Newbies: Don't Chase Post Count

by 109 replies
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This is just a general "heads up" for the new or inactive folks here.

I've seen a number of people permanently banned in recent weeks for making a boatload of pointless one-line posts in an hour or two.

Note the word permanently.

Note also that it's not your account that gets banned here, it's you. Duplicate accounts aren't allowed. Re-registration is not allowed. Once you're permanently banned, it's forever.

From my conversations with a couple of these people, I've heard the same story a few times.

They wanted to send a PM.

Either they needed to PM someone from the WFH board to do some work, or they got a PM themselves wanting to hire them. And their post count was only 10 or 20. So, faced with the problem of how to respond, they think "I will go make those 40 posts I need" and somewhere between 15 and 25 they find themselves banned.

Forever.

Now, if you look at a lot of these traffic generation tips that show up here, you find that a common component of the process is to make five to ten useful posts on forums every day.

All you have to do for that is visit the major areas of this forum and make one post a day in each of them:

- Main Internet Marketing Discussion
- Ad Networks
- Mind Warriors
- Copywriting
- AdSense/PPC/SEO
- Programming
- Web Site Design

If you do that here - making real, useful posts - you'll have your 50 posts in about a week. Consider it an investment.

The priorities when you do this are to:

1. Productively answer someone else's question on the subject
2. Meaningfully extend or clarify someone else's informative post
3. Post a new thread with a question of your own
4. Post a new thread with an informative post, like this one

What you want to avoid is the "me too" kind of response. It's better to comment on an existing thread than start a new one, and it's better to ask or answer than it is to announce.

I also strongly recommend not even having a signature (with or without links) until you cross the 50 post mark. Your signature will usually pop up on the older posts when you add it, too, so you're just delaying the benefit of it.

If you just follow this basic pattern, 50 posts will be easy to get. And if you apply the same basic rules to posting on ANY OTHER forum, those five to ten posts a day for traffic generation will be simple, too.

And you probably won't get banned for it.
#main internet marketing discussion forum #chase #count #newbies #post
  • Caliban, a thank you just isn't good enough for this one.

    Excellent advice.

    My gut tells me that most of the people who need to read it, won't.

    I think they call it preaching to the choir.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Hmm? A week's investment time vs a lifetime ban?

    I know which I'd opt for.
    • [1] reply
    • Think I just Reached my 50 mark really wanted to send a PM couple of weeks ago but wouldnt post rubbish ever.

      Want to be a valued member here known for giving good advice.

      To be fair the people who do post crap arent earning themselves any credibility with other members
  • This would make an excellent sticky. I hope this doesn't get lost in the shuffle. Every time someone asks where do I start they should be directed here.

    Great job...
    • [ 2 ] Thanks
  • Banned
    great post
    • [ 2 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply
    • OK. I'm reporting all these useless one-liner post-count whore responses
      • [1] reply
  • Great post!













    Just kidding. Good point though Caliban. I think there is some bad "advice" around out there too about forum marketing that may also be causing some of the "brief" posts.

    Like everything in business and marketing folks, add value wherever you go and you shouldn't go wrong!
  • Really Great Advice; althought I didn't adopt this approach, wish I heard it sooner.
    Thank again.


    Kindest


    Manie
    • [1] reply
    • What excellent advise!!

      No wonder you've been thanked 2039 times in 1053 posts.

      So I'm going to make it 2040.

      I don't post that often at the moment but I like to think I always post something useful and helpful about a tolpic I know something about.

      People who Just post " great post - thanks " or " I Agree " clearly want to get their signature file noticed with the minimum of effort.

      What they don't realise is that most people on WF ( or any other for that matter ) recognise this and personally I think it does nothing for their reputation.

      Thanks for being a genuinely helpful Guy and if you're already rich then I hope you get even richer!

      Kindest

      Deborah
  • I need to make $4,294,843.81 in the next 4 hours. Can you help?
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  • Nc pst. thnx.

