Should post counts be displayed?

[Sho]

I've changed my mind. Visible post counts are a plague on the forums. I don't care about them, but they divide the forums into forum oldbies and forum newbies - not necessarily the same division as the one between Cantr oldbies and Cantr newbies.
Some people care about this division, and others don't, but when people explicitly point out "you've only posted 17 times, so I don't care what you say" or "you have 4913 posts, so you must be a post whore, hate newbies by default and not have a life," even the people who don't care about post counts get dragged into the mire.

I don't actually believe removing post counts will reduce post-whoring - the common cause of post-whoring seems to be an inability to filter out pointless thoughts before posting them in public, not an unhealthy obsession with post counts.

[west]

Nevertheless. I don't need a big number next to my name to know I'm superior. I have one, I mean, but I don't NEED it. I'd like to see post counts obscured.

[formerly known as hf]

I don't care really, to be honest, but I would prefer them got shot of.

[deadboy]

I don't really care, but I say keep them, why not? They let the oldies feel special about themselves

[Sho]

They let the oldies feel special about themselves

That's a good thing?

[deadboy]

holy sweet Jesus you replied fast

I never said it was a good thing or a bad thing, but yeah, let them feel special, does it really effect us?

EDIT: I edited this just to see if Sho manages to reply before I get to the end of this sentance
EDIT2: Wow he didn't

[Sho]

Yes, it affects us. As I said, it causes tension between oldbies and newbies.

[deadboy]

Not reallt, I don't see myself having an argument with an oldbie just because he has a higher number next to his name, it's just a number, it let's you see how active they are, nothing more, I really can't see why you are being so uptight about it Sho

[funetik]

I say keep them. If you're new to a forum it helps to know who posts a lot and how people react to what they say. It helps you learn the boundaries in a way, I think.

And every forum, ever, has had post counts

[Sho]

Because on several occasions I, or other people with relatively high post counts, have been accused of specifically targeting newbies for our not-quite-PC comments.

[deadboy]

That's just because that's who you are Sho, and as far as I can tell it's not just people with low post counts, you target, it's everyone, so if you want to stop people saying that about you getting rid of post rates isn't the way, stopping trying to shoot down every idea is pretty much the way forward, because post counts or no post counts you're still going to do it and people are still going to say it


and don't get me wrong, i'm not telling you to stop doing it, coming up with little flaws in suggestions is just what you do, without it even really bad suggestions would get through

[deadboy]

Although you could... you know... lighten up on the trying to shoot down good suggestions by saying they are too hard to program whether they would be or not, that can get pretty annoying

[funetik]

Might sound a bit strange, but I find your avatar a bit offputting, Sho.

Just not a pretty avatar and the way you write things seems a little too serious at times. Doubt it's intended, but just what I think.

edit- that sounded a bit harsh, especially if it's you in the avatar
Not the friendliest of looks and some brainwashing lines/prison bars in the background.

I'm not usually the psychoanalyst I am tonight, but personally those two aspects combined turn me off a bit where you're concerned.

Soften the language - add a lol here or there, maybe a smiley face.
Change the avatar

and I'll be a fan

[Phalynx]

I voted NO...

And if it were possible to hide when people joined the forums I would do that too....

[the_antisocial_hermit]

Soften the language - add a lol here or there, maybe a smiley face.
Change the avatar

Ahaha, right, good one.

Let's leave Sho to his Sho ways. No need to impress anyone here with false-itudes. He makes his points by disseminating them to the general populace of the forums in a clear, concise first paragraph way.

Besides, it would get boring if there were no Sho-like entity browsing the forums and causing some people to wet their pants when they see him post on their suggestions.