What is classified as a post?

[JohnGalt]

Hi,
I'm John Galt (for those who've read Atlas Shrugged would recognize immediately that this is a pen-name!). I've been a probationary user for quite a while. I've tried to move up levels, but I don't really know what all is classified as "posts" and what all is to be done to move up the level ladder.

Please help. I'll be much obliged for the help I get.

Thanks.
Cheers,
John Galt.

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"Who is John Galt?"

[JohnGalt]

I'm sorry I didn't put in enough details in the post.
To be very specific, I'd like to know whether posting stories and commenting on/reviewing art (and/or stories) are "posts".

Thanks again.
Cheers.
John Galt

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"Who is John Galt?"

[UzumakiNaruto]

Originally Posted by JohnGalt

Hi,
I'm John Galt (for those who've read Atlas Shrugged would recognize immediately that this is a pen-name!). I've been a probationary user for quite a while. I've tried to move up levels, but I don't really know what all is classified as "posts" and what all is to be done to move up the level ladder.

Please help. I'll be much obliged for the help I get.

Thanks.
Cheers,
John Galt.

1) Look in the Gallery and Comment on Pictures, Rating them also helps (I think T.T)

2) Upload your own Pictures onto the Website (Keep in Mind of the Rules Regarding this Action)

3) You can begain an RP and rack up posts that way~

~Is all I really know~

Honestly, I'm not totally sure what counts as 'posts' for the purposes of your asking.

To answer the question you asked, the server and the website are programmed to consider gallery comments, gallery uploads, forum posts and votes on polls as 'adding to your post count.'
Which is the number underneath your forum name.

Comments on stories in the fiction section, uploading of fiction doesn't count because the software is only an add-on and not fully compatable to do that.
Rating of pictures doesn't count because you are not encouraged to just rate without commenting (I thought that rating without commenting was disabled anyway).
Private messages and visitors messages don't count because that encourages unsolicited spamming.

To try and tell you what I think you want to know, to get up off the first level at the very bottom I'd plump for forum posts. Gallery comments are very good, but unless you've made a forum post or two I don't think the 'clock starts ticking' if you know what I mean? I think its the way the server works. Forum posts always count, but unless you've made a few forum posts it doesn't seem to start counting. Its all buried in computer lingo and layers of code, but personally I'd make a few forum posts, then hit the galleries. Its suprisingly easy to find dozens of pictures to comment on and you'll end up hitting 'senior member' before long.

Also, making like four posts and then wondering why its not enough isn't going to help. RPing isn't for most people, thats not the only option, there's almost 5 pages of non-sexual threads to contribute to in just the last two months in "General" so its not all about personal information either. I've only once censored someone for posting there to raise his membership because he copypasta'd "How interesting!" over and over.

[JohnGalt]

@RobM:
Thank you so much for the detail. I got the answer I wanted.
I'm much obliged.

Cheers.
John Galt

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"Who is John Galt?"

[loverslove1980]

Originally Posted by RobM

Honestly, I'm not totally sure what counts as 'posts' for the purposes of your asking.

To answer the question you asked, the server and the website are programmed to consider gallery comments, gallery uploads, forum posts and votes on polls as 'adding to your post count.'
Which is the number underneath your forum name.

Comments on stories in the fiction section, uploading of fiction doesn't count because the software is only an add-on and not fully compatable to do that.
Rating of pictures doesn't count because you are not encouraged to just rate without commenting (I thought that rating without commenting was disabled anyway).
Private messages and visitors messages don't count because that encourages unsolicited spamming.

To try and tell you what I think you want to know, to get up off the first level at the very bottom I'd plump for forum posts. Gallery comments are very good, but unless you've made a forum post or two I don't think the 'clock starts ticking' if you know what I mean? I think its the way the server works. Forum posts always count, but unless you've made a few forum posts it doesn't seem to start counting. Its all buried in computer lingo and layers of code, but personally I'd make a few forum posts, then hit the galleries. Its suprisingly easy to find dozens of pictures to comment on and you'll end up hitting 'senior member' before long.

Also, making like four posts and then wondering why its not enough isn't going to help. RPing isn't for most people, thats not the only option, there's almost 5 pages of non-sexual threads to contribute to in just the last two months in "General" so its not all about personal information either. I've only once censored someone for posting there to raise his membership because he copypasta'd "How interesting!" over and over.

I appreciate you answering this as well. I just hit 30 posts and wondered why nothing was changing.

[JohnGalt]

Then again, how many posts are necessary to get you to the next level? You said nothing happened even at 30 posts! I'm still pushing 20, with my lack of time...!!! How many more am I supposed to post until I at least reach the next level? Then I can relax a little more, and enjoy posting without the full pop-up ads...!!!
I am hoping to become a senior member some day. If only time allows...

John Galt

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"Who is John Galt?"

@ JohnGalt
I've already said mulitple times, its around ten but must include at least one forum post or the server doesn't begin counting.

You're not pushing '20' posts, you've got 7 forum posts (most of them in this thread, which if there was any justice wouldn't count towards anyones membership otherwise any member just whining about it would be enough to make the problem go away) and about 5 gallery comments. In other words you're barely out of the gate.
I'm not sure what time constraints have to do with anything, I've seen members make thirty constructive posts in under half an hour. With the gallery comments I could make constructive (or even non-constructive salivatory posts) at a rate of two a minute. It speaks of a lack of effort to my mind.

That was loverslove1980's first post to the forum above and almost instantly, has been upgraded. To me, thats an indication its worked correctly. The instant a forum post was made, the server began counting posts and applied the upgrade. If you take the time to check like I did you'll see that since joining the site two years ago he/she hasn't actually made any posts at all until now.
All of this is exactly what I said, until you make forum posts it doesn't even begin counting.

I don't know why people keep asking me 'When' something is going to happen - its all controlled by the server - and so far despite being bloody-minded like all computers are its correctly applied upgrades consistantly according to the rules its programmed with, within the limitations of the fact this website is made of several different pieces of software cobbled together and forced to integrate.

As for breaking the rules down here and explaining them, I'm not going to do that. I don't intend to provide a black-and-white list of what people have to do to contribute.
My posting in this thread - sadly - is not to help people achieve the bare minimum required effort, its to defend the program in its current form and demonstate that its working correctly.

Upgraded accounts are a reward for those who wish to contribute, full-screen ads are a price that people who don't intend to contribute have to pay (this site runs at a huge annual loss after all). It is not a bribe for people to make posts to artificially increase our sites activities and boost our google stats. The Ads are not a punishment or a threat used to force people to post to the site just to make them go away.

Everyone approaching the issue with the thought "How much do you want to make them go away?" has got it wrong.
Its a reward for those who willingly - not grudgingly - and openly give time, energy and thoughts into improving this site (in the form of posts).

[Lanthaan]

This information is probably going to be really useful to me. I have around 17 posts right now and over a month's membership, but I haven't posted on the forums before. I think I'll try that for now.

[LieutenantObvious]

Thank you, I've been really confused about all this. Not that the little blurb at the top helps... "two or more posts and has been registered over a week" my ass. (Not that I am complaining. It's just misleading.)