# Remove post count from posts in threads.



## FAST6191 (Apr 18, 2012)

Title kind of says it all and indeed I kind of wish I could leave it at that but some more words are probably necessary- call it an experiment* but could we see what happens if we remove post count from the main threads and leave it instead to the mouseover** or general profile viewer.
By all means leave the medals, group and such and maybe try it as a temporary measure (3 weeks would be a decent minimum).

*



Spoiler



much as I like experimenting for the sake of it if I have to put forth some justification we have pointedly avoided implementing anything resembling reputation and even ignoring the huge nigh on dealbreaking problems with rep systems especially on a mature forum like this one I would possibly be able to argue they have more merit than an obvious post count



**pulling apart other forum software it might be quite doable but I guess if this is a common php include or something it might get nominally harder depending upon how you work it (copy and past with a slightly different name and roll from there)- as it is the mouseover stuff is another query set anyway (or at least it does not appear in the main thread source in an obvious fashion).

I have various ideas as to what would happen but I can not really see it being a negative (I would not have suggested it if I foresaw a big downside) and it might even be a fair positive (prelude to counter arguement- you might not notice it but others might and as a whole....).


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## DinohScene (Apr 18, 2012)

Or have an option to show post counts or not.

I like this system tbh.


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## omgpwn666 (Apr 18, 2012)

Sounds like a good idea actually. Not removing post count completely, but from the main thread only. The only reason I use post count is to see if someone is scamming. Like if they make a topic called, "3DS Officially Hacked" the first thing I will do is look at the post count of the op, and the post count of anyone saying it works.


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## Black-Ice (Apr 18, 2012)

Too many people are butt hurt over post count.
This should soothe their backside pain.


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## Terminator02 (Apr 18, 2012)

I like to see post count and join date so I can tell how new of a member they are/if they know better, but once you get past 500 posts it becomes more of an ego thing.

I don't really like the idea of less information being easily seeable, but that's just my opinion.


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## omgpwn666 (Apr 18, 2012)

Terminator02 said:


> I like to see post count and join date so I can tell how new of a member they are/if they know better, but once you get past 500 posts it becomes more of an ego thing.
> 
> I don't really like the idea of less information being easily seeable, but that's just my opinion.



Well, you could see the post count with a mouse over of the profile still. Also, we could keep the join dates too, just make it a little more work to see post count. If you could not see my post count you would probably assume I had a lot of posts by looking at my join date (until you clicked my profile to see my post count). Lol


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## Black-Ice (Apr 18, 2012)

How can people make something so innocently simple like a post count. Into something that needs to be hidden from society.


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## prowler (Apr 18, 2012)

lets just make gbatemp neogaf and be done with it


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## Wizerzak (Apr 18, 2012)

Terminator02 said:


> I like to see post count and join date so I can tell how new of a member they are/if they know better, but once you get past 500 posts it becomes more of an ego thing.
> 
> I don't really like the idea of less information being easily seeable, but that's just my opinion.


This. I look at post counts quite a lot, it gives me a better idea of how well known someone is / whether I should know them (especially if they've had a name change).


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## omgpwn666 (Apr 19, 2012)

Black-Ice said:


> How can people make something so innocently simple like a post count. Into something that needs to be hidden from society.



Because, it's actually not that innocent. Seems a decent amount of users get upset about post counts being displayed because their opinions were not valued as much as someone with a higher post count. Honestly, I don't mind everyone can see my post count, but it does bother some. Might as well try something new, couldn't hurt, just making it a little more work to see the post count, not removing it.


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## Black-Ice (Apr 19, 2012)

omgpwn666 said:


> Black-Ice said:
> 
> 
> > How can people make something so innocently simple like a post count. Into something that needs to be hidden from society.
> ...


With a mentality like that, we might as well stop people signing up for GBAtemp.
If we wanted to, we could make a fuss over anything.
Everythings innocent until someone says otherwise.

I dont need a big number to speak my opinion. who really does?


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## omgpwn666 (Apr 19, 2012)

Black-Ice said:


> omgpwn666 said:
> 
> 
> > Black-Ice said:
> ...



You're 100% correct on that. Most people that make a big deal over posts counts just get trolled and get told to leave anyways.


