i guess i'll have to quit

i never have anything important to say

i just like having fun

i'll miss you all

bye all

It doesn't stop you posting or having fun!!

I dont think you are thinking far enough outside The Circle DJ

OT accounts for almost 83,000 posts ..stretching as far back as 2003 and mostly IS DTV related from its inception. You just have to look between the lines.

83,000 posts makes it the fourth largest resource on the website and I do believe also an advertising asset.

What does that tell you ? It tells me it reflects the general DISSATISFACTION with FTA and Pay TV that people on almost over 83,000 occasions found it more entertaining than TV or HT..or even DRM for that matter.

Have a quick scout around the Pay Tv , HD TV , Reception Issues, Watermarks, Austar/Foxtel, Program contents, Advertising, EPGs threads and you will see a huge DISSATISFACTION with FTA in general and a wholesale erosion of services and an upsurge in contempt by the very Broadcasters who rely on this website to push their wares...and yet they still refuse to listen..ah well their loss

It gets harder and harder to entertain people who have such a stoic and generally black and white view on things such as this.

Step out from the BnW 4:3 DJ and into The LCD Light

I havent voted either way actually, as post counts are not really my priority but I do believe that if someone goes to the trouble of posting whatever ..it should still count. Its all a question of perceptions from there on.

I do agree it does at times sound and look more like a chatline for pre-pubescent teenagers..but do a quick search in the rest of the forum for terms like "doodz" and "totally" and Ill think youll get my drift as to where most of the "shite" actually is

I mean do we really need a new thread everytime somebody wants to sell ONE of his DVDs ?

There is one easy solution though... ....dont go there....be afraid..be very afraid

As for OT posts in a particular thread....yep free for all reporting.....dog eat dog.....click away........women and children first!!!!!

Damn the torpedoes.....keep rowing !!!!!

+1

Some valid points there mello.

i don't want to drag this off topic, but thankyou everyone

it means a lot to me that you care

and i'm extremely happy that i get to stay

i don't want to drag this off topic, but thankyou everyone

it means a lot to me that you care

and i'm extremely happy that i get to stay

Certainly no one wants you to leave duckie, it wouldn't be the same without you.

It's always sad when someone leaves. So please don't.

As a regular poster in the O/T area, I say yes don't increment post counts for anything in that subforum.

We should also do it for all the HDM forums, I think I have to trawl through more crap there than I do in O/T.... but at least the O/T crap is entertaining in parts!

Okay, since I'm in this neck o' the woods at the moment, FWIW, here's an IMFFHO...

Caniffe should be looking at adding another field to the membership info (that stuff listed on the left of the posts), or modyfing an existing field, rather than playing around with post counts.

{Is another graphic/icon possible, in addition to avatar and post-count symbols, perhaps?}

That way, members can be better differentiated in terms of "contribution made" if that is desired.

In other words, those who go out of their way to make helpful and informative posts could be easily identified (esp. to new members), whilst those who are just argumentative clowns (ahem) or trolls, or fanbois, etc, etc would be noticeable by their absence from the "MVP" category... or even more noticeable by their membership in less august categories!

We all know many candidates for the MVP category, so I won't list them here (and anyway, that could be a future thread).

Believe it or not (and its probably news to more recent members), even this Santa was a worthwhile contributor on the DTV topics as well as the running of the forum, back a long time ago... before getting trapped in O/T (assured, however, that others {ahem, Lyle} were well capable of fielding the usual questions and making sure things didn't get completely out of hand.

As far as post counts go, whilst I wouldn't care too much if future O/T posts didn't get counted, I feel the O/T section is integral to the character of DTVForum ... without it the forum may have been "just another internet forum".

There have been countless utterly worthless threads in other subforums (eg: practically anything mentioning Bluray, as well as the aforementioned "I'm selling some DVDs", plus endless "+1" posts on an array of subjects).

And ... of course, by not counting O/T subforum posts, you'll most likely get more drivel in the so-called "on-topic" subforums ... especially by the desperados.

Failing all of that ... make the post-count directly proportional to the (unquoted) word count of posts!!!

{Yep, none of that "+1" for this Santa! Just good ol' fashioned value for money...}

OK maybe we need two off topic areas, one that is DTV / Tech related and one for the garbage that has no reemblence of tech / DTV etc!

I voted yes

Is it possible to separate off topic from on topic?

Is it possible to separate off topic from on topic?

~

Failing all of that ... make the post-count directly proportional to the (unquoted) word count of posts!!!

{Yep, none of that "+1" for this Santa! Just good ol' fashioned value for money...}

That would clearly make Steve C the Grand Forum Master.

With respect to the poll:

I suspect it is in response to a growing number of members, who according to post count, would appear to newbies to be important members of the DTV forum community, yet may not actually contribute very much to the technical areas of the forum that brought the newbie in.

My response is this:

Why does post count matter? I generally value a post (whether in OT or otherwise) based on the content, articulation of argument, humour, (grammar, spelling...) etc long before I gaze left at the post count of the dude who made it.

