Add a post count to user names / accounts....?

[DragonWithAGirlTattoo]

I was thinking that to see if someone is a real 'long term user of MN, you know penis beaker and penguin bollards..." we could have a post count added to user names / accounts....?

so mine would say [DragonWithAGirlTattoo (350)] or [OneOfMyOtherUserNames (350)] using my active name and counting ALL my posts, but without linking to any of my usernames

just a thought...

No secret it was just a query in Google that returned the number of posts by a username on this site. Presumably you could do it for other sites too, possibly you still can, I can't remember how though rug of very little brain

What about all the rows? I've been here for more than 10 years but I De reg and opened a new account at some point. What if my count/date/colour didn't truly reflect my royal status? Would it lead to people arguing with hq to have their status upped? What about people saying "I've been here ages but new reg so you should believe I'm not a troll" how many potential arguments there?

I can see how it's useful for troll hunting but IMO would just introduce a heirachy of posters. Those with large numbers next to their name would seem more automatically more established and may put newbies off posting.

Would people feel uncomfortable with just the idea of a New Poster signal/avatar of some kind ? (One which automatically disppeared after you'd been registered for X amount of time - say 10 days or something.)

The most prolific trolls play the long game - number of posts would do nothing to prevent trolling. In fact it might even add a layer of credibility to those long gamers.

It wouldn't help with the 'long game trolls' it's true but it would help with common or garden trolls. It would also stop a lot of trollhunting of NCers.

The long game trolls (LGTs) don't NC, because they are trying to build credibility so there would be no change there.

I also don't like the implication that there is a value connected to the number of posts someone makes.

Try telling that to everyone who ASs when something makes their spidey sense tingle (I've done it actually) or all those who post 'Welcome to Mumsnet' when suspicious (I haven't done that . It's natural.

The proposals would save MNHQ a lot of work and mean less trollhunting for them to wade through and would probably mean improved moderation for all of us.

Oh and the "pah you're only band 1, you don't get how mn works. Newbies should keep quiet until they've learnt the rules from us oldies" (a sentiment I've seen many times here without tickers - I genuinely think it would increase)

I think it would definitely eliminate loads of typing/reading of "NC'ing regular, pombears, cube of poo" and a lot of "Interesting first post welcome to Mumsnet" so I'm all in favour of that.

It's a bit sad that nobody thinks posters would be kinder to newbies

On the forums for my fitness app, you attain cutely named statuses after every so many posts, which shows beside your name. I thought it was lame and pointless. But now I guess it shows who has been around a little while, a while, or a long while. Or who spends a lot of time involving themselves in online discussion about their own or others diet and exercise saga.

I don't like the idea of a post count. I'd think oh dear do I really spend so much time posting rather than other things such as housework or getting a life. I don't see how it would help in trolling because they would have name changed anyway. Because a name changer making a first post under the new name would look just the same as a new poster.

No Viv the post count would follow a poster through NCs.

"Or even the season and the year Fru?" Yes, fair enough, Maggie

I don't like post counts, they always end up being used to determine 'royalty' or such like. A 'date joined' can be useful though and I'd like to see that.

You could just have the year someone joined - very unidentifiable & it would follow through name changes.

I don't really like the idea- somebody could join just to post for advice, and end up being given the cold shoulder by suspicious posters. If you think somebody is trolling, report it and let MNHQ deal with it.

I think maybe a small dot next to someone's usernames which indicates they're new. That could go away after x months or x posts whichever comes sooner

Is it Polter!? How?

As a long termer lurker/thread killer date joined would be better as I very rarely post

A small red dot that goes sounds much more reasonable and "mn" I definitely object to a shiny newby badge - that way lies madness and tickers [shudder]

I think it's a good idea.

I name change frequently because of a dodgy ex and an issue with stalking. I'm very concerned about my privacy and safety on MN.

However I have no problem with having a post count. I don't think it would be a privacy issue.

Post counts are very intimidating to newbies or lurkers who post rarely. It's bound to result in hierarchy

"It's easy enough to set your profile to show date joined ....."

That's assuming you want a profile. Many of us don't - not for any sinister reason, but we just don't want one.

tryingtocatchthewind
Agree.
I am on a forum connected with my sport and people do try to pull rank by number of posts.
I was one of those quite relieved when a cliquey few left MN in a huff a few years ago because they had very bitchily ganged up and dominated threads by some supposed 'original members' 'legitimacy'.