About Post Counts

[B_real_shadows]

As quite a few of you know, recently the mods decided to deactivate the post count for the Forum Games section of the forum, due to many people posting every few seconds in semi-pointless games (see corrupted wish game). This got me thinking, Why do we even still have a post count when its so severly stressed around here that your post count means nothing?

Wouldn't it be easier to accept the newer members of the community and such if the post count were eliminated or does it serve some other purpose as well (other than identifing the new members of the community which can be just as easily done by checking thier join date)?

I mean SURE we probably enjoy having the bragging rights to saying "WOOT! X00 POST!" But is that really necessary?

[Meister]

It's handy to gauge a user's activity. Let's say two people join in January, and by June one of them has 1000 posts and the other has 57. You'll know who's more active, and while that doesn't give either any advantage or disadvantage over the other, it's handy for those who want or need to see who's a regular member and who just pops in every now and then. We could just as well have the average post per day number displayed, but that's just too much of a hassle seeing as post count is pre-set.

I mean SURE we probably enjoy having the bragging rights to saying "WOOT! X00 POST!" But is that really necessary?
I for one wouldn't be found heartbroken if that little phenomenon were to disappear.

[Fifthfiend]

It's handy to gauge a user's activity. Let's say two people join in January, and by June one of them has 1000 posts and the other has 57. You'll know who's more active, and while that doesn't give either any advantage or disadvantage over the other, it's handy for those who want or need to see who's a regular member and who just pops in every now and then. We could just as well have the average post per day number displayed, but that's just too much of a hassle seeing as post count is pre-set.

If nothing else, it's kind of useful for telling the difference between an ad-spammer and, say, an actual member who's just really into some band or game or other product and/or service.

[Major Blood]

And besides, if the post count is disabled then how long do you think it will be before the forums are filled with threads from new people asking why there is no post count? I don't think any of us want that.

[Flarecobra]

Not if there's some announcement or Mass PM sent out by mods.

[FenrisWolf]

Not if there's some announcement or Mass PM sent out by mods.
How often are the announcements ignored, though? People just go to the "I accept the rules" forum, say that they do, without ever reading them. Also, they miss a lot of the stickied announcements. I could point you to an example of a person using a skit using the 8bit smileys, but it's not particularly important.

[greed]

I think they're helpful sometimes, mainly to judge how frequently someone is on the forum also to judge whether you want to argue with someone with the free time and motivation to post that much *cough*Mes*cough*.

On the other hand rep, join date, how people act toward you and whether or not you're a mod are better "forum dicks" and looking at the lack of rep topics, I don't think spamming will be a real issue after the initial wave, really only a noob who didn't read the rules every now and then and the occaisional curious returning forumite(like Jack of Spades asking where the RP forums are).

I'd prefer them to stay, becuase trivial as it is I want to see that 1000(I won't go WOOT promise*) and it gives you a bit more knowledge about your fellow forumites, but I wouldn't have a problem with them going.

[Mesden]

I think they're helpful sometimes, mainly to judge how frequently someone is on the forum also to judge whether you want to argue with someone with the free time and motivation to post that much *cough*Mes*cough*.

Oh, that hurts. Like, that hurts deep. But, yeah, I guess I DO have a pretty high post average. >.>

Throwing your social life away for about a year can help that! ^^;;

On the other hand rep, join date, how people act toward you and whether or not you're a mod are better "forum dicks"

Hey, you know, if that's true, then I've got a pretty big problem no matter how you look at it.

There's some ambiguity there.

I'd prefer them to stay, becuase trivial as it is I want to see that 1000(I won't go WOOT promise*) and it gives you a bit more knowledge about your fellow forumites, but I wouldn't have a problem with them going.

Yeah, it's a nifty tool and all, and it's not like it hurts anything, you know?

Also, it's less hassle. Even if it had no other reason ever for anything there ever was, it's less hassle and removing it would be more trouble than it's worth.

And, I mean, seriously, some people just might care about it and why not keep it there and let them be all giddy inside when they finally get to go "Yay! 1000 posts!".

I mean, it's not a problem, and as far as I can tell, at its least, it just gives some people some giddiness, which is all well and good.

So, keep it there, I'd say.