We've asked this question before, with mixed response, but maybe it's time the question is visited again. Should reputations be disabled? A fair amount of us seem to think they're meaningless and childish. What's your opinion?
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We've asked this question before, with mixed response, but maybe it's time the question is visited again. Should reputations be disabled? A fair amount of us seem to think they're meaningless and childish. What's your opinion?
Apparently we have another duplicate thread ID problem, from before the upgrade. It's being looked into right now.
Heh. got here by clicking your 'post' link instead of thread topic.
Don't do away with our nice pretty green dots under our nicks, but yah, AP's sucked in general, rep sucks worse because you can't do anything with it.
I think the reason JP(the original) came up with the system was to use it as a legitimate attempt in seeing who's advice was more practical given conflicting informations. This system was (quite obviously) abused, is still abused, and should be abolished entirely. I don't recommend replacing it with anything.
Actually you can do something with reps. You can ban a user with enough negative reps. I agree, good idea on paper, dreadful in application.
Heh... there was a time under the old system when I could remove a dot with one full rack of negging. Now I barely scratch someone either way red or green - equating to 'can't do anything with it'. But yes, that's quite beside the point entirely.
Even the old system was being abused like crazy though. You already know what I think, we'd be well rid of them entirely. I've gotten into fights with editors over this. They wanted to enable them, I stamped my feet and held my breath.
Just ask them about 'antipoint alliances' and make 'em cringe. They still exist they do, just quietly.
I want the tattoo. Heck, I want to see someone with a tattoo like that. ;)
well that's the nature of forehead tattoos, you only can see them on others.
Well...most sites do use rep points in some manner...but...there's no such system as of yet created that isn't abused.
Our forum is a good example of how a forum can operate without them...depending solely upon personal respect and admiration.
Fine...if a child does well you reward them...if they don't you take something away...it works well with children...
and basically that's what AP's are...reward and punishment.
I don't need a green gif to make me feel good and a red dot doesn't make me feel bad...
a site can operate without them...there are sites that do. ;)
we have a lot more that don't use them, than do.
Hrm. A tattoo of 11 green dots (or 3 red ones) across someone's forehead. That'd be a very interesting photoshop there...
Hello ... Is this thing on ??
It's been so long I've been logged in on this forum, damn, but guess what, the password reset thingy finaly worked ... yay.
Anyway ... I voted yes, as in, get rid of it, but then again ... Hmmm
The one thing it does, that I don't realy like (and maybe I've been guilty of it to back in the day) is that people tend to make posts just so they would get greenies, so they would fit with the in crowd. So for that reason alone I say loose it.
But then again, I've been absent for a while, ... Can I begin with a clean slate ? ... Sorry, off-topic ...
So weird being here :D
No...you can't...now go back to where you belong you crazy Belgium. :DQuote:
Can I begin with a clean slate ?
<- wants to begin with a cold beer.
I think we're winning this one. (Yay!)
I quite liked the idea of Antipoints - even though the system was open to abuse - it did give people a reason to post - the current system is just pointless as they don't mean squat really - does anyone even give them out any more?
If your editor are not willing to lose the system then at least go back to antipoints - at least they meant something.
The ranking that you could see at the side of the old forum - top tutorial writers, top posters, most Ap's etc also gave people a reason to post...
You've taken it all away but have not replaced it with anything better...
Anti-points are history, there is no getting them back. That was a hack written for a seven-year-old version of this software and it no longer exists. It was replaced with a reputation system, which functions basically similarly, although a little bit more truncated.
Scrap 'em then - they're a waste of decent GIF's... :)
Well that looks like what's gonna happen, based on the early poll results.
But...but...the nice little green dots by my name would go away. They keep me company on lonely nights....
*sigh*
Hmmmm,
I think that all systems are open to abuse. I agree that the system has positive points, in particular it:Quote:
quite liked the idea of Antipoints - even though the system was open to abuse - it did give people a reason to post - the current system is just pointless as they don't mean squat really - does anyone even give them out any more?
1. Identifies people who might be likely to make a positive contribution to the community. Of course, that doesn't mean that they know what they are talking about technically.
2. Provides some sort of incentive to contribute, as there is some sort of progression path.
3. Allows the membership to deal with those who are annoying, trolling, flaming, or whatever. At least that makes it a collective decision rather than the sole prerogative of the administration/moderation team.
Whilst I use them from time to time (generally to encourage newcomers) I think that the usage has dropped off dramatically since they have taken a backstage.
As for site statistics, I would have thought they were possible provided they were held in a separate DB, nowhere near the "proper" vBulletin one.
The details used to be on a separate page that was populated periodically, so I don't see why that couldn't be reinstated.
I would not, never, noway have them on the front page, we just don't have the room with an unadulterated version of vB?
I seem to recall having this discussion a long, long time ago (I believe when JP was still running the site). I seem to recall him mentioning an actual reward-system based on antipoints. Unfortunately, this never came to be, and the current 'reputation' system is even more useless than the original APs.
Wow, it's been forever since I've been here but I figured I should post my measly two cents, hehe.
In my personal opinion, while the reputation system had good intentions, it got to be abused fairly fast and there were too many "cliques". I would say to get rid of them entirely seeing as how greenies don't determine what someone knows and red dots could easily be thrown out on someone simply because the other person didn't like what they said, etc.
But, this is all just my opinion of course.
Wow. Mention the end of APs and everyone comes out of the woodwork! :eek: :rolleyes: :D
To wave them goodbye.
Heh.
How goes the biking MsM? Been awhile since I heard from ya on it. Mind tossing in a few suggestions in the other hot thread too while you're up and postin?
