Proposal to codify current post count policy

[mac_philo]

Currently every post made increases one's post count. This is a proposal to formalize that policy so that it does not change.

[Jet Black]

err.... is there a reason to do that? I wasn't even aware that we could do that... with the exception of an admin fiddling with someones' account settings.

[The 800# Gorilla]

I for one do not see the need to change it.

[mac_philo]

You can make posts in particular subforums not increase the post count.

[Pavlov's Dog]

^^^^ He is always thinking ahead. That is why I love him.

[Octavia]

You can make posts in particular subforums not increase the post count.

Okay, though I don't see why we would. :confused: Is this a usual practice on many other fora?

I've got no problem with the initial suggestion, anyway.

[umop apisdn w,I]

On the one hand I can't imagine why we would want to make some fora not add to post count, but on the other hand I also can't imagine why we would want to specifically make a policy saying that we won't do that - just in case a reason to do it does come up in the future.

To be honest - it seems the sort of insignificant detail which will make the rules that bit more complicated for no net gain. We want simpler rules wherever possible to avoid legalism.

[Garnet]

Why should posts in some fora not be counted?

[Jet Black]

Why should posts in some fora not be counted?

I guess because people like mac_philio want to keep an eye on how many posts admins/mods make in public/private. It's information which in principle we might want to hide, though I don't know why.

[Garnet]

I don't know either. It doesn't make any sense to me.

[The 800# Gorilla]

Why should posts in some fora not be counted?

I guess because people like mac_philio want to keep an eye on how many posts admins/mods make in public/private. It's information which in principle we might want to hide, though I don't know why.As I see it, you have a small amount of people coming here from other forums and wanting to have it their way. They don't have a need to know what goes on behind the scenes.

[mac_philo]

I guess because people like mac_philio want to keep an eye on how many posts admins/mods make in public/private.

'People like me'?
As I see it, you have a small amount of people coming here from other forums and wanting to have it their way.

Who did NOT come here from another forum? Who posts an opinion in Town Hall and does NOT want it their way?

I was invited here by the founder.

Back on point, who will confirm that this policy has not changed, and that every post is still counted?

[ravenscape]

It is not a policy. At the moment, all posts are counted.

[mac_philo]

Thanks ravenscape.

[Jet Black]

'People like me'?



oh I didn't mean it in any derogatory way, sorry if it came across badly :)

[Jobar]

Are there any boards where they don't count posts made in private forums? I've never seen one AFAIK.

[Christina]

I think I understand Mac's concern (and yes, I did invite him to be part of the organizing group hoping to get his input up front. Believe it or not I invited lots of people that disagree with me on all sorts of things.) It's just that there are a lot of different things that affect posting habits.

I'll use myself as an example. When we first opened I posted nonstop to help get the place going and then I started to get sick and my posting has dropped off a lot. Now I rarely post much outside of TH or the staff forum because I need to keep up with that stuff but other than that I don't have much to say that isn't crying over my personal problems. The fact that the majority of my posts are about operational issues at this point doesn't reflect anything other than that I'm sick and my life is coming unglued.

It's not as simple as basing our interest in this place on post counts in different forums.

[Garnet]

Did I miss the reason that posts in private forums should not be counted? I still do not understand why this is being raised as an issue.

[Christina]

I may have this wrong, but I think that Mac's concern is that staff members need to be out here posting with everyone else and not just holed up in the staff forums. I agree with him in principle but there are more factors involved in posting habits than raw counts. Real life interferes sometimes.

[Jet Black]

Are there any boards where they don't count posts made in private forums? I've never seen one AFAIK.

I've come a cross a few, particularly where post-slutting occurs to get high post counts and things. I recall the ~E~ forum at IIDB doesn't count towards post count, or something like there, I can't remember now.

[ravenscape]

~E~ counts. Otherwise, all the CFers in the Catacombs would have zero post count. I don't think posts in the reports forums count, though.

[umop apisdn w,I]

Are there any boards where they don't count posts made in private forums? I've never seen one AFAIK.

I've come a cross a few, particularly where post-slutting occurs to get high post counts and things. I recall the ~E~ forum at IIDB doesn't count towards post count, or something like there, I can't remember now.

I think that was the Games subforum, not ~E~.

[umop apisdn w,I]

The thing that would make it matter (to people other than those who just like to analyse where other people post in order to try to make rhetorical points about it) would be if we implemented some kind of minimum post count in order to be able to perform some kind of activity - like voting to recall staff or something like that.

In that case post-slutting in order to reach that post count would become an issue, as would whether all fora counted towards the total...

Of course, if I had my way then post count wouldn't be visible at all. I think it tends to form a false hierarchy where someone having made more posts somehow makes them a "better" (or even "more correct") poster than someone who has made fewer posts - almost like an unofficial Reputation system.

[Alethias]

I'm having a hard time making myself care on this one. Not understanding the point, I'd tend to have it be an all or none type of thing; Either post count is the same across all forums, or all forums have postcounts turned off so there is no postcount for anyone. I would be fine with either. Or maybe vary postcount factors per forum by a random factor, and vary what forum that random factor gets applied to randomly, so that over time postcount numbers become meaningless to everyone else too, since no useful information could be gleaned by them. :D Dunno how I'd implement that, but I'd work hard on coming up with a way for something that fun...

Thinking about it, I like the idea of having postcounts turned off at a minimum for reporting forums. I don't much like the idea of someone making meaningless reports just to boost their postcount.

But other than that I don't see much point in caring either way.

[Quizalufagus]

Of course, if I had my way then post count wouldn't be visible at all. I think it tends to form a false hierarchy where someone having made more posts somehow makes them a "better" (or even "more correct") poster than someone who has made fewer posts - almost like an unofficial Reputation system.

This.