Post counter poll

[Ladders]

Yes, we should keep the count as shown



OR



No, we should delete the counting





SOTSU!!

\\BF//

 

[TxDieselKid]

If i remember right, Steve said that the post count can not be taken out because of the vBulliten code.



Andrew

 

[fest3er]

Add a "Don't Care" option, and I'll vote.

Fest3er

 

[Pit Bull]

Originally posted by fest3er

Add a "Don't Care" option, and I'll vote.



Fest3er

Me too. :-laf

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

It's not that I couldn't disable post counters. There are many long time members here on the site that would tar and feather me if we removed the post counts. The last time that post counts were reduced (due to bringing back the archives - I had no option) I was nearly hung by quite a few users - it was a price that had to be paid however to get the info back. Because of the intensity of the feelings of those members we will not be removing the post counts. The recent changes regarding the other forum have helped with the initial concern over post counts greatly.



-Steve St. Laurent

Webmaster and Lead Moderator

 

[Ladders]

Counts?

Steve, I really don't care but every time we go thru a "change" it seems some lose and some don't. I've lost so many that it would take at least a month to get back what I lost by posting every few minutes. If we keep losing them then why have them (or could you just get us back to a count that's close to what it should be?). I was close to a grand when we lost the first, then I was close to 400 now I back to less then 200. Just gets to be a pin in the side (I know what you mean about hanging from some - went thru it back then too).



So what is the solution? If you can "adjust" the counts for those who lost a lot, then that might help. Most remember what the count was (remember when we had the "counting war" - waaay back in y2k?) for ourselves but it "feels" wrong when I lose and others don't (not me specificly). Why do some have to be "punished" and others not? PLEASE, dont take this as complaining or any thing like that, just stating some facts that are observed by a few. Leave the count alone but if it happens that all lose again, then why not "dump" the whole or reset everyone to zero? Wouldn't be fair either way but... ... is life?





Ho-Hum, just my 0. 015 half-wit comments and my way of relieving fustration... ... . . Sure wish I would of thought of the "Dont Care" for the poll.



SOTSU!!

\\BF//

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

I can't really speak to what happened before I took over - to be honest I don't even recall what transpired other than I know there was a crash or two. What I can tell you is that there were very good reasons for the last two recounts and the way I have things set up now it shouldn't happen again.



Occasionally there is a need to do a recount. A couple of reasons that this may happen is an upgrade in the software, a policy change, a crash in the database, etc. When a recount is done the system goes through all of the messages in the database and gets your count.



The first time you lost some of your post count was when I imported old threads. Before I took over and when the forum software was upgraded from UBB to vBulletin there were performance problems. Ken (then webmaster) deleted a bunch of the old posts off of vBulletin and planned on relying on the UBB backup of those posts to bring them back later (if ever). He didn't have to do a recount at that point so your post counts included all of those threads prior to 2/1/2001. Unforetunately, when the threads were initially imported into vBulletin there were a few users already in the database for vBulletin so the system changed all of the user numbers (that you don't see) that attached the names to the threads.



We had MANY requests over a long period of time to bring back those old threads. When I looked at the threads (they were in UBB - the vBulletin threads had been deleted) and looked at how I could import them I would have had to go to the ubb forum and grab the first person on the list, then go to vBulletin and try to find them there (and hope they hadn't changed their name), then do that for every single person in the ubb forum - approximately 8000 people. Then manually type into a table (that wasn't one I could save - if something happened in the middle of it I would have had to start over) which user number on vBulletin was the user number on ubb. That would have taken literally hundreds of hours and one mistake and I would have had to start over again. Because of that it was decided to simply put the name "Archive" on all of those threads.



Another part of the import process when adding threads to an existing vBulletin forum from UBB is that you have to do a reindex and a recount. That's where those post counts went to.



The most recent one was because of a policy change based on user input. It was decided to not have posts from other forum count towards your post count (for reasons I won't go into here - here's the link to the relavent thread if you wish to read it https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=55360 ). A recount was then done to remove the existing other posts from post counts consistent with the policy.



The reason for that recount is that in the future there is a very good chance that a recount will have to be done (almost 100% guaranteed) due to software upgrades, database problems, etc. The way it is setup now I could do a recount today and your post count wouldn't change at all - which is the way it should be. If I were to go in and hand edit individuals post counts, when I next have to do a recount then they would all be reset again.



The way it is now your post count shouldn't go down unless 1. a thread is deleted that you had posted in, 2. a policy change is made to make one of the other forums not count towards your post count (which I don't foresee happening), or 3. there's a major database crash and posts are lost.



On the first two there's not a lot that can be done about them. On the 3rd the server is currently running on a RAID 5 hard disk array with a spare drive on the side. Two of the hard disks could fail and no data would be lost. In addition there is an entire second server with another RAID 5+1 array on it that is backing up the database on a second by second basis. 3rd the database is backed up regularly.



I have done everything in my power to avoid you losing your post count now and into the future. The decisions made that affected post counts while I have been at the helm were made after very careful consideration taking into account what was best for the membership. Hopefully you understand better the reasons behind it now.



-Steve St. Laurent

Webmaster



P. S. I've added "Don't care" to your poll.

 

[Ladders]

Thanks, Steve....

Besides, the long explaination will help those who may be "new" and wonder "wassup" for the long-timers. I appreciate the work you do for us and wish I had more time to devote to the form (could be an "assistant") and take some of the work off others shoulders. It is a big load keeping everyone happy and w/o YOU at the helm, who would be willing to step-up and take the reigns? If not then we (who would be un-willing to step-up should keep our fingers shut) should at least try to give you some respite time for the family/personal time you probably require (since this is a NON-paying job you do). Maybe we could throw you a party someday!!!!!



SOTSU!!

\\BF//