Folks-

Okay, what is it with everyone's obsession with postcount? To me, it seems like just another variation on "mine's bigger than yours!"

Why display your site's (or your members') postcount publicly?

When you visit a site for the first time, do you immediately look at the post count and say "this site only has 10,000 posts, it must suck!"? Is a site with 5,000,000 posts--4,000,000 of them in the off-topic sections, really better than a site with only 1,500,000 post--and only 500,000 of them in the off-topic sections?

Same with users--we base reputation, usergroups, priveledges, all sorts of things on a person's postcount. Why value quantity over quality?

Me, I personally like to join the forums with a low post count, and see them grow. That way, there's not a huge member base that you have to learn, there's more topics that you can "own"... I just like it when it starts out small.

I don't actually understand the post count thing either, and how the higher the post count, the more "experience" they are. New members often are taunted by older members with higher post counts... there has been an instance where I removed the post count entirely.

It's just stupid... oh, yeah: I have one more post to my count :p

Post count is everything. It shows just how much spare time you have. ;)

Post count can be deceptive, but it can also help nOObies to see who is a member who contributes a lot and who doesn't. I guess if the info you are reading is very useful then it doesn't matter if the person who posted it has 4 million posts or just 4. On my forum some of the best posts are by those who don't post often, but really consider their response when they do.

Me, I personally like to join the forums with a low post count, and see them grow. That way, there's not a huge member base that you have to learn, there's more topics that you can "own"... I just like it when it starts out small.
Me too. I prefer to be part of the growing experience. And huge forums, often my replies to caught up with the 100 other replies so sometimes it's not as gratifying.

Me, I personally like to join the forums with a low post count, and see them grow. That way, there's not a huge member base that you have to learn, there's more topics that you can "own"... I just like it when it starts out small.

Thats usually my case, I like it small and simple. But, there are times when I have made my own site, and others have told me "Wow, 595 posts! these forums are abandoned!" If it wasnt for a few of my users, I would remove postcount from the postbit and the statistics.

~Alkah

I don't actually understand the post count thing either, and how the higher the post count, the more "experience" they are. New members often are taunted by older members with higher post counts... there has been an instance where I removed the post count entirely.

It's just stupid... oh, yeah: I have one more post to my count :p
Thats what I think, if someone is new to the community and you see someone with over 10 K posts they would think there more experianced
:)

Also keep in mind the nature of the internet. Everyone is anonymous, so when you see someone with 10,000 posts that person has becomes less anonymous in the sense that they have built themselves a reputation by using the same user name.

It's a shame that post count is sometimes taken as an indicator of 'experience', but it serves other purposes too.

Post count is everything. It shows just how much spare time you have. ;)

Post count can be deceptive, but it can also help nOObies to see who is a member who contributes a lot and who doesn't. .
I totaly agree post count is to see who has contributed

Thats usually my case, I like it small and simple. But, there are times when I have made my own site, and others have told me "Wow, 595 posts! these forums are abandoned!" If it wasnt for a few of my users, I would remove postcount from the postbit and the statistics.

~Alkah

Who cares how many posts it has? I was once a member of a forum, I got my post count up way high, but there were about 5 members who talked... It was like a private forum. I worked my way up to admin, but lost the fight to keep it open. :(

I've found a few forums that were brand new and was the first person to post in them. I think that's fun. You get to watch the forum grow when it's just getting started.

I always feel more secure posting on brand new forums, 'cause at forums where there are experienced members with a huge number of posts, there's always a feeling that you may blirt out something and it will be criticized, but I've noticed each forum has its pecial way of treating newbies, there are forums where newbies are taunted and severely criticized for every slip. Actually, a lot depends on the administrator and mods.

er. I have never cared about post count. I'm not sure how vB works, but in IPB we can use it to promote members. So the only value it has is that after a member gets x number of posts they can see "private" forums. It prevents spammers and newbies and whatnot from causing drama in the more sensitive forums and makes the older members feel like they have a place to post where its not a fishbowl anyone can see. I guess. I don't know my mods wanted it that way and thats what they said anyhow :P

This is why I think a reputation system should be implemented into all forums and they should teach all users how to use it correctly, I don't mind the post count but I try not to put to much on it.

This is why I think a reputation system should be implemented into all forums and they should teach all users how to use it correctly, I don't mind the post count but I try not to put to much on it.
I've tried that a few times, but depending on the site, then there could be massive abuse of the reputation system as well.

I just don't look at post count but it is a factor. I look mostly at what the site looks like, if the format and presentation looks professional or sloppy, and see if the staff looks competent. Of course I see if it looks interesting based off the theme of the site and what kind of forums there are. Also, I read through threads and see if it's a friendly community or if the members are rude.

yeah, post count does refer to who posts the content in the website, but it isnt everything as others have said. In my forums, there is a section that would help if you are trusted, so a person with more post count would therefore be more trustworthy than a person who just registered

If it's forum total post count, yes that does factor in for me if I join or not... If I'm going to take the time and effort of 'joining a community', I want some sort of outward sign that a community exists!

But, atleast for me on my boards, I disable individual post counts from the postbit for the opposite reason. When I join a forum, I do so because the stats say there is an active community, but once I'm "in the community" I feel 'intimidated' by users with 1000's of posts as opposed to my 1 or 2.

So, with this in mind, on my boards, every one is equal... No one is better than another just because they have loads of posts.

If it's forum total post count, yes that does factor in for me if I join or not... If I'm going to take the time and effort of 'joining a community', I want some sort of outward sign that a community exists!Well, i did mean that too. I guess I would look at the recent threads to judge if there was a community--rather than post count. It could be a forum that was very active once upon a time and has lots of posts, but is no longer. Recently, so many people are using RSS feeds to generate messages. This increases the post count but does little to build community.

on my boards, every one is equal... No one is better than another just because they have loads of posts.I feel the same way. I do display the postcount--but only to staff.

--don

I made my forum so people can't see the post count...it helps with the useless posts....and I made all the user titles silly so people wouldn't car about them.

Why value quantity over quality?

In my opinion, we all know this, but we doesn't respect it. Why? Erm, I don't know! :D

well the more posts a person has the more active they are on that forum, but I don't as a rule go in for all the hype about it.
But admins do tend to get paranoid if the posts are low. lol

Content drives a forum....but useless content doesn't help at all. I would like to see good quality posts.

see... I consider post count to be useful... on my site we encourage people to PW (post whore) away... to the extent that most admin would consider abusing the system...

what that has done for our board is create an atmosphere where people arent afraid of oppressive rules... of course our board is pretty much a spinoff of a spinoff where each forum was less oppressive than the last...

to me, having post count definately shows that you are willing to participate.

as for quality vs quantity, conversations can go to a completely higher level if there are not restrictions on the rhythem or amount that a member can contribute...

of course on our board having a high post count doesnt make you any better than anyone... it just means you've been there for a couple days at least ;) (most of the regulars have a posts per day of more than 50)

on a board that has serious discussion I think that post count is distracting... it does set up a who is better kind of attitude and when you get stuck between being a noob and a regular it can be kindof off putting.

I cannot tell you how many boards that I have stopped going to somewhere in between 100-200 posts... and I attribute that alot to me deciding if the forum is really one that I could ever personally have thousands of posts on or if I have already wasted too much time being there...

I often feel that post count (and member count) determines, to some extent, whether or not I join a board.

I dislike joining a new board, unless I feel it has potential. Often, boards open for one week, close, then I get a new e-mail, and it just keeps on coming. It gets annoying after a while.