We do use cron jobs to back up the databases. The incident happened because our web host was installing a control panel for the server, and he backed up all the files on the site plus the wrong database (zelaron), when the real database (zelaron_test) was not backed up. The daily backups were deleted, and restoring the board from an incorrect database obviously didn't work. Now, the backup I had on my hard drive was 9 days old... Well, you get the idea.

Anyway, I do not think the post count should be removed, we simply need a way to make users care less about keeping it high. It's just a number. I have some ideas in mind to get users to post for other reasons than keeping their post count high. For instance, it would be possible to check the length of every user's post and determine an average post length value, but that would likely just hamper the board activity, as you'd either have to post something long and useful, or get your average lowered to 10 characters per post and officially be declared a "foolish spammer". Setting a trend for book-length posts isn't good.

However, with some new board features coming up soon (such as zajako's RPG hack, which is getting really nice with random monster battles and everything), users gain gold to purchase items for every post and new thread they make. New threads, which normally require some innovativity to be made, let users gain a lot more gold than when making a simple reply. Well, it's just one example of how a board modification could alter the urge for a high post count and get users to post more interesting threads instead.

Other ideas include a download section with the latest game demos, patches and files, which may only be accessible by active users who visit the board often.

I'd be very happy to hear ANY ideas about getting the post counter to become less important.

"Stephen Wolfram is the creator of Mathematica and is widely regarded as the most important innovator in scientific and technical computing today." - Stephen Wolfram