Newbie board

[Beertigger]

Cut and paste? What's that? I am old fashioned enough to consider that a welcome is the norm and as to the post count, well, to coin a phrase "frankly I don't give a damn" one way or the other.

Jock speaks my mind.

[Leprechaun 91]

I have to say as a "Newbie" to the board, i am confused. What is the post count worth? I have not seen (read looked for) anything that shows posts as being of "value. What am I missing?

I guess I just figured I was here to talk Kilts so ,,,,, I post about kilts.

[Beertigger]

I have to say as a "Newbie" to the board, i am confused. What is the post count worth? I have not seen (read looked for) anything that shows posts as being of "value. What am I missing?

I guess I just figured I was here to talk Kilts so ,,,,, I post about kilts.

Some xmarkers seems a bit obsessed by how frequently they, and others, post. What's it worth? Your "rank" will change, but other than that....

[macneighill]

Yeah, I cut and paste a general "hello". However, the only reason I do that is because, I frequent so many forums. So, its just a convenience for me.

Besides, I really enjoyed the number of "hello's" I received when I joined the boards that, I feel its only proper to return in favor.

I could care less about my "ranking", personally. I know I'm a newbie. I've been a part of the kilted world for less than a year. So, until I reach Ham's level, I will be a rookie at it .

Sorry, just my 2 cents

[McClef]

And remember that announcing rank ups helps to keep our House Chairmen busy!

I for one am just as happy to contribute to those congratulations as I am to welcome new members. For the former there is no post count increase and for the latter there is.

For some rankings are meaningless and for some they are just part of the fun and the higher up one goes the harder they are to achieve because of the increasing gaps. Post count does demonstrate an amount of contribution and commitment. Welcoming new members is an important element - to make them feel welcome and to deal with questions and to encourage their contributions in the kilting world. Being included in one's post count for doing so is, I am sure, a secondary motive for most and welcoming new members alone isn't going to make a super fast progress through the ranks.

And where does it end? Should saying "nice pic" in the show us your pictures forum be denied in the counting? Or some one liner posts in others forums that attract a count?

[Bart_In_A_Kilt]

I have to echo this post. Having just joined the forum for less than a week, I was encouraged by the number of "Welcome" posts. CnP or not, the thought was there and was greatly appreciated.

Yeah, I cut and paste a general "hello". However, the only reason I do that is because, I frequent so many forums. So, its just a convenience for me.

Besides, I really enjoyed the number of "hello's" I received when I joined the boards that, I feel its only proper to return in favor.

I could care less about my "ranking", personally. I know I'm a newbie. I've been a part of the kilted world for less than a year. So, until I reach Ham's level, I will be a rookie at it .

Sorry, just my 2 cents

[meinfs]

I really appreciated it when people welcomed me to this board. I don't get to welcome each and every newbie but I try.

The simple act posting a message of welcome is an act of putting one's self out there. It is an important one even if it was cut and paste with nothing more than our icon. That member still went to the board and looked and put himself out there. Even if nobody else reads it, I'm sure the recipient will appreciate it.

If we think that counting one's number of posts isn't the important thing, then this issue of whether Welcome Newbie posts ought to be counted or not should not matter. Keep it as it is; that is, counted.


So what if a member attempts to inflate his post count by posting in the newbie section -- I say the member logged in and spent time in the forum whether he's "contributed" to the forum or not. We want members to spend time online, do we not? Now quality postings? That's another matter.

IF we are to judge what someone posts as a contribution to the kilted life or not, then that's a slippery slope. Let's not even go there (although I will a little). Because I've read many a post that I felt was unnecessary - and even then by whose criteria? Mine in that case. We all have different takes and perhaps standards. Some may consider other's trash as treasure ...

Sure, posts of 1000, 2000, 3000 and so forth are impressive -- it attests to the time that these members have spent on the board. You can see who they are and what they've posted. And you can tell if a person has posted 1000 "welcome newbies," messages and have contributed nothing else. Is he/she a lesser member then?

