yeah, I've been noticing that too...
I figure it's not such a really important thing to have big numbers next to my name however. I'm a little more interested in learning what I can from this forum, and posting replies where I think I can help people out to repay the wonderful advice I've already recieved.
I don't think it's a great gauge of a person's character to become concerned that their postings are devoted to how high their 'number' gets. Rest assured it happens to everyone so if you're so concerned about the issue, make a concerted effort to help others and enjoy what you're doing and your ranking will grow accordingly. If you stick around you'll find the ranking people give you inside their heads will outweigh anything below your handle.
The 'webgods' in this forum have worked for their rankings, and haven't complained if they post and their number stays the same. If they have 300+ posts next to their names, just imagine how many haven't shown up!
Like anything in life, if you wish to succeed and be recognized you have to put in the hard yards.
Greg Moore
http://www.akashik.net