I checked out some other Fiero forums. No one online, only 1 or 2 members posting, few recent posts. I left.
My theory is that, if I'm logged in while browsing the site, it shows in the members online. Guests can see how many users are logged on, and it makes the forum look more active. It's much better to see X guests, Y users, than X+Y guests, 0 users. I'm not hiding out. Just my $.02.