Improve the forum experience - Ditch the post count!

HisNHer Tanks

oddmanrush:

 

HisNHer Tanks:

 

 

 

• tigerman (18,008)
• Manstein's revenge (13,512)
• Hans von Hammer (12,326)
• the doog (10,743)
• wing_nut (10,052)
• wbill76 (9,746)
• stikpusher (9,206)
• bondoman (8,264)
• VanceCrozier (5,553)
• Sprue-ce Goose (5,186)

 

Let me ask you a serious question then. Would you still respect them if they had no post count total?

If yes, then they don't need the post count total do they.

They are on THAT list entirely by virtue of their post count total though, not their deeds.

I have no beef with any of them though.

I just think if they don't need the post counts then remove them so that those that clearly are in need of them for some dumb reason have no capacity to be a nuisance with it.

The respected forum veterans lose nothing, and the fools on the forum lose something that is being used as a means to be a nuisance.

If you think this is a non issue, you merely need to be off site where it is discussed as if it were.

I have heard persons complain that those not possessing high point counts are regarded as lesser grade members. That only inspires people to post for the sake of posting so that their post counts grow so that they are able to obtain 'worth'.

This is not unique to this forum, and it is just as much a problem here as it is anywhere else. It just remains to be seen if the forum management here has more or less interest in making use of an easy fix or remaining in denial over it.

I thought coming here might be 'fun', but, I really would rather not get involved yet again, on a forum that is yet again, just more of the same. I might just elect to buy the magazine, and forget this forum ever existed.

And if I am no loss, so be it.

But it would be nice to be pleasantly surprised for once, and see management make a simple obvious choice.

So here we are, freely provided with this site by FSM for us modelers to hang out at and all you can complain about is someones post count  being shown ?  I havent been a big fan of FSM in the past but i have changed my mind and i'm back . I noticed that the post count of some of my friends had changed while i was gone , some added a lot and some few . After that initial observation i seldom pay any more attention to the count . I know how my friends acquire there post and thats up to them. The Admins will take care of any problem posts or the abuse of them  . I came back here and i enjoy these forums and the people here . It'd take a lot more seriouse offense to me than seeing someones post counts to cause me to leave again .

Keep em !

Jester75

 

CallSignOWL:

 

 It gives a quick reference as to who the more experienced forum members are (not with modeling skill, but in forum know-how.

 

 

Not so sure that 500 posts that say "B-7" or "C-9" or 57 pages of one word posts should be considered forum know how. Just because someone knows how to type and click on the post button, shouldn't mean that one is familiar with the forum mechanics.

I never said it was an absolute rule, just a basic guideline.

Doogs I noticed you never answered the question.

Let me ask you a serious question then. Would you still respect them if they had no post count total?

If yes, then they don't need the post count total do they.

My participation here is not dependent on this issue's resolution.

But I have experienced this exact same 'issue' on several forums every bit as 'mature' as this one here at Finescale, and it HAS been a thorn that many were happy to ignore till it bit them.

Like the saying says, it's all fine and good till someone gets hurt.

HisNHer Tanks

Doogs I noticed you never answered the question.

Let me ask you a serious question then. Would you still respect them if they had no post count total?

If yes, then they don't need the post count total do they.

My participation here is not dependent on this issue's resolution.

But I have experienced this exact same 'issue' on several forums every bit as 'mature' as this one here at Finescale, and it HAS been a thorn that many were happy to ignore till it bit them.

Like the saying says, it's all fine and good till someone gets hurt.

Just wondering how someone gets Hurt ? Is there a personal situation where you were hurt because of someones post count ?

keep them however move them to the person's profile page

modeler#1

keep them however move them to the person's profile page

Nah... that's too much effort. Either keep 'em or kill 'em, but don't halfass it...

By the way, I say keep 'em. Some members do use them for practical reasons, and those who don't can ignore them.

Like I said in the first response to this thread,"keep them"

Uh-oh,looks like I'm just trying to build my count up

Hey, whutch ya'll talkin' about in here?

<----------------- BOOM!

anthony2779

 

Like I said in the first response to this thread,"keep them"

Uh-oh,looks like I'm just trying to build my count up

 

whoops!

As you can see from my post-count, I'm a relative newb in these parts.

I like the post count. Like DoogATX says, it's a quick visual cue for new people to get a "feel" about the people responding to them. If a person sticks around long enough, they can form an actual opinion of the people, exclusive of the post counts.