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## ProtoKun7 (Apr 19, 2012)

We've discussed this before, and as far as I'm concerned, removing it (even removing in the sense of making something just to hide it on a mouseover) is pointless. This system means you don't even need to mouseover. It's fine as it is.


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## mysticwaterfall (Apr 19, 2012)

I like having both post count and join date' but as others have said, past a point its not really meaningful. But you really need both to judge. I for instance go here usually several times a day, but dont post everyday.

If you really want your experiment to do what I think you want it to, you would have to use prowlers suggestion and get rid of everything.  Certainly having an earlier join date or more posts doesnt make you instantly knowledgable, but its something.  What I like on some forums are "thanks" (as oppossed to just likes), but can also be readily abused.


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## FAST6191 (Apr 19, 2012)

Just to clarify/echo others I am not saying remove it entirely or even abstract it/hide it in a way (again as of the upgrade assuming you have a token amount of javascript going on just hold your pointer over the users name in the top left of their post).

Also just to make it clear I have no issue with postcounts and have not noticed any major problems with postcounts anywhere for anything on this forum (as others said there were a few people that did not really understand the tone of the forum and were trained up on this internet gig elsewhere but beyond that nothing) and as such do not have any real reason for the request beyond some intellectual curiosity.

I could say more but at this point it would be personal anecdotes and not really that relevant.


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## jimmyemunoz (Apr 19, 2012)

If you remove the post count, but leave the medals, people will still know who has been more dedicated to this website, or at the very least, more active. Generally, if someone has a good point they are not going to be "trolled" (God, I hate that word). If anyone has a problem with post count they ought to ask themselves why it bothers them, and then get over it. There are countless websites on the internet with the same system, and this has been going on for twenty+ years. As the cliche goes, "If it's not broke, don't fix it." Personally, I really think keeping the system implemented is a better choice. Are members with high post counts complaining because they are getting treated as though they are a gbatemp God? I know you understand the point I'm making right there! This is a chance to learn to deal with systems, and tolerance towards what we might not agree with, or like. Can't we all just get along? Seriously, if this is a problem then there are other communities and maybe that is a better spot for those that don't agree with the current implemented system. Personally, I don't want any of you to do that, but if you just can't go with the flow, then maybe the other communities are a better choice for you. I'm not a moderator, or webmaster here, I'm just a peon with an account, just like a member who signed up 1 minute ago. My opinion/posts can be trampled on just as easily. Honestly, the world isn't fair, and you'd be doing yourself justice to learn it now, while your young, because this issue at hand is extremely trivial and juvenile. If people troll you use the setting in the user control panel to block all their posts, so you won't even know they exist, if it should come to that. Last but not least, if you have a high post count please don't pick on the new members.


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## FAST6191 (Apr 19, 2012)

Thoughts on your reply jimmyemunoz

Medals certainly provide an immediate visual reference*** but we all recognise numbers and are hopefully well trained to do so where medals are probably not something we are trained to recognise. If they wanted to go as part of this (presumably with the ones indicating staff left) it is certainly nothing resembling a sticking point.

That I can see nobody is complaining about anything (certainly I had no thoughts of such things when I was typing up the opening post) and that I have seen there is nothing resembling a group of people that has got together to complain about postcount let alone in a sensible way.

"If it ain't broke...."- many replies to this but my main two will be you are clearly not thinking like an engineer (if it ain't broke carry on tweaking) and is it really not broken*?/why not lose it (granted you did have the whole post I am replying to right now but by this I mean have you got any compelling reasons to leave postcount immediately visible in threads?).

*thinking when people started to analyse strategies for things like backgammon the conventional wisdom went out the window. Going for the possibly absurd (certainly I am actively attempting not to go into strawman world) parallel consider for films/TV/visual stuff if we distilled something like IMDB info down to numbers and put it alongside things..... actually working backwards from that some combination of views/likes/linkbacks/quotes as a "this user's best/most notable/most saleable work" (think "from the director of") might be a fantastic thing*.

* and *** possible middleground- after a certain threshold perhaps a simple mathematical equation (I reckon you could do it client side in javascript). Certainly I can see counts and join dates informing the nature of reply but if going that far......

