For consideration.......

PC911....What a great name..conotates emergency solving, helping, patience, teaching........ I used to live on this site......it was my Home Page and I checked in a dozen times a day.....learned a heck of a lot and tried, in my inept way, to contribute whenever I could. I am now down to checking in once every day or two or three.......because it takes so long to wade through the 'clutter.' Needless to say, I have changed my Home Page.

Let's face it......this forum, great as it is, isn't quite what it was a year ago! A year ago it was exactly what it is today, except that it was a lot less cluttered with OT's and, frankly, just folks trying to pad their post totals.

Members celebrate milestones like "1000 posts" but frankly, if those posts were all smileys, or OT's, or cute quips, then what good were those posts? I look at the posts of the staff, by name, and I know, before reading, that they will be sincere, appropriate, helpful and sometimes OT and fun. But I can look at the post of some other members and I know, before reading, that the post will not be helpful, albeit cute, OT, fun, yadayadayada, but will be another click up on their 'total posts.'

I believe that eliminating "Post Totals" would be a positive step toward removing some of the clutter. If you are a regular participant, then you know who is active and constructive in this forum......you don't need a bounty figure!

I have a tremendous respect for this forum and for the Staff...they are a wonderful, unique group and are almost like family to a lot of us. I submit this post in the most positive, constructive manner that I know how....please deal with it likewise!

OrchidBill

2nd the notion!!

Well said.

Nightly Reader

Not an entirely bad idea, IMHO. I have never posted just to "pad" my numbers, but I don't doubt it's been done. But I think our OT material is currently nearing an all-time low. Registration to post seems to have virtually eliminated trolls, and things are much more civil overall. This forum is largely a group of friends helping each other with computer questions, I don't think removing the personal touches is going to improve things. I would be more pleased if we had a "Member since..." instead of post totals, but Alex has already addressed that issue.

I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion but I thought the whole idea of putting OT in front of an irrelevant post was to keep those who were not interested in wasting their time from entering that thread.

I could care less about post totals and am probably one of the ones guilty of using humor (god forbid) however I do my utmost to help those that I feel qualified to help. Some times it may not be much of a reply but maybe all I was trying to do was bump the topic up with something more interesting to read than the word "bump". Straying off topic has been a long time habit of many including some of the oldest and most revered members and for me personally has been a way to get to know some and is what keeps me here in a place that feels like home.

I fail to understand why some seem hell bent on keeping everything businesslike, to the point and are happiest when personal contact is kept at a distance and to a minimum. If all I wanted was the straight scoop with none of the other interaction that comes with the forum then I would be inclined to get a book or download a PDF file.

I think Alex and staff do a fantastic job of keeping this place running and except for maybe the search engine glitch I would not change a thing.

Well that's my two cents such as it is.

I didn't post this thing to argue about what is right or wrong with this forum's format. PC911's success speaks for itself. I posted it to let the staff and membership know what is turning me, and maybe others, away from the forum, and offering a suggestion that I hoped might be worth consideration. It is a harmless suggestion.....use it or lose it.

Scotter.......I think I said "and maybe others".......I have no way of knowing about others but I would bet that within the PC911 membership, there are others checking in less often, and for the same reason......clutter.

Nicely put Scotter.

AMEN,and what a ride it has been.I've enjoyed every minute of it.

LilJoe

OrchidBill I am in no way trying to start an argument but I do question the validity of the suggestion. As an example the first two responses in agreement are from virtually new members with no numbers to speak of at stake. Do you think Shelly would feel the same?

In a way I would have thought that the totals may be of use to new members as it might give them an idea of who has been around a while which generally translates into some modicum of credibility no matter where you go.

What evidence is there that anyone is being turned away from the forum due to our current standards and behaviour. I spend 20 - 30hrs a week on here in the winter and I have no indication that people are flocking away in droves (or smaller amounts ) by any means. Quite on the contrary the membership keeps increasing.

I guess the best way I can express my thoughts is to say that no matter what rules you implement someone will not like it and will move on. Well too bad, such is life.

....OrchidBill I am in no way trying to start an argument but I do question the validity of the suggestion. As an example the first two responses in agreement are from virtually new members with no numbers to speak of at stake. Do you think Shelly would feel the same?......

Spezi.....why should the validity of the first two responses be tainted just because their numbers are low.......should they have posted a bunch of smileys?...would that have enhanced their opinions? What does it matter if they have posted 6 or 60 or 600 times? What do you mean "numbers at stake"....are they risking something?? And I sure as heck can't speak for Shelly......but I betcha he will give the suggestion due consideration...nothing more.

I am beginning to like Trebuchet's suggestion more and more all the time............."member since"

Just what does a post count have to do with knowing (or not knowing) about computers? I will not mention any names one way or the other, but if you hang out here at all, you KNOW that post counts have absolutely NOTHING to do with computer knowledge. Also, I have no problem with OT or humor.