In the end, they're only numbers.

I say keep 'em.

Two years ago I joined a motorcyclist forum; when I browsed for answers to a particular problem I needed help with, I noticed that there were people who had high post counts and they were generally more forthcoming and helpful in their responses. I found that I came to rely upon these members for getting help with a sometimes obscure question, and I've found that this generally applies to most other forums I've visited of various nature. "Veteran" members can be counted on to help with understanding the peculiarities of the forum as far as posting. weird quirks, or best ways to post a question or best forums in which to do so.

The sad thing is that on this forum, there seems to be a genuine "rush" to boost post counts by some members who post the most trivial, useless material--whether intentionally or not, in the spirit of "socializing" or not.. Honestly, sometimes it seems as if they just can't help themselves, even after being made aware of it.  In this case, the potential and possibility of post counts meaning anything at all is greatly diminished by "one word posts" or "three word posts". It's quality over quantity, period.

I personally HAVE used post counts on various forums to identify veteran members who can help with navigating a new forum or may be knowledgeable of people who CAN help answer an oblique question, and by the same token, I have often identified new members who may be unfamiliar with the various personalities and/or proclivities of certain members or unaware of how to best post a question or photos--whatever--and have used that to better determine an appropriate response.

So are they "useless"? NO. Unless they are rendered meaningless by gratuitous posting.

Man,.....spend the day away from the office and all breaks loose....posts...really....posts.....someone has this forum bent out of shape by something so TRIVIAL as post.....I also noticed while reading this thread that the a certain someone who started all this hasnt once, since then, even replied to the thread.....I guess its not as seriuos as he made it out to be....or was he just starting a fire and then sitting back and enjoying the scene....theres a criminal term for that....

Lately I have noticed people getting all bent out of shape about all kinds of things except MODELING....so theres siliness you dont like it....ignore it.....there are silly tags....so what....dont like them...dont use them....so some people have high posts counts.....so what.....how does all of this affect your modeling....?? ?? I still dont know........I have always said...Live and let live....its a free forum (but controlled by certain very fair minded Judge,, )..if dont like what you see you dont get involved...if there are goings on you dont agree with but other are enjoying let them....thats also why threads have a subject line and if its not of your interest no one is forcing you to read it..since people are using child-like analogies I will too...if you dont like the games being played in the playground you dont have it shut down....you either start your own game, join them or if its really that disagreeable find another playground....but i think in the end everyone is happier if they all just learn to play together...

Im sorry Aaron...I just had to vent....but I repeat...wheres the initial poster??? The world wonders...

Oh and I say keep the counts....they do help especially when trying to help newcomers(you can identify them by the low count)....which EVERYONE on the list has done many times on this forum....

Carlos

carsanab

Man,.....spend the day away from the office and all breaks loose....posts...really....posts.....someone has this forum bent out of shape by something so TRIVIAL as post.....I also noticed while reading this thread that the a certain someone who started all this hasnt once, since then, even replied to the thread.....I guess its not as seriuos as he made it out to be....or was he just starting a fire and then sitting back and enjoying the scene....theres a criminal term for that....

Lately I have noticed people getting all bent out of shape about all kinds of things except MODELING....so theres siliness you dont like it....ignore it.....there are silly tags....so what....dont like them...dont use them....so some people have high posts counts.....so what.....how does all of this affect your modeling....?? ?? I still dont know........I have always said...Live and let live....its a free forum (but controlled by certain very fair minded Judge,, )..if dont like what you see you dont get involved...if there are goings on you dont agree with but other are enjoying let them....thats also why threads have a subject line and if its not of your interest no one is forcing you to read it..since people are using child-like analogies I will too...if you dont like the games being played in the playground you dont have it shut down....you either start your own game, join them or if its really that disagreeable find another playground....but i think in the end everyone is happier if they all just learn to play together...

Im sorry Aaron...I just had to vent....but I repeat...wheres the initial poster??? The world wonders...

Oh and I say keep the counts....they do help especially when trying to help newcomers(you can identify them by the low count)....which EVERYONE on the list has done many times on this forum....

Carlos

I agree Carlos. The flame wars that have gone on in here as of late are getting old. I for one am getting tired of it. Everytime i've come on here lately, there's someone complaining about something that was posted or someone. Personally it makes me not want to come in here at all.