Perhaps I should ponder this further.


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## rastsan (Apr 19, 2012)

i don't know why its visible in threads at all... just put it on their profile page.  if you need to view that you can view it there with mouse click....


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## EyeZ (Apr 19, 2012)

I do not see the logic in not having the post count showing, and yet you are able to view the post count with a mouse over


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## Aeter (Apr 19, 2012)

I think it would be a good test to make medals and post counts optional. Just to see what people would do if they had the option.
In my opinion, it does create some sort of hierarchy with members, which, I think, is not a good thing.
If people wouldn't know a rank of someone they would treat them like any other person on the forum, but with the post count and medals out in the open, even though no one might admit it, they most likely will treat someone differently, be it conscious or subconsciously. 
I mean just by looking at it, it might subconsciously change your behavior towards someone, which is strange but true.
You see it all the time in everyday life.

Just my 2 euro cents.


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## FAST6191 (Apr 18, 2012)

Title kind of says it all and indeed I kind of wish I could leave it at that but some more words are probably necessary- call it an experiment* but could we see what happens if we remove post count from the main threads and leave it instead to the mouseover** or general profile viewer.
By all means leave the medals, group and such and maybe try it as a temporary measure (3 weeks would be a decent minimum).

*



Spoiler



much as I like experimenting for the sake of it if I have to put forth some justification we have pointedly avoided implementing anything resembling reputation and even ignoring the huge nigh on dealbreaking problems with rep systems especially on a mature forum like this one I would possibly be able to argue they have more merit than an obvious post count



**pulling apart other forum software it might be quite doable but I guess if this is a common php include or something it might get nominally harder depending upon how you work it (copy and past with a slightly different name and roll from there)- as it is the mouseover stuff is another query set anyway (or at least it does not appear in the main thread source in an obvious fashion).

I have various ideas as to what would happen but I can not really see it being a negative (I would not have suggested it if I foresaw a big downside) and it might even be a fair positive (prelude to counter arguement- you might not notice it but others might and as a whole....).


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## dice (Apr 20, 2012)

I tend to judge a member based on the post(s) I see and not the number of posts they have made. It shouldn't be a factor in determining the "correctness" of their comment, especially when in doubt. If it is more fool you I guess...

I don't think it matters whether we change things or not so my default response would be to leave things as is.


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## ProtoKun7 (Apr 20, 2012)

rastsan said:


> i don't know why its visible in threads at all... just put it on their profile page.  if you need to view that you can view it there with mouse click....


Alternatively, right now if you need to view it, no clicking is necessary.


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## The Catboy (Apr 20, 2012)

Why does this keep coming up? The system is fine the way it is. Really it makes no difference if the post count is there or not, but it's not worth removing it or hiding it all and all.


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## MelodieOctavia (Apr 20, 2012)

The comparing posts really isn't as bad on this forum compared to other forums i'm a member of. On the others low post counts usually get shit on whether they have a valid post or not. Most of the time here people take into consideration the content of the post first and the post count secondary.


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## Fear Zoa (Apr 20, 2012)

While It would be interesting, I don't think post count matters, it seems (at least to me) that creditably comes from how recognizable you are.

Like The Catboy, everyone knows the catboy 

But most people don't know me, it comes down to recognizable names, avatars, signatures


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## ProtoKun7 (Apr 20, 2012)

Fear Zoa said:


> While It would be interesting, I don't think post count matters, it seems (at least to me) that creditably comes from how recognizable you are.
> 
> Like The Catboy, everyone knows the catboy
> 
> But most people don't know me, it comes down to recognizable names, avatars, signatures


I recognise your name. 

You also had a gas mask or radioactivity-related avatar a while back, yes?


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## Rydian (Apr 20, 2012)

TwinRetro said:


> The comparing posts really isn't as bad on this forum compared to other forums i'm a member of. On the others low post counts usually get shit on whether they have a valid post or not. Most of the time here people take into consideration the content of the post first and the post count secondary.


Otherwise people like me do their best to make them look stupid to make an example out of their behavior.


