res ipsa locator
Let me cite here the passages directly making reference to OPF:
In a piece describing some site traffic statistics graphs that Drew has published, Drew said:
Later, discussing strategies for the site, Drew said:
] I look at OPF as a nice control group. A number of folks split off during the changeover and started this forum. It hasn't grown much over the last few years, and postings are still relatively few. No offense to Asher, I like the site. I'm sure he would be happy to have some of you over there. You are, of course, welcome to spend time over there. We have cross linked for various things over the last three years. I like Asher and most of the members over there. Heck, I even like Michael Tapes. Although, I'm not real sure that feeling is reciprocated.
Well,
We do run different places. PPH is a highly commercialized mass interest website. OPF is a small community for photographers to support and nurture each other's work. We have no sales and no marketing mass mailings.
As far as rankings are concerned I would look to a standard of popularity where we'd like to be considered, not DPreview or other megasite. I look at
http://TheOnlinephotographer.com.
On Alexa.com, of course we are ranked! It's just that daily ranks require one to be in the top 100,000 websites according to how they measure things. So we rank 223,00 compared to 223,542 for TheOnlinePhotographer. We compare favorably in all other measures and we steadily improve. We have 3.9-4 page views per visit compared to 1 for TOP. Also our ranking is steadily improving. In another Alexa measure, both TOP and OPF are in the 88,000 rank level.
Although PPH has more traffic and double the reach, we have increased 33% in the past 3 months and they have not. They have 2-3 page views per visit, ours is 3.9-4 page views per visit. So the folks look at 25% more pages here on OPF, meaning the experience must be worthwhile.
We have never sought numbers. Unlike mega sites, we remove a major percentage of registrants by software related to spam profiling. Then with individual checking, only 50% get through because of finding previous flaming, spamming, pornography and more!
Then Dierk Haasis (in Hamburg) wrote:
One difference between OPF and PPH is the tone of, and it is in favour of PPH. PPH is friendlier, people talk with one another instead of trying to win a debate. We want to learn from each other. This leads to shorter threads, less lively discussions and eventually to less traffic. As strange as it sounds, it also leads to less interest [people like flame wars] and often times less depth.
The writer's projected sensitive tone is at odds with OPF's Dierk Haasis from Hamburg! Our fellow projected a far different social behavior among his most recent posts in OPF.
Res ipsa loqutor, thing, speaks for itself, IOW, his own words are all that have to be read!