Instead of a post count...

[Xillen]

And registration date is?

*scratches head*

[Greenthorn]

And registration date is?

*scratches head*

Tells you how long someone has been a member duh! *smiles*

[Xillen]

Which means what exactly? There's been quite a bunch of people that have been on a hiatus for a year or two, so seriously, what does it mean.

I find the "Last online at" entry a LOT more useful!

[Greenthorn]

Well in all actuality..then add sexual preferences instead of post counts...

[Xillen]

There you go with the instead of again. There's no point to instead of

And you can enter that in your Custom Title, Avatar Description or Signature.

[Greenthorn]

There you go with the instead of again. There's no point to instead of

And you can enter that in your Custom Title, Avatar Description or Signature.

*beats Xillen with a dead fish*

*walks away*

[Haibane]

*looks at GT as she walks away downcast and feels a bit shitty*

Date joined is useful, no matter how long a hiatus somone may have enjoyed it is still a useful general indicator of committment to E.

...But it's already easily available in the user profile. Duh #1.

Date of last post is useful as an indicator of current activity on E, but it's already easily available in the user profile. Duh #2.

Socializing-based post counts are useless, misleading and often get inflated by egotists. Duh #3.

Sexual orientation and etcetera, etcetera is in the O/Os. Duh #4.

Post count of writing/game threads only is a general useful indicator of a person's activity, and yes, five one liners are as useful to me as five 1000 words posts within the limited remit of what writing-based post count can deliver.

Basically though all of these are merely general helps. They don't tell you if the person is Shakespeare or a gutter press hack or a txtspkr, they don't tell you anything specifically and they never will. If you are interested in getting to know what a fellow member is really like you gotta go hit that PM button and invest some time in good old human conversation.

*nails portfolio to the cathedral door and leaves thread, hands in pockets kicking a coke can*

[Paradox]

*sneaks up to the Cathedral door and adds a 96th thesis*

Actually, it is possible to determine if someone's writing skills are on par with the Bard. You failed to mention the "Show the last posts of this person" button. By browsing their story-related posts, it's possible to acquaint yourself with their style, grammar, skill, etc. I do not start a story without referencing my potential partner's prior posts.

Edit: You did mention the aforementioned button; however, you neglected to point out how useful it can be in finding out about a member's writing abilities.

[Trieste]

*steals the 69th thesis with a rush of juvenile glee and no small amount of giggling*

Some people value postcount. Some value post length. Some pay attention to socialization sections, and some shun those who post in the social sections. Some like it hot. Some like it cold.

Some like it in the fridge, five days old.

Generally, people have found ways to judge others' writing, usually through the 'show last posts' option. Postcount is quick and easy and it's a forum standard to have it there. I like it within glancing distance... and if I want to know more, I click on the name and view the profile - although that option tends to have more info for me than for most users, it's generally about as useful.

I think it boils down to the fact that most have gotten used to methods of ferreting out the info they want without having it displayed on the left.

[Greenthorn]

aight yo peeps!!  slow your rolls!!

*blinks*

Anyway...I wasn't making the suggestion because of anything to do with determining people's writing ability..y'all just ran out to left field with da ball yo!

(*must stop fighting stated age*)

I just would like to see something more important than post count as a fixed bit of information above our avatars!

*sighs and kicks a can on the way out*

[Trieste]

*hugs GT*

[Xillen]

Seriously, why is it so bad to have postcount there? (And since you seem to insist on replacing it, instead of just adding something, I'm assuming you want it removed from there.)

[Greenthorn]

Seriously, why is it so bad to have postcount there? (And since you seem to insist on replacing it, instead of just adding something, I'm assuming you want it removed from there.)

It just bugs me...it's redundant...post count, then a "title" (fae or whatever) which also goes by post count...

*feels redundant now*

*hopes Trieste comes and hugs again....grins*

[Xillen]

So then you want to replace it by something even more redundant? :|

[Greenthorn]

So then you want to replace it by something even more redundant? :|

Can I just...throw you in my closet and keep you there?! 

Seriously though...I just would like to see -something more appropiate-. 

*stops and goes away until I have a better idea*

[Haibane]

I have a better idea. Come and stay the night at my place.

*kicks can back*

[Paradox]

How about post quality instead of post count?

Do a rating system.

I think I already blabbed about this earlier, but I'm sure a voting/rating system could be set up.

[MusicNeverDies]

I have a pretty low post count and a pretty low join date, so either of those and I'm still doomed, heh.

I don't know if this is possible, I've seen it on other forums though so I'm putting it out there. A karma system, where theres a nice little button in a persons profile where you can give or take a karma point, something like 3 a day as to not get crazy. I think if we could get something like that going people could give a point to someone who they like the writing of, or take away from someone who is being disrespectful, inactive, immature, etc. It would be a general symbol of their ability in terms of a basic consensus.

Unless we could get a 1-10 rating system for writing up, I think that might be the best alternative.

[Paradox]

Yeah, the 1-10 was my original idea, or a 1-5 star system.

I think some people may take offense to that though.

[Trieste]

We had a karma system... it was removed due to abuse.

[MusicNeverDies]

Yeah, the 1-10 was my original idea, or a 1-5 star system.

I think some people may take offense to that though.

Some might, but the people on here should all be adult and mature enough to understand. If we put anything in the public hand, people will take offence when someone else is higher ranked then them, that's unavoidable. Which only leaves pure statistics, and we've already established the flaws with join dates and point counts.

@Trieste; I was unaware.

[Trieste]

S'why I said something. :)

[Paradox]

We had a karma system... it was removed due to abuse.

Yeah, people kept trying to give me a much higher rating than was possible through the system. Ah, my adoring fans.

[MusicNeverDies]

Yeah, people kept trying to give me a much higher rating than was possible through the system. Ah, my adoring fans.

And that was before you posted your picture? Now they might just crash the site, I understand the flaws now.

New plan, ban para and try again?

[Moondazed]

I think the problem with a rating system is that it's pretty easy to get a group of friends together to just vote each other's stories up to the top.  Sure, I'd love to say we're too mature for that, but I'm pretty sure we all know better.  The Threadies thread gave people an opportunity to recommend each other's threads and it very rarely got used.  I don't know what the answer is.  I just worry that a rating system will end up where the karma system went, and that wasn't anywhere positive.