The stats are based on data from the years between 2012 and 2022,
approximately.. Some posts have not be taken into account for the
following stats, eg., when they are missing on the server because
they were cancelled or expired. OTOH, spam messages are also counted.

Posts per year

2012 14092
2013 8926
2014 16383
2015 23411
2016 21078
2017 24089
2018 14170
2019 9235
2020 9341
2021 6093
2022 4450

Some From names that did not post in 2012 or 2013 and then appeared.

2014-01-20 Rick C. Hodgin
2014-07-08 Richard Heathfield
2015-04-02 jacobnavia
2015-12-12 Jerry Stuckle
2016-09-14 Thiago Adams
2017-02-21 Steve Carroll
2017-03-27 bartc
2018-06-04 Bart
2020-08-30 olcott

Some From names (case sensitive) that disappeared (have not posted
anything for months)

2012-12-05 Jens Gustedt

(Jens, of course, is the author of "Modern C".)

2015-11-07 Bartc
2015-12-11 glen herrmannsfeldt
2016-06-07 Stephen Sprunk
2018-02-01 Jerry Stuckle
2018-05-28 bartc
2018-06-21 Steve Carroll
2018-07-05 supercat@casperkitty.com
2018-09-20 BartC
2018-10-29 Bill Cunningham
2019-03-01 Richard Heathfield
2020-02-25 Robert Wessel
2020-06-18 Mr. Man-wai Chang
2020-06-29 Richard Bos
2020-10-02 jacob navia

(Jacob, of course, created LCC-Win32.)

2021-06-02 Rick C. Hodgin
2021-06-12 jacobnavia
2021-11-23 Ian Collins

From names by the number of posts

Keith Thompson 10922
David Brown 8514
Ben Bacarisse 8336
fir 6576
Malcolm McLean 6351
James Kuyper 6010
Rick C. Hodgin 5312
Tim Rentsch 5183
BartC 4208
supercat@casperkitty.com 4169

From names by the number of lines written by them

David Brown 145573
Keith Thompson 99176
Rick C. Hodgin 83966
Ben Bacarisse 80379
James Kuyper 74212
supercat@casperkitty.com 66411
Tim Rentsch 61761
Bart 55293
Malcolm McLean 53193
BartC 49164

Selected words from the bodies

C 42918
code 37777
think 25599
compiler 19587
function 18786
type 17642
language 17191
program 15679
standard 13896
value 13633
problem 13468
pointer 11321
functions 10021
C++ 9595
types 9531
number 9288
data 9281
memory 9114
implementation 9050
call 8831
compilers 8203
source 8091
written 8088
idea 7701
gcc 7631
question 7518
error 7351
values 7337
programming 6883
behavior 6761
library 6621
writing 6574
run 6563
pointers 6336
correct 6335
programs 6246
systems 5966
languages 5957
bits 5775
integer 5706
files 5547
syntax 5288
definition 5180
machine 5122
undefined 5039
issue 5019
char 5009
big 4984
variable 4978
address 4943
unsigned 4938
Windows 4918
struct 4787
expression 4757
output 4652
text 4622
space 4552
argument 4504
#include 4498
character 4405
Linux 4392
implementations 4362
names 4346
programmer 4139
loop 4077
statement 3999
bytes 3899
thread 3859
characters 3823
numbers 3819
user 3730
software 3727
feature 3714
solution 3708
programmers 3696
calls 3676
variables 3661
valid 3658
structure 3604
process 3590
static 3576
C99 3519
Standard 3518
macro 3431
stdio 3407
words 3393
declaration 3373
objects 3361
build 3348
zero 3322
hardware 3243
header 3233
stack 3233
implement 3220
operator 3218
errors 3200
tools 3165
arguments 3110
constant 3098
project 3084
handle 3081
faster 3077
binary 3016
gets 2974
learn 2952
signed 2941
macros 2877
block 2825
copy 2755
operations 2741
length 2741
portable 2711
strings 2696
byte 2657
16 2639
options 2627
32-bit 2622
const 2592
versions 2575
requirements 2551
libraries 2534
parameter 2527
environment 2513
standards 2506
implemented 2496
assembly 2484
declarations 2480
comments 2460
cast 2458
compiled 2455
representation 2444
expressions 2429
arithmetic 2427
calling 2411
style 2410
users 2377
application 2367
effects 2366
instructions 2349
conforming 2346
64-bit 2331
declared 2308
storage 2302
machines 2300
typedef 2295
platform 2285
returns 2282
development 2254
void 2238
interface 2231
64 2190
sequence 2183
parameters 2182
embedded 2179
overflow 2152
element 2149
practice 2148
buffer 2138
coding 2122
speed 2113
algorithm 2112
headers 2068
statements 2038
#define 2014
fix 2009
tool 2000
platforms 2000
allocated 1951
included 1950
documentation 1940
C's 1937
semantics 1931
usage 1857
floating 1847
C90 1846
pointed 1808
instruction 1806
definitions 1804
register 1800
concept 1798
places 1795
switch 1789
assignment 1781
warnings 1778
execution 1775
includes 1772
print 1737
magic 1719
sizes 1715

ram@zedat.fu-berlin.de (Stefan Ram) writes:
>The stats are based on data from the years between 2012 and 2022,

The stats were created with a C program (called "Python").

On 2024-01-30, Stefan Ram <ram@zedat.fu-berlin.de> wrote:
> ram@zedat.fu-berlin.de (Stefan Ram) writes:
>>The stats are based on data from the years between 2012 and 2022,
>
> The stats were created with a C program (called "Python").

LOL @ the C program called "Python."

Reminds me of describing libtcl as a C library of utility functions
to sneak it past corporate approved programming language requirements.

It would be interesting to break it into 3 columns:

Google groups posts
+ Other posts
= Total posts

Stefan,

An interesting collection of stats.

I imagine that the C++ newsgroup follows a similar
pattern, probably with larger peaks.
An analysis of message volume on a couple of
internal C++ mailing lists
https://shape-of-code.com/2020/08/09/extreme-value-theory-in-software-engineering/

> The stats are based on data from the years between 2012 and 2022,
Is it possible to go back to the beginning?
I imagine there is growth, perhaps a couple of peaks,
and then decline.

> approximately.. Some posts have not be taken into account for the> following stats, eg., when they are missing
on the server because> they were cancelled or expired. OTOH, spam messages are also counted.
It ought to be possible to filter spam. I'm up for having ago, if it's possible to cover more years.