# Post-counts...how important are they? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 8, 2005, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts-how-important-are-they/311626 "2005-07-08T18:17:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cruel\_butterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@cruel\_butterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cruel_butterfly)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts-how-important-are-they/311626/21 "2005-07-08T20:43:25Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > It was I. I offered a topic for conversation and he posted something like “It would have been polite for you to search first.” > > I was somewhat ticked. It was that or call him a dukey-butt. 🙂 I knew I could coax you out. Personally, I thought it was kinda funny. As a newbie, I wouldn’t have been so bold. It’s almost a reflex to check out how many posts a certain person has. If I run across several posts from one person, and I think they have an interesting sense of humor or a particularly clever way of writing, I might look up other posts or threads started by that person just to read them. Sometimes I get a chuckle; sometimes I get an education. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts-how-important-are-they/311626/22 "2005-07-08T20:45:41Z")
I wonder what Real Life would be like if we all had numbers floating over our heads telling how many times in our life we’d Said Something. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts-how-important-are-they/311626/23 "2005-07-08T20:47:16Z")
> [@Thudlow Boink](#): > > I wonder what Real Life would be like if we all had numbers floating over our heads telling how many times in our life we’d Said Something. If the count was dynamic, and reflected a negative every time you said something stoopid… (glances up) Man, I didn’t know numbers **went** that low! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts-how-important-are-they/311626/24 "2005-07-08T20:48:10Z")
> [@cruel butterfly](#): > > I knew I could coax you out. You dukey bu… Sorry. Welcome to the board. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts-how-important-are-they/311626/25 "2005-07-08T20:49:05Z")
> [@Thudlow Boink](#): > > I wonder what Real Life would be like if we all had numbers floating over our heads telling how many times in our life we’d Said Something. Could we also ban people? If so, I have a list… ---
**Author:** ![cruel\_butterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@cruel\_butterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cruel_butterfly)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts-how-important-are-they/311626/26 "2005-07-08T22:20:31Z")
> [@Binarydrone](#): > > Could we also ban people? If so, I have a list… so do I…and it would start with people who feel compelled to say things like, “Whoa! You look terrible! Are you sick?” ---
**Author:** ![Roadfood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@Roadfood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadfood)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts-how-important-are-they/311626/27 "2005-07-08T23:15:26Z")
Let’s see, been a member for six years (although where my “charter member” status went, I’ll never know), and have a bit over 500 hundred posts. Do I win the award for the lowest posts to membership time ratio? Anyway, I just never pay attention to post counts at all, nor to join dates. Heck, to be really honest, I don’t look at posters’ names all that much, until I get into an actual exchange with someone. I’m more interested in the content than anything. I had a recent exchange with a poster with a multi-thousand post count that got me the closest I’ve ever come to putting someone on my ignore list. His post count didn’t make me respect his loony ideas any more than otherwise. So, to me anyway, post count is as important as your shoe size; it’s what you have to say that matters. But then, as an old-timer with a posting rate of less than one every four days, what do I know? ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts-how-important-are-they/311626/28 "2005-07-08T23:19:48Z")
> [@Happy Scrappy Hero Pup](#): > > Our recently-departed friend Scott Plaid proves that a high post-count is not sufficient to generate respect. I have departed? Where do you get that idea from? 😕 Personally, as a guest, I was unable to see my post count, till I switched over from being a guest. I was as shocked as everyone to see how high my post count was. Anyway, OPer, (Post removed, since I am damn well aware that the question has already been answered.) ---
**Author:** ![Roadfood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@Roadfood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadfood)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts-how-important-are-they/311626/29 "2005-07-08T23:31:05Z")
> [@Roadfood](#): > > and have a bit over 500 hundred posts. :smack: Crap. And I don’t even know how to make strikethrough text. Just imagine that the word “hundred” isn’t really there… ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts-how-important-are-they/311626/30 "2005-07-08T23:37:34Z")
> [@Roadfood](#): > > :smack: Crap. And I don’t even know how to make strikethrough text. Just imagine that the word “hundred” isn’t really there… [Linky](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=318689). ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2005, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts-how-important-are-they/311626/31 "2005-07-08T23:42:54Z")
> [@Scott Plaid](#): > > I have departed? I’m nothing, if not a cynical optimist. ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2005, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts-how-important-are-they/311626/32 "2005-07-09T00:08:34Z")
> [@Scott Plaid](#): > > [Linky](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=318689). Glad to see the news of your death has been greatly exaggerated. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2005, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts-how-important-are-they/311626/33 "2005-07-09T00:12:50Z")
> [@cruel butterfly](#): > > Do those with low post-counts coupled with a fairly recent “join date” get snubbed by those who have been members for a long time? Post counts are _everything_. I do not even read the posts of people who have fewer posts than I do and I would not think of replying to someone who was not at least 2,500 posts ahead of me. Personally, I do not think that anyone should be allowed to post until their post count reaches 2,000. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2005, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts-how-important-are-they/311626/34 "2005-07-09T00:15:24Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Personally, I do not think that anyone should be allowed to post until their post count reaches 2,000. I hadn’t laughed out loud all day until I read this. Thankya, **tomndebb**. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts-how-important-are-they/311626/35 "2005-07-09T00:48:06Z")
Pre-counts are just as important, if not more so, than post-counts. Think of pre-counts as foreplay and post-counts as cuddling. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2005, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts-how-important-are-they/311626/36 "2005-07-09T01:40:10Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Post counts are _everything_. I do not even read the posts of people who have fewer posts than I do and I would not think of replying to someone who was not at least 2,500 posts ahead of me. > > Personally, I do not think that anyone should be allowed to post until their post count reaches 2,000. Hee hee! Made me laugh, too. ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2005, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts-how-important-are-they/311626/37 "2005-07-09T01:58:35Z")
> [@Roadfood](#): > > Do I win the award for the lowest posts to membership time ratio? I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2005, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts-how-important-are-they/311626/38 "2005-07-09T02:24:06Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > If the count was dynamic, and reflected a negative every time you said This concept is one that is explored in the novel [Down and Out in the Mgaic Kingdom](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0006HQLLO) by Cory Doctorow. In it, the only currency is what others think of what you do and say (everyone is part of a sort of peer-to-peer network in which everyone observes and comments on everyone else.) Before speaking with you, people can check your current status. Its an entertaining little book. er… sorry for the hijack. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2005, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts-how-important-are-they/311626/39 "2005-07-09T02:38:42Z")
Post counts are VERY important. Why, when I first started here, people thought I might be some kind of idiot. Now, thanks to all my posts, they’ve got all the evidence they will ever need. ---
**Author:** ![FaerieBeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FaerieBeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FaerieBeth)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2005, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts-how-important-are-they/311626/40 "2005-07-09T02:44:34Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > \*\*Diogenes \*\* & \*\*Liberal \*\* & **FaerieBeth** , each with over 10,000 posts. We need fresh blood and fresh ideas. Um, sorry to blow your whole comparison, there, Anaamika, but I have significantly less than 10,000 posts. In fact, I have about 1/5 the number of posts that you do. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts-how-important-are-they/311626.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts-how-important-are-they/311626.md?page=3)