freesoft_2000,

If we're talking logic, why be concerned with your rating? You're comparing required job experience, which is a relevant indication or determinate of your capabilities relative, to the job you’re apply for. Your rating tells me one thing, how chatty you are. Whether or not you’ve posted 1,000 bad posts or 1 good one is not determined in the rating. So again, why worry so much about such a useless rating scale?

Let’s say DaniWeb took away the rating altogether; now what? Your rating could be determined by someone reading your current forum post as well as viewing all of the posts you ever made; ultimately subjective, but a much better determinate than the current method. Too bad it’s not automatic. Alternatively, you could stop worrying about what others should assume by looking at your rating and just prove it by making good posts. I don’t assume you could help me any better if you are a master versus a junior poster, nor should you, as a master poster, feel you could help any one person better than a junior poster. But if you don’t feel this way, and I hope that most don’t, why have the rating in the first place? Perhaps for reputation or respect, but I’ll base my decision on the FACT that you either helped me or you didn’t. Beyond that, it’s merely for appearance.

J_

Edit: If you like this post, please add to my rep power.

Well I don't mind, especially after the poem just as I was one of the first, thought it could be an error.

cscgal,

Sorry for the slightly off-topic post, but I didn't want to create a new thread.

The question is regarding the number of DaniWeb members. Within your Statistics window you have a link for Members: which has the number 53,199. The link, as you know, takes you directly to the Member List which lists a total of 19,332 members.

What is your methodology for only listing 19,332 members? If it's as obvious as I presume, and if we are talking statistics, why display Members: 53,199? Seems missleading.

J_

I belive that is because members with 0 posts are not displayed in the memberlist.

Members with 0 posts and members who never confirmed their emails and banned members aren't listed in the memberlist.

So, why display Members: 53,199?

J_

Because that is what the vBulletin system reports as the number of members we have. 53,000 people filled out the registration form. 53,000 people can (and do!) login to the site. 53,000 people receive our e-bulletin newsletter. 53,000 user profiles are accessible.

Just because someone doesn't post certainly doesn't mean that they don't login to DaniWeb frequently to read (and perhaps even subscribe to) posts. Before I started DaniWeb, I was a long time lurker on quite a number of forums.

Do:

include:
Meaning, if you're going to advertise 53,000+ members, I think that number should represent something useful. Does the person who reads that number think, wow, there are about 53,000 people who can potentially help me; perhaps, but certainly not the truth. Not really sure how a banned user is going to help me, or someone who hasn't confirmed their email. The 19,000+ counts as users who’ve posted at least once, right? Well there’s your meaningful number.

Does the U.S. census include everyone that was born? Well, it does if that's the information you want to know. But if you're providing a census on current U.S. citizens, you won't list the number that ever existed.

Just a little sneaky of DaniWeb to post 53k as the number of members. We’re talking about a 34k discrepancy between completeness and relevance. It's your website, you put whatever you want. But don’t act like it’s not misleading.

J_

Remember, not everyone who registers necessarily does so to post. Some people might find a thread very interesting or helpful, and register just so that they can subscribe to it and get emailed when someone replies.

We also have a Job Offers forum where people post job availibilities. There are lots of IT consultants and freelancers who see the job offers, and register on the site just to send a PM to the employer with their resume or asking more about the job.

I understand what you mean about banned users and users who haven't confirmed their emails, but that is not the majority. Most simply completed registration and have 0 posts, and they certainly are full fledged members!

In the case of the job offers forum, yes, there are 53,000 members who are potential candidates for the job and have the ability of PMing you with their resumes.

In the case of all of the posts, yes, there are 53,000 members who can see what you have written and have the instant availability to see the quick reply box and reply to you.

There are many people who have lurked on the site for months, completely logged in, and just haven't felt the urge to post. Should you post something that appeals to them, then yes, they certainly are a potential person who can instantly talk to you.

Well, you could include a header like "53,000+ registered members, 19,000+ active members"