Some of you guys leading the pack missed the days when post numbers were extremely important. Don't ask me why, but we used to be very sensitive about them. It was a status symbol. Now it only seems to matter when someone new is trying to sell something.
Go figure?
I understand where you're coming from, Thinker. But there is one thing I realize: post numbers really don't matter as much as providing useful input or comforting words. True, many of us just run our mouths and post whore all over the place, but I noticed that the only people the others will actually listen to are the ones who have useful things to say.
I'll use myself as an example: I can spew a whole bunch of posts, but no one's really gonna listen to me. Why? Because PB just posts here and there...more often than not just ramblings or confirmations. I may have quite a number of posts, but no one's gonna listen to me because of that.
Now compare me to Rev, Ninja, Bullet, yourself, Cache, Va and others who have the post numbers but who also have meaningful things to say. Maybe the new people will call you a post whore because of your high numbers, but when you do give your input, rarely is it meaningless rambling. They will listen more to what you have said than what I have said.
Post numbers? Yeah, they're nice, but the ultimate status is having people listen to you....not because of those psot numbers, but because the information you give out is worth listnening to. You and the others are what makes more poeple come to this board. You offer them welcome and helpful advice....which is not measured by these numbers.
And then you have those who do not post as much, but they have extremely helpful advice to give out. I know there's more of them out there, but Iceman and Johnnycheese, MonsterSpeedFreak and our favorite Rubbersidedown are among the first that come to my mind. Mentioning Johnny also reminds me of Grab'nTwist...who has been very helpful to me as well. These members do not have the impressive numbers, but you can tell that they aren't just dicking around. They give quality answers and useful insight. They have already begun the foundation of being reputable members here, if they have not already.
So all in all, numbers may be the marker of a certain "status" on the board, but you and the others first mentioned have something that cannot be measured by numbers. You have that particular "status", one that reveals itself when you offer your input. That, my friend, is what I think we all strive for. I know I do.
And yeah, I'm with you: I hate it when people join just to try and sell something.