board77

You got a certain number of points every time you logged into the site, or posted. I think it was set so one line posts would cost you points. I'm sure there were other factors only Jon or Ted know about, too.

I think it might have been something like Lidless' stat lists.

As I understand it, it was a bit like the stats thread - a combination of time on TORC (join date) and number of posts.

But I *think* it went one further and looked at how those posts were spread over time - in other words, a time-weighted average of all posts.

I could be completely wrong and it's just a guess.

Two things I know for sure - it didn't take into account the length of a post. Nor did it deduct points for posting in Fandom which of course it should have done.

Well Steve, as you once said to me. I will always be a newbie.

I never saw the renown thing. The Karma Mod is just based on votes of members and whatever the Admin does to ya. I havn't installed it yet because I am lazy and you people keep distracting me.

Sunsilver,

Thank you (indirectly) for the TAZ link. It helped me a great deal when I set up my site.

You're welcome. Our site owner, Brian, had to be about the world's worst admin. until he found that site, and started to get a clue. He's terrific at coding, and all the other tech stuff, but when it comes to managing the people problems of a large site, he is hopeless. [Hmmm...remind you of anyone??] Can you imagine removing someone's mod status and not bothering to inform them?? Fortunately, one of our other admins runs her own home care business, and is very, very good at the people side of things. She is also an absolute whiz at finding online resources, and I'm sure she's the one that located that site, and told Brian he needed to register there.

Can't say I like the Karma MOD. It's on a board that I moderate but the administrator set it up so that only moderators can give out Karma. Since it's a Harry Potter board and most of the members are young, she was smart enough to realize the system could be abused.

I guess that's what makes me uneasy about the Karma MOD. Anyone can give you negative Karma and it would seriously suck to get negative points. I know people here are mature, but still I would feel uneasy about it.

I'm genuinely curious: What purpose does the Karma Mod serve in a board for adults?

It was merely an example not a suggestion.

Prim,

You could let people know whenever you thought they made an excellent post, a funny post, or just has been contributing a lot to the board. Or if they were being an ass to could let them know that as well. I guess it's a bit like peer pressure for those who behave badly. I'd say it's something for all ages.

As far as I remember no one really knew how the renown thing worked, or whether it worked properly at all.

But back to things here: good points by Ethel!
Yes, people will sooner get up to voice an opinion when it comes to speaking up against something, so I like the processes Ethel suggests.

:cough: Er, Eru, it was Prim who asked that question, not me!

So, what happens with Karma Mod if you go below or above a certain rate, thanks to the votes of your peers?

Like Eru, I don't like it much, it makes it too easy to "downgrade" a person. The other way round, rewarding people might be nice, but, then, virtue is its own reward, right?

I actually like Lidless' Dewey Decimal system idea ... it need not be so rigid, of course, but as a guideline for the categories of things we'd like to make available here.

Jn

I LOVE the Dewy Decimal adapted to MB use! The idea of having such a spread of fora is beautiful - but may I suggest, would be too grand an idea to attempt to put into execution on this free board. An elaborate spread of fora would only be worthwhile on a board that is not in the control of a third party host.

Re Karma and Renown. Does anyone recall that brief period when you could rate a post? I think some of the ratings were 'Outstanding', 'Thought-provoking', 'Insightful' etc...and a litte tag appeared on the thread title as well as on the post itself.

I personally found it confusing - and posts/threads can stand on their own. A good post provokes response, a bad post sinks into ignominy. I don't think a rating system is constructive actually.

Re Karma.

They use it on TORn. Once you hit a certain number of posts, you have the ability to mark up or down a post.

Nobody likes it. A small band or clique can really downgrade a well-made post purely because they don't agree with it.

You end up with it being a vote on whether you agree with the post, rather than whether the post was empirically a good one.

Very annoying. I'm sure halplm can back me up on this.

Please don't use it.

Again just using the Karma Mod as an example.

My board is about technology not Orlando Bloom. People who are helpful to others by answering technical questions or just bringing good information to the board deserve Karma in my opinion.

Karma is a default of the vBulletin software (the kind of message board that TAZ uses as well as the other board I linked to, Daniweb). I would have used vBulletin on my board instead of phpBB except that you actually have to buy a liscense for vB and I don't have that kind of money.

I don't think you see the Karma being misused in either of those places just because it is a very different kind of board than TORn is. Tech people will generally not use Karma with someone they disagree with but they will thank someone with it if they have been helpful.

What is my point?

Damn good question. I thought I had one.

I think it is that different types of websites can use the same tools in very different ways based on content and user base.

Squiddy, you do an enormous service to this board by bringing ideas from other boards.

I just don't post anywhere besides here and Torc and wouldn't know where to begin scouting out the web ... there's so much crap out there and I don't have the time or knowledge to sort it out, or to even know what they're talking about on techie sites.

Probably lots of people here are in the same boat as I am, so the info you bring is really valuable. It doesn't matter whether every idea is a good one for us - the important thing is to have access to new ideas.

Jn

I am certainly on the same boat as Jny; I know nothing, computerwise, beyond being able to log on to the internet, download and install software (if the intructions are straightforward), and to use email, word processing and graphics packages. Beyond that I'm a complete ignoramus, and I understand techspeak as much as I understand Sanskrit (i.e., zilch). I just use computers as I use a mobile phone or a washing machine: as an appliance that does what I require of it. I can press the buttons, but if something goes wrong I'm screwed. In fact, I'm better at fixing home appliances with screwdrivers and physical tools than I am at fixing anything inside my computer.

When people start talking about servers and backups and other techie talk I just go into panic mode, like I did when I was in Physics class at 15. So don't rely on me for anything technical... for my sake, and yours.

Hey - I remember the renown on TORC!

*feels ancient all of a sudden*



Seriouser - I'd love to contribute on this important thread but, being of B77 with technical glitches from home SUCKS so much ... I'm trying to get fixed, though ... trying ...

Remembering Renown doesn't make you ancient. Remembering free siggies is the true mark.