A suggestion (kill post count)

2006-01-24 02:41:33 am

Now, I know in any forum, there's spam for whatever reason. One of those reasons is because people want a high post count. Have you ever considered disabling showing the post count (but keeping it for title purposes)? Another forum I go to disabled the post count, and it seems to have cut down on the "LOLZ THE PIE IS GOOD" posts.

Thread title:

trh

2006-01-24 05:33:05 am

We've talked about it, the Forum Administration, but it seemed like most people would rather keep them. I don't, but yeah.

spineshark

2006-01-24 09:39:23 am

in the name of justice!

Quote from TRH:

We've talked about it, the Forum Administration, but it seemed like most people would rather keep them. I don't, but yeah.

Personally, I wouldn't mind if post count disappears. But I admit *most* of the top posters here aren't spammers.

And if you have spamming idiots, then you can just deal with them. So it's not a big deal around here.

Starblade

2006-01-24 11:04:55 am

That forum you mentioned wouldn't happen to be the Relic Forums would it? And if it is, you wouldn't happen to be Tails on there would you?

Yoshi348

2006-01-24 12:40:11 pm

PAGE BREAKER

Ready and willing.

See the thing is I don't see a whole lot of that crap around here at all. When people spam around here it seems to have nothing to do with bumping the post count. Also, removing the post count kinda sounds like we don't trust you guys anymore. Now, it wouldn't be everybody we wouldn't trust, but still, I think the trust is still there.

nate

2006-01-24 12:45:47 pm

a great solution to a problem that does not exist, in other words. i agree.

Bp_

2006-01-24 01:20:17 pm

when i got a problems with a game or something, i know that if someone have +500 or +1000 post, the answer will be good

DeathNoble

2006-01-24 01:38:08 pm

Not necessarily true. But on average, of course those with higher post counts would be able to give better answers. Comes with being a well seasoned "veteran." But not always true.

I agree with Yoshi. I don't see people posting just to get their post counts up. At the most, the spamming around here is by people that think that their topic is worthwhile and post things in there so quickly that it takes a few posts for a mod/admin to get there and deal with the problem. That and some people do the "Yeah, me too" posts. But as far as people around here just posting "POSt TWENTY, ALPHA STATUS!!!!!!" that I don't see. Now, I myself do the off-side post edit. I mean, I'll post something, then after the psot is made, I'll realize that I've moved up the ladder in rank. So excited, I go back and simply add onto my post "EDIT: Alpha status. Woot!" while the rest of the psot is still itself and a valid post altogether. In my view, that's totally different than someone whose entire post is the "ALPHA STATUS, WOOT!!!" part.

But also, if we got rid of post counts, what would become of user ranks? I mean, one of the most interesting things I see is going over to different forums and looking to see all the user ranks. For instance, here it's Metroids. At SCU it's Pirates. At some other Metroid forums it's things like Chozo Warrior, Chozo Seer, Chozo Elder, etc. I just think that things like that are really cool and a nice, ego-stroking feature of the site. There's nothing like knowing that you have reached a certain status here (Let's just say Mother Brain) with nothing but, relevant, intelligent posts. If you know that you've said so much and all of it is valid, the user rank is reward for not being a spammer.

So... I'm for whatever so long as we keep user ranks. But without post counts, why would we have user ranks? I vote for whatever option is given to us that allows us to have user ranks.

Not necessarily true.  But on average, of course those with higher post counts would be able to give better answers.  Comes with being a well seasoned "veteran."  But not always true.

I agree with Yoshi.  I don't see people posting just to get their post counts up.  At the most, the spamming around here is by people that think that their topic is worthwhile and post things in there so quickly that it takes a few posts for a mod/admin to get there and deal with the problem.  That and some people do the "Yeah, me too" posts.  But as far as people around here just posting "POSt TWENTY, ALPHA STATUS!!!!!!" that I don't see.  Now, I myself do the off-side post edit.  I mean, I'll post something, then after the psot is made, I'll realize that I've moved up the ladder in rank.  So excited, I go back and simply add onto my post "EDIT: Alpha status.  Woot!" while the rest of the psot is still itself and a valid post altogether.  In my view, that's totally different than someone whose entire post is the "ALPHA STATUS, WOOT!!!" part.

