# When does one become an "established" poster?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-one-become-an-established-poster/706953>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 11, 2014, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-one-become-an-established-poster/706953 "2014-12-11T16:53:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 12

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-one-become-an-established-poster/706953/221 "2014-12-31T21:30:30Z")

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Before this thread fades into oblivion, to be aroused some time in the future as a zombie (or worse), it may be worth the grammar school arithmetic and the numbers shown at  
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/index.php](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/index.php) – which at this very moment are:

> [@](#):
>
> ```auto
> 
> What's Going On? 
> Straight Dope Message Board Statistics 
> Threads: 702,738, Posts: 17,878,898, Members: 166,196, Active Members: 5,212 
> Welcome to our newest member, Torubullen 
> 
> ```

…to get these raw estimates:

```auto

Avg All Members: Posts: 17,878,898, Members: 166,196 = 107.577
Avg Active Members: Posts: 17,878,898, Active Members: 5,212 = 3430.333 

```

So one could argue (if not effectively) that if you have over 3430 posts then you are eligible for the next step (whatever it may be) toward becoming **established**.

If you have made fewer than 107 posts you may have retained your classification of **Lurker**!

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-one-become-an-established-poster/706953/222 "2014-12-31T22:31:49Z")

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> [@Zeldar](#):
>
> ```auto
> 
> Avg All Members: Posts: 17,878,898, Members: 166,196 = 107.577
> Avg Active Members: Posts: 17,878,898, Active Members: 5,212 = 3430.333 
> 
> ```

“Active member” just means someone who has logged in within the past 60 days (IIRC). Dividing the total number of posts made in 14 years by those posters who have logged in in the last two months doesn’t have a lot of significance.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-one-become-an-established-poster/706953/223 "2014-12-31T22:36:25Z")

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> [@Colibri](#):
>
> “Active member” just means someone who has logged in within the past 60 days (IIRC). Dividing the total number of posts made in 14 years by those posters who have logged in in the last two months doesn’t have a lot of significance.

No doubt! I seem to recall some semi-serious effort not too long ago to decide what the “active member’s” post count would be like, but I didn’t go hunting for that older thread.

This “no brainer” approach I just mentioned would serve only as a basement number at best.

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