These so called "Hit & Runs" are just a part of the Beast. We cannot place restrictions on them and expect to survive as a forum. Everyone needs help sooner or later, but not everyone is capable of being a full-time forum member. Does this mean we should try to discourage them from posting here? Just because they get a little help and we don't see them again doesn't mean they don't recommend us to their friends when they have problems. Some of these friends may just be more "Hit & Run" posters, some maybe future active posters. I joined my 1st forum to get help because a friend advised me to, and he was a "Hit & Run" poster. This and every other site survives because of their numbers. 1 user with 5000 posts or 5000 users with 1 post, 5000=5000.
Beast is correct, best not.
We
could place restrictions and expect to survive. How about we simply toss out the Rule Book for two months, the Mods can take a break and lets see what happens; seem like a great idea ? Not.
Someone always needs to discourage someone from doing something foolish, I only suggest that we take some manual and automated steps. If they feel discouraged from posting here because they don't get to: 1. take ownership of the Forum and our lives, 2. post Links to things that are unwanted and 3. swear like a Docker, then we are better off without them. We can continue, either like them or without them.
If all this site wants is hits
you have the correct idea, the old men here can change their Avatar and lots of young fellows will come to visit. Lots of Hits. What is it we wish to sell, or what are we selling (rhetorical: Q: how better to phrase that?). Lets go with quality and not quantity.
Do we (I) want 5000 "friends" with one question or one "friend" with 5000 questions - neither, but thank you for asking, next question. How about 500 friends with "qualities" that are desirable.
We get our Hits (partially) from Google and there being a (sensible) question that is either "rare and useful" or "common and needed" followed by a Thread of sense and reason; no one wants to search through ten Pages of 'me toos', rants, 'thats a FAIL' replies to get the answer - that is why MANY Sites now have 'voted answers' that percolate to the top of the Pile and a tick-box to say that the question was answer (we have the tick box too but of course it goes unused, too complicated).
Trotter mentioned (#3) he will look at deriving some improvement as times permits, Thanks again.
PS: Good one carnageX, those Girls are a Shining example. Ref:
http://adampolselli.com/2008/01/06/stanley-kubricks-editing-in-the-shining/ via TinEye.