Here are some points to consider regarding post count. It seems to me that people perceive there to be two main functions of the post counter.
1. Rough quantitative indicator of a member's participation on the forum.
2. Incentive for those members who place value in their own post count to post content that is of low value.
These two are related, but in my view, the relationship is not as direct as one might think nor is it as pervasive as one might fear. First, post count IS an indicator of quantity. That point is not arguable. What is at issue, I believe, is meaningful participation.
It's too rough a standard to say that such and such a mode of posting is always undesirable. That substitutes coercive control for the development of personal judgment and I think you all know where I stand on that issue. One should definitely pause and think before hitting the post button. But one should not be made to feel that posting is a "bad thing." This is not inconsistent with the second half of the aphorism "read more, post less."
The more one posts and the more varied contexts and diverse issues on which one posts serves an important function of helping others to form a fuller, more accurate perception of who is behind the screen name. I just recently had a conversation with Devil Doc on this exact point and the question was how does one ever really get to know another online member? Without facial cues, without the opportunity to hear inflections in the voice, or body language cues, one's body of writings becomes the only data available. And confidence in how well we know someone increases the more we interact, write, and read.
As for point 2, junk-posters no matter how whorish eventually fade because people will stop paying attention to them. Take a look at the list of top posters. Are there any active members on that top 20 who are not considered contributing, solid members with worthwhile things to say?
I think there is another issue at play and that is the concern that post count could be perceived as a proxy for seniority, legitimacy, or any of the other things that we believe should be earned through participation. On that account, so could date of registration and member number. If the leveling of status is a goal of eliminating the post counter, then I would argue that join date and member numbers should be hidden as well. That would be the logical extension the concept. Let everyone earn their merit every day through words and deeds.
But wait. That's the way things happen even now. ???
My recommendation? Leave everything as it is and deal with offenders on a case by case basis. That is the solution I believe would be the least disruptive. We know the rules and it's up to us to make the best decision and, since this is a member moderated forum, our fellow members to remind us of the right path.
Wilkey