I didn't know if this was the right forum or the feedback forum, but I guess this thread can get moved if it is in the wrong forum. I know this is going to sound hard to believe since it is coming from me, but I have come to the conclusion in the last month or so, that post counts really don't matter here. It is the content of the post, not how many posts the poster has. Jeff and DoD are two great examples of posters that even though they have high post counts always post interesting things to read and thus quality posts. My first 1000 posts or so, looking back now, were nothing but a piece of crap. I have learned the hard way that it is not the quantity that matters, it is the quality that matters. I almost think that if post counts were done away with, a lot of problems could possibly be solved. Let's face it...there are people here that have gotten used to other people and they are going to read those people's posts regardless of that person's post counts. The reason being is that person posted something that they felt was quality. Now, it was probably a mistake to make this a poll, but I figured why not? But I vote to do away with post counts. Maybe Clutch can make it where it is optional to show your post count, so that way for people that the post count really means something to can't have that taken away from them. I doubt that the post counts will be taken away even to those who volunteer for it like me; however, I would like it very much if Clutch can drop my post count to 1000 if he decides not to do away with the post counts. I have WAY too many posts that are full of crap.
I think you can make them dissappear from the posts, where you can just click on their profile to see post counts....would you like that?
I say keep them. The combination of a post count and a registration date is telling. CBFC, who's known to be a great poster, has been around forever and doesn't have many posts. Others registered last month and have hundreds or last year and have thousands. People who think they convey some sort of status or evidence some sort of clique are bozos.
i coulda told you that all the way back then i say keep em, i like looking at my count. if you gotta waste your life here, you should at least have something to show for it. and i will say, i like seeing someone with a ton of posts post something. it does make it seem like they know what they're talking about more than others. plus, w/o post counts it would be hard to make fun of newbies.
i feel the same way about all my posts (and Yours, Heb, Rimmy's, HeyPees and Lardboys) , which at best are as useful contraceptives in Utah I am nothing with or without my post count, but really they should stay cause at least till every new member reads that first post of mine they see, they at least think that Smeg dude is Way COOL!!!! I need my Post Count to Lull posters into thinking i know what I am thinking!!!!
I say we keep the post count. I love it when you read some guys first post and it is quite obvious they know nothing. I want to know that he/she has not been here long. Also, if a poster has a high or low post count it helps you decide if it's worth reading. Anybody that is posting for the number of posts is just wasting their time. So I can use his/her post count to figure out whether or not I need to save mine.
Post counts are like penises, Whoever has the biggest ones gets the most respect and gets to make a lot of p*rnography (heypee, DoD.) The highest of the rest get the good recognition but are still called out by newbies and such. (Behad, DaDa) Whoever gets the most size in the shortest period of time, is obviously cheating. (Manny, Refman) Then You've got the really weird ones, Which amuse some of us in a sick way. (Nomar.) Then you have the ones who get big ones by sitting these and pumping it full of bull****. But the one who got the large size with the best quality is obviously the winner. (Clutch) I think I need to stop sniffing these sharpies.
Exactly - post counts are like penises. And some of us don't <i>want</i> to have big ones, at least not ourselves. But keep the statistic. It's fun knowing exactly who has no life.
I was voiced my opinion on this more than once, and I'm in the minority unfortunately. But as Manny is pointing out, I think post counts (in addition to being intrinsically meaningless even though we treat them like they mean something) DO bring down the quality of this board. 1) Okay, so people feel like they accomplish something when they hit __00. I feel the same way, similar to when my odometer does the same thing. I have no problem with that. The problem is that that little feeling encourages people to post even when they don't really have anything significant to say, and this just clutters the board. I think the post count has a real effect on the quantity and quality of posts, and with the BBS getting bigger every day, it's just a problem that's going to get worse. 2) Even though most of us realize post counts are meaningless, you still have people throwing post count around in petty arguments. Then you have other people who react to those people and so on. Obviously, people use a lot of things when arguing with each other, but I think post counts just generate more negative karma than positive. There's only one positive thing I get out of post counts, and that's welcoming new posters. 3) Post counts are sometimes an easy (and inaccurate) way to sum up a person on this BBS. If you do away with post counts, that just puts that much more emphasis on evaluating posters by the content of their posts. I recognize this is trivial either way, but I feel like we're better off without post counts. It's not so much that they're a meaningless status symbol as much as people too often don't treat them like a meaningless status symbol.
Last week I was surprised I had so many. At another board, I noticed that the 2nd thousand posts breezed by quicker than the first grand. That makes me kinda sad knowing I spend such an awful amount of time on the net when I could be doing something productive. I mean seriously, there's a difference between enjoying the company of good people and being addicted to a message board...
To me the post count means squat. I tend to look at how long a person has been around, not the number of posts they have racked up.
I don't think they really indicate anything and are probably worthless, but none the less I think they should stay. It amazes me to see a poster like Jeff who has a HUGE number of posts and a good number of those are High quality.
Well said, Relativist. You summed up my feelings exactly. Anyone remember this idiotic thread in the feedback forum started by steve francis (the poster)? Clutch pulled out the classic "Quality Post Counter" in that one. Some posters just don't understand the difference between quality and quantity. Read the linked thread for a good example. Maybe this will help:
