# A poster's join date doesn't invalidate/validate their position **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 13, 2014, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-posters-join-date-doesnt-invalidate-validate-their-position/683605 "2014-03-13T12:48:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Frank\_Merton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Frank\_Merton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_Merton)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-posters-join-date-doesnt-invalidate-validate-their-position/683605/61 "2014-03-14T07:12:50Z")
No I’ve been here less than a week and someone already used the argument with me. I would say it is a form of the general fallacy of criticizing who said something rather than what was said. ---
**Author:** ![Askthepizzaguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askthepizzaguy/32/9405_2.png) [@Askthepizzaguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askthepizzaguy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-posters-join-date-doesnt-invalidate-validate-their-position/683605/62 "2014-03-14T08:17:49Z")
> [@Frank\_Merton](#): > > No I’ve been here less than a week and someone already used the argument with me. I would say it is a form of the general fallacy of criticizing who said something rather than what was said. It’s not fallacious if the point I am trying to make is that the person in question is very likely a troll, spammer, or bot. Then the join date and post count are absolutely relevant. Such accounts typically do not last very long so what you’ll notice is obviously irrelevant, nonsensical, spammy, or trolly posts often come from accounts with no history on the board, a single post, or a bunch of ads and trolling in a single day, soon to disappear forever from the board either voluntarily or by ban. It’s a way of pointing out that it is potentially a gigantic waste of time to engage with that account. You can always wait and see if the account shows signs of intelligence later on, but in general, such poor opening posts lend themselves to being declared spammers or trolls in short order, with a fairly high success rate predicting them as such. If you’ve been here a week and have been posting in an on-topic way in threads which are actually current, then you’re not likely to be one of those. First impressions do matter. If your initial posts are off-topic, zombie thread resurrecting, or full of links, I generally deposit your account in my mental recycling bin until proven otherwise. I also don’t note anyone’s join date in any other circumstance. That’s me though. Maybe you came across someone who is firing off that particular gun without aiming first. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-posters-join-date-doesnt-invalidate-validate-their-position/683605/63 "2014-03-14T08:30:47Z")
> [@Frank\_Merton](#): > > No I’ve been here less than a week and someone already used the argument with me. I would say it is a form of the general fallacy of criticizing who said something rather than what was said. Yeah, we [already noticed you](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=17190401&postcount=15), **Frank**. Now learn some fucking manners, you abrasive git. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-posters-join-date-doesnt-invalidate-validate-their-position/683605/64 "2014-03-14T08:44:50Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Seriously, folks, this thread is stupid and so are you if you think join date has nothing to do with anything. If someone shows up to a message board and starts posting lunacy immediately after joining, there is a 100% chance that person is a troll. Well, that’s not fair. They could be loonies drive-by posting in dead earnest, too. ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-posters-join-date-doesnt-invalidate-validate-their-position/683605/65 "2014-03-14T12:33:28Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Yeah, we [already noticed you](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=17190401&postcount=15), **Frank**. Now learn some fucking manners, you abrasive git. Oh woah now! We got a badass here :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-posters-join-date-doesnt-invalidate-validate-their-position/683605/66 "2014-03-14T13:07:16Z")
> [@Frank\_Merton](#): > > No I’ve been here less than a week and someone already used the argument with me. I would say it is a form of the general fallacy of criticizing who said something rather than what was said. In that first week you managed to break [one of the basic, most fundamental rules of this MB in GD](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=17183326&postcount=979), so there’s that. Plus all that nonsense about the US army being “a joke” accompanied by gratuitous Obama bashing. My troll radar certainly pinged pretty loudly after those posts from you, which are still just left hanging in that thread without further explanation. It’s these sort of outrageous, nonsensical statement that we’re talking about (emphasis added): > [@](#): > > So long as Obama is President, the US will do nothing except talk and reduce its own military. > [@](#): > > **Certainly the joke that the US Army is becoming** is worth thinking about. > [@](#): > > I don’t disagree with you; Putin is just being opportunistic at the moment. What worries me is when they have the Russian army back and **the US has no effective army at all**. Now, you might be a perfectly normal human being with one crazy quirk, but that’s all I’ve seen of you, and it doesn’t look good. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-posters-join-date-doesnt-invalidate-validate-their-position/683605/67 "2014-03-14T13:13:49Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > There’s an opening for an interview with the Snark Committee on Oct. 22, 2021. Shall I pencil you in? I will personally attest to Ranger Jeff being an active and valuable participant on the AOL Boards. That and a small monetary consideration should help bump him up in the consideration of the commitee. Maybe to early October, 2021. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-posters-join-date-doesnt-invalidate-validate-their-position/683605/68 "2014-03-14T14:24:44Z")