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  • Me too!

    :p

    Bookmarked for future reference.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Actually, I love your wordplay, Caliban.

    You rock!

    Steve
  • So, isn't the 'not being able to pm before 50 posts' partly to blame?
    • [2] replies
    • Banned

      Funny, but I didn't even want to pm anyone when I first got here. I read a lot, asked questions, participated. It's really a small thing to wait for 50 relevant posts. What's the big hurry?
      • [ 6 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply
    • No, it actually does precisely what it's designed to do: identify the people who are trying to game the system and extract value from the forum without providing any.

      If someone is trying to be part of this community, and participate, and learn, and contribute... his first 50 posts are going to be quality posts. He's the new guy, and he has to prove himself, and he knows it.

      But if he's just trying to get the PM privilege so he can spam people with a crappy JV offer, his first 50 posts are going to suck. He doesn't want to contribute or be part of the community. He just wants more eyeballs on his offer, and he doesn't care how he gets them.

      And we don't like those people much here, so the mods tend to kick them out.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
      • [3] replies
  • Ugh I couldn't even imagine being permanently banned from the WF as I rely on it for so much information and look up so many questions daily (I probably search through here 10+ times a day looking for answers to little questions and can almost always find them) And having no offline acquaintances who are in IM to pick their brain on questions.

    Thanks for the great post!
  • Excellent advice and thank you so much. Cheers,
  • I have been so carefull that I have only made about 37 post in 8 years...

    I am really lucky I didn't need 50 posts to send private messages in the old days. Before the Warrior Forum was settled. Maybe, I better get busy and get my 50 posts before Allen raises the stakes to 100.

    Ken Toulou
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
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    • with all due respect, i see it completely differently.
      8 years of membership
      8 years of getting valuable inside
      8 years of getting free, or dirt cheap products in the war room
      37 post
      not a single "thank you" from anyone

      suggests to me, that you have not given back a single thing.
      i am willing to bet you are the only one with such statistics.
  • I liked engaging in the threads enough that I was able to reach 50 before I even knew it.
  • thanks :p



    JK! I have noticed a lot of this happening recently, a lot of new guys just writing I agree and everything, it must be wasting a lot of server resources.

    Kudos
    Chris
    • [1] reply
    • Great post.

      Can't you just purchase a membership to the War Room to send PM's.

      I don't understand why post count is so important to some people anyways. By the time that I reach 1000 posts it will take me more than 11 years at my current post rate!
      • [1] reply
  • Thank you for your post CDarklock,
    I'm a newbie in WSO and slowly feeling my way. I'm trying to read, read, read before I open my mouth and insert my foot and say something that is out of sorts.

    Hmmm, my mother always told me silence was golden. I can see why.
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  • Nice contribution, and great form! Thumbs up!
  • This should be a sticky

    I would like to add that if you are banned they ban your IP, in case this was unclear. If this happens you will see "You have been banned . . ." I don't even think you can read the forum (this may be wrong). I've heard the same stories.

    Great Post!

    On a sidenote, I just thought of something. What are the rules regarding 'paid' members? I would feel like quite a dummy if I paid and got banned, lol. But I guess it would be harder to be banned as a paid member since there would be no reason to try to increase your post count.
    • [2] replies
    • Actually, you can still:

      - read the forum (if you clear the login cookie)
      - receive PMs (but not log in to read them)
      - get email notifications

      So if you have "instant notification by email" for your PM inbox, you can still respond to those people who have other notification methods. You can also have a friend on the forum PM another user on your behalf; I've enlisted several people's assistance in responding to customer questions on WSO threads and in my PM box while I was temporarily banned.

      Subscribed threads are different. You have to revisit the forum and log in to reset the subscription, so you get at most one notification during your ban. So you have to manually scan your WSO threads for any customer issues that need your attention. (Warrior Plus is good for that. Even if you're banned from the forum, you're not banned from Warrior Plus, so you can use that to keep an eye on your WSO threads.)