Nightly Reader

FWIW - I remember that there used to be a "Views" tally maintained for the total number of times each individual post was viewed. If memory serves, oftentimes the most viewed posts were OT. Too bad these stats aren't still available so that it would be possible to determine if OTs are widely read or avoided like the plague. I still miss the Views totals, even though they really didn't serve much purpose as long as the poster's problems were resolved.

Jim.

>Just what does a post count have to do with knowing (or not
>knowing) about computers?

Nothing as you obviously well know but it does have its uses never the less. If I get say two responses to a question that differ and I don't know who is more credible (due to them being unknown to me) then be it right or wrong I will probably give more weight to the higher totals person. I know it's not a perfect way to go as there are some here with low numbers that are geniuses as far as I'm concerned. All in all though that practice has served me well to date.

Another use is if say for example I see a post that in some way goes against what is considered acceptable here on the forum then I look at the post total if the name is unfamiliar and I will respond in a manner appropriate to the situation depending on whether the post is from a newbie or a long term member that should know better.

>. Also, I have no problem with OT or humor.

Obviously you know I don't either.

Spezi - like I said elsewhere in this thread, some do look at post totals as a form of rank, and might be inclined to try to increase their own ranking.

And in my case, it doesn't really reflect how long I've been around when compared to others. I simply haven't posted that much in all the time I've been here for various reasons.

JP

What does OT have to do with padding post totals?

Nightly Reader

Well I didn't start the topic but by what OrchidBill posted it's obvious he feels OT's are frivolous and nothing more than a way for people to add posts to their totals. Reread the original post about "wading through the clutter".

Spezi.....I don't want to get into a chain yanking brouhaha with you. As far as my frivilous attitude about OT's......do a little research and you will find that OrchidBill posted "Sensitive Subject" a few months back that resulted in something around 1100 responses!! I was quite pleased with that, not with just being the author but because it caused over 1100 positive, pleasing, fun-type events to occur on this forum.

My suggestion is that, if post totals were eliminated, we would have a lot less "no text", "smileys", "guess whats", etc. Maybe I'm wrong.....but you can bet your arse the staff will be considering it's merits. That's all I'm after.

A year or more ago I read every post and every response.......

"A year or more ago I read every post and every response......."

Times change. Roll with the punches. Not even the most seasoned regulars read every post and every response any more, that I know of. This site has grown too much to do that. This is why we really would like people to post "OT" for off topic posts and make a header that describes the problem or the problem's area.

Normally I agree with no post counts. Normally I do think it encourages spamming. But for this site it does serve a purpose. Maybe that purpose could be served just as well with a "member since" but that's not what is in place here.

--------------
History teaches us that history has taught us nothing.

>Spezi.....I don't want to get into a chain yanking brouhaha
>with you. As far as my frivilous attitude about
>OT's.

Well sorry but you're sending out mixed messages the way I see it. You post about wading through junk in one breath yet memorized how many responses one of your OT posts got in the next.

.....do a little research and you will find that
>OrchidBill posted "Sensitive Subject" a few months back that
>resulted in something around 1100 responses!!

Don't have to research I was here for it. 1100 responses? you sure about that? The old format forum had a visitor counter and a post reply counter for each thread. Me thinks you are mixing up the two.

I was quite
>pleased with that, not with just being the author but
>because it caused over 1100 positive, pleasing, fun-type
>events to occur on this forum.

Yes and also a topic and thread that to some newcomer could just as easily be construed as "wading through clutter" to use your phrase. My point being I enjoyed it you obviously enjoyed it as you still know how many responses (post totals)you got so why deny the same liberty to someone else?

>
>My suggestion is that, if post totals were eliminated, we
>would have a lot less "no text", "smileys", "guess whats",
>etc. Maybe I'm wrong.

I mean no disrespect but in this case you are wrong.
This is a place where many come to learn and exercise new skills. Learning HTML is one of those skills. Maybe some of those messages are not what they appear. Have you thought of that? Perhaps you are missing out on something as I was once? Remember too that those smilies are a great way to express emotion and for some that may not be great at typing they can convey a meaning with a lot fewer keystrokes. Did you even stop to think before you posted that you might be hurting some members feelings? If all you wanted was to make a suggestion then simply asking that "post totals" be eliminated would probably have been enough rather than almost singling out specific people by your choice of wording.

....but you can bet your arse the
>staff will be considering it's merits. That's all I'm
>after.

Sabre rattling I believe it's called.

>
>A year or more ago I read every post and every
>response.......

A year ago you didn't see this many posts and I doubt it will shrink any in number any time soon. Resistance is futile you will be assimilated.

Well off to another topic. Have a good one OrchidBill

Vitalt

Useful Team Info

I disagree. I think it's better here now than it was a year ago - though not all that greatly changed. I don't mind the OTs and with possibly a couple exceptions, am not aware of anyone padding their numbers. Of late, most OTs have been labeled as OTs - as they should be. And even a year ago there were a fair number of OTs.

