# Displaying the Post Counts and Locations of "Guests" **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 17, 2009, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/displaying-the-post-counts-and-locations-of-guests/500049 "2009-06-17T09:58:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/displaying-the-post-counts-and-locations-of-guests/500049/21 "2009-06-18T16:53:12Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Dunno about that. TPTB seem to be ambivalent about whether people subscribe or not. Paying members are not treated any differently by the mods, they just get a couple of whistles and bells on the screen. In theory, non-paying guests generate at least as much income for the board via ad views. Paying members **are** treated differently than Guests (allegedly) . At least they should be when it comes to matters of board functionality. Mod treatment should be even across the board, but that’s not what we are talking about. We are discussing board functionality, which as a non-paying member, you and I really don’t have a voice. Sure we can give our opinion, but we post at the pleasure of Creative Loafing. But if the paying membership clamors for some simple functionality, and TPTB refuse to give it to them, that’s not an indication that they give a hoot about anyone’s opinion and will run this railroad the way they want. And they do. Why anyone pays for this board is a mystery to me, given the lack of customer service they receive for their fee. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/displaying-the-post-counts-and-locations-of-guests/500049/22 "2009-06-18T17:23:46Z")
Well, I payed again recently for the following reasons: 1. It seems it’s still a better deal for the Board to have us pay, and 2. I wanted my location shown without having to put it in a signature (post count = meh?), and 3. Hi, Opal! 😃 Personally, I’ve always gotten all the customer service I expected or felt I deserved for the piddling sum of money I pay to play. At $0.04 a day, I don’t expect too much from anyone, let alone a mostly volunteer staff. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/displaying-the-post-counts-and-locations-of-guests/500049/23 "2009-06-18T17:59:39Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > I couldn’t find it but recently the PTB, it was either **Tuba** or **Zotti** , said that they’d prefer that people subscribe. Which is 180 degrees off the position taken when they first started showing ads. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/displaying-the-post-counts-and-locations-of-guests/500049/24 "2009-06-18T18:28:01Z")
Well, the idea was that the ad revenue model alone would be sufficient to carry the day and we wouldn’t need to be bugging users with subscriptions. At the time this was proposed it was a perfectly valid theory and there was plenty plenty business and it seemed like a good idea at the time. There’s been a lot of water under that bridge since we crossed it - hell, there’s been a tsunami of bad business news from most everywhere – and it turns out the Straight Dope needs subscriptions AND ad revenue. We’re also checking behind the sofa cushions for loose change. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/displaying-the-post-counts-and-locations-of-guests/500049/25 "2009-06-18T18:46:46Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > Well, the idea was that the ad revenue model alone would be sufficient to carry the day and we wouldn’t need to be bugging users with subscriptions. At the time this was proposed it was a perfectly valid theory and there was plenty plenty business and it seemed like a good idea at the time. > > There’s been a lot of water under that bridge since we crossed it - hell, there’s been a tsunami of bad business news from most everywhere – and it turns out the Straight Dope needs subscriptions AND ad revenue. We’re also checking behind the sofa cushions for loose change. Around here, loose change is the **last** thing I’d expect to find behind the sofa cushions. Frankly, I’d want to be wearing gloves in that examination. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/displaying-the-post-counts-and-locations-of-guests/500049/26 "2009-06-18T18:54:44Z")
FWIW, Yes to location and whatever/no to postcount. It would probably help a lot if those campaigning for adding this info would separate those two. You might at least get 50% of your wish granted. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/displaying-the-post-counts-and-locations-of-guests/500049/27 "2009-06-18T20:31:43Z")
Well, I am a guest, and i don’t really care about post count/location. If you really want to know, you can find out. To me, the argument for is just to make it easier to know where the person is coming from. Knowing the location helps you correct for regional biases. Knowing post count seems less important because we have join date: but it lets you know if the person is a serious poster, or just an occasional one, and you can modify your statements accordingly. I do think it’s sad that they’d rather have subscribers than guests. It means that advertising isn’t working. Which means they may have to change strategies in the future. Perhaps they should use ads that are harder to block? For example, [http://www.angrybooth.com](http://www.angrybooth.com) uses text-based ads. Edit: Wow. I didn’t know my adblocker blocked google text ads (I just checked) Anyways, from now on, I will not view the dope without ads. If I could afford a membership, I would pay, but I can’t. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/displaying-the-post-counts-and-locations-of-guests/500049/28 "2009-06-18T21:22:33Z")