      I don't know if you can "bump" a WSO while banned. I suspect you can, but I'm not volunteering to try. I do know you can bump someone else's WSO, though... so you could always send $20 to someone who isn't banned to bump it.

      A customer once observed that in the two months he'd known me, I spent more than half my time banned from the forum. When I went back and counted... I spent about 25% of my first year temporarily banned.

      And I've still sold WSOs while I was banned, too. On some level, I found that shocking. "You actually bought something from a banned member? Wow. Just... wow."

      Whether you paid or not, the rules are the same, and if you're breaking the rules you'll get banned just as fast. The mods do not take War Room membership or active WSO threads into account when making those decisions.
      • [1] reply
    • Well banning the IP would be dumb lol you never know who you be banning then IP changes often thou i am unsure about US networks seen some static IP's from there and if you need to Change your IP you just switch Mac adress takes a few sec if you know how.
      But i agree this should be a sticky
  • After surfing the forum for ten years, it only occurred to me within the last 8 weeks to have a sig link at ALL... my stupidity and ignorance there, but, the point is, this place has alot more to offer than just money you make from your sig link.

    It is a positive productive place to hang out, to learn, and to contribute, and even make friends.

    There's my 2 Minuscule crumbs.
  • I think it's inaccurate to claim that a new member can't send a PM because it might be spam; new members are not merely banned from sending, but are also banned from responding to a PM. I received a PM before I had written even 10 posts, and I couldn't find his email address, so I had no way to contact him. It seems like the Dark Ages before the net existed.

    What is the average ratio of thanks/posts? There seems to be a lot of variation, but my guess is 15%.

    How do I find out which of my posts have been thanked?
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  • Thank you for the advice. I have been a member for sometime, but just began posting. Will keep this advice in the forefront, so I will not be banned for an honest error.
  • Excellent post CDarklock, but we all know most newbies will never read this since they all naturally know they are a law unto themselves lol

    It is really easy to get 50 posts though in a few days, the trick is just not to stick to one area so as to arouse suspicion.
    • [2] replies
    • Banned
      The real "trick" is to not use any tricks. It's not hard to post genuine questions and answers and get 50 posts. Really, newbies should be more interested in giving and getting value and information from the forum than post count for the sake of post count. You'll get more from the forum if you don't try to game it.
      • [2] replies
    • [chuckle] Yeah. That always works out well.

      Getting caught doing a lot of one-liners and moving from section to section brings harsher punishment than simply posting a handful in one section every day. Hit the wrong notes, which most of them do, and we'll know to look.

      You need to understand that the people who have forum-wide moderation access are all very senior members. Three of them were here before me. The others are at 7 and 8+ years, respectively. We will recognize the patterns. Trying to outwit the system by hiding a bunch of meaningless posts just screams, "Planning something sneaky." Making a few one-liners among other, more useful, posts is just a newbie habit that doesn't draw much attention.


      Paul
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  • Makes sense. thank u for the advice
    • [4] replies
    • Another Thread much ado about nothing ! Geeesh !!
      • [3] replies
    • To be honest I like a low post count... it means I am doing
      something other than jabbering.
    • People keep asking the same questions over and over. Also, read the forums before you make a new discussion about the same topics..
    • Hi -

      Speaking as a forum "newbie", I think the short posts can accidentally sorta happen.
      For a very long time I resisted checking this forum out, thinking it was just another place to market your products, and I didn't want to be part of that.
      You can't do internet marketing for very long without hearing about this forum.

      I finally thought I should just check it out myself, and boy am I kicking myself for not scoping it out sooner (and for prejudging something I knew nothing about )!

      I feel like I have gone to IM info heaven! I have posting A.D.D. in the worst way! I find myself addicted - so much to learn, so little time

      Anyhow, not caring the least about my "post count", if I thought someone gave me valuable information, I have wrote a couple of short posts thanking them. You know - sometimes it really is sincere.

