Aphelion

Okay, I have just established that you start out as a Commentator (1 star), become a Junior Critic (2 stars) after 50 posts, and become a Critic (3 stars) upon posting your 101st post ... I wonder what, if anything, lies beyond? Rob, is there anything in the YaBB documentation?<br><br>Robert M.

Of course, 5 stars could be insufferable pest. Looks like I'll be the first one to find out, although if it takes (say) 200 posts for 4 stars and 400 posts for 5, it may take a while ...<br><br>Robert M.

I have it on good authority that the reward for 4 stars is the title "Staff Member wanna-be", and the reward for 5 stars is "major pain-in-the-butt." :D
Dan

<br><br>Staff Member wanna-be? But Staff Members don't comment all that much. OKay, you are the exception at this point, at almost 90 posts since the YaBB lettercol started. That must mean that 4 stars would be 'Dan (Vila) wanna-be'. Suddenly my desire to reach 4 stars has diminished ... :P<br><br>And I'm already a major pain-in-the-butt (ask anybody who knows me), so 5 stars would only win me a redundant honor!<br><br>Robert M.<br>

Now it's time to wait and watch Robert M.
hit whatever level 4's title is.

--TaoP.

<br>It could be a long wait, if it turns out the next threshold is 200 rather than 150!

... Okay ... this is my 151st post. Will it net me 4 stars, or do I have to make 50 more to get that singular honor?<br><br>Drum roll, please ....<br><br>Robert M.

(Sigh) Looks like the next threshold is 201.

Drum roll -- or spring roll or egg roll, if you prefer. This is post number 201, so we shall see if '201' is a threshold or not (after being bitterly, bitterly disappointed to learn that '151' was just another number.)<br><br>Robert M.

(Sob) Still three stars. Good lord, does that mean you need 301 or 501 posts to get four stars? 1000????<br><br>Another dream dashed upon the rocks of arbitrary lines in the electronic sand.<br><br>Robert M.

Lettercol regulars are becoming shameless star addicts, but it just gets harder and harder to achieve that same high- you have to make twice as many posts for each one.

<br><br>If only it WAS consistently 'twice as many posts' for each successive level! It looks like 0 - 10 for 0 stars, 11 - 50 for 1 star, 51 - 100 for 2 stars, 101 - 'x' for 3 stars -- but we know now that 'x' > 201!

electronic sand? what?

Lee

<br>A "line in the sand" is a challenge, a dare (Dubya didn't draw one when he told Iraqi (or was it Taliban) forces to "bring it on", because he was nowhere near the sand, but ...). But the lettercol is an electronic medium, so the implied challenge (to see if you can make enough posts to earn another star) is a line in the electronic sand.<br><br>(Okay, that's ONE more post, only -- some undefined number -- to go ...)<br><br>Robert M.

Lettercol regulars are becoming shameless star addicts, but it just gets harder and harder to achieve that same high- you have to make twice as many posts for each one.

<br>To cite a porn title from the late 1970's, this lettercol has turned us into (drum roll, please) Star Whores!<br>:P<br><br>Robert M.

If my hypothesis is correct, and the research I have done into the question, so far supports my hypothesis, then I can tell you that you still have a lot of messages to go to get 4 stars, let alone how many messages you still need to get your 5th and final star. (I am guessing 5 is final, as in my research, I found people with over 7000 posts that were still at 5 stars).

Kevin

<br>Rob Wynne could provide the definitive answer for this particular YaBB board -- at least I would expect that he could. But he is probably having too much fun watching me squirm and sweat ... Hmm. I have more than one e-mail address -- I could register again with a different address, then have lengthy, multi-post debates with myself on inane topics (more inane than this? oh, boy, a challenge!).<br><br>Robert M.<br>

Is that something like the saying, "I'm schizophrenic, and so am I".

Schizophrenia is only a problem until you set up a good committee structure in your head. <br><br>Works for us. :)<br>The collective being known as Nate

Quick trivia question. What book is often cited as the only great work of art ever created by a committee?