But also, if we got rid of post counts, what would become of user ranks?  I mean, one of the most interesting things I see is going over to different forums and looking to see all the user ranks.  For instance, here it's Metroids.  At SCU it's Pirates.  At some other Metroid forums it's things like Chozo Warrior, Chozo Seer, Chozo Elder, etc.  I just think that things like that are really cool and a nice, ego-stroking feature of the site.  There's nothing like knowing that you have reached a certain status here (Let's just say Mother Brain) with nothing but, relevant, intelligent posts.  If you know that you've said so much and all of it is valid, the user rank is reward for not being a spammer.

So...  I'm for whatever so long as we keep user ranks.  But without post counts, why would we have user ranks?  I vote for whatever option is given to us that allows us to have user ranks.

SABERinBLUE

2006-01-24 01:45:21 pm

Cook of the Sea

Quote from DeathNoble:

There's nothing like knowing that you have reached a certain status here (Let's just say Mother Brain) with nothing but, relevant, intelligent posts. If you know that you've said so much and all of it is valid, the user rank is reward for not being a spammer.

Neither post count nor user rank means a thing with respect to status on the boards. This is easily noticable in the way some users have a very high rank but are clearly not among the respected members.

DeathNoble

2006-01-24 01:49:05 pm

I didn't mean respect. Sorry if it came out that way. I meant that it makes you feel good inside when you know you've followed the rules and are still around after a while.

USBCD36

2006-01-24 03:17:12 pm

I agree. I like having the post count there for many reasons. Can't really name any good ones now, but it is nice when it shows up as a number that means something to you (for me, 2^X, 2^X + 2^Y are the main ones). I don't post to increase my post count either, but like DeathNoble, it's nice to see there.

Heh, reminds me of that one guy on Benheck who had 1337 posts…

arkarian

2006-01-24 08:29:51 pm

red chamber dream

Quote from DeathNoble:

I didn't mean respect. Sorry if it came out that way. I meant that it makes you feel good inside when you know you've followed the rules and are still around after a while.

Post count != time you've been on the boards. For example, I have been here for a little over a year, yet I have the highest post count of everyone.

My feelings on this are that user ranks are about fun. Can't have them without post count. Also, post count can give the Forum Management a general idea of how long a user has been around, i.e. if a user has one post v. fifty. Beyond that, it doesn't mean much at all.

HYRIC

2006-01-24 08:48:27 pm

Quote from DeathNoble:

people that think that their topic is worthwhile and post things in there so quickly that it takes a few posts for a mod/admin to get there and deal with the problem

I made that mistake by being impatient, before submitting I DID feel a bit uneasy... But quickly decided to submit, and happened to drag Adron into it too Crying or Very sad

. But I tend to learn from my mistakes and avoid them. I did have a feeling it was going to be locked but the probation sighn was shocking, I did feel that something bad was going to happen while writing the body of the topic and should have expected this. I am very disapointed in myself :( and learned the hard way what "spam" means.
Hopefully this will be a lesson to all new members. Feel that a topic won't work, cancel

Tzyr

2006-01-24 08:56:47 pm

beware my post count!!

nate

2006-01-24 08:59:10 pm

*ph33erz*

spineshark

2006-01-24 09:58:21 pm

in the name of justice!

Trying to just up your post count is a lot more fun when it's labeled "Krypton Factor" *cough*

Quote from Arrrrrrrhkarian:

My feelings on this are that user ranks are about fun. Can't have them without post count. Also, post count can give the Forum Management a general idea of how long a user has been around, i.e. if a user has one post v. fifty. Beyond that, it doesn't mean much at all.

Maybe they're fun for you, but being "Metroid Queen" is confusing my gender identity =(

Daniel, Lord Bahamut

2006-01-25 05:35:48 pm

Mega Flare

As opposed to Ark, I've been here about a year and a half, and have less than 130 posts. Of course, I lurked over at TRL (Total Request Lethal), and they're militant about noob posting. Post count really only matters to the "noobs" who think the user rank actually means something. I'd rather it be done away with, like Something Awful, but I don't run things here.

nate

2006-01-25 06:57:57 pm

Quote from Daniel, Lord Bahamut:

Post count really only matters to the "noobs"

there, or here? i think the people who have weighed in against hiding the post count here are considerably higher than "noob" on the scale of user worth.

