[Jon]

I have been considering adjusting our post count mechanism so that posts made in the Hotrodders' Lounge do not count towards your total post count. I thought I would post this in here to gather some feedback before making any significant change to the board.


The reason is simple: we can place more emphasis on the "tech" value of a post count, rather than on just the "posting" value.

We've been discussing this one in the moderator forum, with most of us generally in agreement that this would be a reasonable idea to try out.

I understand the counter-arguments. The most logical one, to me, being this: post count is just that -- "post count"; the mathematical count of your posts on the board. There's no need to adjust it or alter it.

But, realistically, we know that post count isn't a simple mathematical counter that goes up every time you post. Deleted posts get removed from your post count. Dump posts get removed too, but not until a scheduled Dump clean out, so those posts temporarily count towards your post count. So what we end up with is more of a "post analysis" number, rather than an exact post count anyway.

I know that our more established members rely on peoples' reputations, not their post counts. But newer members, and people just checking us out, have no such advantage.

And I know that a high post count doesn't mean that someone is a smarter or better hotrodder. But it is a REASONABLE tool for people to use to make a ROUGH ESTIMATE as to the quality of the post they are reading, when they don't know the poster. By removing Lounge posts from the post count, I believe we can increase the usefulness of this tool.


Ideas, comments, criticism???

 

[lluciano77]

Sounds good to me. It will get rid of the 1 word replies like:

D'oh

Thanks

???? (Is that a word?)

You know what I mean?

 

[CET]

That is a great idea.

 

[coldknock]

I really don't pay much attention to post counts. I just read the posts and decide for myself if the contents are useful, helpful accurate......... etc

Larry

 

[akm]

sounds like a plan. :thumbup:

i think that its a great idea. might make me stop posting so much on here which would be great.
might also make me answer some tech questions to try in get my count back up...., cause as much as i would hate to admit it, for some reason that makes some sort of difference in my life, lol. as it does in many other's.

do it. please........right now, lol :thumbup:

 

[killerformula]

It would probably increase the quality of lounge posts. I'm tired of seeing one name all the way down the right side of the screen in somebody's obviously stupid attempt to get "more numbers" next to their screen-name.

K

 

[Dutchman]

I agree with the idea. Focus back to the tech forums.

The monitors may still have to check the quality of the post given in the other forums thouogh. Some folks are only out to increase numbers and content one way or another.

As someone stated before, quantity dosen't always mean quality.

Should be interesting to see what Poncho writes and feels on this issue.

Dutch

 

[Weimer]

Post count??? I don't even pay attention to the numbers...I think that we should do away with the counter all together. Some people get discriminated against because of their #'s anyways. I would much rather see the Member Numbers come back instead.
Later,
WEIMER

 

[Jon]

I don't pay much attention to the post count number either. When I'm reading posts, I think I just glance at the avatar, and then attach it to that person's reputation in my head. I always get thrown off for a day or two when someone changes their avatar.

But if I were new around here, I think I might find post counts somewhat useful. My take on this is that if we remove Lounge posts from the count, new and prospective members would find it more useful. And I think that more of the regular members would be able to glance at the post count, to use it as a rough tool.

I think I see what you are saying about member numbers. The numbers got changed when we moved to the new board database structure. They are still sequential though, but there's also the issue of people who register, thus taking up the next member number, and then never post, so it's a "dead" number. So, the "Registered" date under your avatar is the compromise to represent that type of status on the new board system.

 

[poncho62]

Should be interesting to see what Poncho writes and feels on this issue.

Dutch

Actually, we checked it out....doesn't affect me as much as it does some others..........a few people might end up with 0 posts...

 

[tm454]

Why do we need a post count at all? What purpose does it surve..none that I can see...would make everyone equal across the board. No more hight post count is fine with me.


Tazz


Rat Rods Rule!

 

[trees]

Jon, how about taking this a little further and assign post count to each forum. ie when I make an post on the Engine forum, my Avatar would reflect 321 and when I post on the Electrical Forum, it woud read 27 etc, etc. Would this be too complex a problem to program ?

Trees

 

[poncho62]

That would be usefull..................for example, Docvette, being the electrical guru that he seems to, would probably have the most posts in that forum, so if you got a response from him, you would have a good feeling about the answer.

Of course..........you should always ignore my advise...........lol

 

[crazy larry]

DO IT.:thumbup:
I'LL never see 4000. sniff.:sweat:

 

[cboy]

Makes sense. Post counts are of limited value...although I do check them out (along with the date they joined) when I see an answer or comment from someone I haven't run into on the board before.

The "Posts per forum" idea is interesting but it doesn't take long for us newbies to discover who knows their stuff in each of the forums. Doc Vette is a great example of the many folks who fall in that category. You read one or two of their posts and you just know they have a wealth of good knowledge and experience - no matter what their post count might say.

But here's another thought. Should questions count the same as answers? There are lots of guys, like me, on this board who have lots and lots of questions, but may not be able to contribute many helpful answers. I sometimes feel my post count is just an indicator of my relative ignorance. I make GREAT use of this board and I get GREAT answers to my questions --- but it's really the folks with the answers who should be getting all the credit, not us head scratchers who post because we don't know how to do something. I realize it would be very difficult to weed out questions vs. answers. But it would be nice if we could...so that the folks who are doing all the helping would get the proper recognition for their effort.

Anyhow, back to the point. Seems to me getting Lounge posts out of the count would probably make the post number a little more useful.


Dewey

 

[Dutchman]

Actually, we checked it out....doesn't affect me as much as it does some others..........a few people might end up with 0 posts...poncho62

Hey, when I get home next year and start building my rod I get to start almost from scratch with everything.

I agree with some of the others, post numbers really aren't important. My posts are limited in some of the forums as I am still learning but I have heart.

Dutch

 

[Nightfire]

how bout taking the post count off completely?








Mike

 

[[email protected]]

Jon, how about taking this a little further and assign post count to each forum. ie when I make an post on the Engine forum, my Avatar would reflect 321 and when I post on the Electrical Forum, it woud read 27 etc, etc. Would this be too complex a problem to program ?

Trees

This may be the best idea of all. That way when we go to the engine forum, we know who the players are instantly. Ditto for the Lounge.

 

[crazy larry]

whatever happened with the 'karma' rating system thing????

 

[BigBlockBabe]

But here's another thought. Should questions count the same as answers? There are lots of guys, like me, on this board who have lots and lots of questions, but may not be able to contribute many helpful answers.

This brings up a good point that goes along with a question I had.

What's to stop the younger folks -- who may still feel their post count is an indication of their worth on the forum -- from posting question after question on the SAME thing, or to keep anybody from posting wrong answers just for that +1 they get with every post?

Like others have suggested, why not just do away with it? Is it really that important to know how many posts someone has? I think ya'll agree its no indication of someone's knowledge, that can be seen clearly with each post and can't be measured by a number.


Just my Buck Twenty-Five.


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