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## Aeter (Apr 20, 2012)

Rydian said:


> TwinRetro said:
> 
> 
> > The comparing posts really isn't as bad on this forum compared to other forums i'm a member of. On the others low post counts usually get shit on whether they have a valid post or not. Most of the time here people take into consideration the content of the post first and the post count secondary.
> ...


I can see the irony in your post count


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## Rydian (Apr 20, 2012)

I'm talking about the people who mock those with a low one.


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## Prophet (Apr 20, 2012)

Yes... remove post count and lets all turn our attention to joined date instead.


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## Aeter (Apr 20, 2012)

Rydian said:


> I'm talking about the people who mock those with a low one.


I was just mocking you, taking in consideration a post count indicates a rank and you putting people in their places because of your post count.
I found that rather ironic.
But I hope you know I'm just joking.


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## EyeZ (Apr 20, 2012)

Prophet said:


> Yes... remove post count and lets all turn our attention to joined date instead.



November 02, i know where you're coming from with this


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## Rydian (Apr 20, 2012)

Aeter said:


> Rydian said:
> 
> 
> > I'm talking about the people who mock those with a low one.
> ...


But it doesn't have anything to do with my post count, it's about their actions.

I was bitching at people when I had 100 posts here.


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## Aeter (Apr 20, 2012)

Rydian said:


> Aeter said:
> 
> 
> > Rydian said:
> ...


I know it doesn't have anything to do with your post, hence I was joking.


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## Fear Zoa (Apr 21, 2012)

ProtoKun7 said:


> Fear Zoa said:
> 
> 
> > While It would be interesting, I don't think post count matters, it seems (at least to me) that creditably comes from how recognizable you are.
> ...


Really? That's surprising (to me at least) 
Anyways your right about the avatar part It was zero from 999 

Not really sure why I got rid of it but hey a 999 sequel is coming out maybe i'll get something from that


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## Deleted User (Apr 21, 2012)

Like someone else said, removing post count, or at least have it hidden, will make things much more easier for newcomers who have honest opinions that are instead turned down. I sometimes noticed during my (short) time here that people with more than 500 posts that starts a topic gets more posts/views than one with less. (And no, I'm not talking about my topics)


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## Skelletonike (Apr 21, 2012)

KidGameDesigner said:


> Like someone else said, removing post count, or at least have it hidden, will make things much more easier for newcomers who have honest opinions that are instead turned down. I sometimes noticed during my (short) time here that people with more than 500 posts that starts a topic gets more posts/views than one with less. (And no, I'm not talking about my topics)


I've been a member for a while, sure, but I didn't post anything until like... This year... Despiste having pretty much no posts, people still accepted what I wrote and stuff, not that I'm that known in here, far from that.
Thing is, the way people treat my posts and comment to my threads, hasn't changed since I got more posts, it's exactly the same tbh.

I find hiding posts pointless, most forums don't do that, why should this one do it?

Edit: If the topid gets more views, then it has nothing to do with postcount because well, you don't see the number of posts a person has when a thread is made, only their name.


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## The Catboy (Apr 21, 2012)

KidGameDesigner said:


> Like someone else said, removing post count, or at least have it hidden, will make things much more easier for newcomers who have honest opinions that are instead turned down. I sometimes noticed during my (short) time here that people with more than 500 posts that starts a topic gets more posts/views than one with less. (And no, I'm not talking about my topics)


The whole time I have been here I have rarely seen people with low post count get turned away, ignored, or even not listened to. The only time I have seen such a thing happen is when they post a topic that has been posted a million times before or really have nothing benefiting the site. If anything GBAtemp has been the only site where post count is pretty much ignored and just there for other reasons (one being it would require taking the whole site apart to remove it.) People here are more interested in what a person has to say than how many posts they have. Now with that said does that mean with high post count some people are noticed more? A little, there are members here with high post count and I even I barely know them. It's the content of the post that people look for and how people post, over how many posts people have.

And trust me, I have been a member of sites where people only care about post counts, they are far different from this site.


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## Deleted User (Apr 21, 2012)

Skelletonike said:


> KidGameDesigner said:
> 
> 
> > Like someone else said, removing post count, or at least have it hidden, will make things much more easier for newcomers who have honest opinions that are instead turned down. I sometimes noticed during my (short) time here that people with more than 500 posts that starts a topic gets more posts/views than one with less. (And no, I'm not talking about my topics)
> ...