      Just trying to be decent, my instinct was to wait for any signature links or post links until I get to know the place better, and to see where I could add value first. I do belong to a couple of other forums so I figured the unspoken "rules" would be the same.

      So hopefully those posts don't make me look like a spammer!

      I am really liking this place & don't want to get the boot

      Thanks,
      Barb
      • [1] reply
  • Caliban (are you from California and do you get banned alot ... Okay thats was stupid but made me laugh and yes I laugh at my own Jokes)


    Where were you ? I have missed your posts this week.

    That was such a great thread I wish I had thought of it because It was something that was bugging me a little.
  • So my signature file with only an inspirational quote is looked down upon because I don't have 50 posts yet? Could you please clarify more why this would be?

    I know that some new people may only be here to "game the system" but there are also others like myself who are totally new to IM and don't even have anything to promote yet, lol. Totally wet behind the ears. We are actually here to learn, grow, and contribute along the way.

    But I don't want to have my name tainted by something such as a signature without links just because I didn't know any better.

    Please let me know if I should delete it.

    Phoenix
    • [2] replies

    • You're signature is fine the way it is. Just contribute to the forum and
      you'll be okay.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • Hi FusciaPhoenix,

      I'm new here too but I don't think thats what he's getting at. I was worried too, I've a bunch of posts in a short time but thats only because I love answering questions and helping other people out. Your signature is nice and only there to help. If it is frowned upon I can't tell you why. I think a more senior person is needed here to explain that. I spoke to one earlier, they are just trying to snub out the idiots that ruin it for everyone else, posting silly one liners like "thanks", "great post" etc just to get the post count up. Best see what a top don says but I can't see what you have to do with scamming.

      [edit; And Mr Wagenheim gets there to answer it first! there's your answer.]
      • [1] reply
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    • Caliban,It's the sort of thing that should be obvious.

      A ban has two functions: To keep out behavior that's damaging to the group or individual members, and to provide sufficient inconvenience to discourage breaking the rules in meaningful ways.

      Any attempt to go around the latter is just thumbing your nose at the group as a whole. It also offers a strong indication that the member involved has no respect for the rules of the forum, which means they're also more likely to have no respect for their customers. A prime indication of someone who's prone to scam folks.

      Not always definitive, but it points emphatically in that direction.


      Paul
  • Old saying - gotta crawl before walking

    In other words, make the 50 posts like a normal user through time or join the war room.
  • Thank you for the warning. I too just found out that I don't currently have any links or PM rights.
  • Thanks for this great post. I wish it had been a sticky when I first signed up. I made the big mistake in the first couple weeks replying to some posts and thinking I was contributing only to find out I was wrong. I cannot tell you how many IM myths I believed and now know better.

    I did not know the permanent ban was for an IP address and not just a user name. I would hate to be banned because I am addicted to WF and it has helped my business more than anythinig I can think of.

    I was a little cocky at first because I have been making money on the net for years. After being here awhile I realize what a newbie I really am.

    It will be quite awhile before I put any links in my signature. I have this feeling that I don't deserve it yet and I have to earn it.

    I know it must be frustrating sometimes for the senior warriors so I appreciate patient guidance like this post. Beyond the specific details there are some basic principles in the OP and the replies in this thread that will help newbies in many areas.
    • [1] reply
    • As a relatively new person I have been more learning from others than trying to teach things I'm not sure about anyway, although the balance gets better all the time as I do learn some things and try others out. Whatever I did say was probably wrong, anyway, as it is.

      There have been many times that I've been frustrated by not being able to find a thanks button, as I have felt grateful many times, to a number of people, but not only could I find no info anywhere in the instructions about that, but I also hesitated to make an otherwise useless post to just thank someone verbally.

