It’s too bad there’s not a better resolution to this (how to foster new user activity on the forum); it seems to me that the large majority of current HSF traffic is from people that are neither new to HS nor to HSF, which can create a bit of a club atmosphere. The initial welcome messages are great, but then what?
here’s an example of my working to help someone who had trouble with an emoji draw, based on my recent experiences. I was sad to see that after just two other posts that user hasn’t posted again.
If @Leaders want to attract and cultivate activity from new users I think it would be good to do something like an exit interview: surely leaders can access the discourse database for HSF to see who has first posted in, say, stage last year, but then posted beyond the initial introduction/welcome messages, but only within a two or three month span before stopping. Following up with them (via messges) asking, “we haven’t seen you around, how could we have done better? hope to see you around again” might be informative (even if risking being annoying).