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Rep Points

mike17l

mike17l

Self-Admitted Duckoholic
Rich, Can we just get rid of rep points, it has obviously gotten way out of hand. Right now there is a thread devoted to repping people. The whole point is so that every one in the thread can be repped. This is obviously not the intended purpose of rep points. Perhaps this site would be better off with out them.
 
While I agree that thread is a little out of hand and is not what rep points were intended for - I also don't really see the harm in it. Just some people having some fun....

And I have not posted in it to give or get points personally.
 
I think there is a potential problem. As far as I remember, rep points were there to show the reputation that some one has. Someone with many rep points would have a very good reputation. There are some members who have many rep points, only because they post a lot of nonsense, and very little substance. I can think of a couple off hand. A newbie might see these people as "experts" and reputable, when in actuality, they are far from either.
 
Quite frankly, the rep points don't really matter to me. I'm pretty sure I'm off-handedly mentioned in your post, or that could be me just getting defensive. I'll be the first to admit that I do post quite a bit of nonsense, but I also do try and make an effort to help people where I can. I like to think that I've earned most of my rep-points, but I know that I've gotten quite a few nonsense reps as well.
You can eliminate the reps if you want. I'll still post nonsense (but keep it to the DYK).
 
mike17l said:
I think there is a potential problem. As far as I remember, rep points were there to show the reputation that some one has. Someone with many rep points would have a very good reputation. There are some members who have many rep points, only because they post a lot of nonsense, and very little substance. I can think of a couple off hand. A newbie might see these people as "experts" and reputable, when in actuality, they are far from either.
Click to expand...


I probably fall into that camp in your estimation, and I'm truly sorry if you view me that way. IMO, the rep points might not stand for what they did "originally", but it seems this whole site has changed and evolved from what it was originally meant to be. There is so much camaraderie here that I've never, EVER seen on another forum, and trust me, I've belonged to many. These people are actually friends, and they tend to use reps to show their feelings of friendship. I'm happy that the majority of my points have come from other long standing members of this site for what they view as my genuine appreciation and sincere feelings for others. If a newbie comes here and gets poor advice from someone who happens to have a lot of rep points, there are always a multitude of people who will step up and refute the "expert's" opinion. I really can't see someone believing ME if I say "oh sure, go ahead and co-hab..it's fine!" based on points. And if I DID post something like that, I'd get the well-deserved "smack down" from the rest of the community.

Yesterday was nothing but one of our long standing friends having some fun and blowing off steam. It's sad that so many have been offended by it, IMO.
 
Gee Mike I never pictured you as a whiner. But I can see your point. I can see how people with more points than you could tell people all kinds of crazy things like how they should be out shooting cats or something. An uninformed or uneducated person might not realize that would be wrong. The next thing you know Rich would be liable for the deaths of thousands of stray cats. Rodents would run rampant. Diseased fleas would spread through out the world. Plague would ravage the cities. And death would rule the day.

Rich, we gotta do something FAST.
 
I have to agree that I do not look at rep points to determine if a member is an "expert" or not. I rep people sometimes just to say "thank you" for a particularly helpful post, or just to say "thank you" for a nice comment on a photo I posted.
I think rep points can show appreciation for more than just how knowledgeable a person is.
 
Maybe it's just me, but if I were a noob to the site, I'd:

  1. first take the time to read a variety of threads,
  2. see what everyone has to say regarding the subject matter I'm interested in/curious about,
  3. use that information to determine whose opinion and/or practices are of worthy repute,
  4. base my corn-keeping practices off of the information I've accumulated.

If I'm basing my husbandry practices on the number of rep points a particular member has, I'd think I'd be opening myself up to ridicule. How many noobs in ANY online forum depend on a forum "widget" to formulate their opinions and/or practices?

But again, that's just me. :shrugs:

Lose the rep points, for all I care. Or not. It's not going to change anything in the social dynamics of this community.

Thankfully. :)


Dale
 
wade said:
Gee Mike I never pictured you as a whiner. But I can see your point. I can see how people with more points than you could tell people all kinds of crazy things like how they should be out shooting cats or something. An uninformed or uneducated person might not realize that would be wrong. The next thing you know Rich would be liable for the deaths of thousands of stray cats. Rodents would run rampant. Diseased fleas would spread through out the world. Plague would ravage the cities. And death would rule the day.