And yes I do post on things other than the "Fun" threads. As I am a slow builder, there aren't many of my own builds in here right now. I'm not experienced enough to give any sound advice. I do try and help when I can though.

As far as the post counts go. I say keep them.

the doog

Two years ago I joined a motorcyclist forum; when I browsed for answers to a particular problem I needed help with, I noticed that there were people who had high post counts and they were generally more forthcoming and helpful in their responses. I found that I came to rely upon these members for getting help with a sometimes obscure question, and I've found that this generally applies to most other forums I've visited of various nature. "Veteran" members can be counted on to help with understanding the peculiarities of the forum as far as posting. weird quirks, or best ways to post a question or best forums in which to do so.

The sad thing is that on this forum, there seems to be a genuine "rush" to boost post counts by some members who post the most trivial, useless material--whether intentionally or not, in the spirit of "socializing" or not.. Honestly, sometimes it seems as if they just can't help themselves, even after being made aware of it.  In this case, the potential and possibility of post counts meaning anything at all is greatly diminished by "one word posts" or "three word posts". It's quality over quantity, period.

I personally HAVE used post counts on various forums to identify veteran members who can help with navigating a new forum or may be knowledgeable of people who CAN help answer an oblique question, and by the same token, I have often identified new members who may be unfamiliar with the various personalities and/or proclivities of certain members or unaware of how to best post a question or photos--whatever--and have used that to better determine an appropriate response.

So are they "useless"? NO. Unless they are rendered meaningless by gratuitous posting.

So, is that a "keep 'em" or "toss 'em," doog?  You aren't gonna avoid coming down on a position are you?

How about we include the average number of words per post as an additional stat ...that way a "newbie" can seek out those who are "serious" vs "non-serious" posters?  Sorta be like a "batting average" for all you baseball fans out there.

Also we could look into computer programming that could analyze words in a post and give an average "serious post rating" to each member...maybe on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being "Deadly serious" and 1 being "Pure MOJO"...?

So it would look something like this:

Von Joe Blow

Posts:                  10,023

Avg # words/pst:      12.5

Seriousness rating:  4.3

I dunno-----I'm diggin' it---just sayin'...

By the way, where does are most serious offender stand?  Tigerman?

Manstein's revenge

 

 

 

So, is that a "keep 'em" or "toss 'em," doog?  You aren't gonna avoid coming down on a position are you?

 

However, as I said, the significance of a high post count seems to be losing any relevance to a members' status as a veteran of any merit or helpfulness when so many of the "funny" (?!) threads get filled up with the most inane and abbreviated drivel.

And sorry, friend, but the rest of your question just seems facetious, so I would decline to respond to it. 

the doog

The sad thing is that on this forum, there seems to be a genuine "rush" to boost post counts by some members who post the most trivial, useless material--whether intentionally or not, in the spirit of "socializing" or not.. Honestly, sometimes it seems as if they just can't help themselves, even after being made aware of it.  In this case, the potential and possibility of post counts meaning anything at all is greatly diminished by "one word posts" or "three word posts". It's quality over quantity, period.

Okay, serious question.

Do you think those members are posting that material to boost their post counts? Or out of socializing and enthusiasm for an inside joke?

I see them as two completely different things. One is that there are actually members out there thinking "need to get to 2,000, need to get to 2,000, need to get to 2,000" and letting that drive their posting behavior. 

The other is that the frequency of those quick-fire joke thread posts is clouding the post count. Kind of the way a batter can gin up a .400 batting average, but 75% of his on-bases are bunts.

The first, I think, is misattributing motives and is honestly something I have not witnessed anywhere on this forum. The second is more of a statistics debate about the "purity" of those numbers. To which I would say "so?" - it's not like the numbers actually mean anything beyond just a very broad indicator anyway. Broad enough that the two main use cases - identifying new members and identifying veterans - aren't really impacted at all.

Want to really shake things up? I don't know if this forum software supports it, but others can let members tag a post as "helpful", "funny", etc. And then members get little badges for being so helpful, or so funny, or I guess on this forum for building a great build. Personally I think it's a bit silly, but I can tell you from my days on the other side of forums that members got friggin' rabid about those things. And given the butthurt that seems to have taken over a larger and larger part of the post activity in the last week or two, that's really probably the last thing we need.

Another option, one that I've seen elsewhere, is to have posts made in the Odds and Ends Forum not count toward the Post Count.

It's not perfect, but it may help distinguish those members making "useful" posts.