      I could have helped out with spelling, or grammar, but no. I knew much ado, from Shakespeare, and have seen people use adieu as if it were from the French. Not sure with tow the line/toe the line, I've always favored the latter.

      I guessed maybe it would come at 10 posts, or something, reasoning maybe its like the PM thing,
      and have learned to live with this frustration.

      Now today for the first time ever, I just found the thanks button!

      It wasn't there before. I would have seen it. The only other thing different today that might explain it was my fifth post occurred last night at 2 am. Also I remembered my log-in password, and logged in, so that may be part of it. Certainly not all of it. I wish it was there sooner.

      The first one went to the man who hasn't once been thanked in 8 years, as an honorary thanks to all the Unknown Lurkers as well, here he has 37 posts, and did join the War Room, and said he's being careful, which I have done too, so I can appreciate that. I would encourage the many thousands of quiet ones to step in sometimes. Let it never be said again. Ya got one. Thanks for showing you're still out there, and you never quit.

      The second to CDarklock, who I have been wanting to thank a bunch of times at least since he used to have a halo. It's been a while.

      Sbuccieri I am afraid to thank just yet, although she has elsewhere earned it, for fear of abusing the button now that I finally earned it. Don't know the limits. I researched the difference between Bat-Woman and Cat-Woman a few weeks ago, in part thanks to you. Plus your sig thing.

      Crew Chief, Alexa, and many others I will get to thank you later. And Steve W, although I did laugh at that imitation video a while back, it was good- naturedly and I remember things you've said.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply
  • Since I have already reached my 50th post and still not pm'd anyone I hope I am safe in this post... I seriously thought about doing that but found the content here so great that I just posted naturally once I got into wf. I find it to be an addicting forum and am really sorry that I waited 2 years to get involved.

    Sorry, I have said before I go off topic at times but I love this place and I want to be involved in a natural and helpful way but to be honest at least one or two of my posts should have been edit post and I didn't so I could have my 50.... but I found it easy to respond naturally to a lot of things.. jeez think if someone types in natural they'll see this hahaha JK I am happy to have gotten to where I can pm and hope I never have to unless it is a true necessity, did I spell that right?

    I was going to say **** I love you guys but afraid of being banned.. hahaha oops did it any way...I feel safe because not only do I post questions, I believe I am here to learn and help damn I love you guys...
    Kim
  • I was looking for info about the rules and etiquette about signatures and found this thread. Thanks so much for the tips, I didn't even know about "Chasing Post Count".

    I wish I could come around the forum more (as there is a gold mine of info and instruction and support) but I still work at a "J.O.B." so I'm spending all my other time doing KW research, building niche affiliate blogs/sites, promoting affiliate products and writing articles and backlinks, whew (oh and making some $ !!)

    I was surprised to learn from this thread that some people aren't War Room members. It's such a screaming deal and a huge investment in your business why wouldn't everyone join the War Room? This forum is by far the best value in internet marketing and entrepreneurship anywhere, no brainer to join the War Room. Just my humble opinion.

    Anyway, thanks again for the tips!!
  • Agree with this statement!
    I agree with you but we should not discourage the newbies to give short comments. For me Their presence here is also important, although they give a short comments atleast it is a starting point for them to be more affluent in near future. Most importantly we all here to share and networking for common benefits. Anyway Xcelen Sharing. Thank You
  • Excellent advice (I hope this post doesn't fall foul of the criteria to be banned )
  • I'm approaching my 50th post and eagerly anticipate responding to the private message sent to me 6 weeks ago. The last time I was this excited about something great was when I was 21 and was allowed to drink a beer in the USA.

    I'm thinking of taking out an ad in Craigslist, so that I can find someone who is turning 21 soon. Maybe I'll take him to a bar and buy him a drink, and he can help me compose a couple of private messages. We'll have a blast!
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  • As a newcomer here, I have to say that I couldn't agree more. In fact, I was only a member of these forums for about half an hour before I got my first PM. At the time, I had only one post. Now, I wanted to reply, and gave myself the task of getting to 50 posts in one day - HOWEVER - I did not want any of these posts to be 'spammy' or shameless attempts to increase my post count.