SAL

2006-01-25 10:03:13 pm

I just want my post count to get to 1337 eventually.

Edit: oh it's only 30 posts away.

Daniel, Lord Bahamut

2006-01-26 02:46:28 am

Mega Flare

Quote from njahnke:

there, or here?

There. They have a porn forum, and before their old board died they had it set up so that you had to reach 100 posts and request access to it before you could go in there. The software they use now doesn't have that option though, so it's kind of silly to worry about post count. Also they give you a custom title, you have but to ask. Besides, the people who run that place are so hardcore, if they even think you're not contributing to the overall funniness of the board they'll ban you so hard your teeth will hurt.

Quote from njahnke:

i think the people who have weighed in against hiding the post count here are considerably higher than "noob" on the scale of user worth.

Wasn't calling anyone here a noob. Post count obviously doesn't matter here, and it seems the general concensus is that it's not worth the trouble to disable it. My opinion is that it should be anyway, but as I said, it's not my decision to make. I cited Something Awful because they don't have the post count whoring problem since there never has been a post count for anyone.

[quote="njahnke"]there, or here?[/quote]
There. They have a porn forum, and before their old board died they had it set up so that you had to reach 100 posts and request access to it before you could go in there. The software they use now doesn't have that option though, so it's kind of silly to worry about post count. Also they give you a custom title, you have but to ask. Besides, the people who run that place are so hardcore, if they even think you're not contributing to the overall funniness of the board they'll ban you so hard your teeth will hurt.
[quote="njahnke"]i think the people who have weighed in against hiding the post count here are considerably higher than "noob" on the scale of user worth.[/quote]
Wasn't calling anyone here a noob. Post count obviously doesn't matter here, and it seems the general concensus is that it's not worth the trouble to disable it. My opinion is that it should be anyway, but as I said, it's not my decision to make. I cited Something Awful because they don't have the post count whoring problem since there never has been a post count for anyone.

Kamek

2006-01-26 04:49:33 pm

I've never been a big fan of post count. On most of the forums I go to, they make a big deal about post count, and in some cases it devolves into "rankism" where a user with a low post count is automatically assumed to be a stupid n00b regardless of their actual intelligence and vice versa. It's even worse on forums where high post counts unlock actual forum features, such as the search function, or the ability to have a signature.

This forum seems to be the exception, though. I don't go around reading every single thread on the forum, but from what I do see, ranks and post count don't seem to influence anyone here.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Just my $0.02.

nate

2006-01-26 08:16:58 pm

fascinating. that that you talk about there is precisely the reason why this forum is an exception - some of the members of the mhq (forerunner to m2k2) staff had apparently experienced this "rankism" on other forums, so such things were explicitly forbidden from the day this forum opened. i have never seen anything like it before, having virtually never used web forums before i was given this one to maintain, and so it remains something of a phantasm to me.

Hejira

2006-01-27 09:58:02 pm

I've also found that rankism occurs on forums that exclude features for new members based on post count. The only hierachy here is people who are admin/mods, and people who are not. AFAIK, the modmins here have no special things they can put in their posts EDIT: Although the custom titles look mightly droolnifty..., so there's very few calls of, "OMG I WANNA BE A MOD!" I've seen such calls everywhere else, but I haven't seen them here. ('None' is within 'Very Few'.)

A mildly related question: Does asking to be a mod immediately exclude one from being a mod?

arkarian

2006-01-27 10:04:32 pm

red chamber dream

Quote from Hejira:

A mildly related question: Does asking to be a mod immediately exclude one from being a mod?

I wouldn't say it immediately excludes you, since the Forum Management doesn't really follow any strict rules on mod selection. But if you're asking to be a mod, then there's a very, very high chance that you're not one of the people who should be a mod in the first place. It's very rare that a new mod is needed, anyway, and usually that person has been considered for modship for a long time by the Forum Management.

USBCD36

2006-01-27 10:17:57 pm

Reminds me of me when I joined, always thinking "what can I do that will get me close to modship?" Then I came to my senses and realized that they already had enough mods and I probably wasn't cut out to be one (at which point Ark became a mod and destroyed all my thoughts on the subject).