Rich, we gotta do something FAST.
Click to expand...

I know!! Let's throw a "Teabag Party"!!!! Let's show the world our manufactured outrage!!!! ;)

(And finally, Wade....a post where I'll give you rep points. I LOVE irony!) :cheers:


Dale
 
I don't see any reason to get rid of the reputation system, but I have changed the calculation algorithm for how those points are determined. Also adjusted the number of members a person can give points to.

I'm not sure how this will affect the ratings everyone now has, but I believe this is done via an automated script that runs at night. We'll see what the landscape looks like tomorrow, I guess...
 
This was a frivolous comment that I have chosen to delete.
 
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Rich Z said:
I don't see any reason to get rid of the reputation system, but I have changed the calculation algorithm for how those points are determined. Also adjusted the number of members a person can give points to.

I'm not sure how this will affect the ratings everyone now has, but I believe this is done via an automated script that runs at night. We'll see what the landscape looks like tomorrow, I guess...
Click to expand...

Rich, that is definitely better than nothing. Thanks.
 
wade said:
Thank you Dale. You know I love ya man!!


Edit, I take that back if you didn't actually give me points.
Click to expand...

Well, I had the best intentions.

But if you love me, you'd rep me. My whole existence depends on it.


Dale
 
This was a frivolous comment that I have chosen to delete.
 
Last edited:
wade said:
Gee Mike I never pictured you as a whiner. But I can see your point. I can see how people with more points than you could tell people all kinds of crazy things like how they should be out shooting cats or something. An uninformed or uneducated person might not realize that would be wrong. The next thing you know Rich would be liable for the deaths of thousands of stray cats. Rodents would run rampant. Diseased fleas would spread through out the world. Plague would ravage the cities. And death would rule the day.

Rich, we gotta do something FAST.
Click to expand...

I freaking love you man:roflmao::roflmao: I haven't repped anyone today or yesterday and couldn't rep you for this helpful, intelligent, and well written post. Oh well nice!:dgrin:
 
Thank You Rich!
I am in agreement with Mike on this. (We still don't see eye to eye on the cats though ;)) Not trying to be party pooper but I personally feel that Rep points should be earned. If they were "popularity" points then the way people frivolously hand them to their buddies for the nonsense would make sense. But they are "reputation points" ... how do you get a good reputation? By telling jokes? By repping your buddies so they rep you back? I feel you should get them by helping people out with their snake issues or making a good argument in a thread or starting an interesting thread that people like, or doing something helpful / constructive / meaningful. OK maybe if you post a great picture also.
It's just, I can think of several people who are relative newbies to keeping snakes who have a ton of rep because they just post a lot and have better "social skills" than some other members who are MUCH more knowledgeable and kept snakes way longer. Once just anyone can get reps for just anything they really don't mean much.
 
ghosthousecorns said:
Thank You Rich!
I am in agreement with Mike on this. (We still don't see eye to eye on the cats though ;)) Not trying to be party pooper but I personally feel that Rep points should be earned. If they were "popularity" points then the way people frivolously hand them to their buddies for the nonsense would make sense. But they are "reputation points" ... how do you get a good reputation? By telling jokes? By repping your buddies so they rep you back? I feel you should get them by helping people out with their snake issues or making a good argument in a thread or starting an interesting thread that people like, or doing something helpful / constructive / meaningful. OK maybe if you post a great picture also.
It's just, I can think of several people who are relative newbies to keeping snakes who have a ton of rep because they just post a lot and have better "social skills" than some other members who are MUCH more knowledgeable and kept snakes way longer. Once just anyone can get reps for just anything they really don't mean much.
Click to expand...

That is pretty much the reason why I repped Wade in that thread he started about rep...because I found it quite interesting and entertaining. I'm not saying it was a very helpful thread that actually contributed to this site in a meaningful way, but it gave many people, including myself, a good and much needed laugh.

Disclaimer: I am in no way trying to cause conflict with this post. I do agree that rep points have the ability to get spread around like candy at Halloween...and I also admit that I have participated in it from time to time.

:cheers:

Edit:

Also, don't reputation and popularity go hand in hand? If you are popular, doesn't it mean you have a good reputation? And if you have a bad reputation, doesn't it mean you aren't really that popular among your peers?
 
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