Please don't give up on this site! I know it's taking the staff a long time to work down that activation queue, and it can be discouraging when it doesn't feel like it's moving. But here's just a few things to keep in mind:
- Cohost has only three full-time staff members. I believe they're in the process of hiring more, but they never meant for this place to be a "Twitter lifeboat," so they're probably pretty overwhelmed just keeping the site up and running, let alone having any time to activate a lot of new accounts every day.
It's Thanksgiving week in the US. Things are probably moving slowly right now because holidays always put a bigger strain on websites (because more people are off work and able to be online).(Edit: it's not Thanksgiving anymore but things are still busy)- You can still participate on the site before you're activated. You can't post comments or make new pages, but you can still read people's posts, you can still share/reblog what other people are posting, you can still like posts, and you can still follow accounts. If you're coming from Twitter and still waiting to be activated, try finding some of the folks you follow(ed) on Twitter in the meantime.
- As the influx of new users reaches an equilibrium, the process will stabilize. It may take a while, and it may feel frustrating that you're not able to join the conversations, but this stage of the game isn't going to last forever.
- This site operates on a "no crunch" philosophy. The limited staff aren't putting in crazy overtime hours on weekends and late at night. This site has a relaxed atmosphere. Things don't move as fast here as they do on Twitter. The staff get to enjoy that relaxed atmosphere too, and that is ultimately good for the site, even if that means things move a little slower.
- The wait will be worth it. This site has so much promise. Interaction is different here than it is on Twitter; the pace is a little slower, the posts usually a lot more thoughtful. The site is improving, and you're coming in close to the "ground floor." You'll get to watch this site grow up - and take part in that. Stay patient - that number will get to zero sooner or later, even if not as quickly as you'd like, and then you'll be part of the fun.
I wanna add:
Staff aren't working at all during holidays. they keep a very strict work-life balance. No working weekends, no working holidays, no working in the middle of the night. They're trying to prevent burnout and keep things sustainable, which is also why there's an action queue, allows them to ensure the site can handle more posts and won't get overloaded.
The activation queue contributes to the good culture here. Having to take some time and lurk before you post for yourself is a great way to learn the social norms on here. It used to be an old Internet adage to lurk in any community for a while before you start posting. Think of it like that. You get to let yourself be a fly on the wall and learn the lay of the land.
