s/o number of posts?

[rwjx2khsmj]

Reading the boards today it was brought to my attention that the number of posts we have seems to matter. I hadn't realized that there was an etiquette based on posts and since there seem to be several etiquette questions circulating, I thought y'all might be able to address this one for me.

 

How many posts does one need to ask questions? Offer advice/information? How does one get post credit if one doesn't have enough posts to post?

 

:lurk5:

[Kathleen in VA]

Reading the boards today it was brought to my attention that the number of posts we have seems to matter. I hadn't realized that there was an etiquette based on posts and since there seem to be several etiquette questions circulating, I thought y'all might be able to address this one for me.

 

How many posts does one need to ask questions? Offer advice/information? How does one get post credit if one doesn't have enough posts to post?

 

:lurk5:

 

Not exactly sure what you're asking. The only post requirement I am aware of is the need for 50 posts before posting anything for sale on the Swap Board. Other than that, you are free to post from "post #1" if you have a question or if you think you may have something worthwhile to offer to another poster's question. Many ladies who are new to these boards have homeschooled for many years and are full of valuable wisdom. I enjoy learning from anyone who has any insight into a particular problem no matter how many posts they may have here on this forum.

[Pajama Mama]

I don't think how many posts you have matters at all. You need 50 to post on the for sale boards but that's it.

[Amber in AUS]

Well i guess the thing is that there have been a number of posts where the person had joined the board with poor intentions. Eventually it lead to that person being removed from the board. This has happened several times recently so i guess people are becoming tired of it and so are skeptical from the start.

[Laura Corin]

Even if it's your first post, people will listen. The problem only comes if some people suspect that a poster might not be sincere - then someone with a low post count might be seen as more suspect.

 

So ask/answer away! But if you want to ask something a bit more lurid, wait until you've built up some posts.

 

Laura

[stripe]

Someone called me a "larva" in an angry PM early on here. Apparently I wasn't entitled to have an opinion. So I get where the OP is coming from.

[Cinder]

I think the OP may be referring to a thread I saw where a poster was asking for advice on how to handle a situation with her kids. One reply mentioned that the OP of that thread only had so many posts, so the responder didn't know her. Something like that. I think the intention there is that you sort of get to know the personalities of people who post a lot--a little bit about their worldview. And that may affect the wording of the response--should it be gentle or blunt? I don't think it was intended to mean "you're a silly person for asking advice about this." Although I will admit that at first I was taken aback by that part of the response. It's hard to read someone's intention and body language over the forums.

 

Of course if this isn't what you, OP, are referring to please disregard my comments.:001_smile:

 

 

Cinder

[Kathleen in VA]

Someone called me a "larva" in an angry PM early on here. Apparently I wasn't entitled to have an opinion. So I get where the OP is coming from.

 

I think the OP may be referring to a thread I saw where a poster was asking for advice on how to handle a situation with her kids. One reply mentioned that the OP of that thread only had so many posts, so the responder didn't know her. Something like that. I think the intention there is that you sort of get to know the personalities of people who post a lot--a little bit about their worldview. And that may affect the wording of the response--should it be gentle or blunt? I don't think it was intended to mean "you're a silly person for asking advice about this." Although I will admit that at first I was taken aback by that part of the response. It's hard to read someone's intention and body language over the forums.

 

Of course if this isn't what you, OP, are referring to please disregard my comments.:001_smile:

 

 

Cinder

 

I must've missed this. I suppose having a "reputation" of some sort or other helps put whatever advice is offered in a context of sorts, but goodness, last time I checked we live in a free country. We are free to offer advice and free to ignore it :) I know a lot of ladies here think I'm nuts and waaaaay too conservative. I'm guessing they just keep scrolling when they see my responses. That's allowed - even encouraged.:D

[KidsHappen]

Reading the boards today it was brought to my attention that the number of posts we have seems to matter. I hadn't realized that there was an etiquette based on posts and since there seem to be several etiquette questions circulating, I thought y'all might be able to address this one for me.

 

How many posts does one need to ask questions? Offer advice/information? How does one get post credit if one doesn't have enough posts to post?

 

:lurk5:

 

Number of posts has no baring on what questions you can ask but it will probably have some baring on the answers you receive especially if it is unusual or controversial. This is basically because the more you post the more context we have to personally tailor the answers and the answer might differ depending on who is asking it. Also, we have had some truly outlandish trolls on these boards before so people are a little more cautious that they might would be otherwise. Finally, it is the nature of the internet that if you post, a good percentage of the answers may be contrary to what you want to hear. People can be brutally honest here. If you are just looking for support or wanting to vent then just say so in the post and you are more likely to get more of the type responses you need.

[OnTheBrink]

I think if you have a low post count and post something outrageous or extreme, its viewed with suspicion. Bored trolls like to stir the pot. I've seen it time and time again, here and at other sites.

