(emphasis mine)

This is precisely the reason I brought up this proposal. I agree with many posters on this thread that post counts have little or no bearing on MY opinion and that the content of posts is what really matters.

However, as the previous poster just pointed out, there are many who view post counts as a source of pride. The message to them is that post counts can be incremented by making a contribution to the underlying purpose of this board - travel. Post in travel related forums and your post count will naturally increase.

Lately, FT has attracted a lot of attention, as is evident by the number of new members signing up and posting on many forums across the board. A classic response to a newbie post is "Another newbie with less than 10 posts unhappy with MyFavorite Airline". The intrinsic message in such posts is obvious.

Another reason to discontinue Omni post-counts is the remote probability that Omni might be dropped. I recall a time last year, or the year before when Omni was dropped/disabled because of page load speeds. Until it became clear that Omni was not responsible for slow page loads, there was no talk of restoring Omni. Clearly, Omni is dispensable.

The bottomline is that the purpose of FlyerTalk is a place to exchange travel related ideas and questions. Obviously, Omni is NOT a travel related forum. While some have argued for the exclusion of other posts (smilies, CommunityBuzz, etc.), we have to start somewhere.

I propose that somewhere be Omni.

Until OMNI is discontinued, I don't agree. OMNI is part of FT and as a part of FT it should count.

The notion that post counts are a measure of "travel" related discussion is false. Even outside of OMNI there is a ton of chat that is not travel related at all. This forum is a good start.

My feeling is that as long as OMNI is a part of this community, it should be treated as such.

Perhaps a better solution is to have a blurb in the welcoming literature that there is not a significant positive relationship between post-count and knowledge .



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Note: I have no dog in this fight. I think post counts are stupid and should be gone entirely, but I'm arguing principles here.

Not an ideal solution in my book, but better than keeping things as they are.

Agree that's another better solution than maintaining the status quo.

And yet a third solution, proposed in the first post in this thread, which is admittedly not perfect but better than the current approach--keep post counts, but have them mean something (or at least more than they do now) and actually be a more accurate way to gauge a poster's contributions to FT, by not having OMNI posts count.

You pose three solutions. Let's back up a second. What's the problem again?

I'm repeating myself, but, in a nutshell, that post counts can be misleadingly indicative (to some) of a poster's knowledge and travel-related contributions to FT, supported by the idea that they are somehow "valuable" (if they aren't, why make such a big deal by zeroing people's post counts when they are caught padding?).

Also, why not enhance the usefulness of post counts by actually making them reflect something more useful than they currently do?

Do you have evidence of this problem that you can cite? Anything empirical? Like an instance where post counts led to a negative outcome?

The only post counts I've ever seen zeroed are those people who do it to circumvent the rules to access either coupon connection or Omni.

The TalkBoard is considering two motions on this matter:

Motion One:

Moved by wharvey and seconded by Cholula:

1. That all post counts be removed from member profiles.

2. That post counts still be tracked for entrance into certain member forums (ie. OMNI and Coupon Connection).

3. That all member titles be removed from profiles other than those designated by Flyertalk management (ie. Talkboard President, Talkboard Member, Moderator).

Motion Two:

Moved by Spiff and seconded by attorney28:

Table further discussion on whether should posts in OMNI count in total post count total.

Since there are 2 concurrent motions on the same subject, Motion One will be voted on first and whether it passes or fails, the effect of the tabling motion would be to table further discussion on the subject (should the tabling motion pass).

Cool no post counts, finally the whole "penis size" controversy will end

Prediction: Motion 1 will fail and Motion 2 will be passed.

You heard it hear first, baby!

Does that mean that people will still be able to see their own post count, just that others won't be able to see it?

Cheers

Since this post count thing is so boooooring.... why dont we bring back the squares thingies...?? ^

That's kind of what my money is on as well.

I find motion # 2 very confusing -- regardless of whether motion # 1 passes or fails.

Let's assume that motion # 2 passes. In the future, some TalkBoard members want to revisit this question. Are they forbidden from doing so unlesss a 2/3rds majority votes to repeal motion # 2? If that is the case, how does TalkBoard debate the wisdom of this move if such debate is forbidden until after the vote to repeal motion # 2?

I think motion #2 is sort of a "we're tired of this same old horse being beaten to death every few months and we're equally tired of discussing it" kind of motion.
Just my personal take on the motion. I didn't make the motion nor did I second it.