# post counts
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts/56825
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [March 5, 2001, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts/56825 "2001-03-05T15:43:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2001, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts/56825/1 "2001-03-05T15:43:32Z")
How accurate are the post counts? For example, in the GQ thread “kosher meat question,” Zev\_Steinhardt had several posts, yet his count remained the same on each one. Shouldn’t the count go up for each post?
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### Author:  [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2001, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts/56825/2 "2001-03-05T15:57:12Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Knighted Vorpal Sword \*
> \*\*How accurate are the post counts? For example, in the GQ thread “kosher meat question,” Zev\_Steinhardt had several posts, yet his count remained the same on each one. Shouldn’t the count go up for each post? \*\*
They are accurate. The post counts are updated for all your posts to reflect your current total.
To test:
You are now showing with 101 posts. When you post a reply here again, all your posts will then show 102 (inlcluding the first one).
Zev Steinhardt
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### Author:  [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2001, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts/56825/3 "2001-03-05T15:58:33Z")
To answer both your questions:
1. The post count is an approximation. Threads get deleted, and even if that’s not the case, the total number is a wild guess at best. Close, probably.
2. The post count indicates the _total_ number of posts one has. So if zev poster twice in that thread, his post count DID go up. Try it yourself: reply to this thread, and check your post count first. Your first and second post in this thread will have the same number, which is going to be \ + 1.
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### Author:  [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2001, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts/56825/4 "2001-03-05T16:03:50Z")
Damn you to hell, Zev. 😉
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### Author:  [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2001, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts/56825/5 "2001-03-05T16:40:55Z")
OK, consider this a test reply.
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### Author:  [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2001, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts/56825/6 "2001-03-05T17:25:17Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Knighted Vorpal Sword \*
> \*\*OK, consider this a test reply. \*\*
And your post count was bumped up to 102.
Zev Steinhardt
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### Author:  [@G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.B.H.Hornswoggler)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2001, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts/56825/7 "2001-03-08T13:37:22Z")
And this is where I reminisce about how much better UBB was – each post was stamped with a unique number! You could tell if a post was a user’s first, or 666th, or whatever. That was a fun feature (sure, it wasn’t _useful_ in any way, but it was still nice to have).
Of course, UBB also crashed at least once a day, but you’ve got to take the bad with the good…
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### Author:  [@Louie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Louie)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2001, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts/56825/8 "2001-03-08T23:14:45Z")
I swear, with all the test threads getting deleted in ATMB and the new post I make, I’m going to be stuck around 1154 forever. 😛
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2001, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts/56825/9 "2001-03-09T02:52:29Z")
> [@](#):
>
> And this is where I reminisce about how much better UBB was – each post was stamped with a unique number! You could tell if a post was a user’s first, or 666th, or whatever. That was a fun feature (sure, it wasn’t useful in any way, but it was still nice to have).
I don’t think so… I seem to recall seeing such discussions of “Hey! Why isn’t my post count changing?” even before the Great Change… But I’m not certain. Perhaps it’s an option that can be set in UBB?
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### Author:  [@waxteeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waxteeth)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2001, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-counts/56825/10 "2001-03-09T03:37:29Z")
What if I’ve never had a post ? Will this be my first #1 ?
Will my post counter show a Zero to reflect my lack of any posts ?
Is this how the “real” mellenium 2000/2001 thing got started?