[Colleen in NS]

Reading the boards today it was brought to my attention that the number of posts we have seems to matter. I hadn't realized that there was an etiquette based on posts and since there seem to be several etiquette questions circulating, I thought y'all might be able to address this one for me.

 

How many posts does one need to ask questions? Offer advice/information? How does one get post credit if one doesn't have enough posts to post?

 

:lurk5:

 

According to the board rules, there is no minimum number of posts needed to ask questions or offer advice/information. The board rules give guidelines for posting politely and diplomatically, and if you abide by them, you'll be just fine. The moderators have worked hard on making things clear to all posters, and they *want* you to use this space if you have questions/want to offer advice. :D

 

The only post requirement I am aware of is the need for 50 posts before posting anything for sale on the Swap Board. Other than that, you are free to post from "post #1" if you have a question or if you think you may have something worthwhile to offer to another poster's question. Many ladies who are new to these boards have homeschooled for many years and are full of valuable wisdom. I enjoy learning from anyone who has any insight into a particular problem no matter how many posts they may have here on this forum.

 

:iagree:

 

This board has a personality and some unspoken rules about how it works.

 

You may post whatever you like, whenever you like. You will tend to be given more latitude if you have been here and while and we "know" you though.

 

If someone with only a couple hundred posts says something outrageous or mildly offensive they would probably get harsher and more skeptical reactions. If someone with thousands of posts did that, we would know if it was out of character or if they were joking, or whatever and deal with it accordingly.

 

As with starting out in any new group or community it is best to sit back for a bit and observe the play of personalities and keep your questions out of the controversial range for a little while.

 

I'm not aware of any unspoken rules. And even if I were to try and come up with some, I'd still go back to the concrete written board rules as my posting guideline. They are basically about common courtesy, and they are spelled out in great detail, IMO.

 

The OP didn't say anything about wanting to post controversial questions/advice. But even if she did want to, as long as she goes by the posting rules, then there's still no problem. There'll always the chance that someone else *will* participate in a civil way with her/us/them - no matter what their number of posts. There are thousands and thousands of board members and relatively few "pot-stirrers" or "trolls" have popped up. I see no need for a "low-post" (how low is low, anyway? You've got the second highest amount of posts. :D) poster to hold back if they want to participate, as long as board rules are utilized. That's what they're there for, so that no one is wondering about "unspoken rules/etiquette."

Edited December 15, 2009 by Colleen in NS

[Chris in VA]

Someone called me a "larva" in an angry PM early on here. Apparently I wasn't entitled to have an opinion. So I get where the OP is coming from.

 

I'm sorry, but this has me :lol::lol:

 

The Ultimate WTM Put-Down--"You Larva, you!"

[lionfamily1999]

Just today someone with three posts opened up a spanking topic. That just screams troll.

I saw that and was really tempted to link it as an example of number of posts creating a red flag.

[stripe]

I'm sorry, but this has me :lol::lol:

 

The Ultimate WTM Put-Down--"You Larva, you!"

Yeah, it was one of those very insulting comments yet the choice of words for the insult were sort of, well, silly.

 

Anyhow, given that queen bees fight to the death to select the single victor, I'm not sure a "hive" is a very welcoming place. Let's hope this one is a little less bloodthirsty.

[Colleen in NS]

Look who's talking!:lol:

 

:confused:

[ThatCyndiGirl]

I'm sorry, but this has me :lol::lol:

 

The Ultimate WTM Put-Down--"You Larva, you!"

 

 

But, larva is one of the designations of rank around here. (Queen Bee, Nurse Bee, etc.)

 

Anyhoo, when someone with a low post count starts a thread like:

 

"Don't you hate how all xians are dumb?"

 

OR

 

"I heard that all atheists are child-haters and criminals. Discuss"

 

Or spanking or abortion, etc, etc, etc.

 

When it seems like a bored troll just blatantly stirring the pot then sitting back to watch the fall-out,.....yeah, THAT is when post count.....counts.

 

Honestly, I have read some posts and thought, "Certainly that must be a troll" because what they are saying is so outrageous.

 

 

ETA: I watch this board on the midnight shift and REALLY REALLY watch post counts then. I was kept VERY busy Saturday night into Sunday morning trying to keep up with one particular spammer. They had posted their same stupid ad on EVERY. SINGLE. BOARD. And a few months ago it was the porn with huge pics in the thread. yuck. Of course, at that moment it is all about the content of their posts and not their post count.

 

Apparently, I digress.

Edited December 15, 2009 by ThatCyndiGirl

[Jenny in Atl]

I've always thought my post count was more a reflection on how much I like to "talk" more than anything else. And yes,

 

[LibraryLover]

 

 

Awesome!

[jazzyfizzle]

 

 

 

 

:lol: :lol:

[rwjx2khsmj]

Cinder, that is what got me thinking about the unwritten board etiquette. I've read all the written rules and knew there wasn't anything there (other than selling) about post #s.

