Names in celebrations aren't very active here

[MDR_BDel]

Mark just posted the celebration that mentioned my 50 days and I looked to see who was there with me.  Not one other people in the 50 club has logged on within the last month it looked like.  

Then I looked at the 100 and 150 club too and same thing.  Almost everyone signs up and then within a week or two disappear.  Kind of depressing how many people can't get through hell/heck week. Out of 30 people total I am the only one still active on here. I hope that doesn't mean I am the only one still quit out of them.  I do not want to deter any new quitters either.  You will be so much happier after a few weeks of no smoking! 

Definitely makes me cherish how far I have come and gives me more motivation to keep going.     

[Jennifer-Quit]

Congratulations on 50 days!  A wonderful start to a lifetime of freedom!

[Ladybug--7-3-12]

First, Congrats on 50 Days (& counting UP)!  That IS a big deal.  Unfortunately, the stats for getting & keeping a quit is low.

As to the "daily shout-out/lists", I hear you.  Again unfortunately, that's why I mainly don't bother with it but always hoping that those who are still not smoking (like you!) do check in with the community.  

In another community, the celebrated days/months/years are scheduled (set in stone) and are not random days to just get up enough number of members to publish them.  In fact, a member used to be sent an E-mail there asking if they were still quit before their "acquired anniversary" was even published to be celebrated.  It was a real one.  Also, if a member did not even check in to the site within 30 days of their to be "celebrated" day/month/year they were not publicly acknowledged on "the list".  

This doesn't matter for you ... you have your 50 days & I'm so glad you announced yourself.   I just didn't want you to be discouraged that others didn't make it (who probably in the case of most signed up & never even quit IMO & experience).  Keep enjoying your smoke free life!

[CommunityAdmin]

I've found that some people may reply by email and participate which doesn't show as a "login" when they're message posts, also in some cases when they stay logged in it may now show a "new login" for another 30 days while the sessionID is valid unless they login from another device. It's a tradeoff for making the login experience more user friendly. Sounds complicated. But yes some people join and never come back and other people are here and their last login date doesn't reflect that.

Mark
EX Community Manager

[Ladybug--7-3-12]

Defensive much?!.  What a shame to do it on someone's anniversary posting.  I apologize to MDR_BDel as that was NOT my intent.    

[MarilynH]

A super duper CONGRATULATIONS MDR_BDel‌ on your fantastic fabulous beautiful glorious wonderful humongous ginormous magnificent amazing spectacular splendiferous stupendous 50 precious Smokefree days and counting WTG YAY for each and every Day WON, you are Rocking your beautiful quit journey CELEBRATE your fabulous milestone because you've earned it and keep on stacking up those precious DOF......

[elvan]

Congratulations on your first fifty days, I always think of that as a solid beginning.  I know that it can seem really discouraging that people come and don't come back.  I have to admit that I was one of those but NOW, I have been quit for over 5 1/2 years.  It IS a journey and you sound great.  You sound like you are taking this as an incentive instead of allowing it to discourage you.  Good for you. Sometimes, I don't recognize any of the names on the list of people celebrating but I stick around as do many other people who have been here much longer than I have.  Freedom is awesome, again congratulations!

Ellen

[MDR_BDel]

No offense taken.  I get what Mark is saying too.  Thanks for the support!

[constanceclum]

I don't think Mark sounded defensive. Just explaining a fact. You, however sound a bit defensive. Most people aren't successful the first several times they quit. EX "plants the seed".  After that seed is planted, one can never smoke (drink, do drugs) without that quit "monkey on there back" again. And a huge congratulations on 50 days! I also have 50 days today.

Connie

[MarilynH]

CONGRATULATIONS constanceclum on your precious quit journey YAY for your 50 glorious Days WON with many more to come YAY for each and every Day WON.....

[Ladybug--7-3-12]

You know what they say about opinions and ummm ... other things … we all have one.  Congrats on 50 Days!  I am thrilled for you!  Keep it up. 

[MDR_BDel]

constanceclum‌ congrats on your 50 days too!  I have noticed we were really close on our quit days.  I hope PastTense‌ is still around too.  

[Barbscloud]

Big congrats on 50 days Connie.  I'm so proud of you.   Take what you like and leave the rest, can result in some hurtful comments.  Just my opinion!

Barb

[JACKIE1-25-15]

This is a fact, roughly only 6-8% quitters make it to a year of not smoking.  That is why it is called the 6% club.Some will not even make it out of the starting gate.

 It is good to wear blinders not to get spoofed by others not pulling their weight of the cart.

 Congrats on continuing 50 days you are a winner. 

Keep on keeping on the journey continues. 

Mark  I am thankful my name was never taken off of the list.  It took me 2 1/2- 3 years from signing up to finally use support. It was an email that got my attention.  I  know it is a lot of work putting the celebrations together.  Thanks for your hard work. 

