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Regarding post counts


modernponderer

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I noticed that posts in the Introduce Yourself! forum don't increase post counts, and I'd like to state that I highly disagree with this. I can understand why it's (apparently) implemented in the Funny Farm, but I really dislike that new members continue to have 0 posts even after introducing themselves.

In fact, it almost seems like you're trying to discourage (new!) members from posting there at all.

Edited by dogmaticeclectic
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Think of it as being in the office standing around the water cooler or on break. Ask yourself "Am I being constructive or participating" and you'll understand why it works like "earned points".

Cheers and welcome to MSFN!

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  • 2 years later...
On 31/05/2015 at 6:40 PM, mdrnpndr said:

Sorry for the bump, but I do feel that I need to ask this: are you implying that an introduction post is unconstructive?

Maybe it depends on the amount of info in such an introduction post.

Just as an example is "Hi" constructive or non-constructive? :unsure:

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/160712-hi/?p=1023471

This seems like a lot better:

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/173940-reintroduction/

Still there is nothing actually introducing you, it consists of a truism (you are a long time member that rarely posted), and of some (good BTW :)) propositions for the future.

Seemingly (since you have a post count of 15 right now) and I can find only 4 posts of yours, including the 2 you made in this thread and the mentioned ones in the "introduce yourself", the board must have eaten some 13 posts :ph34r:.

So you could all in all say that each of the two posts in "Introduce yourself" awarded you 6.5 points and call it a day.

jaclaz

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The other point at issue is:

 

What good does a post count do anyways?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

Unlike some other boards, I'm not aware of any benefit to be gained here via post count.  That being said, I can see why some might say then that ALL posts should count since, why not?  I guess, regardless of the actual benefit or lack thereof, some folks like the idea of high post counts - "This is my 1000th post!" - etc, and we really, really do not want to encourage that kind of nonsense.

 

If you just want to get rid of your "Newbie" status, you can edit that label in your profile. :)

 

Cheers and Regards

Edited by bphlpt
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I dunno, I can see both sides of the argument. But personally I tend to notice my post counts once in a while and think, "Wow, I didn't realize how important this forum has become to me!" (A comparably valuable service of the post count would also be to make me realize that I have no life outside of that forum and need to get out more... ;)  )

 

Another point in favor of it is that, when I'm new to a forum, the post count information provides some guidance as to who's active and interested and contributing in "my" new place. Of course this is an imperfect guide -- no need to give counter-examples -- but I maintain that, overall, it's better than nothing. If a member with a count of 3 posts writes something that SEEMS to be well-informed, and a member with 3,000 posts gives an opposite view that SEEMS to be about equally well-informed, on the face of it I'm inclined to give the latter more weight, in the beginning. And if the respective posts have to do with the forum itself, then all the more credence to the veteran.

 

Initial impressions can and do change over time, but we need to start somewhere and post count is one of the factors that goes into the mix.

 

--JorgeA

 

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Sorry for the bump, but I do feel that I need to ask this: are you implying that an introduction post is unconstructive?

 

If by this you are asking why posting in the intro thread doesn't increase your post count... it would be because you don't increase posts in any of those general forums. So what happens is you only get posts increase if you post in the "technical" sections.

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  • 1 month later...

Sorry for the bump, but I do feel that I need to ask this: are you implying that an introduction post is unconstructive?

 

If by this you are asking why posting in the intro thread doesn't increase your post count... it would be because you don't increase posts in any of those general forums. So what happens is you only get posts increase if you post in the "technical" sections.

No, if I were asking that I would have asked exactly that, just as I actually did when I posted the first post in this very topic. The question you quoted is rather different.

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Fact is you only get posts increase if you post in the "technical" sections.

Then again, this section is not a tech section, and the current discussion is about the ontologic nature of a constructive post. Or is metaphysics a technical discipline?  dubbio.gif

 

IMO, and with all due respect, better let sleeping dogs lie...

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While posts in threads such as this, jokes, etc are a pleasant diversion, they are not the main purpose of this forum.  There are LOTS of other places where those types of posts are more of the main focus.

 

One way to think about post count here at MSFN, is that other than bragging rights, the absolute only purpose of post counts is an indication of the member's activity level, and so hopefully as an extension their experience, for the benefit of other newer members who are not familiar with the member in question.  If a newer member is trying to determine whether to take the advice of another member who they don't know, they might be more inclined to believe someone who has been a member for a long time, has been very active with a lot of posts, and has a title of supervisor or moderator, over a different member who has been a member for a week, with only 2 posts and a title of member.  It's not a perfect system since the member with 2 posts could be the next Einstein and the supervisor could be an obnoxious bully or a total jerk, and someone with a lot of posts could have gotten them by whining and complaining and criticizing others, but it's what we have.  Anyway, since the main purpose of this forum is to provide help with technical matters, it makes sense to only count posts in technical areas of the forum.  Personally, I'm more inclined to do a lot of reading and see the type of comments a member makes and get a feel for how helpful they truly are to other members, so I ignore post counts completely.  But that's just me and it takes time that a member in trouble and needing advice quickly might not have.

 

Cheers and Regards

Edited by bphlpt
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