So what if we have members who have bloated post counts courtesy of OT? They'll either never venture into the other technical sub-forums, or when they do, they'll only appear as experienced and knowledgable as they really are. Post count isn't going to change that...

For what it's worth, I haven't voted. Consider it a form of protest at the lesser perceived value of OT (not necessarily by you, Caniffe) to some other subforums, which for a long time now have been diluted with Best Price threads and fanatical arguments, repeated across dozens of multiple threads on the exact same press release.

DISCLAIMER: I was once a forum post count junkie, but I would echo Santa's position of late.

... im lost for words

+1 (at least this one will stick!)

Cheers,

Bitey

~

My response is this:

Why does post count matter? I generally value a post (whether in OT or otherwise) based on the content, articulation of argument, humour, (grammar, spelling...) etc long before I gaze left at the post count of the dude who made it.

So what if we have members who have bloated post counts courtesy of OT? They'll either never venture into the other technical sub-forums, or when they do, they'll only appear as experienced and knowledgable as they really are. Post count isn't going to change that...

For what it's worth, I haven't voted. Consider it a form of protest at the lesser perceived value of OT (not necessarily by you, Caniffe) to some other subforums, which for a long time now have been diluted with Best Price threads and fanatical arguments, repeated across dozens of multiple threads on the exact same press release.

DISCLAIMER: I was once a forum post count junkie, but I would echo Santa's position of late.

extremely well put mm. I'm one of those with a bloated post count. I'd hapily have it turn to zero without a flinch. I dont see it as a medal or something. the post count doesnt change anything.

OT is very important. well I see it as so. not really sure why post count seems to be such a concern . but to somehow devalue OT posts to say in other words they "don't count" is not right. OT is part and parcel of this community and a lot of the members who frquent there is what makes it the community that it is. I would be a damn shame if for some reason we decide they dont count !

I voted yes as the content of the OT forum is just a sideshow for the very bored and usually not DTV releated.

well i apologise for having bored people shitless & for having perceived myself to have had a bit of fun over the years in between other more

"meaningful "discussions in the so called on topic areas.

furthermore i apologise unreservedly for having wasted everybodies time as i didn't realise that post counts were the equivalent of playing for sheep stations

i thought the race about whether we count in the o/t had been run & won.....................i don't know what has brought this on & i don't have time at the moment to read up on all the discussion...........looks like we're destined for the back of the plane again

i've "met" some really nice people here in my time..................what a pity

see you all around .....................sometime

I'll have to relocate THB to the attachments area again :-) - 'least theyre counted!

Cheers,

Boltey

PS: That another +1

well i apologise for having bored people shitless & for having perceived myself to have had a bit of fun over the years in between other more

"meaningful "discussions in the so called on topic areas.

furthermore i apologise unreservedly for having wasted everybodies time as i didn't realise that post counts were the equivalent of playing for sheep stations

i thought the race about whether we count in the o/t had been run & won.....................i don't know what has brought this on & i don't have time at the moment to read up on all the discussion...........looks like we're destined for the back of the plane again

i've "met" some really nice people here in my time..................what a pity

see you all around .....................sometime

Chill Chatty, just my 0.01c worth, Im not that fussed about the whole thing either way.

i've "met" some really nice people here in my time..................what a pity

see you all around .....................sometime

Hey Caniffe is not saying we can't still post OT or talk to each other or have fun.

He's just asking if it should count in the post count.

I don't believe there is any hidden agenda.

Hey Caniffe is not saying we can't still post OT or talk to each other or have fun.

He's just asking if it should count in the post count.

I don't believe there is any hidden agenda.

Umm Lyle

I dont think Chats was talking to Caniffe

....and I believe you may have let the cat out of the bag regarding "agendas" ..hidden or otherwise ...he never said anything like that either

???

just fixed your post mate

That would clearly make Steve C the Grand Forum Master.

With respect to the poll:

I suspect it is in response to a growing number of members, who according to post count, would appear to newbies to be important members of the DTV forum community, yet may not actually contribute very much to the technical areas of the forum that brought the newbie in.

My response is this:

Why does post count matter? I generally value a post (whether in OT or otherwise) based on the content, articulation of argument, humour, (grammar, spelling...) etc long before I gaze left at the post count of the dude who made it.

So what if we have members who have bloated post counts courtesy of OT? They'll either never venture into the other technical sub-forums, or when they do, they'll only appear as experienced and knowledgable as they really are. Post count isn't going to change that...

For what it's worth, I haven't voted. Consider it a form of protest at the lesser perceived value of OT (not necessarily by you, Caniffe) to some other subforums, which for a long time now have been diluted with Best Price threads and fanatical arguments, repeated across dozens of multiple threads on the exact same press release.

DISCLAIMER: I was once a forum post count junkie, but I would echo Santa's position of late.

+1

...with the following long winded adendum that covers some further feelings I have - or actually don't have, because I truly believe that as the DTV forum isn't a publically (i.e. Government) owned and funded service... the DTV forum owners/administrators/executives/grand panjandrums can make whatever rulings they like.

I agreed (as I assume every other forum member did also) to abide by the forum rules and guidelines when I first joined, and nothing (as far as I'm aware) has changed since my initial joining date to the guidelines for forum use that we all supposedly agreed to.

