Qeustions about the re-vamped forum

[woodnsteel]

Hello everyone, What's the story behind the little "scales-o-justice" icon?
Also, my blue line doesn't have the "report bad post" icon, does that mean I have immunity?

[robnye]

Hello everyone, What's the story behind the little "scales-o-justice" icon?
Also, my blue line doesn't have the "report bad post" icon, does that mean I have immunity?

Greetings,

The "scales-o-justice" icon is a feature that allows folks to provide "feedback" on the author. There is a small green box, if you click on this it may say "woodnsteel is on a distinguished road", or "Woodnsteel is neither positive or negative". This is a feature of the upgrade which we decided to leave on.

The report a bad post icon is now the red triangle in the upper right corner.

Best,

[lorazepam]

To me, reporting someone's post to a moderator is like running to the teacher and saying "tommy said this" or "flash did that". It is the moderator's job to deal with the posts, and if they are doing their job, (which they do rather well) they will see and deal with it without anyone running to them. I bet this post gets me a triangle.

[KBasa]

Here's how the "reputation" thing works.

You read someone's post and you like it, you click the scales and click on the I approve button. Alternatively, if you think they were being a dimwitted imbecile, you click on the "I disapprove" button.

I'm not sure whether we should leave it or not, but I figured it would be fun to play around with for a while. As a user accumulates more and more positive or negative points, their reputation changes. If you have a negative reputation, the dot is red, if you have a positive reputation, the dot is green.

But basically, it's a peer review system. We're open to discussion on this, of course.

[Hodag]

personally I don't care for the voting. If you don't like what I write, pm me or respond. Sounds like a grade school deal.
Mark

[BradfordBenn]

Cool. So please explain how I have negative forty-nine reputation points out with only five "votes." One was positive and four were negative. Is this like when you collect 100 "attaboys" at work to earn a free cuppa coffee, but one "aw****" wipes them all out? No matter how I do the math, four negative votes and one postive vote don't add up to negative forty-nine. Two of the negatives were for one post.

The User Control Panel only shows a defined number of the most recent comments. So the board does the math but prunes the amount it displays. This parameter is set by the moderators. So if you have a suggestion for how many should be displayed, please let us know.

Just how EXACTLY do reputation points get added and subtracted; how many points per vote, per post, etc.?

Do Admin votes count extra?

I am not sure how many points per votes, there are lots of settings on that section, so I will let one of the configuration guys answer that part.

---snip---

Last time I checked, zero is not a positive number. Why do zero votes yield a positive reputation? (If you ain't said squat, you don't HAVE a reputation, imho.)

Good point, for the computer it has to have something assigned to it. The response should be "PERSON not positive or negative".

I'm not complaining that I have a red ball. I don't care if I'm the resident "bad boy" here for raising all the tough issues. I'd just like to know if this thing is working or if it is broken (or "fixed") to start with. Thanks!

I can understand that.

[woodnsteel]

Well Loraz, I see you got your triangle. Now I'm gonna get mine. I asked a question, and got an answer. Splendid, done deal. Then comes Flash 412, seeing an opportunity to sling s#!t, he gets right down to slinging s#!t. I should have known.

[Montana]

Man, this thing is slow now. I am glad I finally went to DSL, because now this thing is slower than when I was on dial up. I suppose, if you're on dial up, you could go make a snack while you wait, or start an oil change.

I feel like I need to become an Egyptologist to understand all the icons everywhere. This might be a little too cute for efficiency.

Think I'll go push Flash's button a few times. Nice to know your vote counts somewhere.

Oh, yeah, I figured out how to update my "favorite" for "search results = new posts since last visit" but the results pages no longer show the "mark all read" button; I finally found that button by going to the main forum page.

[BradfordBenn]

Oh, yeah, I figured out how to update my "favorite" for "search results = new posts since last visit" but the results pages no longer show the "mark all read" button; I finally found that button by going to the main forum page.

Check out the links under the Quick Links both the "New Posts" and "Mark All Read" are there.

[KBasa]

Well Loraz, I see you got your triangle. Now I'm gonna get mine. I asked a question, and got an answer. Splendid, done deal. Then comes Flash 412, seeing an opportunity to sling s#!t, he gets right down to slinging s#!t. I should have known. Now your'e USING me. Your'e a cheap shot artist and your'e USING me. God, I hate being used.

