Sticky can refer to a substance or situation, but in the context of the internet, it refers to websites that retain visitors for a long time and message boards that have important messages pinned to the top. Sticky sites draw crowds through word of mouth and may be rated on stickiness instead of page views. Stickies on message boards keep important messages organized and accessible.
The word sticky can mean many different things from a sticky substance, like rubber stuck to the bottom of your shoe, to a sticky situation. However, when it comes to the internet there are two basic uses of the term sticky. The first is about website traffic.
A site that is considered sticky is one where visitors spend a lot of time. Of course, all websites do their best to retain visitors, but some do a better job than others. Some sites simply lend themselves to stickiness for both popular web content and their entertainment value, such as in the case of gaming sites or bulletin boards. Video, music, and other social networking sites also tend to be sticky.
Sticky websites tend to draw a crowd through word of mouth and thus have to maintain the service or keep improving it to get people to stick around. There has been some discussion about rating sites on stickiness instead of total page views. Those with persistent sites may fare better in terms of ad revenue if that becomes the method or if the method is a combination of page views and time spent on a page.
A second common use of the word sticky in relation to the Internet has to do with message boards. Different types of message boards and forums use different configurations. Many popular designs use a system where the last message, or the one most recently replied to, is “rolled” to the top of the page.
If there are a lot of people using the forum, threads can start moving quickly. Some posts may be moved to the bottom of the page or off the front page entirely. This is where a sticker comes in, to help keep important messages organized and accessible.
If there is an important topic or if an admin has an announcement, they can place or “pin” that message to the top of the page instead of allowing it to be moved up or down by other messages. This is often done to notify users when a card will experience maintenance downtime. It’s also a good way to post forum rules or FAQs.
Some forums have more than one sticky at the top of the page. Messages are pinned to advise visitors on everything from registration to terms of service. It’s usually a good idea to look for and read any stickies when joining a new board.
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