The OTs, humor, smiley's, and the many individuals allowing their personalities to be seen through their posts is what makes this place consistently interesting. PC911 is a community of unique individuals - it's not a simple data base of solutions. If straight-forward computer help is what is desired, one could simply read the MS knowledgebase articles. Somewhere in all that dry prose is the cure for a large percentage of all user problems. But it sure would be boring.

It almost sounds as if the very things that first attracted you to PC911 are now the things that irritate you. Sort of like dating and marriage once the novelty has worn off.

Jim.

"It almost sounds as if the very things that first attracted you to PC911 are now the things that irritate you. Sort of like dating and marriage once the novelty has worn off"

What attracted me to PC911 was a local news-mag article....
What kept me here was all the help I have received........I'm 69 years old.......I checked in on this forum about 2 years ago with my first PC...a 386. Since then, with this forum's help, I have built four more. Don't talk to me like I condemn this forum....I praise it! I only want it to propagate and prosper....and I want to help it do so.

Funny thing. I just read all the previous posts to this thread and agree with *everyone*. All the thoughts expressed here are meaningful and correct.

I agree with OrchidBill that, while it hadn't occurred to me before he brought it up, there are guys (I won't name names) who spend way too much time trying to come up with pearls of wisdom where none exist. Is this a part of growing up? I think so. I'm also way up there in years (63) but still remember when I was a kid trying to feel a sense of belonging to one group, or another, of older players. I misstepped many times in youthful exuberance, just trying to come across as worthy of being one with them.

As far as the 'post counter' goes, I think it serves a useful purpose. I find myself checking it when a particular user name is unfamiliar and I want to know if the poster is new, or, just hasn't posted within my capacity to remember (happened just today). Seems to me that if a guy is just posting to push up his numbers, he'll tire of it soon enough and go off and find something productive to do. If this kind of dodo (extinct bird) sticks around very long at PC911, he'll become branded and soon be made to feel so unwelcome he'll move on. I can remember a few.

.
Onward & Upward !
Sid

WINDOWS 10
ASUS P8Z77-V Pro MB
Intel i5 3750K CPU
8g Corsair Vengeance DDR3 RAM
Corsair Neutron 250g SSD

Good post Sid......

OrchidBill

I agree with KJT - if you turned it into another one of those dry, "just the facts" forums, THAT is what would turn off a lot of members and potential members. I really don't see anything that is significantly different from a year ago in a negative way. I think the membership totals speak for themselves on this issue. Didn't the server have to be upgraded recently to accommodate the increasing membership? But if eliminating the post totals would help keep extraneous posts in check I wouldn't mind seeing it go. But I doubt it would have much impact. Personally, a post with nothing but smileys doesn't really bother me. And very often they have their context in the thread that could be overlooked; But either way, I just move on and don't fret over it. I'm just grateful this forum exists.





Zema Bus

Zema Bus

A couple of months ago I had pretty much the same thoughts about post totals, but I've since dropped them. It has been obvious that a very few have posted just to watch their totals go up and that kinda irritated me. Almost like it's a form of rank or something.

I don't care a whole lot about my post totals, even though I am probably one of the first two dozen or so to join up with this web site. However, I have been at other Forums that do use post totals as a method of ranking users. "User Level 7" or "User Level 2" or even "New User" depend on how many postings that person has.

That sort of thing could foster the same attitude here. And it is natural for one to put a little more weight on what someone has to say if they have really high numbers in their counts.

But that was my thinking a couple of months ago..

I'm no longer irritatted by post totals now, I've changed my attitude about and simply think of them as part of the fun of being here.

JP

Keep everything the way it is....there are plenty of similar forums that will lock items that are even "slightly" off the forum TITLE....I love this site for what it is...a group of people who will go out of their way to help someone with a problem and yet are allowed to express themselves and lend a little humor and lightness to those that want it...this is by far the BEST forum that I have found and the members here should be PROUD of their accomplishments....KUDOS to all involved....Thank you for a magnificent place to come and visit...

post-Post-Post, I sure wish I had a post about 4 feet from my desk.
Sometimes my back gets to itchin',and my arms won't reach back that far anymore

LilJoe

Would an OT post do?





Zema Bus

Zema Bus

Bill is it possible you see this site differently now you have had over a year to absorb the content? I love this site and lurk frequently but I find I see things differently now I have grown accustomed to the place,it's content and the subscribers.
The first time in here is just a magical experience but as time passes and hopefully I have learned much I find less to be totally mesmerised by. As such I tend to be a little more selective on which link I click.

Sure, number padders are here but when they become apparent I simply miss those links and enjoy the rest.

It is too good a place to leave Bill, even if a couple of things irritate you. Life ain't perfect.
Derek.

Wouldn't bother me at all to lose it, but the way I understand it, the post total came along with the new(est) forum script. I don't think Alex provocatively sought it. As to clutter, I don't see it as any more than I'd expect from the increase in users. The days when the staff would have posts in every other thread are long gone. I'm just glad I got here early enough to enjoy the way it used to be. But then, I'm always longing for the way things used to be, it's a disease.