The minimum criterion that I subscribe to, in my humble opinion, is that we count, as a contribution, the TIME that a member has spent on this esteemed online forum. That time is easier to quantify in the form of a post, not just the length of time being online, mind you.

In my humble and non-confrontational, non-whiny opinion, with that particular criterion, I can argue and offer to the rabble that OFF-TOPIC posts be counted as posts towards one's post count. Granted that it's not necessarily kilt-related --- these posts are time spent on the board, not by strangers but by members we're getting to know more. And for what purpose? For some, personal posts about their lives and activities not kilt-related. For others, indirect connections to the kilt, e.g knitting, and other handcrafts or other hobbies. What do these things mean for me -- they amuse, they entertain; perhaps I can learn something new, something different that may contribute to my whole being and set of experiences, especially of my view of the experiences of kilt-wearers. I appreciate the fact that somebody posted something of themselves. And the beautiful thing is you do not have to read anything in the forum called off-topic since you know that it's likely going to be not kilt-related! I recently learned that OFF-TOPIC posts are not counted toward the post score and my immediate reaction in my mind was "why not?" Yeah, why not?


Many attest that they don't care what their post count is -- then if that's the case, then it shouldn't matter. If so, then one shouldn't begrudge others who's racking up 'points' for seemingly "less" valuable posts. We know who they are (are there any??). I am more for inclusiveness -- any post counts, even if for statistical data-gathering reasons only -- because it is time spent on the board. Actually, I put forth to the rabble that statistical data-gathering IS a sufficient reason.

Actually, ask yourself what does the post count mean to you anyway, ultimately?


Here's perhaps a crude analogy but one that I can speak of from my own experience: as a salsa dance instructor, when I was starting out, I've had a heated debate with a fellow instructor once about who teaches the beginners, who teaches advanced, etc and what "value" we attach to these efforts in the form of monetary value and difficulty level for the instructor. My take is that one hour of instruction is one hour regardless of instruction level, given the same number of students. We get paid the same; period. It's the same amount of time yakking. And teaching beginners is not necessarily an easy thing to do; in fact it can be more challenging. I shouldn't be paid less because I enjoy teaching beginners. We both can and are capable of providing the various levels of instruction. And it all averages out.

To connect this analogy to this discussion: a post is a post! What's it worth? What's my worth? [To me, ultimately not important, but it is important for site and user statistical data - and can be fun too, especially when one jumps from a mere peasant to a knight :]


Anyway forgive my flight of consciousness rambling; in the end, I respect what the moderators believe is the best for the board. I'm just offering my personal thoughts and suggestions on these matters.



Peace!

Off my soapbox now

[Bugbear]

Ehh, I forgot all about this issue and went back to posting "Welcome" in each newbie thread.

[Jack Daw]

Many times I post more than my usual, "Hello and welcome form Houston, TX!" (which I never cut and paste) if the newbie is a piper, a MacIntyre, or a Texan. I think it's more important to extend a welcome in general. I don't understand the significance of the post count, anyway. It doesn't get you a vendor discount or anything. Why is that important to anyone?

[Chas]

Hello All,

I agree with meinfs 100%. It was comforting in the extreme to be welcomed as a newbie. Joining a board can be like swimming in the ocean - cold and deep and dark and you're on your own for the next 3000 miles! Or like here, total strangers say hello. I know which one I prefer.

Have you noticed that people who post in 'Off Topic' tend to be more open, more themselves. They talk about real life with their guard down - not having to defend a position or stance on white hose or belts and PCs or whatever. When a poster complains in O/T about the state of his local economy and the lack of craft shops/leather suppliers/woodworks it is easier to understand what he is trying to say in DIY about making a kilt pin out of navel fluff. He's doing the best he can in trying times. O/T gives a good insite into the real person. For that reason alone I think Off Topic posts should count.

Regards

Chas