The Comments Explosion - two years later

Later this month we will reach the two-year anniversary of the Comments Explosion. I don't have the exact date, but Februs undoubtedly will - the day when the limitation was placed on members who had commented less than 1 time per 500 views. Unless I'm terribly mistaken, this occurred sometime in May 03 2010.

New members since that time may think the Library as always as it is today - a welcoming place with plenty of comments and an active forum. It wasn't. Although from it's inception is has always been a great place to go to read a spanking story, what I'm calling the Comments Explosion changed everything.

Check the stats. Before May 2010, the stories in the Library received an average of fewer than 300 comments per month (fewer than 10 per day), maxing out at 342 comments in February, 2010. Following the Comments explosion, there have never been fewer than 1,843 comments in a given month (September, 2010). From June 2010 through January 2011, the stories in the library received an average of about 2,300 comments per month. By February, 2o11 and continuing ever since, the stories in the library have received an average of over 3,000 comments per month, or over 100 per day. It is not unusual for an individual story to receive over 10 comments in its first 24 hours after being posted - more than the entire Library of stories was receiving on a daily basis before May of 2010.

What does this mean? It's not mere numbers. The comments allowed authors actually to connect with their readers (!!!). It allowed all reader/commenters to to serve as review-writers for the stories. It allowed readers (who are often but not always other authors) to see how other readers were reacting to stories. At about the same time, the Forum started becoming an active place, providing yet another opportunity for members to participate in a real community of like-minded individuals, rather than merely a place to go read stories. Don't get me wrong - reading the stories here is this Library is a pretty amazing thing in and of itself. But the community aspect of this place makes it special. And that all goes back to the Commetns Explosion.

Of course, all of this - the collection of stories, the organization and features of the website, and yes the Comments Explosion - did not happen randomly. They are the product of Februs & Flopsy & Co (PinkAngel and all the others who provide such fabulous support).

I suggest that Februs let us know what the actual date of that anniversry is, so that we can have a little celebration - champagne and crisps and spanking all around

What happened to the single malt? But everything else you got completely right!

So now I have to take individual orders? What do I look like - a waiter? Oh, all right - and a single malt for Alef!

Anybody else?

Thank you for the amazing ammount of research this took, and for bringing it all to our attention. I must admit, basking in the warmth of "mostly" appreciative comments, makes my day and continues to urge me on to writing even more.

However, I have a feeling you have WAY too much time on your hands. lol.

Yep - it required checking the stats "Comments" page, doing a few mental calculations, and recalling my first couple months here at the Library. It must have taken me all of 5 minutes, plus another 5-10 minutes to write up.

For you, Sebastian, I'll make it a double. You're one member who never needed to be encouraged (prodded? threatened?) to write comments.

I'm with Sebastian, mine with some Ginger Ale please.... ;)

I'm new to the site, having posted my first story here less than two months ago. Since then, I've been overwhelmed and delighted by the amount of response I've gotten from reader comments. It was clear from the start that this was no accident. A supportive and positive culture like this doesn't just happen; it has to be nurtured and developed by both its hard-working administrators (i.e. the Librarians) and by its dedicated members. The Comments Explosion - and the mechanism that brought it about - are a perfect example of just how this is done. Thank you, njrick, for calling this to our attention and for giving us an insightful look into how this site has become the truly great place that it is today.

Oh, and as long as you're here, waiter...You make one helluva thought-provoking, history-revealing Daiquiri. So here's a tip from me to you, kid. Don't take any wooden nickles.

Let's see - a bourbon and ginger ale for bendover, a Daiquiri for Iconoclast. Coming right up!

(just to make it clear - my gig as waiter ends with the conclusion of our "Comments Explosion" celebration, or the end of May, whichever comes first. So get your drinks orders in soon!)