- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
To uncover the picture... The reality is that Bungie.net forums contain primarly Halo audience, the same audience that T-Bags, try to rap in the microphone, talk trash over the lamest things, and would in an instant eagerly jump into a conversation about "who has the biggest 'member'" conversation. What makes you think people won't make a deal about posts when you see a thread titled, "rate my signature" (and that's a thread that truely has existed, multiple times). Other forums have post counts, and they have a lot of cases of seniority complex, even though it's forums for something of a more mature audience.
Sure, having it hidden would keep people from directly going, "well you have less posts than I do, you don't know what you're talking about." However, instead you'll get "how many post counts do you have, because I bet I have more than you," this is where you get two people in a pissing match trying to get the other to say how many the other has first so they can make up a number to top the other person.
Yes, there would be a thread called "How many post counts do you have?" because it is hidden. Similarly, there have been threads "how many time have you been blacklisted?" "have you been blacklisted?" "the longest you've been banned?" "is so and so blacklisted?" and "why was so and so banned?" all things hidden from the form, the difference is, blacklisting is needed.
[ADDITON]
Hell, posts down from this one, there's a locked topic, "What Is Your Clan Called?" and that's something most often is visable to people...
[Edited on 02.05.2008 12:00 AM PST]