/offtopic
Eh.. biking is slow this year so far since my bikes are still in Canada and I'm in NYC now. :p but I'm hopeful that I'll get them before the Five Boroughs tour and try that. This year's trip is NYC --> Toronto --> Montreal (1,700km/1,000 miles roughly)
/ontopic
I'll take a look at the other thread in a second. I pop in and out of there but haven't had a chance to reply since students are demanding attention.
Students? you're teaching again?I thought you were working for VM?And my vote - back on topic - I say bring back AP's Hell just post that spaghetti code so I can finally discern how the damn things worked.
ok, I'll play along [offtopic]Cheers! The world is a more intelligent place with you teaching in it. Please keep up the good work and thank you![/offtopic]
[ontopic] Yanno, I wouldn't mind understanding how they worked too.
They probably could which is why you have senior members, moderators and administrators.Quote:
and red dots could easily be thrown out on someone simply because the other person didn't like what they said, etc.
Senior members act as a balance for that sort of thing............. otherwise you will get a eunuch "nanny state" site, with mods and admins making all the decisions.
;)
I teach for VMware. So if you take an Install and Config class or other class you might find me. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by dinowuff
I don't even know what happened to it. Might be archived somewhere, might not. I have no idea.Quote:
Originally Posted by dinowuff
I think the point system has always been a bad thing. I suppose
it was started out of laziness, and because the site wasn't moderated
strictly enough. The point system would automatically ban trolls
and flamers, and elevate the wise and deserving. The forum wouldn't
need an active moderator to exercise judgment.
I go to other forums, and they will close a thread that broaches
a forbidden topic. If a person asks a repetitive question thats
been answered before, a moderator refers the person to an old
thread and closes the current one.
Whatever, the point thing has caused more problems than it
was supposed to solve.
:cool:
Nihil: Hmmmm, I think that all systems are open to abuse. I agree that the system has positive points, in particular it:
1. Identifies people who might be likely to make a positive contribution to the community. Of course, that doesn't mean that they know what they are talking about technically.
Isn't that sort of like giving the smiling guy that walks into the bar with an axe the benefit of the doubt?
Nihil: 2. Provides some sort of incentive to contribute, as there is some sort of progression path.
AntiOnline, the RPG.
Nihil: 3. Allows the membership to deal with those who are annoying, trolling, flaming, or whatever. At least that makes it a collective decision rather than the sole prerogative of the administration/moderation team.
While I agree that the sole decision lies with the Admins/Mods, the caveat is that sometimes users hold grudges against other users, and the complaints (valid or not) could overwhelm the whole idea.
Nihil: Whilst I use them from time to time (generally to encourage newcomers) I think that the usage has dropped off dramatically since they have taken a backstage.
As for site statistics, I would have thought they were possible provided they were held in a separate DB, nowhere near the "proper" vBulletin one.
The details used to be on a separate page that was populated periodically, so I don't see why that couldn't be reinstated.
I would not, never, noway have them on the front page, we just don't have the room with an unadulterated version of vB?
Shop talk. I have no footing on this one.
Anyways, I was an active member of AO when the 'AntiPoints' were first established, as were MsMittens, Negative, PhishPhreak and countless others that are still active today. It was a huge deal back then...now, meh, not so much. I will still throw a green to someone that has given me an insight to a problem that I didn't have before or for an outright solution to a problem that I wasn't properly equipped to handle. The reds go to abusers of the forum (trolls, spammers, abusers, and other assorted fools) that have no business interacting with sane, competent, involved users. In place of a 'greenie', a simple "thank you, O" would be worth so much more to me. In place of a 'red', a simple "Listen, jackass, you are wrong, and this is why: " would serve me much better as well.
That being said, I can only assume that the "points" system only serves to point the admins/mods to suspect threads/users/posts that may be grounds for deletion/bans.
Given all of that, I wouldn't feel bad if the AP's were done away with and a simple "Report abuse" clicker was implemented. I remember who has helped me and who I enjoy interacting with...I don't need a little bar of green dots to justify my (or my fellow AOers) existence here. We know who we are, and embrace new ideas and members as quickly as we will chastise people who are abusing us and the AO community and its resources. I, personally, don't pride myself on my little green dots next to my made-up avatar on a message board filled with other avatars for people who I've never met (but would like to).
I've gone on long enough, but you guys get my point.
MsMittens, the next Newsletter should be a special edition titled "How long can Ouroboros go on a rant?" "Will there be no end?!?"
Laters,
O (Kyle)
LOL. There will likely be no newsletter since I haven't received a single article. Sigh. Same issue. People want it but won't contribute to it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ouroboros
Blah!Quote:
Sigh. Same issue. People want it but won't contribute to it.
I want it but the experts must contribute :)
Come on people, im sure someone has some valuable input.
ouroboros, there is a report abuse icon. It's the little triangle, red border, ! In the center.
I didn't answer the poll as I don't like any of the choices (yeah, i am one of the idiots that complain at the Slashdot polls not having my choice). The scoring could help in some cases. If you have some degree of intelligence you can usually figure out who is giving a good answer and who is full of hot air. The scoring could help in some cases. Look at it as another tool. Like any tool you are free to use it or not use it. It isn't perfect nor could it be. You could easily have some guy drop in that knows more about a particular subject than anyone on here and give an answer to a problem. His lack of reputation doesn't invalidate his answer, and only an idiot would ignore it for that reason. But if no one knows him should you consider accepting his answer a bit more before you get out the soldering iron and go to work, probably.
That's what reputations are supposed to do in theory, but in practice they fall pretty far short of that goal.