How Quickly Is BCO Membership Increasing?

Blessings2011
Blessings2011 Member Posts: 4,276
edited June 2014 in Comments, Suggestions, Feature Requests

Hi, Mods!

I'm just curious... when I joined in 2011, I know there were fewer members than there are today. (And I'm aware that many members are no longer active.)

Lately, though, it seems our numbers are increasing more rapidly.

On average, how many new members are we getting per day/week/month? (However you keep records....)

Or do you keep track of how many new members are joining?

Like I said... just curious!

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Comments

  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited January 2014

    Hi Blessings. You're right - we do keep track of how many new members are joining, and in fact we look at every new registration, throughout every day and night. Mostly we're on the lookout for new folks who may need help with the site (such as a post that starts "I don't know where to ask this question"), and we're also checking for spammers and advertisers. 

    We have changed the way we record numbers of new members, but the average over the past 6 months is a bit over 51 new members every day. That's net, after spammers and such registrants have been deleted from the total count.

    • The Mods

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  • Blessings2011
    Blessings2011 Member Posts: 4,276
    edited January 2014

    Thanks, Mods, for answering...

    Over 51 new members every DAY????

    That is just mind-boggling. I know a fair amount of women come here for immediate support and answers to questions, then turn out to have benign issues.

    But still, many of them ARE diagnosed, and stay... and at 51 a day, that's more than 1,500 new members every month... and more than 18,000 new members per year!!!

    I am SO grateful for BCO, and for all the work you Mods do to make this place available for us! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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  • Ariom
    Ariom Member Posts: 6,197
    edited January 2014

    Couldn't agree more Blessings. Thanks to the Mods!

    I had no idea of the figures either....it's an epidemic!

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  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 16,818
    edited January 2014

    As always, thanks Mods for you record keeping.  The number of new members per day is mind boggling!  To think that that many, and more women who don't find BCO, per day are facing this dreadful disease.......it does indeed seem like epidemic proportions.

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  • slv58
    slv58 Member Posts: 1,216
    edited January 2014

    thanks Mods, this amount is mind staggering. Hopefully most are B9. Also nice to know there is always a helpful watchful eye ;-)

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  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited January 2014

    I do know that when I joined in November of 2008 there was just over 41,000 members so those numbers make sense. I can't believe how it's grown, either!! Shocking.

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  • ruthbru
    ruthbru Member Posts: 57,235
    edited January 2014

    I don't think the number of people diagnosed has grown that much. It's that more people who need help are finding BCO.....and is a good thing. I don't know if there is more publicity for BCO out there? I do think people are more tech savvy, and have a more of a 'do my own research' mindset than they used to.....both of which are good things too, especially if they end up here where they can get both good, accurate information and support. 

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  • Blessings2011
    Blessings2011 Member Posts: 4,276
    edited January 2014

    The first time I met my MO, I was telling her about this forum. 

    She said that the only internet site she refers her patients to is BCO!!! She said that in her research, it's the only site that offers comprehensive, legitimate information, as well as support.

    I thought that was a pretty cool endorsement.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited January 2014

    My BS said the same thing. "If you're going to research online line, ONLY go to breastcancer.ORG!" She stressed the ORG a few times.

    I so greatly appreciate this site! 

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  • Beesie
    Beesie Member Posts: 12,240
    edited January 2014

    I don't find the increase in membership to be surprising.  I'm guessing that breastcancer.org is the most popular breast cancer discussion board out there.  And I think it's a good thing if women who are worried or going through the diagnostic process or who are newly diagnosed are discovering and joining this site.

    Let's remember that in North America alone (and this board doesn't just draw from North America), approx. 325,000 women are diagnosed each year with either invasive breast cancer or DCIS.  That means that over 1.5 million women will have biopsies each year, and approx. 6.5 million women will have a call-back after their screening.  So considering that, having about 18,000 women join this site every year doesn't seem like all that much.

    What I'm actually curious about is how many active members the board has at any one time.

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  • ziggypop
    ziggypop Member Posts: 1,071
    edited January 2014

    I am sure that there are a lot of people here - but one of the things that I love about this site is that it may be a big city, but it's got a small town feeling. I haven't been around that long, but I recognize chrissyB & could tell you a lot about her - how gentle and caring she is & that she lives in a stone cottage and makes afghans. And Beesie? What a godsend to anybody who got a call back on a mammogram or is having an anxiety attack over a recent diagnosis of DCIS with a micro invasion. And ruthbru and slv58 and Ariom - constantly cheering people on and never ever a mean word or whining out of any one of them. And Blessings with the kitty that makes me smile. 

    Thanks Mods for bringing these people into my life. 

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  • ruthbru
    ruthbru Member Posts: 57,235
    edited January 2014

    The golden, not silver, lining of the whole BC experience is the wonderful friends I've met here, women I would have never met under any other circumstances.

    ziggy, I'm saving my whining for the Polar Vortex!