"..........The days when the staff would have posts in every other thread are long gone. I'm just glad I got here early enough to enjoy the way it used to be. But then, I'm always longing for the way things used to be, it's a disease........."

An astute observation Bob....

The influx of additional members does impact the time staff members can devote to threads.....now they, out of necessity - and wisely so -look for us to handle our own problems when we can --- they jump in when we are about to get ourselves in trouble, or when we have reached the end of our rope! I hope those guys, the staff, take pride in just sitting back, when they can, and watch members teaching and helping each other, knowing that the original knowledge came from the PC911 headhouse

Orchid Bill, i AM trying to start an argument...

I've got lots of posts, but i have always joked around about how "useless" most of them are..i make fun of the fact that a lot my posts are just absolute non-sense, but i like to think that somewhere in there, deep inside the piles and piles of shit that i type just for the sake of typing, there just might be something worth knowing. So I wish you luck on your mission to rob this forum of any individuality..

I would go a step further, remove sigs..they waste bandwidth as much as those "useless" posts. And we could get rid of the emoticons, they are a waste too. Hey, while we're downsizing, could we do something about the bozo that's running this joint?

Ah, (blank) it, lets just nuke PC911...probably be a lot less painful than forcing people to live through a forum that only a person as dull as Al Gore would want

P.S., notice my three ways of wasting your time?

Doctor Midnight,

I see you have posted 3116 times.....if they have all been so meaningful, so helpful, so literate, so technical, so editorial as your # 3116, then you have a lot to think about!! Good Luck!!

Oh, is this a dagger i see before me? LOL, how will i ever be able to come back from that one. Well, i could point out that i am human (aren't you?), and i embrace all of my human flaws, especially my huge ego..

DM, did you say something

Nightly Reader

>So I wish you luck on
>your mission to rob this forum of any individuality..


doctormidnight,

Your response says a lot about your interpretive skills. Read how Scotterpops, Shelly, and many others disagreed with Orchid Bill to learn how reasonable intelligent people debate. It appears that Bill's comments hit too close to home and your emotional response prevented proper interpretation of his intent.

The French have an expression, "Qui s'excuse s'accuse" (he who makes excuses for himself accuses himself). Perhaps that applies.

I won't always agree with Orchid Bill when he posts, but I will read every one of his posts that I see and give it careful consideration. My time is precious to me; I won't make that same commitment to every poster here.

Steve, i use sarcasm a lot. The use of extreme examples is part of sarcasm. And was that "reasonable, intelligient people" or "reasonably intelligient"..no comma, so i don't know which you meant.

I meant exactly what I wrote. Scotterpops and Shelly are not only intelligent, they are reasonable. When they respond to an opinion, it is clear that they read the opinion that was given, made sure they understood it, and respond with clear unambiguous statements.

Sarcasm can work well. If that was what you were using in the above response to OrchidBill, I don't think it worked well for you in this case. I saw your response as an unreasoned rant and a petty attempt to create a confrontation. We both know you can do better.

That was the point, Steve. My post seems like a totally unreasoned rant...which was the objective. IMHO, thats what Orchid Bills original post was, a rant from someone that obviously is not entertained by our antics, or who just needs a little more time in the day to wade through the idiot trash we are apparantly bogging him down with.

Good sarcasm relies on irony, not distortion. Good sarcasm is cruel wit, not the slinging of insults. If you're engaged in bullying, don't label it sarcasm. Read post #35 again, there is something you can learn from OrchidBill

Lets be fair, i'm not the one doing the labeling, thats you. And i did read that post, unfortunately i can't repeat what i learned from it, since i would probably be banned for life from pc911.

In a lot of ways I could agree with Orchidbill except that I ALSO give way to attempts at humor, side issues and OT discussions about sports and sometimes totally insane gibberish.

Since a society reflects those who inhabit it, I would expect the forum has become what we all want it to be, within the guide lines set.
Main reason that Marti called for the OT prefix.......

OrchidBill, I agree with you that for a while, some of the younger, more exuberant members were dwelling a bit too much on post totals. I also believe, however, that they appear to have passed through that phase.
Except for friends occasionally teasing one another about reaching "milestones," the totals are pretty much ignored, except to see if someone is a relatively new member in need of welcome, or to use the number (taking it with a grain of salt) to judge somebody's computer knowledge by the time they have spent on this site.
As to the "clutter" you mentioned, I believe it's part of the familial atmosphere this site generates, and that it's here to stay.
Bill, I respectfully submit that if you dropped by a bit more often, giving the smiley posters the benefit of the doubt that they are bantering with friends and not trying to jack their totals up, you would make some new friends, and tend to feel a bit more tolerant of them when they posted bits of the "clutter" that makes us all human.