I mistyped the URL. I meant [http://www.agonybooth.com](http://www.agonybooth.com) ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/displaying-the-post-counts-and-locations-of-guests/500049/29 "2009-06-18T22:24:20Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Well, I payed again recently for the following reasons: > > 1. It seems it’s still a better deal for the Board to have us pay, and > > 2. I wanted my location shown without having to put it in a signature (post count = meh?), and > > 3. Hi, Opal! 😃 > > Personally, I’ve always gotten all the customer service I expected or felt I deserved for the piddling sum of money I pay to play. At $0.04 a day, I don’t expect too much from anyone, let alone a mostly volunteer staff. 🙂 You are such a kiss-ass! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/displaying-the-post-counts-and-locations-of-guests/500049/30 "2009-06-18T23:41:22Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > You are such a kiss-ass! 😛 Heh. While you are there, would you take a towel to the brown on my nose? Shoe polish, I assure you. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/displaying-the-post-counts-and-locations-of-guests/500049/31 "2009-06-19T00:09:14Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > I post in these threads only to remind myself why I don’t pay to post. TPTB are so anti-customer driven, it’s pathetic. I’m going to start following you down that path. Apparently clicking on the additional profile page to doesn’t affect board performance at all. In that case, I’m seriously considering clicking on every guest’s profile. Just because. It won’t hurt anything, after all. It’s just **fucking annoying**. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/displaying-the-post-counts-and-locations-of-guests/500049/32 "2009-06-19T00:27:19Z")
**TubaDiva** , I guess you missed my question in post #13: Who would decide whether to display Guests’ post counts and locations, and what would be the best way for me to go about presenting my request to that person? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/displaying-the-post-counts-and-locations-of-guests/500049/33 "2009-06-19T00:30:47Z")
The wiser solution (although probably not the most technically feasible one) would be to change it from guests not _displaying_ location/post count to guests not being able to _view_ location/post count, while the information would be visible to members. Those who don’t care can continue to loudly proclaim so, while those who do care will see the info that matters to them. Win/win. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/displaying-the-post-counts-and-locations-of-guests/500049/34 "2009-06-19T02:07:44Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > The wiser solution (although probably not the most technically feasible one) would be to change it from guests not _displaying_ location/post count to guests not being able to _view_ location/post count, while the information would be visible to members. > > Those who don’t care can continue to loudly proclaim so, while those who do care will see the info that matters to them. Win/win. Or disable it for everybody and ban the next guy that starts a thread about it. Works for me. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/displaying-the-post-counts-and-locations-of-guests/500049/35 "2009-06-19T02:36:18Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > If I could afford a membership, I would pay, but I can’t. Your subscription has been paid (assuming I did it right). If your membership status doesn’t show up soon, PM me. Whatever happened, I have verified that it hit my credit card. So let’s cross our fingers. > [@VarlosZ](#): > > **TubaDiva** , I guess you missed my question in post #13: Who would decide whether to display Guests’ post counts and locations, and what would be the best way for me to go about presenting my request to that person? Thanks. I, too, would be interested in the answer to this. TubaDiva had said, “Seriously, it’s not my opinion that matters here. If/when policy changes I’ll gladly implement it.” She failed, however, to say whose opinion _does_ matter. I would guess it’s Ed’s. But that’s only a guess. ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/displaying-the-post-counts-and-locations-of-guests/500049/36 "2009-06-19T02:44:12Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Or disable it for everybody and ban the next guy that starts a thread about it. Works for me. Yeah, and it’s all about you, isn’t it. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/displaying-the-post-counts-and-locations-of-guests/500049/37 "2009-06-19T06:18:02Z")
Thankees, Liberal! I was getting distracted by those animated ads on the top! You guys are awesome! ETA: Not that it’s kicked in yet. I’ll PM you. And now back to the originally scheduled topic: ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/displaying-the-post-counts-and-locations-of-guests/500049/38 "2009-06-19T07:28:19Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > The wiser solution (although probably not the most technically feasible one) would be to change it from guests not _displaying_ location/post count to guests not being able to _view_ location/post count, while the information would be visible to members. Right. The incentives are backwards. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/displaying-the-post-counts-and-locations-of-guests/500049/39 "2009-06-19T09:27:03Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > Those who don’t care can continue to loudly proclaim so… Yes. There’s something about the level of vehemence with which certain people “don’t care” and the effort they go to in order to express their lack of care that causes me to take away a very different message to the one being typed out. The lady doth… ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/displaying-the-post-counts-and-locations-of-guests/500049/40 "2009-06-19T12:07:58Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Thankees, Liberal! I was getting distracted by those animated ads on the top! > > You guys are awesome! > > ETA: Not that it’s kicked in yet. I’ll PM you. > > And now back to the originally scheduled topic: I don’t know why, even as of this morning, it has not taken effect. I have PM’d TubaDiva, and explained the problem to her. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/displaying-the-post-counts-and-locations-of-guests/500049.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/displaying-the-post-counts-and-locations-of-guests/500049.md?page=3)