If "the powers that be" of the DTV forum decide that OT posts aren't counted... that's their choice.

It's for that simple reason alone that I abstain from voting in such a poll.

If post count is really, really, really, REALLY important to me; I either start posting in threads that do count, or I find another forum that doesn't have the same policy.

Seeing as how post count isn't important to me, I'll just keep posting things that might be amusing or of relevance to other forum members - and run the risk of peeing-off those members who've decided I'm a five-knuckle shuffler of Galactic proportions whilst doing so... because for me, discussion and interaction - whether it be lively, tardy, intelligent, indecipherable or heated, is what the DTV forum is about.

Enjoy!

This feedback in this thread is precisely why I started it.

Some of you have missed the point. O/T isn't changing, the discussions continue and the same stuff would occur in there. All I propose to change is those posts couning towards the post count value. If O/T is so essential to the character of the forum, why does a post count value on said posts matter?

If the post substance remains the same, the same people remain the same - all I am doing is +0-ing posts in some forums?

There is no agenda; I said last year when the time was right I would bring this discussion up again (since all of you bayed for blood last time I made a change without asking first ).

Boycotting the vote is pretty pointless. The O/T posts aren't being banned, removed or censored. I am merely talking about a post counter increment change. For those that are objecting, it appears you yourself gain status from the post count value - which is exactly why this discussion needs to take place.

I guess you ask what's more important - post count value, or perceived guru status amongst your peers. Could anyone say Alebonau, Lyle or the others would be any less respected if their post counts were lower than 100? (Not saying Alebonau has posted 18,000 O/T posts there either).

So discuss, make good points - no decision has been made nor has any change taken place.

extremely well put mm. I'm one of those with a bloated post count. I'd hapily have it turn to zero without a flinch. I dont see it as a medal or something. the post count doesnt change anything.

OT is very important. well I see it as so. not really sure why post count seems to be such a concern . but to somehow devalue OT posts to say in other words they "don't count" is not right. OT is part and parcel of this community and a lot of the members who frquent there is what makes it the community that it is. I would be a damn shame if for some reason we decide they dont count !

LOL. Even worse. As one with a reasonably high post count I'm starting to get nervous about saying things because I often get things wrong too and lots of my posts are my opinion. The responsibility of towing the line and saying things that may influence newbies can be somewhat daunting and a bit worrying.

Nobody is boycotting the vote Caniffe..well as far as Im concerend its not boycotting..but it seems your mind is made up anyway so how we vote on it as the handful of votes here wont really matter anyway.

ëdit: no decision has been made ..just saw that..ok

I think most of the reactions were to the posts that called the OT ....boring, dull, irrelevant and shyte...and so on.

Why should they count ? ...why shouldnt they count ? Not really fusssed....except for those that are.....I proposed a while ago a DTV Gold Member status .......totally divorced from post count quantity..but relating to post quality....isnt this a defacto form of that ?

..oh and btw..why do you think I enjoy the relative freshness of a sub 1000 post count....cos its quality baby ..not quantity

..yeah I know

.."dont call me baby"

Edited April 8, 200817 yr by mello yello II

Boycotting the vote is pretty pointless. The O/T posts aren't being banned, removed or censored. I am merely talking about a post counter increment change. For those that are objecting, it appears you yourself gain status from the post count value - which is exactly why this discussion needs to take place.

So discuss, make good points - no decision has been made nor has any change taken place.

With all due respect; I realise that there's no "ban, removal or censorship" of OT posts being proposed, and that what you are proposing is an incremental change to the post counter... and I obviously have no objection, because I've already agreed to abide by the guidelines for DTV forums useage - which is why I see no need to vote.

Being able to gauge whether the proposal is going to be well received by all of the mebership is another matter altogether - so, I can understand the necessity for a poll which may indicate the level and degree of emotion surrounding such a proposal.

I guess it'd be fairer to see a stated failure to vote as an abstention, rather than a "boycott".

Speaking only for myself; the word boycott implies a level of objection and rejection on the abstainer's behalf that is very far from the sense of acceptance I have of the forum's right to make adjustments or changes as seen fit, regardless of how I might or might not vote.

Just my personal two pennies worth...

There is no agenda; I said last year when the time was right I would bring this discussion up again (since all of you bayed for blood last time I made a change without asking first ).

Ah yes ..one of People Powers finest days

so you come back for more, Paesan

Viva La Revolucion !!!

Ok how about :

two post count totals in a members profile ?

can the counters work with two ?

example:

mello yello II

<photo of Che Guevara>

DTV Forums Member

<pips>

Topical posts : 24

Non Topical Posts : 650

Joined : etc etc etc

that way ( I think ) everybodies happy ??

Ok how about :

two post count totals in a members profile ?

can the counters work with two ?

example:

mello yello II

<photo of Che Guevara>

DTV Forums Member

<pips>

Topical posts : 24

Non Topical Posts : 650

Joined : etc etc etc

that way ( I think ) everybodies happy ??

but that adds up to 676 and you only have 656 posts!