forums [Suggestion] Reputation Points

[Gin]

PP Forum has a big problem with useless posts and stuff that just take up space. One way to fix this is to add some sort of 'Reputation' system, where after a post or thread starter, you can 1up the poster. At certain levels of reputation points, one could earn badges or something similar. One could also subtract rep for really bad posts, and that kind of thing. You would be limited to one + or - per post, or something similar, and would not be able to change your own reputation. This would limit the ability of people to game the system. Also, it would allow people to judge users who they haven't interacted before. For example, if user A wanted to know, say, how to get a Hydro Pump Salamence, then he could post that question. Users B and C respond in that thread. User B tells A that you must go to a waterfall and fight 1000 Seakings in a row, then use 30 rare candies. User C says that you need to breed with a Seadra or Kingdra and get the egg move. User A follows User B's advice, and wastes days on this method. If the reputation point system, or something similar, was in play, then User A notices that User B has -9001 reputation, while User C has 100 reputation. User A follows User C's advice. Though we have the badge system, it is not effective as very few users have very many badges, and badges cannot be handed out as easily as a +1. I have seen this work with great effect in other forums such as TheHiveWorkshop, but I do not know how you could implement this or something similar into the forum design.

[wraith89]

We already thought about something like this a long time ago... but it was declined because people said it was too easy to abuse and whatnot (at least that's what someone said, I don't know who). But PP is changing so we'll see what the rest of the staff thinks about it.

It's been a while since vBulletin 4.0 was released... someone definitely made a hack for that.

[randomspot555]

I'm personally against it. From what I've seen, people basically use it to suck up to staff and give points to their BFFs. And if they have an Internet Grudge against someone, might also use some points to basically troll and trash their reputation, regardless of if it's deserved or not.

A lot of forums have "pointless" posts , at least to some people. You are free to not respond/read them. And if they break the rules, there's always the Report button.

[Gin]

My problem trying to ignore them is that I don't know many users here, especially the newer ones. Some I just filter out and occasionally block, but I often don't have a warning sign. Really, I think some sort of incentive for users to post high quality stuff is needed. As long as it works, it's cool.

[randomspot555]

My problem trying to ignore them is that I don't know many users here, especially the newer ones. Some I just filter out and occasionally block, but I often don't have a warning sign. Really, I think some sort of incentive for users to post high quality stuff is needed. As long as it works, it's cool.

I don't see how a reputation system encourages that.

Any Internet forum isn't going to have 100% intelligent discussion all the time. And we, as staff, don't feel like it's our place to enforce an IQ level for our forums.

The best way to encourage intelligent discussion, in my view, is to make intelligent posts and start threads with intelligent first posts.

[Sabeta]

I was once on a site with a reputation system. They called it "Karma" There. I personally thought that it was a good idea, but it was Horrid in practive. Many people were abusing the system to their fullest potential. The admins had it set up so that anyone with-10 Karma lost posting privlages, and they ended up with -50. For no reason at all. Many other members were recieving negative Karma on extremely well thought out and considered posts, simply because the ideals of that post differed from that dealing karma at that time. I think it is a decent idea, but one that is far to easy to abuse. A system like GameFAQS, would probably be better, but I've no clue how it actually works.

[randomspot555]

A system like GameFAQS, would probably be better, but I've no clue how it actually works.

Yeah, and neither do I. I was semi-active at one point on their D/P forums, and somehow I gathered up reputation poitns or karma or whatever, but I never saw any button to give people karma.

[Sabeta]

I believe it accumulates over time, so long as you are active. I believe you gain a set amount each day, as long as you made a post.

[Kaphotics]

You get 1 Karma for signing on and posting once every 24 hours.

"Karma Post"

For every TOU infraction, you get a Moderated Message. Depending on your userlevel (Karma), getting X # of modded posts results in negative Karma.

Some TOU infractions (heavy wordfilter evasion) result in more Karma loss than more trivial (off topic posts). The minimum registration age is 13 iirc.

Depending on certain board events they give a Karma modifier (X*Karma, like 1.1*K).

The more Karma you have the higher your userlevel is. You can't search until you have 10 Karma, can't delete posts until 15 Karma, and you can never edit posts. 0-75 Karma has a scaling up post restriction. Once you have 75 Karma, no more post restriction.

It's a pretty young userbase with tons of idiots who get trolled, try to troll, or are just absolutely retarded. That's why they have Karma.

I really don't see it being anything useful if (partially) ported here.

--

I like Funkysouls' reputation system. You can thank people for posts, and get thanked for your post.

You can see who has thanked a post (underneath the username of the post there's a "Thank You! (#)")

Viewing (their/your) user profile you can see how many times they've been thanked, and how many times they've thanked someone.

It is pretty close to Smogon and their Luvdiscs, except theirs is topic only and you can't see for a Thank/Thanked ratio.

Both are completely optional to use on those communities, but having them in place slightly influences people to make more quality posts.

[RenegadeShroom]

I support the reputation suggestion, but for Karma, I never really liked it. I mean, all someone has to do is post a five word sentence every day and they get one point of Karma everyday, that's not really deserved. I'm all for reputation, as intelligent posts get well rewarded, and forum goers who make good, intelligent posts can be easily recognised by everyone else.

[Sabeta]

Yes, but then you run into the problem of people dashing your reputation because they don't like you, instead of any viable reason.

[RenegadeShroom]

Oh right, I forgot to mention, I don't think that regular users should be able to give you negative reputation, only staff member. Much better that way.

[Gin]

Well, I think that if we do get the badge system up and running, we can use that in conjunction with this, and make it so that while regular users CAN lower rep, the higher rep someone has, the more their opinion is taken into account when changing yurs, for example a brand new guy could take -1, while someone like Alpha, RS, or Wraith could take like -20. This way, we balance it out and keep it from becoming an elitist community hard for noobs to break into. I'm also wondering if we should have a negative bonus pool, meaning your reputation goes DOWN by a small amount over time, to help incourage new people in, a positive one to reward veterans, or none at all...

[RenegadeShroom]

What, you mean, if we don't post before certain times our reputation goes down by one point? Sounds like a good idea, but as for new people being able to get -1 reputation, I suggest that it's half a reputation point, if that's possible. Else, someone could just join and create multiple accounts and sends somebody's rep completely down the tube. Or how about you have to have a set amount of posts before you can give reputation, and at that point, only a certain amount per day/week?