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My question is mainly devoted to know the composition of the ChristinaitySE community.

My question is two-fold: If there are any statistics out there, I would like to know where to find them. If there are no statistics regarding the composition of the community, I would like to propose a study to know those statistics. (I don't know if this is actually a feature request). This question may also serve as a way to suggest certain statistics that might drive the attention of the community.

I think it would be interesting to know what percentage is composed by male or female participants, which are the main denominations in the community, which denomination is more "active" and which is the more "passive", which denominations are underrepresented, etc. I think this study will help the community to know who are they talking to, it may also provide an outlook of the community to non-members and it may also foster research about the underrepresented denominations.

For example, there are very few questions about eastern christianity and orthodox churches in general. I think it would be interesting to inform the community about the issue, and maybe some eastern christians might feel confident enough to participate.

Thanks in advance.

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    I find the recent suggestions of "profiling" C.SE's user base disturbing.
    – Kaz Dragon
    Aug 17, 2012 at 9:26
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    @Kaz Dragon: I'm curious a) where you've seen other suggestions (this one is really old, actually) and b) why you find it disturbing. Do you agree with Richard's answer? I do too, by the way.
    – Jon 'links in bio' Ericson
    Aug 17, 2012 at 20:35
  • @JonEricson 1) A lot of what I have read of meta discussion and in a lot of comments has been insisting that people out themselves as have a particular tradition (or none). An example might be the question of the Eschewmenical blog accepting 'non-Christian' entries, which is at least relatively recent. And b) Yes.
    – Kaz Dragon
    Aug 20, 2012 at 6:50
  • Any information about users should be strictly voluntary. Also, we should not put a lot of trust into what people claim to be. I see no reasonable way to learn anything about the statistical makeup of those who do not individually choose to publicly declare it.
    – Bit Chaser
    Jun 17, 2014 at 0:34

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This to me sounds much too like the common "a/s/l?" questions you see pervading chat rooms.

I can see nothing constructive coming out of profiling our users. It could cause divisions, segregations, and cliques.

Yes, there are very few questions about Orthodoxy. I personally suspect that is due to the low number of Orthodox members in our community. However, I would like to strongly suggest that we do not go on a "manhunt" for these Orthodox members just to find out for curiosity sake.

Maintaining anonymity on the internet is a privilege that the users are afforded. We should not try to force people or pressure people (even by simply asking) into giving up information about themselves that they do not want to give up.

Regarding your concern for a lack of questions regarding a specific community, feel free to promote this site to members of that community. Alternatively, try to formulate questions regarding their doctrine--questions they themselves might find interesting--in order to draw them here.

I really don't think profiling is the way to go.

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  • My intention is not really manhunting neither profiling, but rather to have an overview of the community. I'll prefer to have the statistics without any knowledge of the user. I think I'll be insightful to know which proportion is member of pentechostal church, which proportion is baptist etc. I'm mostly concerned on the denomination composition not about individual users. By the way a/s/l questions won't give any info about the activeness of a given denomination. I think that the feature I'm proposing goes beyond a/s/l and does not undermine internet privacy.
    – deps_stats
    Oct 14, 2011 at 16:17
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    Yes, my response was too harsh, I admit. It just struck me wrong and I apologize. Yet, I still think that profiling our community would be a bad idea.
    – Richard
    Oct 14, 2011 at 21:50
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For those who might still be interested, the Census is open again. By my count, we have responses from:

2 Catholics
3 non-denominationals
4 agnostic/atheists
2 Reformed/Calvinist
1 Presbyterian

292 days later…

1 Evangelical
1 heretic
1 Methodist

Not sure how useful all that is, but there you are.

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We could open up a chat room where folks could voluntarily say a few things about their beliefs.

I'd like to learn about the Orthodox and other Catholic Rites too. I for one, understand them far less than Protestants even though my Church is closer to them.

Well, I started it... http://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/1581/the-census join in!

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  • Totally agree! Maybe another way would be to write down our denomination in the profile and have an algorithm count them (and also to calculate participation as a function of votes, asking and answering)
    – deps_stats
    Oct 14, 2011 at 1:58
  • @deps_stats, is that info something accessible through the API?
    – Peter Turner Mod
    Oct 14, 2011 at 2:01
  • I don't know, but I think your idea is a great start.
    – deps_stats
    Oct 14, 2011 at 2:08

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