The Catboy said:


> KidGameDesigner said:
> 
> 
> > Like someone else said, removing post count, or at least have it hidden, will make things much more easier for newcomers who have honest opinions that are instead turned down. I sometimes noticed during my (short) time here that people with more than 500 posts that starts a topic gets more posts/views than one with less. (And no, I'm not talking about my topics)
> ...



A-huh. Well, maybe I haven't been here long enough. But I still believe that popular members get an increase of posters by at least some percentage.


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## Skelletonike (Apr 21, 2012)

KidGameDesigner said:


> Skelletonike said:
> 
> 
> > KidGameDesigner said:
> ...


Well, yeah, they would, but not because of their post count, just because they're well known... I mean, guild, prowler, rydian, valwin (he's banned now, and i dont even know how many posts he had), foxi, well, all of those and a few others are pretty well known, not because of their post count (well, rydian in a way, but that's because he's like the biggest poster in the site), but because they often comment on stuff, guild is seen as a hater by some, prowler prolly the same, not sure, rydian well, he makes some interesting tutorials, and valwin, he was the trollish fanboy. This is just an example, people dont judge based on numbers, but on what they comment.


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## FAST6191 (Apr 18, 2012)

Title kind of says it all and indeed I kind of wish I could leave it at that but some more words are probably necessary- call it an experiment* but could we see what happens if we remove post count from the main threads and leave it instead to the mouseover** or general profile viewer.
By all means leave the medals, group and such and maybe try it as a temporary measure (3 weeks would be a decent minimum).

*



Spoiler



much as I like experimenting for the sake of it if I have to put forth some justification we have pointedly avoided implementing anything resembling reputation and even ignoring the huge nigh on dealbreaking problems with rep systems especially on a mature forum like this one I would possibly be able to argue they have more merit than an obvious post count



**pulling apart other forum software it might be quite doable but I guess if this is a common php include or something it might get nominally harder depending upon how you work it (copy and past with a slightly different name and roll from there)- as it is the mouseover stuff is another query set anyway (or at least it does not appear in the main thread source in an obvious fashion).

I have various ideas as to what would happen but I can not really see it being a negative (I would not have suggested it if I foresaw a big downside) and it might even be a fair positive (prelude to counter arguement- you might not notice it but others might and as a whole....).


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## Ace Overclocked (Apr 21, 2012)

by the catboy


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## The Catboy (Apr 21, 2012)

KidGameDesigner said:


> A-huh. Well, maybe I haven't been here long enough. But I still believe that popular members get an increase of posters by at least some percentage.


Removing post count won't change that. Popular members will always be popular with or without post count. As well post count doesn't make a member popular. Members who do large contributing things to the community make them popular.


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## prowler (Apr 24, 2012)

Skelletonike said:


> prowler prolly the same


what
no
im not the same as guild
what
no
thats just
no


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## jarejare3 (Apr 24, 2012)

Do people really look at post-count? I mean the only thing why people like high post-count here is for that self title at 500 post IMO.

It's just like what The Catboy said, people who contributed to the community is more popular. I mean look at Costello, I bet if he wasn't Admin, I would barely recognize him! (no offence). and he has like what 7k post!


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## Just Another Gamer (Apr 24, 2012)

KidGameDesigner said:


> Like someone else said, removing post count, or at least have it hidden, will make things much more easier for newcomers who have honest opinions that are instead turned down. I sometimes noticed during my (short) time here that people with more than 500 posts that starts a topic gets more posts/views than one with less. (And no, I'm not talking about my topics)


People don't need a high post count to have people ignore them, i'm constantly ignored but thats probably my fault in the first place.




jarejare3 said:


> Do people really look at post-count? I mean the only thing why people like high post-count here is for that self title at 500 post IMO.
> 
> It's just like what The Catboy said, people who contributed to the community is more popular. I mean look at Costello, I bet if he wasn't Admin, I would barely recognize him! (no offence). and he has like what 7k post!


I don't people care very much about high post count, I never did. Well I only did it at the start so I can have a custom user title but after that I couldn't care and just started becoming more casual with it but I still ended up posting alot which just feels strange for me.


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