To those who revel in their high post count..

In My Humble Opinion
21

Reeder, posters have been having post count parties for a long time. It started out as a joke, then people started taking it seriously. Now it’s just a fun way to kill some time in MPSIMS. Hamy (who is a woman) was not bragging about her post count, she was just having a little party. Sort of like those threads that exist for the sole purpose of flirting.

Now, to answer your questions - I’ve been here about 20 months. I lurked, registered, began posting, and continued posting because I adore the people here. I worship their wit, their kindness, their openness, and their creativity. My somewhat high post count is not something I celebrate. It just reminds me of the friends I’ve made, the posts that I am most proud of, and the arguments I’ve had. It reminds me of the mistakes I’ve made, the silly things that bothered me, and the ways in which I’ve grown during the time I’ve been here.

I go to school full-time and work 30 hours a week. I don’t have much free time to devote to this Board - I rarely do. If I didn’t care so much for the posters here and cherish the things they are always teaching me, I wouldn’t bother to check in every day. I certainly wouldn’t care about my post count. It’s the people I come here for.

I think you’ll find the same true for many of the high post count posters.

22

Posting any ol’ thing for the sake of posting doesn’t really count for much, numbers aside. No cheap shots intended but handy is a fair example, with an extremely high post count–I’m not sure anyone has matched it–but most are one line, irrelevant “drive-bys”.

Maybe communicating by writing is part of the problem. In person, silent but interested bystanders register as participants by being SEEN as listeners. They might act as audience/judge to a particular conversation but they’re a recognizable part of the dynamic. (“Was that a smile? Nod? Am I being clear, boring, offensive…?”)

The dynamic is different online. Not better or worse, just different. It’s perilously easy to chime in and think no one noticed because the reaction/feedback is so radically different. People DID read, absorb and notice who said what, and how. The seeming lack of response, no matter how daunting, is more apparent than real. The immediate and REAL acknowledgment that accompanies face-to-face conversation requires deliberate effort here. (At least in theory <–assume cheesey grin). It’s a huge mistake to think posts weren’t read, absorbed and respected just because they didn’t elicit a direct response. That’s a real tough one, I know.

On the flip side is the “reader’s trap”: reading is intensely personal but it’s one sided. The ONLY way we have to know one another here is by the words we give back. That’s almost insultingly simplistic but it’s true. It doesn’t mean prolific posters are more legitimate or respected. (My personal quirk is toward quiet observers who de-lurk when sufficiently moved.) Sometimes directed responses are more attempts to jump into the swim or see how frequent posters react than anything.

Post count parties, etc. are just folks relating in one particular way, i.e. they’re frankly socializing. That way isn’t wrong; it’s fun. But there’s a world of qualitative difference between listening, speaking up, being heard and and assigning value judgements in any direction. Post counts of themselves count for diddly.

Veb

23

I don’t see any problem with bragging rights about anything at all.
There’s just not enough honors for most people in this world.
I just got a dubious honor that I was showing all my friends. It’s from the temp agency that sometimes gives me teaching substitute jobs. It said I was chosen as one of their Top 30 temps. No indication of how many total employees they have, and 30 is not a very exclusive group, so I can’t tell if I should be proud or not, but I do like to mention it, just as a novelty.

24

I think the number of posts i’ve made says it all, and i’m on the message board everyday.

25

I have the same answers as Jodi. Even though my post count isn’t all that high, I think I’m in the middle of the middle part of all dopers.

As per post parties do you remember when Euty tried to do away with all of those which were under 2000 but he was disuaded from it and nothing came of it. Democracy in action, even in a place that isn’t. Keep the masses happy eh?

p.s. Also there was this one guy who had his count set back to zero! How’s that? From thousands to zilch. If I recall he did it just to see if it could be done.

26

If a post count can be set back to zero, can it keep going and become a negative post count?

27

I believe TubaDiva can reset your post count, email her if you want that done.

28

You know, as I went past all the round numbers I never felt anything special but as I get closer to 4800 I can feel this tension building up inside me, this “je ne sais quoi”, gradually building up… like it will explode when I hit that number… what can it be? Does it say anything about me? What is so special about 4800?

29

BBBRRRRRRRRAAAAUUUUUUMMMM, BRRRRUUUMMM, BRUUMMMMM

:: Hamlet pulls up in his '76 T-Bird, revs the engine::

I’d never post just to increase my count.

BBBRRRRRRRRAAAAUUUUUUMMMM, BRRRRUUUMMM, BRUUMMMMM

::tires squealing::

30

I wish I had a high post count… :frowning:

31

Happy 1000th Reeder! Quality counts.

And many more.

Redboss

32

I feel that anyone with a count higher than Cecil is just being excessive.

