The telescoping effect describes the cognitive bias where individuals misjudge the timing of past events, often remembering them as more recent than they actually are. In an online community, this can influence how members recall their engagement and participation, possibly leading to discrepancies in their perception of activity. If forum members believe they have contributed more recently than they have, they may reduce their activity, assuming they are still active participants. Conversely, this effect can lead to inflated perceptions of how frequently events or interactions occur within a community.
Understanding this phenomenon can help community managers recognize patterns in user behavior and address periods of inactivity by gently reminding members of their previous contributions or prompting re-engagement with time-sensitive content. The goal is to align perceived activity with actual participation levels to maintain a thriving community.
Imagine a forum for hobbyists where a long-time member recalls posting a project update "just last month," even though it occurred six months ago. This user might feel they are still actively contributing and see no urgency to share again. By tracking participation data, the community manager could reach out with personalized messages, such as, “We haven’t seen a project update from you in a while—what’s new?” This gentle nudge corrects the member's perception and encourages renewed engagement.