The triangle is how you report a post. We're working on a couple skins you'll be able to choose from.

[Montana]

Thanks, Brad, it's great to know where the "mark forums read" hides, although it's right there at the bottom of the main forum list. The "new posts" is only useful if you're already here. The favorite is what I use to get here, that's why it's called "favorite."

[BradfordBenn]

The favorite is what I use to get here, that's why it's called "favorite."

Glad to help. I use the same favorite tool to get here as well.

[KBasa]

Cool. So please explain how I have negative forty-nine reputation points out with only five "votes." One was positive and four were negative. Is this like when you collect 100 "attaboys" at work to earn a free cuppa coffee, but one "aw****" wipes them all out? No matter how I do the math, four negative votes and one postive vote don't add up to negative forty-nine. Two of the negatives were for one post.

Just how EXACTLY do reputation points get added and subtracted; how many points per vote, per post, etc.?

Do Admin votes count extra?

Anybody else wanna look at their scores and post how many points they have with how many +/- votes on how many posts?

Last time I checked, zero is not a positive number. Why do zero votes yield a positive reputation? (If you ain't said squat, you don't HAVE a reputation, imho.)

I'm not complaining that I have a red ball. I don't care if I'm the resident "bad boy" here for raising all the tough issues. I'd just like to know if this thing is working or if it is broken (or "fixed") to start with. Thanks!

Here's how reputations work.


Everybody starts with 10 points.
If you have no rating, you get called "not positive or negative"
You'll only see the last 5 votes on you in your control panel, though this is configurable to another value.
Admins give two points for a click, registered users give 1, though additional points can be earned by registered users
for every year a user is on the forum, they get one more point of reputation altering power.
For every 1000 posts, users get 1 point of reputation altering power.
For every 100 points of reputation, users gain 1 additional point of reputation altering power.
Users must have 50 posts before their reputation hits count on others.
Users must have a minimum of 10 reputation points before their reputation hits count. (Everybody starts with ten)
Users may only give ten reputation clicks over a 24 hour period.
You can only hit the same person after 20 other people have hit them.


I think that's about the whole thing. There's a long list of titles that apply to different levels of reputation, but I'm too lazy to copy them all out of the admin panel.

[KBasa]

Oh, and one more thing:

How about we all give knary a big round of applause for the new skins. You can pick from two different ones down there in the lower left.

:thumb :buds :type

[KBasa]

Oh yeah - if you click on a user's name, you get a drop down menu and you can go right to the home page they've defined in their profile. Slick, eh?

[BradfordBenn]

Next rally, I say we each buy Knary a shot of tequilla. The good stuff. :thumb :buds :buds :beer :bottle :drink

[jgr451]

Here's how reputations work.


Everybody starts with 10 points.
If you have no rating, you get called "not positive or negative"
You'll only see the last 5 votes on you in your control panel, though this is configurable to another value.
Admins give two points for a click, registered users give 1, though additional points can be earned by registered users
for every year a user is on the forum, they get one more point of reputation altering power.
For every 1000 posts, users get 1 point of reputation altering power.
For every 100 points of reputation, users gain 1 additional point of reputation altering power.
Users must have 50 posts before their reputation hits count on others.
Users must have a minimum of 10 reputation points before their reputation hits count. (Everybody starts with ten)
Users may only give ten reputation clicks over a 24 hour period.
You can only hit the same person after 20 other people have hit them.


I think that's about the whole thing. There's a long list of titles that apply to different levels of reputation, but I'm too lazy to copy them all out of the admin panel.

Hey cool,Sounds like Dungeons and Dragons.Do we have to be consistent?Or is it OK to be chaotic??

[woodnsteel]

Tequila for knary?.........Agreed.

[knary]

Tequila for knary?.........Agreed.

oh dear god save me :buds

[BradfordBenn]

Watch out for the dog... :p

[KBasa]

Tequila for knary?.........Agreed.
http://kbasa.smugmug.com/photos/6234448-M.jpg

:bottle

[BradfordBenn]

http://kbasa.smugmug.com/photos/6234448-M.jpg

:bottle

I think I remember that night as well... something about Bourbon.... Spokane...

