# Something strange about post count and user search **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 15, 2002, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-strange-about-post-count-and-user-search/123988 "2002-08-15T08:19:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-strange-about-post-count-and-user-search/123988/1 "2002-08-15T08:19:21Z")
My post count, as it appears in threads, is 1216. White Lightning Member Registered: Sep 2000 Location: El Cerrito, CA. \X/ Posts: 1216 But when I click the ‘search’ button underneath any of my posts, my search results say: Displaying Topics 1 to 25 of 1230. I’ve been tracking this for the last 30 posts or so, and the relationship is constant: my search results retrieve 14 posts more than my post count reflects. As far as I can tell all the results in my search are in fact posts that I have made. In an effort to find out some more information about this phenomenon, I’ve checked on some other posters – everyone I’ve looked at has between half a dozen and 20 extra posts on their search page. I can’t figure it out. Anyone have any insight to shed on this strange occurrence? I couldn’t find anything in search. I mean, I figure it’s some kind of weird server thing but I wanted to know if anyone had noticed it before or if there’s a specific explanation. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-strange-about-post-count-and-user-search/123988/2 "2002-08-15T09:34:36Z")
The same thing with me. 996 posts, 1010 search results. Since it’s _the_ least busy time for the board right now (4:15 AM CDT), I’ll do a couple more searches. Here are the results for a few posters. Post count, search results, and registration month: 9, 9, Apr 2002 208, 217, Mar 2002 885, 899, Sep 2001 2024, 2035, Jan 2000 2801, 2500, Mar 1999 Actually, I think 2500 is the maximum number of results you can get, so ignore that last one. It looks like this phenomenon is fairly widespread, but I don’t see a pattern. I’m trying to think of any way I could have 14 posts that didn’t show up in my post count. The only thing I can think of is that sometimes when you double-post without actually hitting Submit Reply twice, it only increments your post count once. I know I’ve done this two or three times, but I don’t think 14. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-strange-about-post-count-and-user-search/123988/3 "2002-08-15T09:44:15Z")
Um… isn’t this because you have sometimes posted several times in the same thread? Thus reducing the number of topics listed in the search. The ratio of topics to posts will also give you an indication of your propensity to perpetrate drive-by posts. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-strange-about-post-count-and-user-search/123988/4 "2002-08-15T10:20:38Z")
No, **jjimm**. The search function finds individual posts, not threads. But even if it were the case as you suggest, then our search results would be _less_ than our post counts, not _more_. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-strange-about-post-count-and-user-search/123988/5 "2002-08-15T10:34:49Z")
Oh yeah. Duh. Ignore me. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-strange-about-post-count-and-user-search/123988/6 "2002-08-15T18:40:51Z")
Spammer posts thread about Pyramid Scheme. **White Lightning** responds, and says: “You dolt! Posting about pyramid schemes is illegal on these boards. Wait till the mods get you!” Mod X comes in, and moves the thread away from public view. Your post count shows Y posts, but if you look for it, you’ll only find Y-1 hits. If all is well, _I_ should be able to find them all. Let me try that hypothesis right now! ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-strange-about-post-count-and-user-search/123988/7 "2002-08-15T18:59:51Z")
“Displaying Topics 1 to 25 of 1232” Hmmm. He’s got 1217 posts. And I just realised I competely reversed the logic in my previous post. 😃 OK, the official answer is: it’s a server glitch. Can’t be helped. Ever so sorry. [sub]Arnold? Help me out here![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-strange-about-post-count-and-user-search/123988/8 "2002-08-15T19:48:55Z")
I realized that in addition to what I said earlier, there have been times that a post will go through but the thread will not be kicked back to the top of the forum list, and your post count will not be incremented at all. I’ve done this a few times as well. Maybe these two things together can account for the discrepancy. It seems to me that for me, they would only account for 6 or 7, but I guess 14 is _possible_. Anyway, I don’t think I’ve ever had a post deleted or moved to limbo, but again, it’s possible I just never saw it go. Now that I’m in quadruple-digits (:-D) it’s hard to keep track. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-strange-about-post-count-and-user-search/123988/9 "2002-08-16T00:50:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > [sub]Arnold? Help me out here![/sub] Sure thing Coldfire! And the answer is (drumroll): It’s a server glitch. Can’t be helped. I would guess that sometimes when the server has eaten your post, your post count got updated without a post actually being created. Incomplete database updates blah-blah-blah read the FAQ. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-strange-about-post-count-and-user-search/123988/10 "2002-08-16T05:39:55Z")
I know it’s not important, and I’m not trying to be mean, but _am I the only one who understands the OP_? The number of posts we have is _ **larger** _ than our post count. But it looks like there’s not a satisfying answer. Oh well. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-strange-about-post-count-and-user-search/123988/11 "2002-08-16T09:35:32Z")
Well, it goes the other way 'round too. When you post, sometimes the post appears but the thread doesn’t bump. In those cases, your post count remains the same as well. However, there IS an extra post, which WILL show up in searches. I think that’s the actual answer. Wow. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-strange-about-post-count-and-user-search/123988/12 "2002-08-16T10:11:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Achernar \* > **there have been times that a post will go through but the thread will not be kicked back to the top of the forum list, and your post count will not be incremented at all.** > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > **When you post, sometimes the post appears but the thread doesn’t bump. In those cases, your post count remains the same as well. However, there IS an extra post, which WILL show up in searches.** You know, I know it’s satisfying to find answers out on your own, but is it really always necessary? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-strange-about-post-count-and-user-search/123988/13 "2002-08-17T00:01:55Z")
You guys are funny. Thanks for all the answers, everybody. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-strange-about-post-count-and-user-search/123988/14 "2002-08-17T00:35:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Achernar \* > I know it’s not important, and I’m not trying to be mean, but _am I the only one who understands the OP_? Let me rephrase my sentence to say things in the proper order (excuse the previous mix-up.) I would guess that sometimes when the server has eaten your post, your post was created without the post count actually being updated.