# Post count padding? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 31, 2004, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-count-padding/282479 "2004-12-31T20:57:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-count-padding/282479/21 "2005-01-02T08:10:09Z")
> [@THespos](#): > > Ya know, if the post count thing is such an issue, why don’t the admins just get rid of post counts on the board entirely. It’s easy to do. Jerry the Tech God could probably do it in his sleep. That’s a fascinating point. If they don’t want people padding their post count, why the fuck do they have post counts? What purpose do they serve except to impress people with the number of posts they’ve made? Why complain about people trying to make a lot of posts **when you’re rewarding them for doing so?** ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-count-padding/282479/22 "2005-01-02T08:34:58Z")
> [@Gadfly](#): > > After lunch with Jeff, the God of Hairdos? Boy, do you ever need a refresher course in modern religion. Jeff is the God of Biscuits. SIMON is the God of Hairdos. I have no idea what my post count is. I’m afraid to look - I don’t need confirmation that I spend way too much time here. ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-count-padding/282479/23 "2005-01-02T08:44:33Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > What purpose do they serve except to impress people with the number of posts they’ve made? People would howl if they lost their post counts, no matter how silly they might seem. Besides, it would be hard to do since a visible post count is one of the features you’ve paid for: > [@Ed Zotti](#): > > **What does a subscription get me?** > \* Post count (i.e., number of messages you’ve posted to date appears with your username) ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-count-padding/282479/24 "2005-01-02T16:43:30Z")
> [@Cajun Man](#): > > I don’t know . . . you tell _me_. Uh huh. > [@](#): > > Before starting threads like this in the future, we ask that you please consider a few things: like how many active game threads are currently running; how broad the appeal of your thread may be; and the entertainment value it may provide. And assuming arguendo that my thread was a “game thread” (which, fine, if you say so I have no major quibble), consider each question in turn: How many other active game threads were there at the time? None that I saw; How broad the appeal? Close to 100 posts in 24 hours; Entertainment value? 1925 views to date so apparently someone was enjoying it. Next? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-count-padding/282479/25 "2005-01-02T17:08:24Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > A WIZARD SHOULD KNOW BETTER! Treebeard? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-count-padding/282479/26 "2005-01-02T17:50:19Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > How many other active game threads were there at the time? None that I saw; > How broad the appeal? Close to 100 posts in 24 hours; > Entertainment value? 1925 views to date so apparently someone was enjoying it. Oh come on. The number of views to date is irrelevant and you know it. Most of those probably came after the thread was locked because people like to check out locked threads and because it was linked here. Also, over 30% of the posts to the thread came from only four people. If history is any indication, that percentage would have gone up. “Post count padding” is probably just a bad term for what that was. It’s short hand for “useless fluff that slows down the board for no good reason” or something. I’ll grant you that it was probably the only “game thread” going at the time but it did fall under the “too stupid to live” precedent. Haj ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-count-padding/282479/27 "2005-01-02T18:01:35Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > “Post count padding” is probably just a bad term for what that was. It’s short hand for “useless fluff that slows down the board for no good reason” or something. Bollocks. Why use such a specific term if they don’t mean it? They acuse us of trying to increase our post counts for the sake of it. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-count-padding/282479/28 "2005-01-02T18:12:34Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > “Post count padding” is probably just a bad term for what that was. It’s short hand for “useless fluff that slows down the board for no good reason” or something. Now you come on. If the Mods went around locking every thread that someone thought was “useless fluff” MPSIMS would be a barren wasteland. And if that’s what it was, then CM can say so. I don’t like being accused of things I didn’t do. That includes post count padding. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-count-padding/282479/29 "2005-01-02T19:31:12Z")
**Cajun** If my own posts in that thread had not increased my post count I would have still posted them. Why do you persist with this stupid false acusation? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Griffin-Kentzel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_griffin-kentzel/32/14787_2.png) [@Larry\_Griffin-Kentzel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Griffin-Kentzel)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-count-padding/282479/30 "2005-01-02T19:35:58Z")
You know, **Otto** , when I first saw your thread (with no replies), I thought to myself, this thread is a post padding magnet if there ever was one. I decided, eh . . . it’s the holidays . . . I’ll let the members waste two pages worth of bandwidth, in the name of fun; when, in actuality, I should have closed it immediately. (At no time did I accuse you, personally, of post padding.) **Cajun Man** for the SDMB ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-count-padding/282479/31 "2005-01-02T19:44:01Z")
Huh? post #29 was posted after post #30 because it was in reply to it. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Griffin-Kentzel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_griffin-kentzel/32/14787_2.png) [@Larry\_Griffin-Kentzel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Griffin-Kentzel)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-count-padding/282479/32 "2005-01-02T19:55:28Z")
My browser “burped,” **Lobsang**. I didn’t see my post, so, I reposted it. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-count-padding/282479/33 "2005-01-02T19:59:39Z")
By now, you should realise that NO ONE was “padding” their post counts. So, why do you continue with that baseless accusation which is basically a lie? Eliminate post counts altogether and I would still have fun in threads like that until they get closed. Hear: The closing of threads is a minor issue that is of some annoyance, but the FALSE ACCUSATIONS you throw around are worthless shit. STOP IT!!! ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Griffin-Kentzel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_griffin-kentzel/32/14787_2.png) [@Larry\_Griffin-Kentzel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Griffin-Kentzel)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-count-padding/282479/34 "2005-01-02T20:05:20Z")
Thank you for opinion, **NoClueBoy**. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-count-padding/282479/35 "2005-01-02T20:29:53Z")
Thanks for noticing. I feel I’ve said all that can be said about my opinion here without needless repitition, so to avoid any further “padding,” I humbly request a calm discussion of a possible change in [this ATMB thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5672901#post5672901) Thank you in advance and I apologise for any gratuitous insults. I know you have a job to do, **CM** , but I do think you were misssing the point. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-count-padding/282479/36 "2005-01-02T21:11:26Z")
> [@Cajun Man](#): > > You know, **Otto** , when I first saw your thread (with no replies), I thought to myself, this thread is a post padding magnet if there ever was one. What. Fucking. EVER. Maybe you should have seen how the thread developed before deciding (with no replies) what was going to happen. I am so done with this. ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-count-padding/282479/37 "2005-01-02T22:42:12Z")
Since I was one of those ‘padding’ their post counts, I’d like to request **Cajun Man** or any of the other mods/admins to put my post count on zero. I don’t care about them. I’m merely a blab. I talk too much. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![stegon66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@stegon66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stegon66)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-count-padding/282479/38 "2005-01-02T22:44:41Z")
I just want you all to know that I would never do anything so heinous as pad my post count. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![stegon66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@stegon66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stegon66)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-count-padding/282479/39 "2005-01-02T22:46:28Z")
Actually, over at the Home Theater Forum where I’m a regular, they long ago did away with post counts (at least in posts; you can still see the numbers if view a member’s personal info). Something for the mods here to consider if it’s that big a deal. ---
**Author:** ![stegon66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@stegon66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stegon66)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2005, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-count-padding/282479/40 "2005-01-02T22:48:37Z")
…if **you** view a member’s personal info, that is. :smack: Let’s trade the post count for an edit function. Yeah, I know there’s a preview function… :smack: :smack: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-count-padding/282479.md?page=1)