What is the deal with the number of views on each topic?

[Bruce]

There is a column on this forum (and just about every forum) that purports to show the number of times each topic has been "viewed".

But it seems likely that these numbers are sometimes accurate and sometimes wildly inaccurate.

Now I can kind of understand that maybe some dealers sit there and refresh their "for sale" post over and over to try to create the illusion that lots of people are looking at that topic (to get others to click on it), but this also happens on non-selling topics as well.

Of course, this is much worse on other forums. Recently I started a topic on another forum about eBay banning some repros, and in no time at all it had 1,250 views, and not a single comment!

So what is the deal with this?

Bruce

[jayn_j]

People had no comment? 

Depending on the time of day, web crawlers can screw up the numbers as they go everywhere looking for stuff to add to search results.  I have heard it said they can be a significant portion of late night traffic.

[brude]

But it seems likely that these numbers are sometimes accurate and sometimes wildly inaccurate.

Now I can kind of understand that maybe some dealers sit there and refresh their "for sale" post over and over to try to create the illusion that lots of people are looking at that topic (to get others to click on it), but this also happens on non-selling topics as well.

I can't seem to bump up the number of page views once I have looked at a post, no matter how many times I refresh, return, etc.
I believe they are accurate numbers, Bruce.
Maybe Holiday has a more concrete answer.

[eatbrie]

Of course, this is much worse on other forums. Recently I started a topic on another forum about eBay banning some repros, and in no time at all it had 1,250 views, and not a single comment!

That will teach you to start an interesting thread on another forum.

[Neo]

That will teach you to start an interesting thread on another forum.

Which forum was it?

[Silhouette]

There is a column on this forum (and just about every forum) that purports to show the number of times each topic has been "viewed". But it seems likely that these numbers are sometimes accurate and sometimes wildly inaccurate.

You cannot mess with a Forum and the numbers - OK you can but you have to know what you are doing in the code in the back end and any coding changes simply applies across the board. If someone really wanted to mess with the number of a particular subject and had the time or the inclination they could do so by manipulating the numbers in the database, but only those who have access to the database can do that and really is a subject ever that important?

The reality is Bruce, maybe no one had anything to add to your post, hence the no comments.

I can't seem to bump up the number of page views once I have looked at a post, no matter how many times I refresh, return, etc.

The only way you will be able to increase the number of views is to click on the forum title that shows up in the main topic area, refreshing when 'inside' the subject won't do it. Easiest way to increase the number of views is to sit there and middle click on the subject title (that will open a new tab in your browser) - but why bother would be my next question?! That said I just checked and this particular forum design appears to have a cookie and session based authentication, that is, it won't count multiple 'visits' by the same IP address (person) into topics while you are currently in the forum

[Bruce]

Here it is. It is up to 1,738 views!

http://www.movieposterforum.com/index.php?/topic/35816-i-dream-of-ebay-expanding-this-new-policy-to-movie-posters-as-well/

Can that be real?

Bruce

[stewart boyle]

Here it is. It is up to 1,738 views!

http://www.movieposterforum.com/index.php?/topic/35816-i-dream-of-ebay-expanding-this-new-policy-to-movie-posters-as-well/

Can that be real?

Bruce

I doubt it,but even if you let the "views" thing go,the lack of any response is a shame.

Stew

[50s]

You cannot mess with a Forum and the numbers - OK you can but you have to know what you are doing in the code in the back end and any coding changes simply applies across the board. If someone really wanted to mess with the number of a particular subject and had the time or the inclination they could do so by manipulating the numbers in the database, but only those who have access to the database can do that and really is a subject ever that important?

The reality is Bruce, maybe no one had anything to add to your post, hence the no comments.

The only way you will be able to increase the number of views is to click on the forum title that shows up in the main topic area, refreshing when 'inside' the subject won't do it. Easiest way to increase the number of views is to sit there and middle click on the subject title (that will open a new tab in your browser) - but why bother would be my next question?! That said I just checked and this particular forum design appears to have a cookie and session based authentication, that is, it won't count multiple 'visits' by the same IP address (person) into topics while you are currently in the forum

Sounds like technobabble... So end result, you cant?

Well you can, its simple, just click to view one thread, then click to view another, then click to view the first one again ie alternate.

For testing this, dont be in the show unread messages section because the message will disappear once viewed so go into one of the sections like movie posters/general discussion where all threads always show

Bruce, someone might have posted a link to you thread in the forum onto somewhere like facebook/twitter. You might get a lot of views say from facebook users who arent registered on the forum to post.

[eatbrie]

Here it is. It is up to 1,738 views!

http://www.movieposterforum.com/index.php?/topic/35816-i-dream-of-ebay-expanding-this-new-policy-to-movie-posters-as-well/

Can that be real?

Bruce

All the numbers on that forum are completely out of whack.  No, no, I'm not saying that its owner keeps adjusting them to keep sponsor money coming.  I would never do such a thing.  Right now, you can read: 2073 users are online, 10 movie poster forum members, 2063 movie poster forum guests, 0 anonymous movie poster forum users

 

 

[Bruce]

That is a hellacious amount of guests! How come you don't get that many guests here, T?

[eatbrie]

That is a hellacious amount of guests! How come you don't get that many guests here, T?

Because we don't need to CHEAT to pretend we are the #1 poster forum (along with our NS4 friends). 

WE ARE the #1 poster forum.

[Zorba]

The numbers arent that crazy here but the guests always out number the members. It was just 166 to 30.

They look but do not touch.

and yes this is the place.

[brude]

Here it is. It is up to 1,738 views!

http://www.movieposterforum.com/index.php?/topic/35816-i-dream-of-ebay-expanding-this-new-policy-to-movie-posters-as-well/

Can that be real?

Bruce

I highly doubt it.
I could be wrong, but people don't seem to even respond to one another over there.
Is anybody home?

[eatbrie]

It's all about $$$ over there.  Peanut could not care less about posters.

T

[holiday]

I don't think the numbers are real, in the sense that things like spambots, search engines, web crawlers and the like all trigger a page view.  This is compounded by the fact that multiple clicks are counted from the same source.  So, while you are on the site, a second click on a link won't register a +1, but if you leave the site, go elsewhere, and then come back later, it will +1 I think.

This is why peanut's numbers are all fake. His counters register everything, human and software generated, plus I think Thierry's right in the belief that he can set a base count to work from, like designating a starting check number so that the guy that just wrote his first check shows check number 1001.

It's all bullshit, but we here at APF pull the curtain back on the wizard!

[Silhouette]

FYI - if you know where to look it is a simple method to tell the code to take the actual count and multiply by [a number].

You can do that to both the number of times read so it will always increase and also by the number of actual visitors which means that number will always be different because the actual number will be different. It's an old trick to show advertisers how 'popular' you are...thus somehow justifying the advertising prices.

[Bruce]

I can confirm that I have been on forums where the count went up by two for every time you clicked. And ones where you COULD refresh over and over and watch the count go higher and higher.

[MoviePosterBid.com]

I've been watching Ted's animation and I think it's the same tumbleweed that keeps going across like the yellow Volkswagon & the guy on the bike in the Truman Show. Is that on a loop?

[CSM]

Did someone really just post a link to MPF here?  I see this place has begun falling apart in my absence...

[Ari]

it all started when Ted gave Andy a hand job, I mean Hand Bill. sorry Ted.

[Silhouette]

Did someone really just post a link to MPF here?  I see this place has begun falling apart in my absence...

You've been gone?

[CSM]

You've been gone?

Just for a few days - and look what happened! 

[brude]

it all started when Ted gave Andy a hand job, I mean Hand Bill. sorry Ted.