As a middle aged guy, I find it much cheaper to look longingly at my post count than to buy a red Porsche.

I'll speak for me and say that this will not receive my vote either but my two hockey pucks are that while some like Cholula enjoy their Picasso's ;), I personally think that more constructive discussions about how to improve Flyertalk can be had vs how many posts, Picasso's or hockey pucks one has below their handle.

+1 to this. I like my post count, it's something I've worked hard to build and I'm proud that it matches the time and effort I've spent on FT and I'd say 99% of them are from travel/dining related posts (very little lounge-ish activity). I've also been working towards Evangelist for almost 10 years now. If post counts went away, I think the amount of FTing I'd do would drop off.

Speaking from under my general member hat, I've had a change of heart about this proposal. Until a few days ago I wasn't persuaded by any of the proponents, titled or not, that restoring post counts to OMNI would have the value-added effect they seem to think it would. Posts don't have feelings so arguments such as "consistency's sake" and "post equality" really have nothing to do with counting qua counting but they do have a lot to do with how members view their contributions to the community. To put it another way, this proposal is largely about member morale.

The other day while thinking about this thread I remembered a time when I desperately needed a morale boost -- July of 2007 when my previous cat was in her last days -- and why I came to OMNI. Then I thought of all the other days since OMNI's inception (11 years ago? 12??) that I came with less pressing motivations to read or post. Either way the purpose is to just hang out and I think others view OMNI lite (at least) the same way. OMNI has grown into something vital to Flyertalk. It is our community's 24/7 virtual drop-in center for those needing practical advice, to share a laugh or find a shoulder to lean on. (Or rough house on the PR side.) If lounge posts are worthy of counting I see no reason why OMNI or CC posts should be excluded. Tally that as a Yes.

From my viewpoint as a mod, whichever way the vote goes is immaterial to the mechanics of modding. If OMNIites want another subforum they can either petition the CD or propose it to TalkBoard. Same difference to me.

Brava.. You hit the nail right on the head. I can't add very much more to what you said, and will only say that you're not the only one - over the years we have shared many of life's ups and downs with each other - and it is a vital part of this community.

Mary and I agree again, which is still rather scary to me. :D But, she's right. Many of us have shared many of life's ups and downs in this community of OMNI.

Unfortunately, there are too many people posting on too many topics that they know nothing about (NOT talking about you! :)). They continue to blab on and on. There's no way to differentiate between someone like yourself that is helping other members vs. a person that treats the forum like twitter and constantly posts random brain farts.

It's the contribution that matters. The total post count doesn't help the community.

Hi all. I've read through this entire thread (and the majority of the one that discussed the same issue earlier last year) so I wanted to chime in -- even though I'm a dedicated lurker at best. :D

I have no horse in this race, not even being able to read OMNI myself (maybe in another seven years ;)), but after reading all the comments it's clear to me which "side" has the better argument.

I've seen many posts saying basically this: "OMNI posts shouldn't count because the number of posts should reflect travel knowledge contributions only". What these people are somehow missing is that the post count, as it is now, doesn't at all necessarily reflect travel knowledge shared. There are lounge threads, birthday threads, and plenty of non-travel related threads in many areas of FT. Right now on the front page of the GLBT Travelers section there is a thread called "What do you call your other half?" and in the Women Travelers section there's a thread about how many times a day to wash your face, which has turned into a discussion about mineral makeup. Neither of these threads are expressly travel related but those posts go towards the members overall count.

Also, as a cook, I could spend hours contributing to the Dining section of FT and could be an "evangelist" in no time. But would that number and title really reflect my travel knowledge? Of course not.

The TB members who have brought up this issue are completely in the right because there's an obvious inconsistency here that should be rectified.

As an aside, after reading this and other threads in this section (including a couple that I would have commented in but they were closed down), I want to thank kokonutz and RichMSN for their obvious dedication to representing the members at large. Your challenging of the status quo and bringing a member's perspective to the powers that be can only help to make this community better. I, for one, really appreciate your time and effort. ^

Like it or not, members use post count as one way of assessing the credibility of another member. Like it or not, OMNI posts are utterly irrelevant to the core purpose of FT. So, IMO they should not count.

Like it or not, not everyone agrees with your opinion.

I am sure of the above. I am also sure of the following: like it or not, members use post count as one way of trying to diminish the credibility of another member. On balance, most people are capable enough to judge what they need to judge how they want to judge with or without using post count -- and that will remain whether this TB motion passes or not.

1. Come on!

2. As proven by

3. this series of posts,

4. Counts are truly