McGee

I'm sorry, But I don't accept your premise. I don't believe there is anyone here that consciously posts to increase this post totals. There is a greater variety of people here than in the past, and that fall into some specific categories. There are serious and know legible people who frequently post because they know the answer to a question. There are people who know next to nothing that post to nearly every thread with nonsense answers, perhaps because they are lonely with nothing else to do, or they do not even realize that most of us have learned to ignore anything they post. Then there are the people who come here for help, that is not clutter, it's what the site exists for. But what keeps most of us coming back here is the sense of community with the friends we have made here.

The group of regular visitors to the site has grown enormously in the last year. The result is a lot of activity of all kinds. That is not clutter...that is a successful site that fulfills the needs of the people it attracts. Yes, personally I'm approaching 10,000 posts here, but I have been here since day one. I think I have helped a few along the way, and probably infuriated a few too. I don't apologize for either. Many of us had thousands of posts before they were ever shown in the counts. Just because someone may occasionally mark a number milestone, does not mean that those numbers are why they post.

Shelly

Well said, Shelly.

Shelly, I agree with what you wrote, except that I think there are a couple individuals who seem to have tried to inflate their post totals.

Rather than Alex spending time to "hack the script to get rid of it" (post numbers), I'd prefer having the Search returned to a fully functional state. Many questions are repeats. It would be great to be able to access the archives to facilitate answering these repeats -or for anyone with a question, to be able to search for past posts similar to their question. Just my .02¢ worth.

Jim.

put my 2cents with yours maybe we can buy it back...im with you on that... points aren't needed... being able to access the data on the other hand is verry valuable...

Vitalt

Useful Team Info

That's an assessment that I can totally agree with as I feel it is the most accurate and perfectly describes this place.

Shelly, as one from the other end of the post count, I decided to try my best to contribute my view. I have been registered on this board since Jan. or Feb. of 2000. I understand that is not too long after it started. I only have around 500 posts. I came to this forum as a lot of people did--a total newbie. I had just bought my computer in October of 1999 and was desperatly trying to learn how to use it. I asked a few questions along the way, and made a few lame comments too.

As most of you older members know, I was the one who caused the rule to be made about the sigs. I have made some mistakes here and there, but have tried to apologize for them, and make up for them in any way I could. Like a lot of people on this board, I have had hurt feelings from time to time, but I didn't let it stop me from coming back. I may take a break from time to time, just to let the air settle down, but of all the forums I frequent, I always have to come back to this one. I also work out of town all week, and the weekend is the only time I have to get online.

I realize there are people here on this forum that could care less what I have to say. I have learned a lot about computers and OSes here and other places, but I still don't know anything compared to some of the folks who hang out here. That's why my post count is so low. I don't like to get bum advice, therefore, I don't want to give it. Sometimes I'll give advice when I'm not absolutely sure, but it's always a case where I've tried something myself with no adverse consequences.

I'm guilty of posting OT's too. Sometimes I see something I think is newsworthy, or funny enough to share, and I'll post it. Sometimes it's good, sometimes not. A lot of times I read the OTs, sometimes I don't. Sometimes the OTs are the only thing I respond to because I don't have a clue as to the answers to computer problems posted. I look at the OTs as a way to kill time while waiting for something I might be able to help with.

Orchid Bill is right in the respect that the forum has changed. All things must change or they will die. That's a common rule of life. Whether these changes are good or bad--nobody can say. What's good for Joe Blow may be bad for me and vice versa.

For one thing, there are so many more members now than there were then. (obviously) I can remember when the only names you saw on a regular basis was Shelly, Alex, Grogan, Scotterpops, LilJoe, Old Dude, Marti, Ga Girl, Steve Yandl, Al, Chris P, MrMan, and Dalantec. If i left anybody out, it's not a slight, these are just the names that came up often enough for me to remember all these months. About the time I started posting a little now and then, Trebuchet and SloHands started posting fairly regular too. There's some more names in there I can remember, like Ed W, Paul D, Bobguy, KJT, and others.

The whole point to this --if there is one-- is that the forum has changed in some ways drastically from what it was in the beginning. The OT posts and posting counts are a part of the forum that wasn't there in the beginning. Are they good? Are they bad? Not necessarily either. A new poster might take a larger number of postings to indicate a higher level of experience. In my opinion, a person asking advice can use this as a fairly accurate gauge to decide whether they want to follow the advice they have been given. The OT posts are often entertaining and sometimes educational. At times it seems they get out of hand, but if you notice, these are times of either great disaster(9/11/01) or of extreme boredom (nothing computer related happening). I remember making a post one time --"C'mon, somebody break something" simply because nothing was happening on the board, and it never occured to me to go somewhere else. Yeah, I got a life after that. I still like to come here, though, and unless Alex, Shelly or the other mods say different, I'll always be a part of this community.

Ok, all that having been said, aren't you glad the board doesn't look like this?







Zema Bus

Zema Bus

at least they all are titled with 'OT'

Can you guys see my post totals?



