# Trust Level 3 **URL:** \ **Category:** Site Feedback\ **Created:** [July 29, 2020, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trust-level-3/916768 "2020-07-29T23:26:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trust-level-3/916768/63 "2020-08-14T14:55:42Z")
I generally only lurk. I could deliberately post in a couple more threads to test the theory but I run the risk of Mods stepping in and warning me against something. Is it a potential issue for the site if people start “stamp collecting” and posting merely to achieve extra levels and badges? I seem to recall a few years back there was a thread about Charter Members and who had the highest overall post count and the Mods warned “junk posts” to boost totals was not going to be tolerated. Although I could be mis-remembering. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trust-level-3/916768/64 "2020-08-14T14:59:17Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The fact a bunch of people got TL3 early despite not meeting the “like” criteria says that at least some of these parameters _have_ been tweaked If I were to guess, I would say not tweaked deliberately. Just that turning off the like function in general automatically removed it as a criteria for trust levels. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trust-level-3/916768/65 "2020-08-14T16:10:40Z")
> [@TCMF-2L](#): > > I can confirm that merely reading 500 topics / 20,000 posts does not give you promotion to Level 3. Note that’s it’s new threads and posts **within the last 100 days**. If you scrolled start to finish in a bunch of thread games, most of those posts probably fell outside that window. ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trust-level-3/916768/66 "2020-08-14T16:24:54Z")
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! You are correct. Now I have no way of knowing my actual, eligible, count either. Guess I either return to simply lurking and let nature take it’s course… Or try to read through more modern threads. I find these really long threads tend to crash the aged devices I use for browsing which complicates things. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trust-level-3/916768/67 "2020-08-14T16:30:13Z")
My guess is that they’ve tweaked things further so that people don’t get level 3 in the future. I think it’s been ten days or so since anyone got it and a bunch lost it recently. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trust-level-3/916768/68 "2020-08-14T18:11:58Z")
> [@TCMF-2L](#): > > I was going by what it says in the help section I know it says that; but there’s clear evidence that it’s not actually working that way. Whether that has anything to do with likes being turned off on this board I don’t know. > [@TCMF-2L](#): > > Guess I either return to simply lurking and let nature take it’s course… Or try to read through more modern threads. As most of the features of level 3 are also turned off, and we’re not supposed to use some of the ones that haven’t been turned off yet, there’s no particular advantage in having it. All you miss out on is whatever conversation is going on in the Lounge, which is almost nothing. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > a bunch lost it recently. Maybe I’m one of them. I don’t see the lounge any longer. I can never remember whether “member” is level 2 or level 3, but that’s what my profile says. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trust-level-3/916768/69 "2020-08-14T18:16:30Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Maybe I’m one of them. I don’t see the lounge any longer. I can never remember whether “member” is level 2 or level 3, but that’s what my profile says. “Member” is 2, “Regular” is 3. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trust-level-3/916768/70 "2020-08-14T18:47:23Z")
I don’t even see Regular in the list of groups any more. Is anyone still in it? ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trust-level-3/916768/71 "2020-08-14T18:49:54Z")
How do you know what “Trust Level” you have, if any? ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trust-level-3/916768/72 "2020-08-14T20:30:43Z")
@TroutMan I’m seeing 22 still at Level 3 right this moment. I strongly suspect I won’t be joining them unless the criteria get changed again. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trust-level-3/916768/73 "2020-08-14T20:35:55Z")
Go to your profile (click on your avatar, then on your name.) In the upper right corner, at least as I’m seeing it, there’s a box that says “expand”. Click on that, and a batch of additional stuff should show up under your name; trust level is one of those things. – I wonder whether those of us who went back down to 2 did so because of something the Dope is doing, or because of something automatic that Discourse is doing? If Discourse drops trust level due to not reading enough threads recently, for instance, it seems to me that people might be coming and going from level 3 all the time. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trust-level-3/916768/74 "2020-08-14T21:14:01Z")
> [@TCMF-2L](#): > > @TroutMan I’m seeing 22 still at Level 3 right this moment. I strongly suspect I won’t be joining them unless the criteria get changed again. Ah, you’re right. It’s under badges, not groups. Last person to get it was on August 4. The only users who had it earlier than 7/30 (i.e., two weeks ago) are Discourse staff. I strongly suspect you are right, the criteria was changed on Aug 4 or 5. Live it up, [not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect) and [MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz), I think you’re out of the group by tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trust-level-3/916768/75 "2020-08-15T21:59:22Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > Live it up, [not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect) and [MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz), I think you’re out of the group by tomorrow. I really miss Trust Level 3. It made me feel good about myself, if only for a short time. ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trust-level-3/916768/76 "2020-08-16T10:25:54Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > > [@TCMF-2L](#): > > > > @TroutMan I’m seeing 22 still at Level 3 right this moment. I strongly suspect I won’t be joining them unless the criteria get changed again. > > Ah, you’re right. It’s under badges, not groups. > > Last person to get it was on August 4. The only users who had it earlier than 7/30 (i.e., two weeks ago) are Discourse staff. I strongly suspect you are right, the criteria was changed on Aug 4 or 5. Live it up, [not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect) and [MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz), I think you’re out of the group by tomorrow. Your prediction was correct. Not\_what\_you\_d\_expect and MrAtoZ are gone. There are now only 20 on Level 3. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2020, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trust-level-3/916768/77 "2020-08-18T16:16:04Z")
And then there were 11 ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2020, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trust-level-3/916768/78 "2020-08-18T18:22:58Z")
The killer is one of us! [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6chC3n4Kz4) ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2020, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trust-level-3/916768/79 "2020-08-20T00:14:20Z")
[![](https://spectrumculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/murder-by-death.png) ](https://spectrumculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/murder-by-death.png) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2020, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trust-level-3/916768/80 "2020-08-20T00:35:55Z")
Down to 9. And really only 4 if you exclude mods. Have we retained the badge “legitimately”? It’s been 14 days since Aug 5, so if the criteria changed then, it should have expired by now. Or maybe not–could be it only triggers at 23:59 UTC or some such. I suppose we’ll find out by tomorrow. If we are in legitimately… I’m a little disturbed. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2020, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trust-level-3/916768/81 "2020-08-20T00:39:11Z")
It seems like it’s actually 15 or even 16 days before you get booted. Like you, I think it’s a factor of a nightly process and/or UTC. Either way, I’m confident you’ll be out tomorrow. But they can never take away the memory of when you briefly touched the stars. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2020, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trust-level-3/916768/82 "2020-08-20T00:53:47Z")
I’d be curious if there was a single abuse of the special powers. As far as I know, everyone abided by the mod requests to refrain. Maybe that means it wasn’t such a bad system after all? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trust-level-3/916768.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trust-level-3/916768.md?page=5)