Post count?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Lebkuecher

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 5, 2003
Messages
1,654
Location
Nashville TN
What happen to the post count? Sorry if I missed the thread explaining the reason for removing the count but I did look for it before posting the question.
 

Rothrandir

Flashaholic
Joined
Aug 17, 2002
Messages
7,795
Location
US
it has been removed /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

the administration feels that it was being abused. while i have seen very limited evidence to support this thesis, i can only assume they are privy to information that i am not.
 

shiftd

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 17, 2002
Messages
2,261
Location
CA
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
yup, it has been removed. well, it feels saddening at first, but i am sure that we can move along, just like when CPF changed the server. Hey, we still have that star designation anyway. All it takes is TIME /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

Rothrandir

Flashaholic
Joined
Aug 17, 2002
Messages
7,795
Location
US
i don't care much about the stars..

i just found the posts count very useful...

but weren't the stars set up to "reward" those with high post counts? was it a good idea at that time and a bad idea now? it seems the ideas contradict each other...
 

DieselDave

Super Moderator,
Joined
Sep 3, 2002
Messages
2,703
Location
FL panhandle
If the worst that happens from this latest round of problems is the loss of the post count then we are lucky.

Post counts turned into a competition with far to many people and bandwidth is always an issue. Post counts made some members seem more important that others. I hope the asterisks stay but who knows.

CPF has experienced explosive growth and we have some issues to work through. All the members need to try and be supportive, especially the ones with the high post count. High number posters are the ones that have enjoyed the greatest benefit from CPF and theoretically should be its greatest ally.
 

Saaby

Flashaholic
Joined
Jun 17, 2002
Messages
7,447
Location
Utah
Some of us (Who had high post counts to begin with) are cheering the fact that it's gone. People were assuming that, granted my high post count, I actually knew something. That just isn't right...
 

Kiessling

Flashaholic
Joined
Nov 26, 2002
Messages
16,140
Location
Old World
but Saaby ... I KNOW that YOU know at least SOMETHING, at least that's what I think ...
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
well, IMHO the post count WAS usable to ossibly identify a knowledgable person and thus rate the quality of an issued statement. it was useful for me a year ago when I joined.
maybe we should come up with something else to identify someone as an old and wise member?
bernhard
 

DieselDave

Super Moderator,
Joined
Sep 3, 2002
Messages
2,703
Location
FL panhandle
Kiessling for screening knowledge start with the guy who's avatar is a picture of him wearing a g-string modded into a headlamp. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

LEDmodMan

Flashaholic*
Joined
Feb 12, 2003
Messages
1,719
Location
Over a MILE high, CO
I'm not sure if I care about this going away or not yet. I keep looking for it when I see someone post I don't recognize, and I miss it then. However I've been here long enough to know who most of the more knowledgable people are, but not all. I see the point it getting rid of it if people are abusing it by just trying to log posts (post whores), as that shouldn't be the point. I do think it's somewhat valuable and useful information, so maybe the idea of putting it in the personal profile could be done? Just my initial $0.02, if it's even worth that...
 

geepondy

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 15, 2001
Messages
4,896
Location
Massachusetts
I for one am glad it's gone. Once I reached a thousand posts, I realized what a nerd I really am. I don't wanna know how many times I've posted.
 

McGizmo

Flashaholic
Joined
May 1, 2002
Messages
17,290
Location
Maui
I found it to be a useful piece of information in assessing a member I didn't recognize. Too bad it was abused and removed.

- Don
 

d'mo

Enlightened
Joined
May 9, 2002
Messages
937
Location
Rochester, NY
From the sounds of it, some of the administrators felt that there was wasteful effort being spent on accumulating an asterisk. IMO, it's all arbitrary anyway. Interesting, but arbitrary.

Post counts only made me wonder what kind of lives my fellow flashaholics lead. I would venture that for most, the number of posts is proportional to the amount of hours spent on CPF. I, for one, view evenings and weekends as family time and only occasionally log onto the internet outside of work hours. Yes, CPF is quite important to me, but it does not take the place of "real" human interaction.

Don't get me wrong, CPF is a family in it's own right and I consider it an honor and privilege to be part of it. I just try to remember that, like all diversions, it can become consuming if allowed. For some, I'm confident the pursuit of an asterisk may become obsessive.

Just an opinion and doesn't amount to a hill of beans.
 

Empath

Flashaholic
Joined
Nov 11, 2001
Messages
8,508
Location
Oregon
Groups form societies. As such, the members vie for recognition and accomplishment. There are some that with a minimum post count are recognized for their contribution through quality, informative and helpful postings. It's not to say that a large number of messages indicates that content isn't quality, but there are some that strive for recognition in the area of quantity. It may be exclusive of quality, or it may be in addition to quality. Either way, it consumes resources beyond what is necessary and is an added feature of the board. Boards come with that feature for a reason, particularly because it encourages more frequent postings and because more frequent postings are essential in the establishment and growth of a new board. You can even find many boards that reward their members for a large number of postings. CPF has moved beyond that need, and due to its large and active membership finds that postings external to it's objectives to simply be a waste of bandwidth and expense.

People tend to select collectibles, and what they decide to collect can be surprising. The recent past has had numerous threads proclaiming the passing of a post count benchmark, with congratulations offered by others that had also acheived, or was hopefully aiming for the same goal. Such indicates that several had taken to collecting post counts as a collectible and achievment. It's not that such is bad, or that it's a poor choice of collectibles. It's just that there is overhead involved that someone has to pay for. That someone is CPF.

I'm wondering why this thread is in the Cafe instead of the Questions and Problems forum /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 

McGizmo

Flashaholic
Joined
May 1, 2002
Messages
17,290
Location
Maui
Empath,

Good points! The days when Graham hounded Darell at the turn of another k are gone. Very entertaining they were but perhaps the overhead was better bourne then than it is now. This post of mine is superfulous for the most part and could also be considered a waste of band width. It's a fine line. Do we post, contribute and interact when band width is the issue? When I was first introduced to CPF, I felt that if I was going to read and benefit from CPF I had an obligation to contribute as well. For some reason I considered lurking to be a bit too one sided; too much take and not enough give. Looks like I might need to revisit that notion.

- Don
 

zmoz

Enlightened
Joined
Feb 28, 2003
Messages
605
Location
Oregon
I would think it is an incentive for people to answer others questions. When somebody askes (maybe a newbie) a question about something, why is it worth your time to spend a few minutes answering? Well...for the most part you get to add one to your post count...
 

Lebkuecher

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 5, 2003
Messages
1,654
Location
Nashville TN
I like the count; gives you an idea of the experience level of who is answering a question and who is truly active with the CPF. It appears that some people abused the system. It also helps to see a count on the B/S/T. I feel more comfortable buying something here if I know the person has been around for a while.

Just an idea, If someone is running up the count then let a moderator reset their count to zero.
 

Icebreak

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 14, 2002
Messages
4,998
Location
by the river
"Missing Info below Avatar." #301521 Started at 07/31/03 01:07 AM in the P & Q forum has a traffic cop in a Saab detouring posters to this thread. I didn't argue and I didn't get a ticket.
 

keithhr

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 21, 2003
Messages
1,388
Location
bay area California
1 Post counts can tell us when to welcome a new member
2 post counts can tell on b/s/t when someone is very new and is making an offer of some kind that should be regarded with suspicion.
3 post counts can give us an idea how much a person might have contributed to these forums.
4 post counts can tell us if we, as individuals are over doing it
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top