[YoungAtHeart]

I have been here and pretty active for 7+ years, and it always amazes me how few usernames I recognize on the celebrations list.  I used to think that 6% figure was not based in reality, but I believe now that it is probably valid.  Shame.

All the more reason to be PROUD of your 50 days!  I am so glad you stopped in to celebrate with us.

Congratulations!  Keep going,  and be sure to come here and ask for help if you start to falter!

Nancy

[CommunityAdmin]

Ladybug--7-3-12‌ you and I had replied at about the same time and I hadn't seen your reply yet.  My reply was to MDR_BDel‌ as to why some people may not appear to be coming back even though they might be using the site still. It wasn't intended as defensiveness but rather simply an explanation of why some people might appear "inactive" even though they might actually come around from time to time even though they're not necessarily posting. Some people also just read without ever logging in when prompted by notifications. Also there are people who I've celebrated yearly celebrations after they haven't been around a while and end up coming back to check in because I've done the celebration posts. Had I not, then they might never have come back.

The other community you participated in Ladybug--7-3-12 sounds nice to offer that validation and regular check-in. To program that type of validation take a lot of development time, and it's impersonal. Perhaps at some point we'll have a more automated solution. And yes sometimes people's dates are wrong or they relapse and then I need to get a new date for them. There have also been cases were people quit 5+ years ago and then relapsed at some point and then the celebration notification they receive reminds them of the community and they come back to quit even if they hadn't participated in 3+ years.  With the other site you mention there would be no mechanism to do that and that person might not ever come back to quit. So there are always pluses and minuses to every solution. Nothings perfect and will be ideal for everyone.  I do celebrate a specific list of celebrations so it's not at random.

Like you I do also like when people remember and post their own celebratory posts (Go MDR_BDel!!!!!) but there have been numerous people that have been active even within the last year who have forgotten about their own milestones and have appreciated the reminder. I do also reduce the number of celebrations I celebrate for people who don't check in within the last year and a half. I have started to do this due to the sheer mass amount of time it takes me to prepare the list of celebrations. I'm constantly trying to find ways to tweak things to get more people involved. Trial and error just like quitting .

Thinking about online communities in general, 90% typically read, 9% participate(and also read) and 1% create(and also read and reply) new posts.  With our community we have better percentages than that, but with all communities you have people join and then drop off for a multitude of reasons. Sure, it would be great to retain everyone but that certainly doesn't happen.

Mark
EX Community Manager

[CommunityAdmin]

JACKIE1-25-15 wrote:

Mark  I am thankful my name was never taken off of the list.  It took me 2 1/2- 3 years from signing up to finally use support. It was an email that got my attention.  I  know it is a lot of work putting the celebrations together.  Thanks for your hard work. 

Absolutely! It's worth it

Mark
EX Community Manager

[YoungAtHeart]

and forgive me if I'm wrong, but I think Mark actually has to TYPE in all the usernames and time quit for each person?!

Yeoman's work, sir, yeoman's work!

[67oldbabe]

Hello - I am 30 days quit today. 

[MarilynH]

CONGRATULATIONS 67oldbabe on your precious quit journey YAY for 30 splendiferous Days Of Freedom and counting WTG YAY for each and every Day WON....

[YoungAtHeart]

Woo - Hoo for YOU67oldbabe!!!

Keep going.  It gets easier and easier and better and better!

Nancy

[CommunityAdmin]

YoungAtHeart wrote:

and forgive me if I'm wrong, but I think Mark actually has to TYPE in all the usernames and time quit for each person?!

Yeoman's work, sir, yeoman's work!

I do

Mark
EX Community Manager

[Barbscloud]

Mark, you're amazing.  You put up with all of us!   Folks don't know what goes on behind the scenes, techie or manually.

Thanks, for trying to keep up with all of this.  It's not easy and hopefully we're helping people to quit smoking/vaping.

Barb

[MDR_BDel]

Wow - Thanks for all the hard work Mark.  Didn't mean to get such a big discussion going.  I was more disheartened that so many people are not be able to stick with their quit early on.  Hopefully some of them are still quit and just not active is what I was getting at.  

Also you bring up a good point Mark.  When that person that fell off the wagon sees that celebration email for their X years/days quit, it might just be the motivation they need to hop back on.  

[Sootie]

Barbscloud‌ I TOTALLY agree Barb.....thanks for recognizing our dear Mark....all he does and all he puts up with!

[Sootie]

MDR_BDel‌  CONGRATULATIONS ON 50 DAYS!!!! YAY YOU!!!

Never apologize for getting a good discussion going....it's what makes this site so interesting and fun! Opinions are good to have and to share as long as it is done with respect for the other person. Without opinions and ideas....life would be pretty BORING!

