Ok, I looked at the bottom of the main page and saw this
Currently Active Users: 188 (36 members and 152 guests)
152 guests?!?!
Why are there over 4 times as many unregistered people as registered. It makes no sense.
If you are not registered register right now
The blender community can never be too big
Yeh I thought that was a bit odd when I first visited the forums. Although I myself was one of those guests for a couple of weeks when I was first getting acquainted with things. I guess there are a fair few people who just casually check things out every now and then. Others might be people just passing through on a one time basis. But it does seem like quite a lot. It would be interesting to know the demographics of the guests.
Threads: 103,938, Posts: 946,923, Members: 27,333
Welcome to our newest member, [TDOT>](http://blenderartists.org/forum/member.php?u=30567)
27333 members is also a lot of people.
yeah, and CGTalks stats are:
Threads: 485,382, Posts: 4,282,914, Members: 295,283
so, People(yes, you, 10 non-registered guy’s&gal’s!) Go And Register!
PS. remember that many of em are bots(on both boards)
I don’t post a lot, so when I browse I’m usually not logged in.
Could be the same case for other people.
Perhaps you should have an extra option that enables only registered users to see what you’ve written, something like [hide] blah blah blah [/hide].
I’ve seen this on a forum devoted to hacking and full of dodgy people, its a great site. There its use is to stop illegal links from being traced back to the forum but here it might be an incentive for people to join up because youd have to be a member to see whatsever been hidden.
Guests are Max and Maya users that don’t want the world to learn about their secret Blender fetish :yes: What would their families say if they knew?
LOL.
If you are not registered register right now
Left! Right! Left! Right…!
Because… we’re always this easygoing and welcoming? 
They come to read my posts and then leave.
thats what i did until i got hooked for good and decided to register.
Isn’t it like that pretty much everywhere?
At the Blender Clan, french forum, the ratio is 1member for15 guests. BTW I am member there but did not log in.
I guess that quite a few people won’t allow the necessary cookie to automatic login and will login only when they post.
Many others are visiting from some public place, school, college or university, internet cafe that won’t take the cookie either.
A good deal more are probably coming from other forums via a link, or from Google&co: they read what they need and leave.
With tabbed browsers nowadays it is also easy to leave a tab open for a longer time than the visit really last…
Jean
It probably is the same everywhere. That’s a good reason to post solutions when you start a thread and then find the answer. One of those guests might have the same problem, read the thread, and then… if the answer’s there, ok.
The current conversations and the stickies are a great public resource. Google searches, too. Not everyone who uses Blender is a “joiner” and people new to Blender might not feel they have anything to contribute. Not that that’s a problem here, but some people just feel odd coming to a great party empty handed.
I don’t see a problem. These aren’t “unregistered people.” They are… guests. When they feel like joining the conversation, they will. Until then, they are welcome to visit and hang out with us and learn about Blender and the folks who think it’s a great piece of software.
TheANIMAL:
it might be an incentive for people to join up because youd have to be a member to see whatsever been hidden
Shucks dude, what part of “open source” is so difficult to comprehend?
%<
Heck, i goto a lot of forums where i;m not a registered user.
And a lot of forums where i AM a registered user would probably prefer that i wasn’t 
They are not Guests! They are lurkers!!
And then, of course, there are some people who are registered, who think posting on the internet is like whispering secrets to their special buddies on the schoolyard.
It says members and guests, Mmph!, members and guests. Get used to it.
It says members and guests, Mmph!, members and guests. Get used to it.
Never!!
I shall not rest whilst they lurk!
Pretty much the same situation here. I expect quite a few people aren’t logged in all the time, but still keep up with things here…
Well, no wonder you’re so cranky! I’d be cranky too, if I never got any rest.
Well, no wonder you’re so cranky! I’d be cranky too, if I never got any rest.
Well, yes, that and my wife has some odd sleeping habits.
Oh God! Now THAT should come with a warning!
J.