew!! Bria

[Lorileah]

How many here shave their legs in the winter? Who likes wearing tights or pantyhose in the winter? I like to dress on Halloween. See the link? That is why I think there are more new members now, tiz the season. People and indoors more now and at the computer too

[michelle60]

iam very new to the forum I joined after reading post for a time and there for as new I am still learning and will only post if I can add some thing that will be helpful so far after reading it it helping me come to terms with things I have to thank the forum

[Iris_Luna]

I know this forum since 2007 and i have been checking it frequently... Now i feel like i need to participate :)

[MichelleinEugene]

I came to a point where I needed to share and learn. I googled cross dress forum and wah-la! This place seems so fantastic that I get excited and post a lot. I also am not very social in my daily life so this is an outlet where I hope I can make some friends.

[chrissy111]

As a new member myself, I just felt the time was right for me to join in the conservations.

[donnalee]

I believe a kind of resonance accounts for it. For example, toss a rock in the center of a round pool. The ripples are quite regular, but slow as they reach the edge; as they reflect of the edge and head toward the center, they modify the regularly of the outgoing ripples by attenuating or amplifying them into irregular ones dependent upon frequency, amplitude and phase.
Now toss 2 rocks in quick succession into the same calm pool. These effects on the ripples are cumulative, adding and subtracting from them, 3 rocks even more so and so forth.
The incidences of human behavior act similarly to a greater or lesser extent. Why are things in and then out? Why do attempts to predict the future never succeed if based on the assumption the things will continue the same but more so? 8 billion different rocks thrown into the pool at different times and places; who would know and who would know what data to use, not to mention what occurred in the past.

[katssun]

I've come to these forums a few times over the years from search engines when looking for information.

But I joined because I felt I could contribute and provide answers to a few questions based on my own experiences.

[Tamara Croft]

So far this month we've had 130 new members, yes this is normal. Some won't get let in because of username/email violations or they have old accounts etc... The actual total registrants from when the site first went live is 111,326. Obviously we delete accounts that aren't used within a year because they take up usernames and space in the database for no reason. If we left them, that's how many members we'd have :)

We don't have a slow down time, it's always busy, there's always between 30 and 50 new members every single day (on average) and not all of those will get in. We had 518 new members last month, those are the ones that got in, there were probably another 150 that didn't :)

[Valarie]

Well I am pretty new. My wife and therapist encouraged me to find a site like this for support. After finding a lot of crazy porn/sissy stuff (which freaked me out) I found this site. I have to say I really love it, I get on here more than facebook now. I think more people in my age group 21-30 are becoming more open to who we want to be and who we are, and just don't care what society thinks. I really love reading everyones post it makes me feel like I have a community that I belong to. :)

[TokyoLily]

I'm here now because I got a divorce over the summer. I'm a little bit freer!

I make sure to read the new threads, but I (meaning me either in drab or en femme) will only post or reply to a thread if I have something to say, so just know that I am here!