That is an interesting proposition. We're in a phase of what I might coin the Functional Group Lifecycle where both signal and noise are diminishing, but the signal is falling off more rapidly than the noise due in part to its well-established archive:
|
Stage/Phase |
Status |
Delta Signal |
Delta Noise |
Signal-to-Noise Ratio |
Stage I |
New |
Slight Increase |
Negligible Increase |
High |
Stage II |
Fledgeling |
Moderate Increase |
Slight Increase |
High |
Stage III |
Young |
Large Increase |
Moderate Increase |
High |
Stage IV |
Glory Days |
Moderate Increase |
Large Increase |
Medium-Low |
Stage V |
Maintenance Mode |
Moderate Decrease |
Slight Decrease |
Medium-Low |
Stage VI |
Decline |
Moderate Decrease |
Moderate Decrease |
Medium |
Stage VII |
Life Support |
Large Decrease |
Large Decrease |
High |
|
Coming up with a mechanism to improve the ability of a reader to distinguish the signal from the noise, rather than try in vain to correct the traffic distribution is, I have to say, a brilliant departure from the oft-failed futile efforts I've seen to date.
Proving (to me, anyway), once again, that it is The Conversation which is important, and that it must be encouraged, not discouraged.
How we got there, I suppose, is largely a secondary consideration.