if they're wrong in one thread they're wrong in all threads, so either they all go, or they all stay right?

If you take a legalistic view of life, I suppose that's the case. The alternative is to use common sense. If everybody's goofing off in a thread, what's wrong with tallying thread numbers? If it's a serious discussion, what's right about breaking the discussion with this numbers foolishness?

Why must we be forced into a shotgun marriage with legalism? Are rigid rules the only fair way to administer a forum like this? Max may have said there are no rules here - but he has also often encouraged people to be civil toward one another, and he has sometimes cracked down hard on people who are not.
-Joe Offer-

P.S. Ron Olesko, your levity may be a bit strange at times, but that seems to be a perfect fit for Mudcat. But if tally is plural, what's the singular? "Tall"?