Why do people want to boost their post count?

[UniDudeDX]

im the last person before the 1000’s haha 999th post…

[dudewithasock]

@saskatchewanian

I still don’t really understand what IRC is and what it has to do with useless threads but that is besides the point.

There is a reason I did not include Most Replys in my original post. the key reason is that it is a thread that has evolved to have many uses (basically a chat-room) and also the first post statesso it was started as a place to chat instead of a place to boost post count.

The new threads, not so much.

That is not to say that there is not post boosting going on in MR or conversations started in the other post boosting threads once they are started but there is a difference.

This is not an attack on MR or an attack on community members with high post rates (unless they are mostly from posts for the purpose of boosting post count) but I can’t see any reason to have a thread specifically for the purpose of boosting your post count.

Well yeah, IRC has nothing to do with forums…not sure why it was mentioned.

As far as MR goes…like JP already mentioned, we have a specific rule against turboposting. Prominent MRIS members will jump on you immediately if you break that rule, and that’s usually enough to scare the newbies away (if they don’t wanna follow the rules, that is; otherwise, they’re welcome to stay).

And GK: I don’t totally see your point…if post count doesn’t matter, why bother going through the trouble of coding something specifically to affect it?

As for the OP (my more serious answer this time), I think it has a lot to do with the e-peen contest. Anyone who’s played an MMO knows all about this - the person with the most badass weapons and armor fancies themselves entitled to bragging rights (commonly referred to as e-peen contest), when really, all that means is you’ve got a different set of 1’s and 0’s than someone else. It’s the same here - it’s just a number.

I’ll never truly understand people’s obsessions with having high post counts, though I suspect it’s all linked back to the whole trademark of human nature - greed. People always want more of something, even if it’s as useless as the number of times you’ve typed a sentence and pressed enter on an online forum.

I’d be fine with post counts just being removed entirely. They’re about as pointless as the rep point system was (though it was admittedly more fun to play with).

[James_Potter]

@dudewithasock

I’d be fine with post counts just being removed entirely. They’re about as pointless as the rep point system was (though it was admittedly more fun to play with).

Hahaha, the rep system was sweet…

[habbywall]

Why does it matter why people want their post count higher?

[Hazmat]

@James_Potter

Hahaha, the rep system was sweet…

Rep system???

[dudewithasock]

@Hazmat

Rep system???

Few years ago there was something in where you could rate people’s posts and give or take away their reputation points (or ‘rep’ points). It got pretty crazy.

[Hazmat]

@dudewithasock

Few years ago there was something in where you could rate people’s posts and give or take away their reputation points (or ‘rep’ points). It got pretty crazy.

WHOA!!! that sounds kinda awesome.

[dtecum]

I agree with you. Seems like there are many people on this forum that live a contrived life that need instantaneous feedback on their 100,00 post wins.

So what. Is it cool? That’s open to debate with facts and not knee jerk opinions/reactions. I feel we need another forum to handle that type of childish need.

[James_Potter]

Oh man, if there was a Childish Needs forum, I would totally post there.

[dudewithasock]

@James_Potter

Oh man, if there was a Childish Needs forum, I would totally post there.

Well if they’re young enough, children do need a lot of this…

I could go for a childish needs forum too, if that’s what you meant.

NSFW

[harper]

Oooh. There seems to be an unhealthy interest in postcount boosting. Lots of views and replies.

[beeper]

My outlook on it is that some people think it gives them more respect, and in some cases, it does.

I mean, if there was an awesome deal on a unicycle, and the person had 1 post, I wouldn’t buy it, but if they had 400 posts, I would probably be more apt to trust them, as they knew how things worked.

[Naomi]

Some people post frequently, and their names will be seen and instantly recognised by regulars as a result. James Potter and Habbywall spring to mind. Others will be recognised by the quality of their posts, Gkmac, Mikefule stand out, amongst others. Or maybe being controversial gets you noticed? Can’t think of an example though. Post count threads usually just waft by me, largely unseen. Usernames also will affect how you are seen. Dudewithasock, mad name though it is, tends to stick out on the page.

The post count thread syndrome is annoying, and a waste of everyone’s time, but it will only go away if post counts are disabled or made unavailable for viewing. I would vote for removal of all reference to such counts.

My God, just looked at my post count for the first time…have I really spent that much time in here? Over 900 posts.

Nao

[James_Potter]

@Naomi

Or maybe being controversial gets you noticed? Can’t think of an example though.

coughBillycough

[bennet]

i’ve done it once just to help issac “achieve” his goal.

[ivan]

@Jerrick

I dont try to boost my post count. I just post a lot, in RSU, in JC, in other sections, getting into conversations and debates, so it all adds up. I never go online here and think “Im going to go spam around to get my post count up, cause the higher it, the better.”

I think its funny that lots of people think that a lot of us are trying to get a high post count, and that we really think it means something.

Some of us just post a lot.

That’s basically me. Also, if you didn’t count my MR posts, I’d be around 5000. I don’t post in MR to boost my post count, I post there to talk to people.

And I don’t even click on those the “34th person to say pumpkin is a hobnob” threads.

[hansc]

@saskatchewanian

I still don’t really understand what IRC is and what it has to do with useless threads but that is besides the point.

It’s a chat protocol, similar to for example MSN but not quite the same. With IRC, you connect to “channels”, for example #unicyclist, and chat with other people there.

As jamessd and gkmac noted, the subjectless threads are used as chatrooms instead of IRC. And that’s why I mentioned it - if people used IRC, they could have their conversations there instead of in the forums.

[GILD]

I’d vote for postcount gone and the rep system brought back.

[Naomi]

@gkmac

A slightly more relevant indicator is seen by clicking the avatar picture. Next to total posts is “x posts per day”, which reveals just how much of a turbo-poster some people can be.

Many thanks GK. 0.5 posts per day. One every two days. Phew. I feel much happier with that number.

I think anyone with a daily post count of more than 5 should be banned from posting until their average drops below that figure. This might enable them to “get a life”. And enable them to post more wisely, less drivel. MR could be excepted from that maybe… I could post an incredible amount of junk before I was capped!

Nao

[Divebomber]

Any message board you go to people turbo post to gain instant respect. I’ve been to at least two different forums where people were made mods because they got 3,000 posts in like 3 days. So it does work. I’d say just ignore it.