> [@Frank\_Merton](#): > > No I’ve been here less than a week and someone already used the argument with me. I would say it is a form of the general fallacy of criticizing who said something rather than what was said. Link, please. I’d like to see if there was any justification for the argument. ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_Merton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Frank\_Merton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_Merton)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-posters-join-date-doesnt-invalidate-validate-their-position/683605/69 "2014-03-14T14:27:51Z")
Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-posters-join-date-doesnt-invalidate-validate-their-position/683605/70 "2014-03-14T14:30:21Z")
And thank you for proving their point for them. ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_Merton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Frank\_Merton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_Merton)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-posters-join-date-doesnt-invalidate-validate-their-position/683605/71 "2014-03-14T14:33:16Z")
If I come across it I will post it, but I have better things to do. The term used if you can figure out this board’s search was “newbie.” It seems to me though pretty obvious that I was not spamming or something of that sort, so the evidence speaks for itself. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-posters-join-date-doesnt-invalidate-validate-their-position/683605/72 "2014-03-14T14:43:26Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > You are jealous, I can tell. Its probably because Ireland is awesome. Just think of that when _your_ country is celebrating _our_ history on Monday. 😉 Meh, we celebrate Spanish culture on Cinco de Mayo too. Every day can’t be America Day, we gotta change it up sometime. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-posters-join-date-doesnt-invalidate-validate-their-position/683605/73 "2014-03-14T14:49:20Z")
> [@Frank\_Merton](#): > > If I come across it I will post it, but I have better things to do. The term used if you can figure out this board’s search was “newbie.” > > It seems to me though pretty obvious that I was not spamming or something of that sort, so the evidence speaks for itself. Unpresented evidence _never_ speaks for itself. Something you might want to remember the next time you “have better things to do”. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-posters-join-date-doesnt-invalidate-validate-their-position/683605/74 "2014-03-14T15:16:52Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Link, please. I’d like to see if there was any justification for the argument. I assume he is referring to this > [@Scientific perspective on the soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientific-perspective-on-the-soul/683512/77): > > And I should _care_ about impressing your newbie self because…? ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-posters-join-date-doesnt-invalidate-validate-their-position/683605/75 "2014-03-14T17:13:03Z")
My objection to having a post minimum before someone can start a thread is that it would negatively impact the weird and wonderful variety of GQ questions. Some single-post drive-by questions lead to good discussions, even if they’re kind of off-the-wall. Or especially if they’re kind of off-the-wall. > [@silenus](#): > > Trolls can be fun. What’s annoying is the idiots who just post a screed and vanish, and their fellow-travelers who only post Youtube links. The ones that annoy me are those who post long complicated OPs asking for personal advice and then never return, even when board members have posted many thoughtful replies. It makes me reluctant to respond to noobs asking for advice, which is too bad because there are many who are sincere. > [@Knuffle](#): > > I agree with you completely. I just want to add that you can’t tell how long someone has been lurking by their join date. I’ve been lurking for a couple of years at least but just joined a few days ago - mostly because I wanted to be able to see new posts without having to visit every board and I wanted to be able to subscribe to threads. > > By the way, I did look to make sure this was a current thread before replying. Good noob! :: pat pat :: And welcome to the boards. > [@Bricker](#): > > Ahh, you youngsters that joined after 1999. You still have so much to learn. Put a sock in it, grandpaw. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-posters-join-date-doesnt-invalidate-validate-their-position/683605/76 "2014-03-14T17:30:38Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > The ones that annoy me are those who post long complicated OPs asking for personal advice and then never return, even when board members have posted many thoughtful replies. It makes me reluctant to respond to noobs asking for advice, which is too bad because there are many who are sincere. I think the easiest solution is to offer a nugget of advice, and wait to see if they take it. It’s kind of like catching a squirrel. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-posters-join-date-doesnt-invalidate-validate-their-position/683605/77 "2014-03-14T19:10:19Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Excuse me, are you referring to me? Nope. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-posters-join-date-doesnt-invalidate-validate-their-position/683605/78 "2014-03-14T19:29:58Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Nope. Ah, very well then. I apologize unreservedly. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-posters-join-date-doesnt-invalidate-validate-their-position/683605/79 "2014-03-14T19:32:47Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Ah, very well then. I apologize unreservedly. Typical Join Date 2008 mistake! ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2014, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-posters-join-date-doesnt-invalidate-validate-their-position/683605/80 "2014-03-14T20:00:00Z")
[Another nugget of wisdom](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=17189452&postcount=48) from a newbie. No, a new join date doesn’t automatically invalidate a poster’s position, but a lot of drive-by dumb comments come from first-time posters. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-posters-join-date-doesnt-invalidate-validate-their-position/683605.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-posters-join-date-doesnt-invalidate-validate-their-position/683605.md?page=5)