33

I may not have read all the posts close enough, but there is something about Reeder posting his OP that seems just a little peculiar to me.

[ul][list][list]It was his 1000th post.
[/ul][/list][/list]
It could be a coincidence but it might not be.

As to the subject, I post seriously if the subject is serious or if the person is really looking for help or information. I post to some threads in ATMB that meet that criteria and in others like “sig test” I might say something just to relieve the boredom [sup]Yes, I guess I do relieve myself on the boards sometimes[/sup]. I have seen posts about how cruel it is for someone to do a drive by on CQ. Then I’ve gone to CQ and counted several questions that deserved no better than to be shot.

There is nothing wrong with the lurkers that only post when something really grabs their interest, but if that was the rule that we all used there wouldn’t be a message board. On the other hand (pun, I guess) someone that purposely goes for running up their count would not be a good habit for everyone to copy. I like to vary my posts (but I should add that I’ve been to the Pit, once that I know of).

P.S. Redboss posted while I was composing and I concur in his sentiments.

34

Sometimes I feel like my post count would rival handy’s, or at least tracer’s, if I posted as much as I want to. For every post I actually submit, I probably erase 10 that I write but decide at the last minute to not post.

35

Hmmmmm. It might surprise some that I don’t even pay attention to my post count. Now & then someone mentions in a post how many I have & that’s usually how I keep track of it.

More importantly, the more posts you have, the more posts you have read–which should add some extra lbs of intelligence in the attic.

I would like to say that you can repeat what someone else has said/wrote on the net/book as long as you put it in your own words. Then people ask for a cite/site for what you wrote & you have to post the original cite/site(which I have done probably thousands of times)–it seems it dilutes your personality/intelligence/substance.

When converting a message from the source it goes through personal filters & encoding of the person who uses it & then more personal filters & decoding of the person who reads it, which often causes a lot of mis-communication.

36

No I post for one reason and one reason alone. I feel everyone is entitled to my opinion.

WOOOOO HOOOO ONLY 258 MORE TILL I CAN HAVE A 2K POST PARTY!!!

37

That wasn’t his 1,000th post - his post count just happens to be 1,000 today (his 1,000th post is here).

Have we forgotten that as your post count increases, the number under your name increases as well, in every post you’ve ever made? :confused:

Also keep in mind this thread was started, what, a month ago, and was just recently resurrected.

I swear, sometimes you people just do not pay attention. If you’d been around as long as I have, you’d know better. ( :wink: )

Esprix

38

Yeah, one would think so…

39

I for one am sort of embarrassed by my count now. 1000 was cool. 2500 made me some sort of wise veteran. But now I think I’m up to the “Loser who needs to get a life” level.

40

What is more important to you…A high post count or the fact that your post actually added something to the thread?

This seems (to me) to be not a not-entirely curious question. However. I’ve got 6000+ posts. The vast majority of them mean nothing to me.

Then there are the 100-500 posts I’ve made that have gotten some sort of worthwhile response, or interested someone, or set the record straight, or something like that. Those are the ones I value more than others. They aren’t representative of me as a whole, they’re representative of what the SD can bring out in an otherwise-MP person.

Do you wear your post count as a medal of sorts? Or do you get satisfaction that you might have helped someone?

I am happy that I’ve gotten along here so far and haven’t been banned (not that I’d expected to be banned, just happy I’m still here). I’m happy that I’ve been able to help people here at all (considering I posted on a whim initially). So I guess the answer is both. I don’t bathe in the juices of my own ecstacy over having so many posts so much as I’m proud that I’ve been able to play by the rules long enough (or at least not break them;)).

Is your post count the most important thing to you?

:slight_smile: No. If if were I’d know what it is right now. And while I’m aware that it’s in the general area of 6350 to 6500, beyond that I don’t really know. I don’t exacltly keep track. If if were the most important thing to me I’d post a lot more than I have been.

In other words, Do you post for the thread or just to boost your post count?

Depends on the situation. I generally, if I post, think I have something of merit to add to a thread. But I have certainly padded my post count before (though not this year, that I can remember).

Is posting just to boost your count a good thing?

I see it as mostly harmless. But the people who post “I am doing this solely to increase my post count”, I think, are also mostly joking, or they place some mythical value in high post counts. ::shrug::

Lastly, why do you brag about it?

I think it’s amusing that some people (no, no cites, just some people I recall from the past) getting all worked up over someone who had a high post count and thus “must be right”, or “has no life”.

It’s a post count. I’ve written a lot on here. Some of my posts have consisted entirely of smilies. Some have been entirely pointless. Some have been me educating myself. Whatever. All it means to me is that I’ve said a lot and been able to (mostly) follow the rules.

Go me:)