I can't believe this made so many upset.

Just post, hopefully help people, and make

a couple friends.

Does all the rest really matter when all is said

and done?

This is one of the most rediculous arguments I've

ever seen or heard...

It looks to me like (imho) this is a fine forum,

why are people rocking the boat?

Sometimes the human race just doesn't make any sense

to me...

Valerie

>Can you guys see my post totals?
>I can't believe this made so many upset.
>Just post, hopefully help people, and make
>a couple friends.
>Does all the rest really matter when all is said and done?
>This is one of the most rediculous arguments I've ever seen or heard...

>It looks to me like (imho) this is a fine forum, why are people rocking the boat?

>Sometimes the human race just doesn't make any sense to me...

>Valerie

Well said girl!! It really is trivial. I look at it as a " Feature " Nothing more...nothing less. But I do opposse the deletion of " Forum Features" based on supposition. Some people find it usefull, so leave it in. My .02c.

Hi Valerie,
I agree with what you said,and the way you stated it .Life is to short to argue over petty things that really don't amount to much of anything.By the way,welcome to the forum and I hope you stick around,we need good people like yourself ,Tuff

Girl, you need to get more posts!!!

}>

Scott

Still Crunching To Crush Cancer




Somebody, Stop Me!

Attachment #1, (gif file)

Thats not funny, Dragonheart sucked

Zema Bus,

I love your "board". The 'posts' are pure genius! Laughed so hard last night my sides ached. Read it again this morning - same result. Thanks for taking the time to create it.

Jim (918 posts - but who's counting?)

OT posts aren't the issue, it is the clutter is within posts, both OT and non-OT. As with any group of people, some members are just naturally chatty. That's OK, but what's happening, is that when going through a thread, readers have to read your post to see if it is a valid response to the thread or not. I don't want to pigeon-hole someone's post as probably irrelevant just because many have been previously. It's not like your phone, where others can choose not to call. How about being more considerate with everyone else's time and take most back and forth personal exchanges to the private message inboxes ?

I agree that sometime there are too many OTs, and while some threads about Emoticons etc... get all the attention, unanswered technical problems get bumped to page 2 and go there forgotten for ever.
Some of these OT are just links or research into some obscure obsession of this poster or the other, that happened to be posted 4 or 5 times in the last month.

I don't know what you mean by "obscure obsession".

I've been around for a couple of years now, since PC Mag folded, & I think this discussion reflects the diversity of people & their personalities in the Forum.

I would say that "the early years" were more business-like but the participants were more uniform in where they came from, age, & interests than now. While I find a lot more posts that I'm not interested in reading, the basics are the same. If you're here, you either want help, want to give it, or both. The friendships are not extraneous, they're part of the fabric of a great forum. In an opposite vein, probably some participant are "logged in" way too much for their age & development. That means non-on-line relationships are more needed than they're getting. That's the way it goes. Everyone chooses for themselves.

To me the broadening of The Forum is really not a problem. It doesn't take much time to avoid that which you don't want to read & the number of posts is not a universal indicator of anything, including knowledge or wisdom. The quality of individual's posts becomes obvious over time & that's why there are some who have large number of posts that mean something, & others also have large number of posts & it doesn't, except that they're very social.

As for OT comments - as the other stuff - some are better or more interesting than others. I wouldn't want to see it change to eliminate or reduce them. Sometimes they even serve to help folks get over horrendous events, sometimes their just pixy-ish in their intent. You have people - they have a unique view of the world.

Get over the growing pains. Enjoy the wisdom & friendship. Learn more about computers. The post totals are irrelevant but not harmful.

Fred

Well said.

Still Crunching To Crush Cancer




Somebody, Stop Me!

Well, I think it is a well thought-out and proposed concept for consideration (that being the first part of the post). And I can see the point.

I have also found the comments about number of posts a bit irritating. In fact, I think the very first comment was congratulating me for breaking 5000. Which struck me as silly (I even made a joke about it at another point). There are a lot of folks who have been here since the beginning....
Alex obviously, JP, Scotter, Grogan, Shelly, Old Dude,both Eds, Lil'Joe, Wakko, myself, and others...
It is the quality and history of posts that make a difference, not the number. Recently, I've noticed the posts that seem to be purely for the purpose of padding post totals, and as a result, don't make any special effort to read posts from those individuals. Does that mean they are missing out on help when they need it? It might.

On the other hand, it might help to remind that someone has been around a while...or that they are a newbie. Something that can effect how we respond to someone.

Personally, I think the post totals are of limited value...but I also don't consider them detrimental enough to say that we SHOULD change them.

I am a relatively newbie on this forum and to computers. I have been coming to this board for a while, but I really never looked to see who had how many posts. I think it is really irrelevant to most who post here.

I come to see if I can learn anything, and I come to see the banter of the board persons.

Numbers don't equate to knowledge. Nor do they say that you aren't knowledgeable.