Enjoy those 50 days!

[indingrl]

YAHOOOOOOO and Congratulations on 50 DAYS! So sorry the group of people aren't here CELEBRATING with YA -  WE are and WAY TO GO -  GOOD JOB

[PastTense]

MDR, Congrats on 50 days!!!

I'm still here, and still quit.  Just Tied up with work and trying to get stuff done so I can go on vacation.

PT

[MarilynH]

CONGRATULATIONS PastTense on your precious quit journey YAY for each and every Day WON.....

[aboyd63]

Congratulations on 50 days Connie the way you talk i thought you had years way to go .

[aboyd63]

Congratulations  .Your doing great, keep it up.

[mlpepsi517]

Congrats on the 50 days!  Keep up the quitting and don't get discouraged.  You're doing great!  and this site is the best one, in my opinion. It took a little getting used to with the changes that were made, but it helped me so much to succeed.  I tried numerous times to quit and finally did it and have been quit for 7 years.  This site helps when you need it most and even when you don't.  It still keeps me encouraged to succeed in all that I do. I like this place so much, I just gave this website information to a neighbor whom is in the ICU because she won't quit smoking. She says this time she is ready so I hope she uses it.  

Mark - I want to say "Thank you."  I appreciate that you take the time out to remind us of our milestones.  I don't always get the opportunity to be on as I'm working 2 jobs but you're emails make a difference.  I may not always respond, but I am always here in the background, reading and checking in on everyone. 

[KayTee815]

Congrats on your success.  

 I cannot speak for others but I loved the texts I got along the way to help me quit.  I wasn't always able to nor needed to sign in and post my journey to quitting.  Perhaps others preferred to stay in the background as well.  I'm not going to assume they failed, I'm going to hope they did a quiet quit like I did.

Good luck to all and again, if I can do it, so can you!  Day 110 and never going back!

[Mike.n.Atlanta]

I remember your struggles JACKIE1-25-15‌. So happy you made it back those times.

[JimGr]

Congrats on 50 days!

[sunnybm]

Congratulations on your 50 days!

This is actually my first comment. I am not big on writing but ALWAYS read the blog posts when they come to inbox. I think there are some of us here who just like the support of reading rather than writing. I still use it to help me get by with my quit.

And I always appreciate the celebration posts that Mark does! Thank you for that. It's always lovely to get tagged with those reminders.

Celebrating 524 days of freedom

[FemmeArtiste]

You! Are Inspiring.

[CommunityAdmin]

sunnybm wrote:

Congratulations on your 50 days!

This is actually my first comment. I am not big on writing but ALWAYS read the blog posts when they come to inbox. I think there are some of us here who just like the support of reading rather than writing. I still use it to help me get by with my quit.

And I always appreciate the celebration posts that Mark does! Thank you for that. It's always lovely to get tagged with those reminders.

Celebrating 524 days of freedom

You're welcome!  Glad you commented for the first time  That's very exciting! Glad that you appreciate the celebrations. I didn't start them, I only continued the tradition.

Mark
EX Community Manager

[Giulia]

Kudos on the 524 sunnybm‌  Glad you commented.  Just added you to the /blogs/Giulia-blog/2017/06/18/elders-list-ao-december-7-2016?sr=search&searchId=9e38b3a4-4aee-471e-b...‌

[Giulia]

Good going on the 50 days - now 52! MDR.  Hold on tight!

[virgomama]

cONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR 50 DAYS!!!   It just keeps getting better.  Your quit is for you .  Keep it going.   No matter what.  This community will be here for you in one way or another every step of the way.  

[JACKIE1-25-15]

Challenges never a struggle. Lol

[PrimeNumberJD]

I seen PT in the daily pledge not that long ago, pretty certain they are still around.

[PrimeNumberJD]

Nerd!

[PrimeNumberJD]

Congrats on 50 days!

[Court2Knee]

Congratulations on 50 days!!! So inspiring! Keep up the good work!

[jonimarie]

We have been nags when we were smoking....but as quitters we are thoroughbreds

[jonimarie]

MDR_BDel  Congratulations on 50 days

You really got the old think juices going here....good for you

[Kboyd66]

Congratulations on the big 50 be there soon myself keep it up 

[KMC56]

Congrats on 50 days DOF!

I miss my circle of quitters that started along with me, and there were many.  Now, just a couple of us..we're tiny but mighty quitters!!  Keep up the good quit, I personally think staying on this support site keeps you strong..almost like a daily vitamin!!

~Kathy 

[aboyd63]

Congratulations on your 50 days. Remember you can do this one moment or second or daily but your strong you can do this you deserve to be smokefree.  Just reach out to here when you need help or just want to talk or vent. Were all here to help each other. Once again congratulations.