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Time to try a 2 0 pool?

I quite like the pools, but it does seem that adoption has been a bit slower than I had hoped, at least during off-peak hours. During peak hours, the 1 0 and 5 0 pools are nicely populated.

I do agree that being able to see who is in the pools probably makes a difference.

I'm not at all sure that the sheer number of players is the main issue.

Right now on ICC, for example, there are just under 1000 players, so only 50% more than right now on lichess, but the pools are much more active, with just under 50 (!) 5 minute pool games ongoing.

I think it will just take time for the pools to catch on (they weren't instantly as popular at their inception at ICC as they are now). Probably if we stop showing who is in the pool that would help, but I imagine it's mostly just a matter of time and getting more players to lichess.

I'm certainly trying to let as many players as I can know about this site to help with that :)
I'm pretty torn between both Q's and Dunno's suggestions. My thought at the moment is: just wait a little while. It could be that the pools come to a grinding halt and desperately need something to reinvigorate them, in that case we go with "Plan B" and ditch the lobby and go for something a little more behind the scenes. Or perhaps they'll slowly become more widely adopted and nothing will need to be changed.

I mostly agree with you both, being aware of who is in the pools can lead to wide-spread declines. For example, if KC leaves the pool, there's a good chance a lot of people will leave with him. So there are a lot of herd mentalities to be aware of.
I definitely agree with the thing about being able to see who's in the pool. I admit I've cherrypicked when I want to play sometimes (and others have done the same to me) when I know I'll get matched up against someone much lower rated than me because it's just not very helpful. I think if the list of players was replaced by a number indicator of how many people were seeking a match in the pool it would be a lot better.
I love the implementation of the pools. I think more players on the site would completely fix the problem with the pools, which I hope will only be a matter of time.

I like being able to see who is in the pools. If there are high rated players or titled players, it gives me extra incentive to play since I could be paired with one of them. Also, if I see that there are many players in the pool, I know that I will be paired quickly and get a competitive game. I don't know if I'd play in the pool any less or more if I couldn't see who was in them, but I like having the extra info. Having this extra info seems to go along with the open and fresh feel of lichess. I'm really not interested in lichess being exactly like ICC.
OneOfTheQ: "I'm certainly trying to let as many players as I can know about this site to help with that :)"

freethinkin: "I think more players on the site would completely fix the problem with the pools, which I hope will only be a matter of time. "

Spot on! This site needs some serious promotion ( I don't mean spending money but just telling strong, titled players, that this site exists and that it is 100 free, with no ads or any kind of revenue scheme). More people on the wagon would certainly solve this problem (and allow other fun experiments) so why not take a shot? maybe it would be a good idea for the site admins to go to youtube, find the people that post chess vids and let them know about the good news? (always putting strong emphasis in the no ads no revenue thing!)
I think that these 4 pools could coexist: 1 0, 2 0, 5 0, and 5 5.
Changing the 3 0 to a 2 0 pool would be good for the players that (regardless of their levels) try the 1 0 pool and find it attractive but also think that the level of the games are horrible and with a minute more it would still be very fast/attractive but a lot more "playable". Besides, several players already asked for a 2 0 pool. So, why not give it a try?

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