Forum User Reputation System

[Black wallnut]

Sorry, I did not mean to hijack the thread.

John, Do not worry about it. It seems that we needed to have this conversation. I'm somewhat surprised by the traffic it has generated.

[pelligrini]

16 folks out of 8436 aren't on a "distinguished road" according to our memberlist. I'd say that it's largely ignored, or we have an inordinate amount of good people.

BTW John Hunter has the highest reputation out of everyone now.

[Russianwolf]

Personally I have pretty much quit posting here in Around the Coffee pot. Back in 2006 I replied to a post here about What is on your desktop http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...512#post223512 for doing that I was burned with negative user feedback! What really PO'ed me was that the person did it secretly and there is no way to fix it or even find out who did it. So now I stay pretty much in the woodworking topics.

Don't worry john, way back when someone thought my topic on "belly button lint" was stupid and left me a bad mark. [shrugs] it didn't even sting a little bit for me.

Then again, I'm a smartass who started a topic about belly button lint.

[os1kne]

I had no clue about the rep points feature. It looks like I have 10, not sure if that is good or bad - did I get 50 positives and 40 negatives? I guess it doesn't really matter.

[SARGE..g-47]

Okay, now I am giving rep points - I just left my first for Loring as he has been so helpful to so many of us. So, when he gets to a certain number of points can he trade them in for a decoder ring or x-ray glasses?!

****

To point out how it can be abused easily Stormdog, I just gave Loring a bad rep mark that cancelled your good rep mark! na-nan-a-nan-a ...

And of course I am kidding, but it could happen.. probably will happen and most likely already has happened sadly enough. So.. again.... in lieu of get my shorts in a wad over a minor flaw.. I thinks me will save the adrenaline for a more serious matter that really affects my life or family.

Life is simple at the Sarge house-hold and this simple mind is going to keep it that way if at all possible.

Ya'll have a good un as more floating dust particles await.. ready to attack on my return! ha.. ha...

[footprintsinconc]

wow, i never new what that scale meant! never used it. never knew what rep # meant until a post a month ago, but no one mentioned how to get or anything. so i just went back to ignoring it. and will continue to ignore it since it really doesnt mean anything to me.

now that i see, and have read the two pages, i went to cp and saw that there were 10 comment and the rep is 2. under " Latest Reputation Received", there is just one post. but it doest say who did it or why.

what does this mean? i have 2 positive and 8 negative?

and where can i read all 10 reps, positive or negative?

thanks

[Stytooner]

I can't read anything other than what you can, Omar. Mark and Sam are probably the only two. Maybe Adele.
I think point system translates into "always check the air in your tires before a long trip and wear clean underwear just in case."

[SHADOWFOX]

So that's what that number stood for. You do learn something new everyday.

[JoeyGee]

Count me as another vote for dumping the rep points. They serve no purpose, but can obviously cause problems.

I, like most others here I assume, keep "rep points" for others in my head. There are countless very generous, funny and knowledgeable people here. Most of which are also very mature, kind and considerate. I don't remember ANY negativity here. I am sure there has been some, but it gets addressed and disposed of very quickly, and I greatly appreciate that.

Sam, please just get rid of the rep points. If not, I'll just blissfully ignore them as I always have and encourage everyone else to do the same .

[TheRic]

wow, i never new what that scale meant! never used it. never knew what rep # meant until a post a month ago, but no one mentioned how to get or anything. so i just went back to ignoring it. and will continue to ignore it since it really doesnt mean anything to me.

now that i see, and have read the two pages, i went to cp and saw that there were 10 comment and the rep is 2. under " Latest Reputation Received", there is just one post. but it doest say who did it or why.

what does this mean? i have 2 positive and 8 negative?

and where can i read all 10 reps, positive or negative?

thanks

If your talking were it says Rep Power: #
I THINK that number is tied to # of posts or something like that. I have noticed it increment around a few key post numbers.

I just got two Reputations the other day, now I have a section that pops up in the User CP (when you click on the link on the bar near the top. It's between Forum and FAQ). Since I got the two posts I have a section that is titled "Latest Reputation Received " There are two thread links that show which comment in which thread they are commenting about.

In that section it says "18 point(s) total". I don't remember ever seeing anything on this page before yesterday, have looked at this page before. So I'm not sure if they disappear after time, or I got several points for each. Other points somewhere else for something. Can't find anything in the FAQ on what is what and why.

