It might just be me, but since the new sales rules I've noticed a lot more of what I would describe as post count farming. This is a community, in my opinion one of the strongest on the internet, but it relies on it's incredibly high signal to noise ratio.

I'm not yet an expert and I cant always contribute but I do try to add net value to this forum that has been so incredibly helpful, educational and entertaining.

I know the owners and mods don't like to over manage here, but I think If you are not actively contributing and 90% of your posts are a couple of words, often not even related to the thread being commented on, and often on a very very old thread, then what you are doing is basically the equivalent of a dinner party guest taking a poo in the wardrobe. If this rings uncomfortable bells please rethink your approach. I think it is being noticed, its not welcome, and none of us will buy your stuff when you hit 200 posts because at that point we will all royally fed up with it.

Let me know if I'm off the mark here....

 

Unfortunately it was always going to happen after the new rule came in, and no, you're not off the mark.

 

Maybe, maybe not. As I said before, I don't think any number of posts will prevent scammers to attempt doing what they do best. I do not rely on number of posts to validate the trustworthiness of Sellers on any forum. On the other hand, we have different types of members around here — with different interests and a huge difference in knowledge when it comes to watches. You have those with lots of experience in vintage watches who can quickly tell what's the correct length of hands on a specific model, those with sharp eyes who can quickly distinguish a redial from from an original, those who could write a full dissertation on the entire Speedy lineage, those who don't care for the Speedy or dive watches, those with expertise in watchmaking and so on. Maybe many of these members with a low number of posts around here are legit, don't have the same level of knowledge to contribute in more meaningful ways and perhaps want to have access to the FS or WTB sections and indeed are working on the minimum post requirement set by the new rules. Maybe there are others that are not legit and are trying to scam their way in. So, again - maybe, maybe not. I will not put every new member here whose posts are considered meaningless in the same camp.

 

Whilst im sure this is going on, I agree largely with Alam.

I as a recent member would like to say the 200 rule is a step too far and as a member who makes an effort to only contribute and post when I have good reason, can say it will take me an age to hit the mark and can understand why people would try and up their count. The members as described above by Alam are an extremely knowledgeable bunch in their various fields and an amazing source of information for me, but can also be an intimidating bunch for a newbie. Whilst I feel I have learnt a lot in a short space of time, I am by no means an expert and often hesitate before posting. There are a lot of technical questions/posts on here and I'm not knowledgeable enough or confident enough to reply to many of these and nor are many members who live in fear of getting things wrong. The first person to respond regularly caveat's their response to protect themselves should they ever get things wrong and publicly humiliate themselves. That said, there are many areas in which I can contribute and I have started posts myself in the quest for info and try and contribute but I only post when I feel I can add value. After what feels like around 6 months (can't check exactly until I finish my post) and visiting the forum regularly, I have amassed a paltry 40 posts to my name.
I am as interested in buying watches placing WTB adds and have watches to sell like most on here and would like to think that after 6 months, a quick review of my profile and my posts would be enough to allow a judgement to be made by the mods. At the rate I'm going, I may well have to start throwing in a few 'nice watch' 'dibs' 'sweet' posts into the mix to raise my social status!

 

Just checked (8 months a member). Whoop, another post to my name!

 

@Trev I think this was an implied task/request -- develop, refine, validate and deploy an algorithm to identify forum members employing a post-count-farming scheme for the purpose of joining the FS section!

 

Well said, Stu-Silver right there with you on this, me also being a Newbie It is a new chapter and the members knowledge is impressive and intimidating at times. I will continue to read, research and listen to my peers. I appreciate and respect what is offered here on the forum, both people and content. Regards!

 

The others suspects to look out for — and I'm sure the @dsio and @Trev team have this covered — are those who join seeking opinions for specific eBay listings - I imagine some of these characters are either the actual Seller or their surrogates to expose their item to the forum community - again, I'm sure the smart folks behind the scenes have this under control

 

Hi Mothra,

You assumptions may well be correct on the other hand they may be well off the mark as I am quite new here and have been bumping a few old watch threads with nice watch comments. But then there is actually a good reason for this and believe it or not it has nothing to do with trying to be allowed to sell a watch as I rarely have any watches for sale. The reason in my case is since Darlinboy posted his newly acquired Zenith Rainbow Fly-Back that awakened an interest in Zenith's in me first for the same watch and then for the De Luca's and then onto the El Primero 36,000VpH watches. This in fact resulted after a visit to a Zenith AD in me picking up a Zenith El Primero Red Ltd Edition 36,000 VpH 42mm as a result I have been going through the Zenith forum and when I have seen something I liked I have commented on it after all that's what the forum is also meant for isn't it? Oh drats I've just bumped my post count yet again.

Marc

 

For proper post farming, one must cultivate the forum, fertilize with crap, and water with nonsense. Then and only then can one farm posts properly.

Keep a weather eye for moderator blight. They will effectively kill your crop

 

I knew a member from the midwest, with a nuclear agriculture degree would set the record right on post farming!!!

 

That's good to know. I've been on several of the forums since 2007 and have nearly 18,000 posts on one of them where I am a forum advisor, but am under 200 here. I may be selling a couple of watches soon, but haven't yet decided 100%, so if I do it would be nice not to have to run up the count to the 200 mark just to list.

 

I would turn that around in some respects, in as much that as a fairly new member of the site, before I would consider selling on the site, 200 posts or not, I would want to feel reasonably assured that anyone buying off me, or me buying, whether they have 1 post or 10,000 to their name, seemed legitimate. There are some daily contributors on here who I probably wouldn't bat an eyelid buying or selling from, and others, who by their posts inform me that they are such perfectionists, nothing but a received watch in NOS condition would be acceptable, and they would let the world know it. So the answer....be selective in who you sell too and who you buy from. It is ultimately at your risk, and the recent deletion of someones high profile account for reasons unknown (not wishing to resurrect that thread) add weight to that argument.

 

I should have known I'd trigger paranoia, and that really wasn't the aim - I'm thinking of two or three users tops. @Dogmann, your posts are varied and you are often asking for help and advice on some interesting threads and watches. You've posted a couple that have very nearly fired me off on new watch buying tangents. I don't want to single out any individuals, but I can't believe those doing it aren't doing it consciously; as the guys have said those active users should have already seen they can get approved earlier - do that, then post freely with a clean conscience....

 

General rule = 2% of every collective group are knob-jockeys no matter what you do. We know what they are doing and the guys like myself on here daily notice it.

We also notice the few above that i would vouch for even though i have not dealt with personally but on the content of your posts ( even the posts above do you all well)

Hey if i was running the show i would make it 5 posts and a Avatar before you could start a thread besides Hello. Would stop the first post, no avatar and no hello with Whats this is it real and whats it worth