Rich,

Here's my take on it-

1. It's been sometime since I registered but some may well intend to participate but just not get around to it. I also believe that there are some people that just think to be part of something you need to register fully.

The above said- there's no way to know what goes on in another mind. we all have a hard enough time knowing what WE are thinking.

2. In many cases I think they are afraid that thier questions would seem stupid, etc since others have been here so long and those posting quite often seem to know what they are talking about (even if they really sometimes don't have a clue).

3. This one is simple- the vast majority of those older members not posting is that they no longer have an active interest in HL. They may still have a collection but are not adding to it or they may have just lost interest. In some cases they no longer ahve interest in HL- but continue to care about "real" lighthouses. in these cases they may have found a different source to feed that need.

4. Old habits die hard. I also do care what is posted and do like to keep up with what's what in regards to HL- even if I'm not buying much anymore. I also like to use this site to get information on visiting real lighthouses and to continue to post about my adventures for those who still enjoy reading my posts.

Dennis