[Russianwolf]

I think you get a 10 point bonus for signing up.

[MilDoc]

I've known about the rep scales since I started using the site, and probably used it 2-3 times. I usually forget about it, and have never checked my own "rating." Doesn't matter much to me.

[SARGE..g-47]

I think Russianwolf is correct, Ric. You start with 10 and as long as your 10 or over.. all is well (whatever that means). If you see a minus sign ( - ) you've been a bad boy in someone's eyes and they sent you to your room with no dinner.

Not that it matters, but if you have 18 with no minus -, you are a about two points short of walking on water. But.. if you attempt to walk on water at this point.. just be sure you know where rocks come up just below the water-line.

[Black wallnut]

I think Russianwolf is correct, Ric. You start with 10 and as long as your 10 or over.. all is well (whatever that means). If you see a minus sign ( - ) you've been a bad boy in someone's eyes and they sent you to your room with no dinner.

Not that it matters, but if you have 18 with no minus -, you are a about two points short of walking on water. But.. if you attempt to walk on water at this point.. just be sure you know where rocks come up just below the water-line.

Nice guess but wrong answer!

Here is how it works:

• each user group is assigned a number of reputation power points; this is possibly (likely as The Ric posted) tied to post count, other factors also increase rep power. i.e. When I became an Admin my power went up to 10.
• each user is granted 10 points when they register
• currently there are 15 different levels see attached image
• when a forum newbie with a rep power clicks the scales he gives or removes 1 point to/from the poster
• when I with 10 rep power click the scales it adds or removes 10 points to/from the poster
• Rep power and Reputation points are two separate things Power =how much you can give; Reputation=how much or little you've received from others.

I am not sure, that is I can not find the cheat sheet that explains how a users rep power is set. What I can tell is that this system if it is used, even though it is anon is fair! Only those with Admin and possibly Super Moderator permissions have the ability to track who gave whom positive or negative feedback. We also have the ability to override unfair reputation points. That said I really do have better things to do with my time but if asked I'll gladly research a users reputation and if there are any suspicious marks research those to see if they are valid.



It seems to me that there are safeguards built in that prevent abuse. The fact that sot many are currently using it does not make it a useless tool. Those that use that logic may have had the same opinion of the BT3K in its early years. "I don't use it, don't really know mush about it but it seems like junk to me" I'm sure there are still a few of us around that can remember when we and our saws were treated in this way.

[cabinetman]

Hey Mark,

This whole thing is getting to a point where it could really become ugly. I always considered ALL the members part of my extended family and have no intention of playing "Rat Out The Next Guy/Gal" without identifying myself.

I think its unfair to the entire membership, the person being beaten up on and the one whose doing the ratting. It's akin to getting anonymous email with a nasty message.

I feel that if I have something "unpleasant" to say to someone, the only honorable way is to tell that person to his/her face (using my name, in this case). The same works in reverse, I'd like to know why I pissed off someone and what I can do to "fix" it, and not hide behind a cloak of a unsigned rating.

I mean, what may have started with good intent is now becoming something on a grammar school level and not fit for adults.

Realizing we do need some "rules" to keep us on an even keel, I for one, feel that we are instituting too many restrictions for us "grown-ups.

Bruce

Bruce, You outdid yourself with this one. Exactly my sentiments. You couldn't have said it better.

I could care less about reputation points, especially since they can be anonymous. What good can that possibly be. It takes a coward to "hit and run". If the post was that out of place to a member taking that action, what could be the learning process of not being able to find out what lit the fuse.

Forums are based on discourse, and subject matter on occasion asks for responses by their very nature. Opinions being an individual virtue, if given tactfully without personally attacking another member can still ruffle feathers. To a sensitive member the "Reputation" option may limit participation because of the fear that there might be a dun from anyone who doesn't agree with his opinion.

AFIK this is the only forum I visit that has that type of option. If a post is so out of line or questionable, there are "reporting" icons to let the Mods know, and then if necessary, the Mods can PM the poster and discuss in detail the infraction or problem." Or, better yet, if a member finds it necessary to do a "reputation" thing, instead of throwing darts, face the member in a PM and talk it out. Or is that too easy?

With all that said, differences in opinion is what makes the world go 'round. I doubt we would want this to be a "Stepford" forum.
.