Bondo's Theorem of internet density:

"One's post count divided by years on a forum is in direct inverse proportion to time spent doing other things".

Corollaries include sex, drinking, reading and modeling. Well, many do at least one or two of these while posting...

Seriously. I log my post count every three months. My goal is to hit each 1000 mark in twice the time of the last one.

Keep it, please.

The problem with that list, is its only the most active posters, and not the ones with the highest post count. Or I would be on it!

There have been a few references to the "Most Active users" list displayed on the main forum page,

Keep in mind that this list is not static and does not simply reflect the members with the highest post counts. Members with lower post counts can appear on this list if they have a higher activity than one (or more) of those listed over a certain period of time (24h?)

Also, it may be noted that one can amass a significant post count by simply posting welcome messages to new members and posting "nice work" and "good job" messages on build threads. Having said that, while posts of this kind do not contribute to the knowledge base of the forum, they do provide encouragement and contribute to the friendliness and cameraderie that we find here.

This is a forum, which is a community, which in turn is a social construct that provides benefits for members.

The utility gained from a given type of benefit differs across individuals. Some new members might be enticed with the expectation of Information, which is after all the premise of a modelling magazine to begin with. On the other hand, the existing members may derive majority of their utility from social interaction, modelling information a secondary concern. Such differences exist in any communities, afterall we are all different.

I do not think post count is relevant(my opinion) towards the objective of 'improving' the forum experience, which in itself is a subjective topic for each individual.

Personally I like to end any argument on a modelling forum with a grudge-match-build-off, winner takes all. But that's only because I'm confident in beating the other side in this method, and cannot be bothered key mashing.

Having written literally THOUSANDS of posts on the modeling subjects in the last three years or so, to include info, techniques, tips, group builds, personal builds, and having spent coutless hours researching and getting answers to literally thousands of questions from other modelers (Nuggets AND "old-timers"), finding links, and hunting down and posting research and detail pictures, FOR FREE, I say keep the post counts...

Sure, I've written some frivilous posts too, hundereds of them... I've also written a few hundred *"Grumpy Old Man" posts, many of which were legit gripes about the modeling industy and also some about the direction I feel the hobby's going...That's what I do when the paint's dryin'...   I figure the post count I've EARNED by sitting at the keyboard for hours trying to find help for other members, allows me that little perk...  This forum ani't the only Window I have open on my screen... More often than not, I've got three or four windows open, looking for stuff for others with low post counts, medium post counts, and high post counts.. 

Is it a "badge of rank".. No... It's a general measure of how much work one puts in here helping out others, directly or indirectly, IMNSHO... 

As far as that little thing on the right side denoting those with high post counts, were anyone over on that that box to take a few days off from the forum, their name would disappear, high post count or not... It only tracks the "most active users" of the forum at the current time... My handle appears and disappears on a fairly regular basis over the course of a year when I take a few days off here & there...

So again, in closing, keep the counts...  

Long Live the FSM Forum Commandos!

*And I'm gonna stay that way 'till I'm a DEAD Old Man, H&HT.. We, the FORGOMs (FORum Grumpy Old Men), will remain.. Deal with it.. In fact, I'm of a mind to make a badge just FOR that group... And for the "FORCOM", too...

How about we ration ourselves to one post per day?  Or reset the the programming so that it deducts a post from your count if you post in certain threads, or in certain forums such as Odds and Ends? Or if you reach 10,000 posts your account becomes suspended?  There's all kinds of ways to limit the number of posts that get written...

Hmmmm...what else can you guys (and gals) come up with to knock down the traffic in here?

I think I can sum up this whole thread's future in one word.

Men!.

You should already know how it was pronouced.

I've never bought the 'not me' or the 'I dunno' defense either.

HisNHer Tanks

I think I can sum up this whole thread's future in one word.

Men!.

You should already know how it was pronouced.

I've never bought the 'not me' or the 'I dunno' defense either.

 

Knock it off...

An observation for anyone looking at an option other than keeping the post counts as-is... moving where the # is found, filtering out goofy posts, filtering out odds & ends posts, etc etc.  Frankly, I'd rather FSM not waste resources on programming changes, and maybe the next issue has four more glossy pages of readers' models for us to admire...

What he said.

This whole thing is basically "fly $hit in the pepper".

6 pages in a day and a half.  Seems like this was a good place for some to bolster their posts counts.

Heh!