Member opinions wanted about Reputation and Thanks display in the postbit

[Amin]

So, let's try taking the scores out of the postbit. You can still see the information by looking at the user profile. If people miss having the scores, we can put one or more of them back in the postbit.

I'm also going to take down the stats "leader" board for the time being. That information will still be available at https://www.mu-43.com/misc.php?do=cybstats but not shown on the main forum index. Again, we can put this back if missed.

Thanks for all opinions expressed.

 

[kathyh]

I would prefer to have the thanks, thanked and reputation stats moved to the members profile. I feel they are more an indication of how active a member is than how useful their post are.

Kathy

 

[rst]

... Currently, the more posts a member has is proportionally more likely to garner more thanks and in turn raise their count and status - this can lead to people posting purely to raise their count and create a less relevant post!

Maybe instead of a thanks count we should display thanks divided by the number of posts ...

Seriously. When I join a forum, usually I read through some posts and I think after the first week or two I know whom to trust. I use the thanks button instead of posting an 'I agree with you' or instead of 'Thanks that was useful information', but this is on a local thing belonging to a particular thread or post. I give nothing on one members thanks count because I already saw in other forums that there often is a thanks-buddyship going. So no matter what is shown here, I do not care.

Cheers
rst

 

[BillN]

Maybe instead of a thanks count we should display thanks divided by the number of posts ...

Seriously. When I join a forum, usually I read through some posts and I think after the first week or two I know whom to trust. I use the thanks button instead of posting an 'I agree with you' or instead of 'Thanks that was useful information', but this is on a local thing belonging to a particular thread or post. I give nothing on one members thanks count because I already saw in other forums that there often is a thanks-buddyship going. So no matter what is shown here, I do not care.

Cheers
rst

I think that the "Thanks" thing and other similar features is an attempt by the Forum software designers to enrich their software with as many user options as possible......and I am sure that the list will grow as the software develops further........and this should be encouraged as it benefits the user(s).

When you have a large, (expanding), group of people it is only natural that some will like some options and some will like others.

At the outset of this Forum it was wise to include as many of these "options" as possible, but it is only sensible in a dynamic situation like this Forum that there is regular review and discussion and this is what has happened.

It is also very important not to "throw the baby out with the bath water", because what you tend to find when you ask the question(s), that has been asked in this thread is that only a vocal minority will express their opinions.

I would think that we can put our trust in recommendations from the (experienced) moderating team who seem to understand the wishes of the "members" and if they are unsure always ask.

 

[Bill Gordon]

maybe the thanks etc., system should not be as "in your face" as it is .......but be replaced by just a descriptive, (my examples follow in my usual not too serious style ........ but better ones can be thought of)

just joined
senior member
old stager
always on here, never sees his wife
needs to get a life
infrequent visitor - not sure why you bother

terms which are different from other forums that will help us to maintain the "joie de vivre" that, I think this forum has and must keep........which may be difficult as it expands

Info could still be recorded and used to determine the descriptive - but not published in the way that it is now.

Recording the number of post does however seem the norm and is useful

(IMHO - the scores and the tables could be seen to some as being ........... well you know what I mean ......... but I will use the UK word "naff" and maybe pretentious - which we don't want to be, (do we?), .............. it is all a matter of being "sensibly" comfortable with what is being created and it is good to "review and amend" as things develop - nothing should be "cast in stone" - but as I said just my opinion)

I am with you Bill!!

 

[mabelsound]

I have to admit that I am really bothered by having a reputation system at all. It has kind of put me off of the forum--it's kind of a formalized popularity contest. I much prefer the rough and tumble of a moderated but informal messageboard.

I actually like post counts, though--it's kind of handy to know who's a "veteran."

 

[Streetshooter]

Thank you all for your input. Keep it coming.....
shooter

 

[Pelao]

I am OK with a post count. I also appreciate the motivation behind the Thanks count. The usefuleness of reputation is not readily apparent.

My preference is to keep post count, and put the Thanks count under profile (if it is needed at all).

I prefer to express my thanks directly, and in doing so mention specifically why I am saying thanks for a post - why I found it useful or helpful. I feel this encourages people with specific knowledge or skills to share even more. Also, it's more like a conversation, and a kind of relationship, rather than a quick 'thanks' thrown out there.

 

[Streetshooter]

Thanks Pelao...useful post....

 

[Justified_Sinner]

I like the idea of the reputation and the other information, but the counting of the "thanks" given or received seems a bit unnecessary. At the moment it isn't an issue, but as the community grows, it might become like a bit of a popularity contest!

 

[back alley]

this morning i saw an image that i liked but instead of saying that to the poster and maybe adding why i liked it...i hit the thanks button instead because i felt too lazy to type atm.

i think it takes away as much as it might add to the forum.

 

[kai.e.g.]

The post count is fine.

The # of thanks received is of no interest to me, and actually I'd prefer not to see it at all. We're not collecting gold stars in kindergarten here. I kind of mildly object to the whole concept of rating members by any methodology.

The thank-you button is useful for acknowledging a post that doesn't necessarily need any further feed-back; it can let a poster know that the message was received & appreciated, without any further ado. However, if it were to disappear, it's just as easy to write back "Thanks" as a post.

 

[Streetshooter]

Thanks....

 

[BBW]

Appreciate reading everyone's posts very much.

 

[Bill Gordon]

me to!

 

[pointoneeight]

I've been offline the last couple of days so have only just spotted this. I've read through everyones responses and share pretty much the same opinion as kai and others.

I like using the thanks button as its a quick way of acknowleding and appreciating a post without many people adding the same replies. As a beginner I also value receiving thanks on my posts/photos and find them very encouraging.

I don't think the reputation system has a great deal of use, though appreciate its purpose in a forum system where some users aren't quite as polite or civil as others. From what I've seen so far on this forum there are no people like that whatsoever.

Thanks for putting this question out to everyone, it really adds to the feeling that we are all part of a community by being polled on some of the decisions.

 

[mabelsound]

I think there's a lot of value to the idea that, if you want to thank someone or express your appreciation for their work, you can do so in the traditional way--telling them in words. The thanks button seems to me a bit like a greeting card, something to take the place of genuine feelings. It makes the whole forum feel, at least to me, a little bit overdesigned and overdetermined.

 

[benoly]

I'm a new member with only a few posts and I will admit to using the "Thanks" button. It just seems like a quick and easy way to acknowledge others. You'll never get treated so nicely on a lot of other forums.

 

[texascbx]

I'm OK with the thanks button and member posts. You can usually go by how many posts someone has as to how true their story or whatever it is that they are posting is genuine. But not always as there are "post wh##es" on every board I've ever been on. And trolls. Usually if you don't feed the trolls, they lose interest and wander off. I've only seen a little bit of trolling here.

Not sure about the reputation bit though, mostly because of the inevitable trolls. Someone trying to get a rise out of someone can ruin their rep, I would think. Or am I wrong?

I guess I really don't like seeing a whole mess of little numbers and symbols and names by someones avatar. Or across from their avatar.

 

[Bullfrog]

post count - fine with it
thanks - fine with it as a quick way to acknowledge a useful/interesting/approporiate post
rep - no opinion either way