I found this
New Members - "How many posts do I need to..." | E-Cigarette Forum
It says,
Please note that IT CAN TAKE UP TO AN HOUR for the forum software to update your account when reaching Full Member status.
After 5 posts:
Full member.
Members can post in all open forums, use Private Messaging, and can have a signature.
Note that some forums are private: access is for special membership categories.
Additional levels
20 posts or more
Access to the Classifieds and Co-ops forums, if the Verification procedure is passed.
Verification is a voluntary procedure, you only need it if you want to access Classifieds / Co-ops.
The process is manual and may take up to two weeks, depending on workload and the verification method you choose.
70 posts and above:
Members can no longer start new threads in the New Members Forum, but may post in threads started by others.