In this thread, Satan produced a table of statistics, detailing the percentage of their posts that various posters had posted in GD. Subsequently additional posters chimed in with additional data of this sort. Is there any way that this can be easily done? The only method that I can think of is to use the search function to search posts by a given poster, and manually count them up, screen after screen. I find it hard to imagine anyone doing that much work. Is there another way that it is done?
Only way I saw how to do it was to do two searches per person (one ‘any forum’, one ‘great debates’) and then you’d get the total number of threads posted and total number in the forum requested. Yes, you’d have to do multiple searches per person for each forum to get the specifics.
If any mod/admin could answer this follow up question, does it tax the system to have these kind of multiple searches done (ie, are we straining the system just to have a little fodder for our ‘mindless stat’ pile?)
Izzy, as far as I could see they were mostly talking about threads, not posts, as you indicate. In fact someone made the point that the whole effort was invalid because it was based on threads rather than posts.
Sorry, I meant threads (they were using threads to extrapolate posts, and I interchanged the terms).
Truth is that at the time I posted this question I had forgotten that the search function gives the total number of threads at the top. This makes is a lot easier, as wring pointed out, thought still kind of tedious. But the kind of tedium that you might endure to make your point in an argument. 
You don’t have to count them up screen after screen. On the first page of the search results it will say “1 to nn of nn” so the total is displayed there.
Believe me, with all I’ve read and witnessed at the Straight Dope, nothing that our members can do will surprise me any more. And no, this is not a challenge to some clever poster to start a thread “Let’s amaze Winkelried”. 
[Edited by Arnold Winkelried on 03-01-2001 at 02:00 PM]
Yes.
I try to do any searching that involves using the “any date” option late at night, when no one’s here anyways. Well, SPOOFE is usually around then, but it’s pretty empty in general. But then again, if everyone did that, the boards wouldn’t be so nice and fast then.
[mildly]That’s remarkably US-centric of you, waterj.[/mildly]
Ah statistics, statistics. How we love thee. Now I’m off to extrapolate a statistic for the number of posts written between 0800 and 0900 CST in MPSIMS by posters with a “x” in their name by counting the number of threads containing the word “moist” in IMHO written before 17 May 2000.
pan
I scare all the weak-willed posters away. Boo!
And if you’re finished, you’re gonna start a Pit Thread about what to name these posters, right?
Quite a heavy strain on the server, too, if I understand the techs correctly.
I thought waterj2 was implying that having SPOOFE around is the same as it being pretty empty.
I am a newbie (check the post count). I stare in wonder at post counts of three, four or five thousand. I’d like to see some statistics on post counts.
There’s a thread here that has lots of stuff.
Get your Most-Active-Posters here
And if you search for “Most-Active-Posters” you get references to that thread, which are threads where stats are discussed.
These kinds of threads are “perennials”- if you like the info and think it’s interesting for other new posters, just post anything to boost it again. Always fun for new people. 