[knary]

http://kbasa.smugmug.com/photos/6234448-M.jpg

:bottle

egads

That's loads better than last weekend with the ADVrider PNW boys. :lol

[BradfordBenn]

Like I said, watch out for the dog... :stick

[lorazepam]

dang flash, you dont even get to vote with the new system. Until you hit 50 points, you cant diss anyone :stick looks like you need 77 good hits to even matter.

[knary]

Yeah... like I said, I wanted to know if it was broken (or fixed) before it even started. Seems it is both.

The Admins get more than ten points per vote and are probably the ones to vote me down to where I get zero votes before anyone even knew the system existed. Of course, we'll never know since you don't see who votes on you. Par for THIS course. :thumb

OK. Everyone raise their hand who thinks the voting system means squat? I don't see any hands. Does anyone?

[BradfordBenn]

Thanks for the rules. Sorry, but I have a few more questions on how this works... I have more than 300 posts, so I get 3 additional points per hit, right? When I top 1000, will that number be 11? But I have -27 points now (apparently I'm improving), so my hits don't count at all, right?

Actually the way it is that for every 100 points of reputation you would gain 1 point of influence over others. When you cross 1,000 posts you would gain 1 point of influence over others. However since you have been on the forum for over a year you have gained a point of influence

So each time you click to assign reputation to someone else they receive 2 points in the direction you sent them.

So by April, if I'm over 1000 posts, I will have a "weight" of 12 points per click, unless I have less than ten points in my own reputation, then my weight is zero, right?

Come April and your 1,000 post your influence would go to 4 points assuming that you have a reputation rating greater than 10.


And... if someone posts one good post and one bad post, you can't give them a kudo AND a brickbat until 20 other folks do?

Correct. The idea being that one can not keep clicking on the same person over and over again. Also one is limited to 10 reputation point assignments to another individual per 24 hour period, the idea being that they are of value and people will not just use them up. However if not everyone knows that portion of it, well they might just get used up.

--snippage---

I understand what you are saying about the simplification of the system. Since I personally did not put it into place, I won't comment on it. I read the destructions cause I was curious what the heck the reputation was.

[woodnsteel]

Yes officer,......I HAVE been drinking...................
Apparently someone nicked me for starting this rascally thread, Therefore, a vote that I would never cast doesn't count anyway. On a show of hands, who wants me to croak this thread? I believe that as the originator, I have the prerogative to make the whole thing go away. What say you...?

[BradfordBenn]

dang flash, you dont even get to vote with the new system. Until you hit 50 points, you cant diss anyone :stick looks like you need 77 good hits to even matter.

Actually Flash would need to hit 10 points to vote. He has already posted 50 times. So he needs 37 points of influence to get back to being able to vote.

Since many of the people have been on the forum for over a year they then get 2 points of influence, and some people have over 1,000 posts that would give them 3 points of influence. It would take 18 people or so clicking on the "I agree" portion to get back to a point where Flash could vote.

[BradfordBenn]

Yeah... like I said, I wanted to know if it was broken (or fixed) before it even started. Seems it is both.

The Admins get more than ten points per vote and are probably the ones to vote me down to where I get zero votes before anyone even knew the system existed. Of course, we'll never know since you don't see who votes on you. Par for THIS course. :thumb

Actually the admins get less influence points per vote than registered users. Admins are set at 2 points, that is a static number it does not change given tenure on the forum or number of posts. As an admin/moderator I assign 2 reputation per click, if I was just regular Brad who has more than 1,000 posts and been on the forum for a year I would have 3 reputations per click.

This approach places more weighting in the member's hands than in the moderator's hands.

[BradfordBenn]

Yes officer,......I HAVE been drinking...................
Apparently someone nicked me for starting this rascally thread, Therefore, a vote that I would never cast doesn't count anyway. On a show of hands, who wants me to croak this thread? I believe that as the originator, I have the prerogative to make the whole thing go away. What say you...?

Actually I think you did a good thing starting the thread cause it gave people a chance to ask questions. :clap

[MostlyIrish]

I am confused. What useful purpose is served by the "reputation" feature?

