I think they're people that find the site through googling something chicken related but see no reason to join.
I don't believe it's a bunch of bots and if it is I blame @TudyBOT. She's probably having all her bot buddies swinging by.
I don't blame it being season either. Ya I little but this...
So if when this thread was started it was 20 times as many lurkers as 14 years before what is it now?
Less then 2 years later its like 175 times as many?
Maybe, but members aren't.
Members online has been consistently lower. Quite a bit lower and continuing to drop.
On the other hand guests online (be it real or robots or whatever) has skyrocketed since this thread was last active.