Report on the Changing Presence of Kpop in /hr/

Introduction
About this time last year, I published a report on the extent of kpop on /hr/ (that report may still be read here: http://pastebin.com/SQ00RkGQ). The data gathered at the time generously suggested that kpop dominated the board – so much so that out of the then 165 total threads, activity in kpop threads alone represented 51.2% of total board activity. The numbers were so disproportionately large compared to any other thread that they could lead to no other conclusion than that kpop’s presence on /hr/ was both widespread and deep-rooted. The pie chart here: http://i.imgur.com/nWTfEEg.png was particularly helpful in illustrating that conclusion. And so, revisiting this topic a year later, the question presents itself: has anything changed? That is to say, how does the landscape of /hr/ today compare to that of a year ago? Perhaps most importantly for us, has the presence of kpop changed?

Method and Data
I used the same method as last year. Various data was collected during three 24-hour periods on May 26, 27, and 28 of 2014, including the number of posts made in two kpop threads (SNSD and KPG), the number of posts in non-kpop (referred to as “other”) threads, the total number of posts made in the board, and the number of active threads per day. That data was compiled in a table which can be viewed here: http://imgur.com/a/4I1Jl#0

Results
We’ll first discuss the 2014 results and then move on to comparing them. As shown in the data table, the total number of posts made in /hr/ during the past 72 hours was 2110. Breaking it down by thread type, there were 577 posts made in kpop threads and 1533 posts made in other threads. KPG is more active than SNSD, averaging 133 posts per day to SNSD’s 59. There were approximately 108 other threads active during the studied time period with an average of 58 active on any one day. The average number of posts made per day in any one such thread was about 9. Reducing the data to percentages (a figure I have called board share), we find kpop occupies 27.4% of /hr/ while other threads fill in the remaining 72.6%. More detailed board share statistics can be viewed here: http://imgur.com/a/4I1Jl#1. To summarize, about a quarter of the posts made on the board (composed of 150 threads) are made in 2 kpop threads. For a visual depiction of board share, a bar graph can be viewed here: http://imgur.com/a/4I1Jl#2.

Comparing 2013 to 2014
The first comparison to make is post count. In a year, the number of posts made in kpop threads was more than cut in half, a percent change of -60.2%. See the data table here: http://imgur.com/a/4I1Jl#3. All kpop threads decreased in post count somewhat, but SNSD took a hit by a change of -54.4%. KPG decreased, but not significantly. And of course, Darth’s thread is no longer with us, and while that thread was never at the same magnitude as the others, losing those posts did make a difference. See the data table here: http://imgur.com/a/4I1Jl#4. As for other threads, activity slightly increased by a change of 10.4%. Interestingly, the number of active threads per day did not increase but rather decreased by a change of -16.2%. However, the average number of posts per thread per day did increase by a change of 29.0%, or two additional posts in every thread. See the data table here: http://imgur.com/a/4I1Jl#5. All threads combined, the sum number of posts on /hr/ decreased by a percent change of -25.6%, the entirety of which was the result of the decrease in kpop thread activity. Speaking in terms of board share, kpop now occupies 27.4% of /hr/ compared to 51.2% in 2013, a percent change of -46.5%. This allowed other threads to fill in the gap by a change of 48.8%. See the data table here: http://imgur.com/a/4I1Jl#6.

Analysis and Conclusion
The landscape of /hr/ has clearly changed in a year, especially with regard to kpop. Kpop threads across the board have decreased in post activity and thus no longer enjoy a majority board share. As predicted in 2013, this has meant a sizable decrease in total activity on /hr/, further supporting how large a presence kpop had back then. Meanwhile, post activity in “other” threads has gone up slightly. And while the number of active other threads has somewhat decreased, the average number of posts made in each of them has jumped, meaning more posts overall. This tells us that we’re not just seeing a general dip in activity across the board. The presence of kpop has faded while regular board activity in other threads carries on. This isn’t to say that /hr/ kpop is dead, not by a long shot. Indeed, kpop lives on, albeit in a reduced capacity, and is actually quite healthy. 27.4% of the board is not a majority share, no. But it is still a significant chunk considering that we’re talking about just 2 threads out of 150. This means 1.3% of the threads on /hr/ create 27.4% of the posts. Put another way, while other threads average 9 posts per day, kpop threads average almost 200. That’s still impressive. Thus, we can conclude that in the year between 2013 and 2014, /hr/ has changed. Kpop is down and other threads are up. But we cannot conclude that kpop no longer dominates the board. It still does. Kpop remains widespread and deep-rooted, and the implications raised in 2013 still hold true that kpop is an integral part of not only the board’s composition, but its community and culture as well.

All visuals referenced above may be found in this album: http://imgur.com/a/4I1Jl