And as far as the (OT) posts go, you don't have to read them.

I vote for keeping the numbers! (That is, if I had a vote) Hauxfan!

Do you people realize that you are all running up your post numbers in this thread? I am agnostic on the number of post's issue.
That includes post-mortem, post-partum and post toasties.
ed

Accept challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.


General George S. Patton

ed


OS - Windows 10 Personal PS3
DELL DIM 3000 Intel P4 2.25 GHZ
Memory - 2X512 PC 3200 133-200Mhz
Graphics

Interesting reading this morning and now I'll add my $.02

While I don't specifically search out the numbers of posts made, if I see someone asking a 'newbie' question and they have few numbers of posts, I get irritated when someone is yanking their chain. Look at

http://www.pcnineoneone.com/dcforum/computer/30939.html

from didk6. A legitimate question from a new poster with 6 posts. We turned it into something fun, but in the middle of that thread is a derogatory remark to Lonnie when she gave the guy a hug. Yes, we've answered the question many times, but does the poster really know that? Remember the only 'stupid question' is the one you don't ask.

I consider us a family. When it's just Mom and Dad, you know what to expect. Turn that into a holiday when you have Mom, Dad, grandparents, in-laws, grandkids, friends,etc. things don't always follow the 'rules' as you know them.

We have to roll with the punches, and as long as OT are now labeled as such everyone else has to keep their own counsel as to when they joke and when not to. Remember the written word usually 'sounds' different than the spoken word and I feel that if we were all in a room together many things that are written wouldn't be taken the same way if we were there in person. I also think if we were together in person there wouldn't be such a long exchange about one single topic.

There do seem to appear that many people use this as a chat room, and if you've been here awhile you know who they are. Just don't click on their posts. That's the beauty of the internet. I can sit here at 2 AM in my 'all togethers' and you can't see me when I say stupid remarks about an OT post!

Let's enjoy the heart of the forum; I'd be one bored lonely dude without it. Even at it's worse during all the fights, I was still here multiple times a day to see what pearls of wisdom I could learn.

Flyboy

I like your answer!

It doesn't take long to discover who to trust on this forum so the post numbers may not be important there. But . . . I like having my low post numbers identify me as a "newbie". I get answers from the wise, caring people in "newbie talk" so I can understand the directions.

If the post numbers are not there I will have to declare I'm "computer dumb" each time I post a question . . . .like you wouldn't know.

Whatever you decide, I'll continue to come here for advice. It's the best! Maybe one of these days I'll be able to give help instead of always asking for it.

Al, I count you among the wise ones and thank you again for your help in the past.

Copper

I have been around the forum for awhile, and I can see the pros and cons of the O/T posts,and in some threads members going back and forth teasing or just getting to know each other.

What little I have learned about computers has been primarily from this forum.I do my share of playing with smileys,or making friends,but I also look for any questions that I'm capable of helping someone.

In the past month I received about 4 or 5 emails thanking me for helping,or posting a program that someone was unaware of etc.That makes me feel good to know I do help some,but I'm the first to admit my knowledge is very limited.

I go out of my way to see that a first time poster is welcomed to the forum,and offer help if I can.I usual add that someone with more experience will see the post and give further help.I spend a lot of time here,but most of it is either to learn,or share what little I have learned with anyone who needs the help.

There are many other forums that I am a member,but this forum I consider my home.I rarely go to the other forums now,as I find the mix of posts and topics here to be just right to suit me.It is great to learn,but even greater if I can learn and have fun and make new friends along the way.

I think the staff does a great job,and jumps in when they see that their help is needed.Whatever changes are made as far as post totals, I could really care less.I have learned from the young and older members alike,and enjoy it all.For what it's worth that is how I feel.I see the membership increasing all the time,so someone must be doing something right.Thanks to all ,Tuff

I don't really care about the post count, but as for the rest, this is one of the first forums I have found where one can express oneself withouf fear of being "locked" by a moderator, or censored because your post is not "computer related"

I for one have stayed here for just that purpose and have left another much larger forum where I am a veteran, precisely because of all the bickering and locking of posts and the "up tight" attitude on there. There are many helpful posts and much learning going on, but at the same time, it is refreshing to be able to share the latest joke, or OT news without being immediately jumped on. Yes, sometimes there is some clutter, but I feel this is a amall price to pay in exchange for the friendly, family feeling that abounds here. With the OT in front of the post, you can just ignore it if you wish. I believe the OT on the posts is very important. Without that, you would still certainly get posts that are off topic and you would have no way of knowing until you opened the post. Then you get into all the "locked" posts and "censure" by the moderators. Talk about "clutter"! I would much rather know before I open the post and then just pass over it if I choose.

So there are some who not only DO NOT leave here because of the format, but who are ATTRACTED here because of it.

