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    A potential way they could alter their process is by manually typing the content over from the chatGPT website, which would lead to a high number of revisions. Commented Jun 7, 2023 at 20:42
  • 8
    I don't recall a single one from those I flagged (that would be active in any reasonable way prior to the bad post). Primarily brand new accounts, then some that didn't answer anything for 2 years (and even then it was just few posts). One case where the user seems to have learned and started posting self-written answers. Commented Jun 7, 2023 at 20:44
  • 3
    Most code-containing instances posted using the old editor would at minimum result in a few revisions, if the user cares to turn the code into proper code blocks. But I'd also assume the draft mechanic would over time become less useful as a larger and larger percentage of GPT answerers get caught and then attempt to avoid it through modifications. None of this, of course, touches on why we're losing our regular answerers. Could they perhaps have felt like they were being replaced? Commented Jun 7, 2023 at 20:44
  • 58
    Regarding the decrease in answerers... I can just speak for myself, but for a while I've been decreasing my answering, partly due to my dissatisfaction with how the corporation was handling the site and treating the community, partly due to the ever increasing influx of junk questions (no research, blatant duplicates). I definitely don't feel like being replaced -- for the questions and topics I'm actually interested answering, that notion is absurd. But seeing mentions of "I tried ChatGPT and got..." definitely make me walk back slowly -- sorry, I ain't touching that, got better things to do. Commented Jun 7, 2023 at 22:16
  • 2
    @DanMašek Fully agree. Since the Monica incident I have stopped posting coding answers that require actual engagement - nowadays my presence on she site is limited to short answers on hobby topics the either require low effort or are fun to research. Commented Jun 8, 2023 at 13:24
  • I more meant, why are answerers, as they measured/described them, leaving the platform, not why have people been leaving the platform for 10 years, etc. Sure, we've had a long-term trend of answerers leaving, but why are answerers leaving now at such a larger rate given that they still have plenty of questions to answer? The theory SO is testing is that they're leaving due to suspensions. I'm effectively trying to challenge that theory. It's certainly possible that both new answerers who in the past would have been answering without gpt, that are now using gpt, aren't sticking around as long, Commented Jun 8, 2023 at 14:33
  • and that also, they aren't sticking around as long because they're getting suspended. If that's the case... we're kinda screwed if we want to continue striving for quality. Commented Jun 8, 2023 at 14:36
  • The question of why answerers are leaving is an interesting one. A lot of things are happening at the same time (new plagiarism mechanism, job market uncertainly ("better not do that during work hours"), and ChatGPT drawing most of attention for a while (and perhaps irreversibly cause people to leave (COVID moment - "Why the <censored> am I in this hamster wheel?? Let me find a more interesting hamster wheel."))). Commented Jun 8, 2023 at 15:57
  • 8
    Having submitted 20+ helpful GPT-related flags myself, I can attest to this. The majority of users either have never posted an answer before, or have not posted an answer in many months (or even years in some cases). The ones that do have previous answers, it is very clear that their answers from before ChatGPT was released were significantly different in content than their recent answers, which at the very least is extremely suspicious. I personally have not any exceptions to this. Commented Jun 8, 2023 at 17:05
  • 6
    @KevinB I can concoct a whole list of hypotheses: 1. It's a coincidence and has nothing to do with ChatGPT, which should always be the default hypotheses. 2. The leaving answerers are those that previously primarily answered questions that were rather trivial. Now that those questions are directed at ChatGPT, these answerers have nothing to answer. 3. The answerers are demotivated to answer due to ChatGPT, either because they feel like being cheated for points, or they think they are being made obsolete. Commented Jun 9, 2023 at 5:19
  • 1
    #1 is most likely the 30 minute limit, #2 i'd assume people giving up because seeing gpt answers scooping up rep that'd ordinarily go to people who actually care. Commented Jun 19, 2023 at 20:50