<br>Why the King James Bible, of course, if you believe Charlton Heston.<br><br>Nate<br>

that scene played over sand, even though anyone with minimal geography could tell miss liberty ended up in the most unlikely of places, nuclear holocaust or not.
Rob, damn it, i know what a line in the sand is, give me some credit for pete's sake! now where's my gideons bible?

Lee

<br><br>Credit? Sorry, pal, time travelers strictly cash.<br><br>Isn't the Gideon Bible just the New Testament? Or am I thinking of something else? And what does Planet of the Apes have to do with Heston's opinion on the K.J. bible? Wouldn't The Ten Commandments be more apropos?<br><br>Robert M.

Sign me up for that 3rd star, baby!<br><br>Critic Status!<br><br>(A hundred posts later and people are still reading them. Imagine that.)<br><br>Nate

Ta da ...<br><br>The threshold for FOUR stars is 251. My name is Ozzy Osbourne, Poster of Posters. Look upon my accumulated drivel, ye wordy, and despair.<br><br>Robert M.

yes, much adoration on your promotion Rob. hail the poster!

Lee

<br><br>Alas, I'm much too old to be the (wait for it) POSTER CHILD for anything.<br><br>Robert M.

If I've done my math correctly, this should be my 4th star message.<br><br>Huzzah!<br><br><br>I have a long way to go to catch Robert M, but at least he's in my sights again.<br><br>Nate

Congratulations Nate. Only 178 messages to catch up to Robert. :)

<br>Ok. So maybe he's not worried... yet. 8)<br><br>Nate

I am not making the rookie runner's mistake of turning my head to see if anyone is catching up. My eye is on the finish line (assuming that the threshold for SIX stars is probably around a googleplex, so it isn't an issue): 450? 500? 600? How many self-referential non-story-commentary posts will it take to get ... <br><br>(Cue ominous music: dah dah daaaaaaaaaah)<br><br>... The Fifth Star? (Cue echo effect, and fade.)<br><br>Robert M.<br><br>

Nate set the Gold Star standard for Aphelion Milestones.

"If I've done my math correctly, this should be my 4th star message.

Huzzah!"

(I only thought about it within the last 5 posts.)

Having performed a soccer-kick on the sleeping hornet nests, I await the thundering surge of posts.

And maybe this will be sufficient to remove me from the "Has-Been" lists.

Tao "Senior, not Senor" Phoenix

<br><br>Goldurnit, if'n you was trying for another star, you could'a posted a bunch of comments on April or June STORIES instead of carpet-bombing Administrivia topics. (Besides, that's MY job.)<br><br>Robert "Do as I say, not as I do" M.

To which I ask: In this spiffy new edition of the LetterCol, ... *is* there a 6th star?

I'm afraid not. :)

To which I ask: In this spiffy new edition of the LetterCol, ... *is* there a 6th star?

I'm afraid not. :)

Well, there goes MY reason for living! :-/

Robert M.

Well, there goes MY reason for living!  

CATS.  CATS ARE NICE...

... with fava beans and a nice Chianti (smek smek smek) :P

Congratulations to Robert for breaking the 1,000 message barrier.

Wow. 1000 messages later and we still listen to you. Inconceivable! ;)


Too bad on no more stars, though. Seems like you ought to qualify for Moderator status or something at that point.


Nate

( I managed to tie Dan for the #2 spot at 652 with this message.)

Congratulations to Robert for breaking the 1,000 message barrier.

Wow. 1000 messages later and we still listen to you. Inconceivable! ;)


Too bad on no more stars, though. Seems like you ought to qualify for Moderator status or something at that point.


Nate

( I managed to tie Dan for the #2 spot at 652 with this message.)

You listen to me???? Geez, I better watch what I say instead of using that random word sequencer (you know, the one that builds subject lines for spam messages?).

Robert M.