I like the post count. It's good for establishing how involved people are with what's happening in the community. It's also good for when someone asks either a stupid question or one that's been answered before - you can tell they've not been around much and might not have even used a forum before.
Join date doesn't help this because accounts are created and often never used for forum access.
It's also good if you want to ask someone a question in a PM. The best way to try and get a response is to PM someone with a high post count, since they're obviously around a lot and willing to communicate.
I don't see any reason to get rid of it really, we aren't inidated with spam by any of the people on the first page of the saddness ratings (except Jakg ). Although I'm scrailly close to 3000 posts
EDIT -
I'm now on 2999 I never have to hit the rock bottom standard of 3000 posts if I just keep editing this one
(likely to last all of about 5 minutes, better make it a good post though)
First you should ask what you hope to achieve by removing the post count. Reduction in spamming? Increase in general quality of posts?
Disagree, that is not the way to get a solution. That lies with the whole spirit of the community here, the individuals and the support of the game.
I don't think the post count reflects a positive involvement in the community unless you go through and look at all the individual posts.
Neither does it relfect a negative involvement. It's just a statement of how many posts they've made. They could equally well be a total spamateur or a dedicated and helpful supporter of the game. Post count says no more than that. It is irrelevant as a marque of quality or dedication.
You should have a third option in your poll for -irrelevant.
Benefit of removing post count would be no more pointless talk about post counts. I can't see any benefit from seeing post count. Just my stance to subject.
I saw it once removed on a forum and later added back in... yes, it did remove talk about postcounts specifically, but other than that there wasn't much change (still spam).
I'd say, just leave it
Anywho, to be on topic, i'm on a forum (hand coded by a few crazy people) and we don't have post counts on the forum (but they are in the profile, there's a special statistics tab there) and it's okay. It doesn't even have avatars. Sure, you COULD judge a member by the number of posts (Tristan for example), but there are VERY smart exceptions that don't post and vice versa. We could have a vote system. If a member thinks a certain member is very nice, they give them a +. Or a - if they don't like them. The bigger the difference is, the nicer, helpful and stuff like that a member is (or isn't) and those posts should be taken more seriously. One person that would have a big + number is (yes, again) Tristan. He's very well educated and i only wish i could read more of his mechanics oriented posts (learned quite a few things from there even though they are rare).
There is a reputation system in vBulletin but we have it disabled here. I've no idea how it works though, I think it could too easily end up as a tool to boost egos and alienate people who strongly voice 'different' oppinions.
I don't see any reason to remove it. I don't get off on it either. Apart from Jakg's thread yesterday I don't see that much arguing about it either apart from the occasional (often tongue in cheek) comments. I don't think there's a big problem and if there was I don't think removing the postcount would solve anything.
The ones who do clearly spam intensively just to get their postcount up should just be warned and if applicable be reprimanded.
Besides, not every post has to be some insightful essay about for instance car physics. This is more than just a forum about a sim, it's ok to be silly once in a while as long as it doesn't get out of hand, which it doesn't often in my experience. Especially when I compare it with other forums I visit(ed).
Makes no difference to me really. I voted yes though simply for a suggestion I just thought of....Maybe take post count away and replace it with how many miles we've driven or something.
Add miles driven online just under post count and it would serve a purpose, it would help differentiate the trolls who post a lot but never actually race, and those who have absolutely no life outside of LFS. If nothing else, it would allow us to point fingers and laugh at the sad people .
Post counts are harmless, but a reputation system like Bob mentioned would suck big time. The only thing removing post counts would do is turn around discussions from "let's remove post counts" to "let's add post counts back".
-99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 for removing post counts.
). Although I'm scrailly close to 3000 posts 