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited January 2014

    Yes, we are working on how many active members at any one time. But here is some data since end of July till yesterday:

    • Total posts:233,760
    • Unique authors:9,093
    • Average daily posts:1,263.57
    • Average daily post authors:481.56
    • Posts per author:25.71
    • Average posts per topic:22.11
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  • IamNancy
    IamNancy Member Posts: 1,158
    edited January 2014

    I know I am really thankful for this site -sharing with women going through the same things I was going through somehow added a normalcy to the whole situation.. made everything a little easier to deal with.. still does ..

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited January 2014

    Love this phrase, ziggypop! 

    one of the things that I love about this site is that it may be a big city, but it's got a small town feeling.

    May we use it as a quote? 

    Same thing for what you wrote, ruth! May we use it?

    Thanks IamNancy too!

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  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited January 2014

    I found this site because every time I googled a question, bco.org kept appearing so I joined before I was diagnosed. It was a thread here with pictures flat vs protheses that gave me the confidence to not get recon. I get REAL answers and life experiences on the threads and not just what some company wants you to read. Here, we get the REAL story, not just some fluff. My shock is how many people find their way here - not the number that are diagnosed each year....

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  • ruthbru
    ruthbru Member Posts: 57,235
    edited January 2014

    Mods, sure you can use it.

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  • ziggypop
    ziggypop Member Posts: 1,071
    edited January 2014

    Of course you can use the quote mods - I would be flattered if you did.

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  • Moonflwr912
    Moonflwr912 Member Posts: 6,856
    edited January 2014

    I have to agree with what they all said! I recommend this site to everyone I meet in the cancer center who asks how I know something. I went through my BMX before I found this site,  but I joined right after my path came back, and I haven't stopped posting since. LOL. I have met, and unfortunately lost, some wonderful people on these boards. From all over the world.  Every time things slow down on "My Favorites" , I go to the active board and invariably find some other board that either intrigues me or makes me want to laugh or cry. We are all real people with real joys and problems, not JUST cancer patients. It is rare that any sniping goes on, although we are all human but usually someone will take the initiative to pour oil on the rough water. That makes it much easier to be supportive of each other. I treasure that. My "Journey" had so many "Scenic Detours", I would have been lost without the support and love I get here. So thank you Mods, and BCO for being here.  Much love. 

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  • Tomboy
    Tomboy Member Posts: 3,945
    edited January 2014

    i found bco the day before chemo, when i googled; "i am scared of chemo", cause i was scared of chemo! and the top results were bco, so i went to go have a look see. and so happy i did. i have educated myself here, and laughed and cried, and made it through active treatments and beyond. i feel as if i have made lifelong friends here, with some rather remarkable women, and where ever i go in my life, if a women asks me about breast cancer, whether for a friend sister mother cousin daughter neighbor, co-worker, or whatever, i ALWAYS refer them to BCO. and have told all my docs, and women at tx center, and so i thank you for my furthered education, and how it is also something that i look forward to, each day. whether that is reaching out to a newbie, encouraging a friend, or just to see how everyone is doing. and i have learned so much from the search function too. so great, and so much fun!

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  • april485
    april485 Member Posts: 3,257
    edited January 2014

    I don't think I would have made it through this journey with my sanity intact without this site. Does not matter what the question is, someone on this board will have your answer and if they don't, they will FIND it for you. An amazing and supportive community and I for one am eternally grateful for this place. I learned so much about a topic I wish I did not have to educate myself on. But I sure am glad I did because now I can make informed choices about treatment because I know so much more than I would have without coming here after my first "call back" in July of 2012. 

    This coming Thursday, January 30th, is my one year "cancerverssary" and without a doubt, I have learned a lot in the past year. But, I am paying it forward when I can and when a scared newbie comes on asking if they are doing the right things or some other question, I am happy to tell them what I learned and if I don't know, I can point them to a place here where someone most likely does.

    Thank you BCO!

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  • Susie123
    Susie123 Member Posts: 804
    edited January 2014

    Also, there are a lot of us out there who live in a rural area with no support group available. BCO is our support group.

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited January 2014

    Thank you ALL for your comments! Of course we wish there weren't so many women and men who need to find BCO, but we're so glad this awesome community is here for you.

    • The Mods

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  • goodprognosis
    goodprognosis Member Posts: 251
    edited January 2014

    Would like to add my voice of appreciation to the others here.  BCO is an amazing site.  I found it through Cindy's (RIP) 'No treatments for me' topic and once I started reading all the caring and informative posts I knew this was the place for me to feel connected and to ask when I had my own questions.  I've never seen an unkind or dismissive reply posted here.  Everyone is so thoughtful and helpful.   I felt welcome from the first time I came on these boards. 

    Thanks to everyone at BCO for establishing this website - you're the best!

    Goodprognosis

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited January 2014

     Thank you!!!

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