As to whether anyone knows the statistics of how many reader hits there are vs how many posts:

1. At the bottom of the page there are Google ads.
2. Google does not bother with places that do not have measurable traffic.
3. You may safely conclude that:

          GOOGLE KNOWS.

And it's safe to assume that Max knows.

My usual intention is to read much more than I post. I do however make a quick scan for threads where I might contribute something, and often the first thread I click on may require several hours, or in some cases days, of pondering, searching, and considering.

(I will NOT admit that at times I do excessive research in hopes that someone else will come up with an answer before I get back, and your suspicions should be kept to yourselves.)

I would much prefer to read more often than I post, and when there isn't an irresistible problem to be confangled, I sometimes manage to make it work that way.

I will say that I always attempt to read the entire thread before posting, unless it's a very active one in which I've been involved and I've been following the stream on at least a daily basis. This is sometimes, perhaps, not the best idea; because often by the time I get to the end of reading the subject has changed and I end up not really inclined to participate in the direction it's going.

But above all, when I do post, I TRY TO BE BRIEF.

[Send your bets on who laughs first, and I promise I'll return at least 10% of the pot to the winner.]

John