    Suffice to say, I did get the 50 posts I needed, and most of those came by offering opinions and advice on threads where people asked for it. The numerous "rate my site" threads were a godsend in this regard, but all too often I saw one liners submitted as people's attempt of advice, whereas I was writing several paragraphs a message, even going so far as to fix someone's site code for them.

    Just posting this here to say that, if you are active, try to be helpful, and post 'real' posts, it is very possible to get those coveted 50 posts in a single day. For me, that day was yesterday . It helps a lot that these forums are so active, and there's always someone who needs help, or some discussion going on that you can contribute to.
  • Great tips, and if you spend all day at this forum, we can not do other work. Thank for good tips.
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  • Irony, sweet sweet irony. LOL
    • [1] reply
    • I just wrote almost the exact same response. Then I thought someone will probably pick me up on it for being a one liner. :rolleyes:

      The real irony is some spammer resurrected the thread and no one seems to realise you wrote this last August. Mind you, it's just as relevant today as it was then, as you've just pointed out.

      Out of interest what does "post usefulness, refuse useless" mean anyway? Or are we back on the subject of Absinthe again?
  • I think it was celente who resurrected the thread, not THAT one.

    Come to think of it, it's better that this thread did get resurrected. Just to remind us all members here about what Caliban had said in the OP.

    Well as for the post count, I couldn't care less. If I have something good to say I would post it. If not I keep my mouth shut (or something like that in a way).

    Actually I was going to make a thread about telling the new members here to stop ranting and starting threads regarding why most of their posts are not increasing. But since this was actually being started a year ago I guess I won't have to.

    And oh, before I forget...

    Nice post Caliban.
    • [1] reply
    • Hi Jun,

      Sorry my friend, you must have come along a bit late.

      That's the great thing about the mods, they move fast to get rid of that sort of nonsense.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
      • [2] replies
  • This is a life changing decision between A week's investment time vs a lifetime ban?

    I know which I would choose.
    • [1] reply
    • Jun,Nope. I deleted the spam that resurrected this one. It's such a useful thread, I didn't send it back into the depths of the archive.


      Paul
      • [ 2 ] Thanks
  • I have registered here for almost 6 months now and all I can say is that I really had good information from people who's expert in some fields I am working on for a company. The thing is, whenever I am in doubt and I Find it hard to find in Google, my second priority is this Forum, post some questions and great people are actually responding with valuable information that I can use to keep going.

    Now, I believe, it is really important to post something valuable to another users, because in the end of the day, a lot of people might be needing the same information, so we don't have to post over and over again right?

    Thanks for this wonderful post! I like the point where you said .. consider it as an investments! .. TRUE FOR ALL!
  • Excellent Advice!!!
  • Do quick posts not count toward your post count? *oops*
  • Thanks for your great post Friend

    For me, I like this forum a lot and for first time in my whole life I like a forum so much like this. It was my good luck to find it I wish I found it long time ago. What I personally like about this forum is that it is full with lots of great people, information and most important everybody try their best to help each other which is in my opinion great and this why forum is established, not just to useless post without any benefit. I cannot imagine living without this forum (>_<).

    But I have a question? How can they know if somebody posting useless post!!!

    and Thanks a lot again Friend
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  • I think this is great advice. Before joining the WF, I looked around for some of the things that can get you banned, and I read the fourm rules. I wonder how many newbies stop to read the fourm rules before posting at all? I tried to make releavnt posts on threads that really interested me, and I won't even think about posting a sig until I have 100-150 posts. Great advice here for newbies.
  • Great, not that 50 post is a lot to acheive, but really good tips to make full use of the forum.
    newbies would learn alot by following this post
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