Posting Here: My posts in Gallery Section keep getting buried before anyone sees them. Does anyone know what time of day (or night) is best to post for optimum responses?

ncshutterbug

My posts in Gallery Section keep getting buried before anyone sees them. Does anyone know what time of day (or night) is best to post for optimum responses?

Sirsnapalot Loc: Hammond, Louisiana

ncshutterbug wrote:

My posts in Gallery Section keep getting buried before anyone sees them. Does anyone know what time of day (or night) is best to post for optimum responses?

AM, morning coffee drinkers

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Post mid-day and assume you'll appear on the next morning's daily Latest Digest. The Digest entry will generate the most views and comment, roughly a period of 24- to 36-hours starting the next calendar day after you post, base on US Eastern timezone.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

You can't assume you'll be on the Digest because it does not include every single topic that was posted to Gallery the day before (hence the name, digest, lol). Also many people do not use the digest; they use the "newest topics" link at top of the page.

The number of comments you receive is part luck, part timing, part buddy list, part interest in subject from those who view via "newest pictures." The below is a small sample size, but might help:

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-527185-1.html

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CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Linda From Maine wrote:

You can't assume you'll be on the Digest because i... (show quote)

Linda, my observation is the vast majority of site users continue to access content on the website via the Digest. An entry in the Photo Gallery may have a 100ish views the day of the post. It will jump to thousands in the next 2+days after appearing in the digest. If the post fails to appear in the digest, the view count seems to never get out of the low hundreds.

DragonsLady Loc: Los Alamos, NM

I saw this post of yours at 6:30 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time (7 time zones earlier than Greenwich time [12:30 pm]) on May 16, 2018. That should give you an idea of when it shows up after you post.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

CHG_CANON wrote:

Linda, my observation is the vast majority of site users continue to access content on the website via the Digest. An entry in the Photo Gallery may have a 100ish views the day of the post. It will jump to thousands in the next 2+days after appearing in the digest. If the post fails to appear in the digest, the view count seems to never get out of the low hundreds.

Regarding your first comment with suggestion of posting mid-day, if you check the version of today's digest at bottom of this page, there are many more that were posted prior to 10:00 a.m. eastern, including yours

Re the number of views, I have often wondered how many search engine bots that comprises. Guess doesn't matter if thinking in terms of percentage and comparisons vs. total numbers.

Back in 2013 or 2014 - and repeated again a month or two ago, which is why I remember the name - UHH user Gessman complained about how every digest had the same five or six names at the top (I was on the list

). His observation got me to thinking how I really didn't need to post a topic every single day.

But I asked admin how the digest topics are chosen and he said randomly. I say, maybe after the first five slots they are random, but the top ones are there because on the day they posted, they received a great many comments.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

DragonsLady wrote:

I saw this post of yours at 6:30 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time (7 time zones earlier than Greenwich time [12:30 pm]) on May 16, 2018. That should give you an idea of when it shows up after you post.

Topics show up immediately on the site; what Judi is saying is a whole bunch are posted quickly after hers, moving hers (and everyone else's) down the list of Gallery home page. Below is a link to Photo Gallery's home page:

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-5-1.html

Every new comment made jumps a topic to the very top, pushing everything else down a spot.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Linda From Maine wrote:

Regarding your first comment with suggestion of po... (show quote)

I know secret sauce of the digest has been analyzed and speculated about in the past. After adding a gallery post once a week or so and observing the site and user behavior, you can take my analyzed speculation for what it is. For users that access the site via the Newest Topics list, that view is customized to each user and the sections they subscribe. A new gallery entry will appear "new" in each user's list until viewed, regardless of the activity and position in the date-sorted list of the Photo Gallery section.

ncshutterbug

Linda From Maine wrote:

Topics show up immediately on the site; what Judi is saying is a whole bunch are posted quickly after hers, moving hers (and everyone else's) down the list of Gallery home page. Below is a link to Photo Gallery's home page:

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-5-1.html

Every new comment made jumps a topic to the very top, pushing everything else down a spot.

I knew this would be interesting, but I didn't expect it to be riveting! Very good info so far. I think I am beginning to understand, but will continue to read responses on this. Thanks so much for the help.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

CHG_CANON wrote:

I know secret sauce of the digest has been analyzed and speculated about in the past. After adding a gallery post once a week or so and observing the site and user behavior, you can take my analyzed speculation for what it is.

Methinks we both spend way too much time thinking about this kind of thing, Paul

But of course it is frustrating for those who are not receiving the interest, support or feedback they hoped. I posted and commented on fredmiranda.com for a short while on two different occasions. I was thrilled if I received three replies to my own pics!

edit - re your edit with "newest topics" info added - one of the big drawbacks of creating a user-managed section is it doesn't go automatically to a person's newest topics list.

ncshutterbug

CHG_CANON wrote:

I know secret sauce of the digest has been analyze... (show quote)

Very interesting and helpful, CHG. I really appreciate your sharing your knowledge and advice.

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

I was one of the naive folks who thought that the morning digest was comprehensive and included "all" posting since the last digest. Then, one day I posted a question, got responses during the but decided to wait until the next morning's digest to revisit it. Lo and behold, nothing. Then, I did an experiment, I revisited the digest from the morning email and sure enough, the "digest" was not the same as previously observed. So, I glanced up to see that "newest topics" showed almost a 1000. What I don't know is what constitutes a new topic, i.e. how old, but still new. Bottomline, I still visit via the digest link but after browsing those, but also click on the "newest topics" list link as well. I have plenty of time on my hands (curse of retirement).

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

47greyfox wrote:

I was one of the naive folks who thought that the ... (show quote)

"Newest topics" is personal to each user's account. So a topic stays tagged "new" until you open it or click the "mark all topics as read" button. BUT...nothing is new to you if you aren't subscribed

Click on all sections at bottom of page to see if you're missing any forums you might enjoy. You can also unsubscribe to ones that came "pre-packaged" such as general chit-chit. Or even Photo Gallery

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

Linda From Maine wrote:

"Newest topics" is personal to each user... (show quote)

Thanks, Linda. I've learned something new and the day is still young.