And if the post totals are not important to you, then why worry about them at all? Just ignore that number. Eliminating the post count makes no difference to me, but trying to eliminate the "clutter" .... well, how do you do that without this forum becoming just another stuffy, run of the mill "COMPUTER HELP ONLY" forum. There are thousands of those kind, but only one PC911 with it's sense of family and friendship that comes from the "clutter".

A good idea might be to include a "Member since" under the post total. Another tool to discern the standing of the poster.
If for no other reason than to enable one to know if the poster is a new member in order to welcome them.






Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright, until they speak

  

This forum means different things to diffeent people. To some, who may well not be able to leave their house, for what ever reason, this is their social time. To others, it's strictly a place to learn about computers, or try and find advice about a problem they have incurred. Point being, it's different things to different folks. The fact it's allowed to BE all those things in my opinion is what maks this forum the best there is. You think OT posts are a waste, skip right on by them. You think the numbers are a waste, don't look at them. But don't start taking away things that to another may be of importance to them, regardless of how trivial YOU think it is. I pesonally don't care what my post totals are, but someone else may take pride in something he thinks is important, even if only in his own mind.

RussH

As I've mentioned before, I truly appreciate the help here at PC911!!! When I got this computer in Nov. 98 I barely knew how to turn it on, no joke! Through reading the posts and replies I have learned how to enjoy surfing the web and also make minor repairs ie, adding ram, installing new CDrom drive, and was truly tickled to be able to make my sig. with your help.

I am a believer in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it! I know many of you have worked very hard to make this forum what it is. I have noticed from the beginning though that a lot of emphasis is placed on the post totals. That is the reason I was so reluctant to register a couple years ago. While most of the "old regulars" are pretty tolerant of newbie questions,and most often innocent queries as to why " we do things a certain way on this forum", posters with a low total count often gets some rather rude remarks from a minority few that I think are "hung up" with their totals.

I was asked a couple of months back just who the hell did I think I was with only 20 something posts, so that kinda shows there are a few that really are hung up with the post totals.


Dr M, I have no axe to grind with you, I feel like I am getting to
know you, and enjoy reading your posts, please re-read your message
#30 in this thread though. Could it be a tad bit harsh?


































Toni

>Dr M, ... please re-read your message #30 in this thread though. Could it be a tad bit harsh?

;~* ... Scotterpops

Grind away, it won't bother me

I don't think its harsh. I was using sarcasm and extremeism to illustrate a point, which obviously you didn't get. Hey, I never said i was the "great communicator". That was pretty much how i felt (still do), and so thats what i wrote down. If i was writing for a class paper or talking to a professor, i might change the wording or "abbrasiveness" of the post, but since i wasn't, i didn't.

>I don't think its harsh

;~* ... Scotterpops

So does that mean that the members of this forum deserve less respect from you than a prof that can make or break you with an "A" or "F"
Nice to know where we rate. THANKS ALOT!!!!!!!!!!!

Nightly Reader

, i figured you would be able to pick up on it.

Doc, I for one enjoy 99% of your posts, for their enthusiaism, if nothing else. Of course I have the advantage of knowing your age and making allowance for it.

Just one thing. Can we drop the "f" word, please. (even representations of it). It's one thing that's guaranteed to annoy most people.

Insert text here

Sorry, Paul..i thought i had used ** on all the posts..i will have to go back and find the one that i didn't use it on, so bear with me.

BTW, not sure how i'm supposed to respond to the age statement. I could either be really offended and say something nasty, or i could say "thanks for liking my posts", but i think i will just




Edit: Paul, i found it..total mistake, i usually write, then edit. Must have done an on the fly job and missed it..

On the issue of counting posts, I pay no attention. I have learned whose opinions to respect by following their advice and suggestions.

On the subject of OT, the last few months have been an abberation in that may of us have felt a need to articulate the emotions produced by the 9-11 tragedy. I am thinking that were more OT posts and responses related to that than to any other OT subject. I am OK with that, nobody has to read them and I for one do not read all of them.

Yes, PC911 has changed in many ways, some subtle and some not. But, the compter world has changed. I go back to WinMag Forum, and how we were all newbies struggling to learn a very new system. The subsequent systems have been more evolutionary than revolutionary, and the questions posted on them reflect that.

I still visit here regularly, but less often than earlier. Part of that is that I have learned to avoid making the really stupid experiments that marked my early computer days. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", and "keep it simple stupid"; the best advice you can give!

Ray

Well I always avoid these long winded topics because replying back and forth make my numbers (posts) go up.
And when you reach my age you never know when your number is up.So no use rushing it.

LilJoe

I am here since the beginning of this site. I think this has been quite a positive and for the most part professional group of responses. PC911 and its resident Gurus do a great or is it a fantastic job. I find that there are those posters to whom I give more credence than others. The intersting thing is that some of them have not even participated in this discussion. Even here I pick and choose which posters I want to read. The emphasis should always be "pick and choose". If the OT topics are not "your" thing simply skip them. The numbers game, I think, apply to very few regulars.





http://www.bobbalogh.com/majorityofone.html