 

I always try to do searches before I ask a question so that I'm not bothering others with rehashing the same old thing. I read MUCH more than I post. I didn't want to post in an unseemly manner and after seeing another being cautioned about pre-mature posting, it made me wonder.

 

It occurs to me that while post # might give you a better idea about someone's personality and preferences, their joining date would be a better indicator of their commitment.

[Momling]

I suspect content more than post-number counts...

 

I've found that if you post thoughtful questions or useful advice about a topic that folks are interested in, they'll take you seriously. I certainly haven't felt (in my paltry number of posts or short time on the board) that I shouldn't be posting. And I certainly appreciate the views or questions of people with all number of posts.

[elegantlion]

 

It occurs to me that while post # might give you a better idea about someone's personality and preferences, their joining date would be a better indicator of their commitment.

 

True. But the board switched to this format in Jan 2008 so there are no join dates prior to that, even though many posters have been around for several years.

 

 

 

Paula - whose post count only signifies how much time I spend on the board and does not indicate amount of wisdom, ability to give good advice, or expert status on any subject. :lol:

Edited December 16, 2009 by elegantlion
not an expert in grammar for sure

[rwjx2khsmj]

True. But the board switched to this format in Jan 2008 so there are no join dates prior to that, even though many posters have been around for several years.

 

 

 

Paula - whose post count only signifies how much time I spend on the board and does not indicate amount of wisdom, ability to give good advice, or expert status on any subject. :lol:

 

As you can see from my joining date I knew nothing about the board before this board.

 

As for wisdom, good advice or status, I'm with you Paula!

Edited December 16, 2009 by rwjx2khsmj

[Paula in MS]

The thread that the OP is referring to kind of made me mad. The only thing that post count indicates is that some people post more than others. When the board switched over to the new format, we all started with zero posts. I do not post very much, but I have been here all the same. I would bet that there are some who have less than 50 posts and were here before me. A low post count does not mean that the poster is "new" or a "troll", just that they don't post much. If is not fair to assume otherwise.

 

Paula

 

 

P.S. I think that the poster in question on the other thread was trying to say that she did not "know" the poster because she didn't post much. I think it just came out wrong. (Or maybe we took it the wrong way.:lol:)

 

Just tryin' to give everyone the benefit of the doubt.

[lionfamily1999]

Cinder, that is what got me thinking about the unwritten board etiquette. I've read all the written rules and knew there wasn't anything there (other than selling) about post #s.

 

I always try to do searches before I ask a question so that I'm not bothering others with rehashing the same old thing. I read MUCH more than I post. I didn't want to post in an unseemly manner and after seeing another being cautioned about pre-mature posting, it made me wonder.

 

It occurs to me that while post # might give you a better idea about someone's personality and preferences, their joining date would be a better indicator of their commitment.

They also give you a little bit of reference. I've seen what I thought were incredibly rediculous posts, then gone through some of that person's earlier posts and realized it was their sense of humor. It's almost like how many references you have. For me anyway. :lol:

[Thea]

Cinder, that is what got me thinking about the unwritten board etiquette. I've read all the written rules and knew there wasn't anything there (other than selling) about post #s.

 

I always try to do searches before I ask a question so that I'm not bothering others with rehashing the same old thing. I read MUCH more than I post. I didn't want to post in an unseemly manner and after seeing another being cautioned about pre-mature posting, it made me wonder.

 

It occurs to me that while post # might give you a better idea about someone's personality and preferences, their joining date would be a better indicator of their commitment.

 

I've noticed a couple of 'post count' comments. I tend to be a lurker, so I *know* the board more than the board knows me, if that makes any sense.

[Colleen in NS]

I didn't want to post in an unseemly manner and after seeing another being cautioned about pre-mature posting, it made me wonder.

 

Here is some context. Out of approx. 13,700 registered members, approx. 7,300 of them have posted here.

 

- About 6,000 of those 7,300 (so, 82%) have between 1-200 posts.

 

- About 1,020 of those 7,300 (so, 14%) have between 200-1,000 posts.

 

- About 360 of those 7,300 (so, 4-5%) have over 1,000 posts.

 

Just because someone has under, say, 200 posts, it doesn't mean they shouldn't contribute or ask questions (I mean, look, they are the majority of members who have posted!). And just because someone has over 1,000 posts doesn't mean they know something about the board that you don't know that you should know. We all have to go by the same rules. They are the best thing for evaluating what you read and what you'd like to post. So, post away and have fun!

[stripe]

But, larva is one of the designations of rank around here. (Queen Bee, Nurse Bee, etc.)

 

Right. I know. I was saying that to send an angry PM, or post a snarky post, where someone is told, "You're just a larva, therefore keep quiet," obviously the term "larva" is being used to suggest something beyond merely the post numbers; it suggests that the poster is in fact sub-human. It's not the same as saying "Ah, I see that you're new....."