Why do so many people join an online social or business group but never participate or return back to the site after signing up?

This and several related questions have popped up recently.  The answer is perplexing.  Not much is written by others on this phenomenon, but it is an issue that needs to be rationalized if social and business networking groups are going to survive.

At this point some speculation can be made on what the reason or reasons would be a person would take the time to join a group only to never return.  I know there are some legitimate reasons like losing or forgetting ones username and password, but it is hard to fathom there are that many who fall in that category.

From the quick round robin I made through the Business Golf Country Club to reach out to members that have not been active in a long while I indeed am finding an assortment of other reasons.

Some of the reasons I was offered were very frank.

• I just don’t have the time to deal with logging in to the group.
• I just joined because a friend asked me to check the group out for him.
• I am not allowed to freely offer my business opportunities to the membership so why should I bother checking back?
• Don’t understand how the group can make me money.
• I am only out to have fun so I join all groups.
• I just joined to boost my SE Ranking for my affiliate sales site.

Of course, that is just from a few people that responded to my emails.  I did get a few remarks that leads me to believe that there are more people online who do not know what they are doing or how to use business/social groups to their advantage.

• I am getting the emails from other members and on the activity from the group. I don’t know who these people are and not sure what I am to do with it.
• OH, I was told that the link in these emails I get from the site have Spam and Viruses in them and I should not click on them for any reason.
• I forgot I joined the group.
• I thought I could get to the group through Facebook
• My internet market consultant told me to join as many groups as I can and said I didn’t have to participate to get traffic to my site.
• I spent everyday for a week over there and was meeting only people.  Nobody wanting to buy.
• I joined in hopes to find at least a date.  The site was too serious for me so I just didn’t go back.

I would like to think the way people who neglect using the advantage of being a member of a Social and Business networking would improve.  What I see needs to be done is social and business sites have got to do a better job of telling people what the group is about on the front page instead of forcing them joining the group to find out it is not for them..at least that is what I am going to do.

Let me know how I can help