The broader the venues HZ offers, the broader its potential to generate and regenerate new users, content and produce exponential growth.

The strength of the HZ, it's tightly knit participants, who share some 10 years of posting history here and elsewhere, is also its weakness. Exclusivity of participants and the type of threads which immediatley signal "private board" to the new visitor dissuade initial participation.

For initial visitors who read threads here, posting probably feels akin to crashing a small party.

That's something that will need to be addressed. Perhaps with a visible welcome mat specifically inviting new participants to chime in.

I know if I had just discovered the Zone I would be very dissuaded from joining an established board where everyone already knows everyone else and lots of 'inside' comments and history need to be absorbed to enjoy participating. If each thread airs lots of old dirty laundry, that only makes it that much worse.

;-)