[Visian]

personally I don't care for the voting. If you don't like what I write, pm me or respond. Sounds like a grade school deal.


Remember "slam" books....?

Ian

[KBasa]

Yeah... like I said, I wanted to know if it was broken (or fixed) before it even started. Seems it is both.

The Admins get more than ten points per vote and are probably the ones to vote me down to where I get zero votes before anyone even knew the system existed. Of course, we'll never know since you don't see who votes on you. Par for THIS course. :thumb

Admins get two points per click and you get 1 more point of power per 100 points of reputation. Also, you can't go back and assign points on someone until 20 other people have clicked on that person. This prevents someone from setting out to nail someone's reputation by clicking over and over again.

Everybody starts with ten points. I think that's a lot like how life works, most of us will trust someone until they give us reason not to. Your reputation also say "X" is not positive or negative. In other words, neutral. We're starting out at this value of ten, because, like in real life, you can be rotten once in a while and while people will think less of you, but not enough to think ill of you.

For someone to have voted on a person 5 times, 95 other people will have had to have voted on that person as well. I think over time, we'll see that reputations are based on broader terms that are controlled by the general populace.

I guess the bigger question is whether we want to have it at all. I saw the feature and just flipped the bit. It's not a big deal to flip it back, but I don't know whether folks have an opinion on the whole thing yet.

It seems to me that the reputation feature is a lot like a public trust factor or that ranking thing they have in ebay. One of the issues I see with it is that it's anonymous to a large degree.

[lorazepam]

I think itis cool to just be able to tell someone nice report with the scales. It beats reading 20 posts of folks saying the same thing. Saves space in the forum I would imagine.

[bullit7801]

I started reading this thread because I was curious about the working of the new list. Now I think the system is absurd.

Count on this: I will NEVER, EVER rate someone else's posts. If I feel that someone has done something extremely well, I'll thank them in a personal message. For something bad, I'll report to the moderators, but I haven't yet so it probably will need to be extremely bad.

Now I have a headache. Does someone have an asprin?? :banghead

tb

[Rhino]

WOW! :wow


As I slip in from the shadows of lurkerville, I see the horse as it crosses the finish line. He is however, beat with everything imaginable.

Time for the proverbial fork…this one is done, no? :bottle

[KBasa]

I'm gonna put a poll up on the whole reputation thing and see what people think about it. It's a two minute function to turn it off and we're certainly not wed to it.

[merrittgene]

please explain how I have negative forty-nine reputation points out with only five "votes." One was positive and four were negative.

I'm having trouble finding my current reputation count, and I don't see anywhere to see what the individual votes are.

Also, where do the comments go?

[BradfordBenn]

I'm having trouble finding my current reputation count, and I don't see anywhere to see what the individual votes are.

Also, where do the comments go?

You can find your current reputation count by click on your own scale icon. You can see your last five votes in your User CP. Remember it is only the last five votes but it does show what thread they were posted on and any comments that were added.

[merrittgene]

I had found the total by clicking on the scale, but I had checked my User CP several times and there was no reputation information at all...not even the title bar for the reputation section.

I just checked now, and I do have an entry now, so maybe reputation information is only displayed when someone submits a comment, not when you merely have +/- votes.

Even now, the title bar just says "Latest Reputation Received" and my point total. How can anyone see the number of plusses and minuses?

[BradfordBenn]

I had found the total by clicking on the scale, but I had checked my User CP several times and there was no reputation information at all...not even the title bar for the reputation section.

I just checked now, and I do have an entry now, so maybe reputation information is only displayed when someone submits a comment, not when you merely have +/- votes.

Even now, the title bar just says "Latest Reputation Received" and my point total. How can anyone see the number of plusses and minuses?

The only way you can tell plus or minus is whether the indicator to the left of the thread title is red or green. However if will show reputation information even if there are no comments listed. So apparently you have only received one vote so far.

[merrittgene]

Well, a couple of hours ago I had 14 points, and only one comment. Now, I have two votes (a plus w/comment and a minus w/o comment), for a total of 12 points. The minus must have been a -2.

So, either my first vote was a +4, or it isn't showing all of the votes.