Scrapping the Reputation System

GreeBo

The problem, as I see it, is that User X can influence what User Y thinks about me by changing my "Reputation".
Now user Y has no idea what post or what reason (petty or justified) User X gave me that reputation, in fact User Y doesnt even know it was User X who did it.
If User X is a bit immature or in a "rep gang" then there is nothing to stop them dumping as much rep as they wont on someone for no good reason.

If I login with a Guest account and start calling you all stupid phuckers Im sure the posts would be deleted and "something would be done" but Im free to do what I want within my rep comment with total impunity.

Mercury_Tilt

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amp

I heard reputation causes cancer :eek:

leeroybrown

pam wrote:

I heard reputation causes cancer :eek:

Everything causes cancer these day. Perhaps the rep dialog box should come with a reminder to check your testicles.

amp

leeroybrown wrote:

Everything causes cancer these day. Perhaps the rep dialog box should come with a reminder to check your testicles.

Bravo! Capital idea! At least this thread has achieved something!

therecklessone

leeroybrown wrote:

Everything causes cancer these day. Perhaps the rep dialog box should come with a reminder to check your testicles.

Or a link to this thread on PI...

Mercury_Tilt

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sionnach

i agree with these proposals:

a) - Make total rep disappear from under username but keep it in existance privately
b) - Make rep given to a user incl comments appear in their profile including post link (but do not display total rep)
c) - Zero all counters first

At the moment the rep system is no longer a barometer of reputation or contribution to boards, (except for a few people), it's just a game to see who can get the most apples with stupid mutual rep swapping sigs popping up everywhere. Keep the apples if you want but turn it into a monthly game, resetting them at the start of every month because that's all the system is good for now.

CuLT

Ok ok, I think I get it... User X and User Y are ANDed to get a positive result, right?
But unbeknownst to them their result is actually being ANDed with grumpy User Z at some point along the line which negates their positive result and in fact causes an overall detrimental effect?!


Stop the maths >_<

koneko

merky wrote:

The thread is closed anyways.

Its refreshing to see that Koneko is a free thinker who knows her own mind. :rolleyes:

go fuk yourself

Mercury_Tilt

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koneko

If the admins are unhappy with it, i'm happy enough to close it. Tbh they can take away me points aswell I don't really care, so you can come up with some BS statement about me closing it because my rep is high all you want (which you undoubtedly would have).

I don't know why i'm even bothering to reply. Remember to include some cyanide in your basket.

Mercury_Tilt

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koneko

I'm not sharing what i discuss with admins with you, and i'm not discussing this further. you have have your little childish rants on your own.

Merkurial

Thats not very constructive. But Merkys just trolling anyway.

The Muppet

The Rep system was abused long before the thread on the cuckoos nest. At least the people that took advantage of the free rep on that thread did it in full view of everyone else.

BTW I believe the thread was a positive influence on contributors which helped foster community spirit by those that chose to partake. Pity it was closed and not let run its natural course.

SantaHoe

The Muppet wrote:

BTW I believe the thread was a positive influence on contributors which helped foster community spirit by those that chose to partake.

Yeah definitely... GOE TEAM!!!

impr0v

Reprehensible?

For the reputation system to work correctly one condition has to be met: reputation points have to be earned.

If this is the case then individuals with high reputation points are those who post rational, humorous and/or interesting points and are who are unlikely to participate in rep gangbanging or intimidation, or to neg rep other posters for no good reason. They reward posts which appeal to their own good sense, amuse or interest them, and therefore advance the reputation of other equally respectable users into rep Valhalla, who then continue carrying on the circle of rep, to bastardise an Elton John song. The issues with rep whining in this perfect world are minimised, as an individual who takes a big rep hit generally deserves it, since it must have come from someone with a good posting reputation and good judgment.

If the rep being earned condition isn't true, then the system breaks down. Any postiopath can go into the (now closed) cuckoos nest thread and participate in a mutual repsterbation session and change their stock rating to a strong green, without proving that he has the cop-on to handle it. He then starts pushing people over the edge into having some undeserved shameless behavior in their past, or hires some like minded rep goons to participate in an orgy of negative comments against someone who has managed to disagree with them about the model number of an iBook.

It's especially hard for the system to work correctly when it is thrust upon an already established community with its own hierarchy and cliques, as was the case with boards when rep came packaged with the vbb change. In order for the rule to be enforced the admins would have to waste a lot of time policing the system to ensure there were no swap arrangements being carried out, time which obviously isn't warranted. The system can still work to a degree, as the hierarchies which exist are mainly made up of rational posters who have lasted for a long time within the community, which would not have happened had they been textually retarded, or incapable of getting along with others in a 2d environment. This was the case prior to the opening of the cuckoos nest thread, and by and large the system functioned, since the majority of those leading the rep arms race early on were moderators and/or admins. However, once those with no evidence to their good character were provided with a quick and easy ascent up the rep ladder, the system became untenable, and rep anarchy was unleashed.

Repsignificant.

Rep points mean nothing. This is undeniably the case, but once cannot help notice the green or red tint, and the varying degree of the tint, as well as (to a lesser degree) the rollover text next to a persons post. If one has not interacted with that poster before and have, at the time of encountering that post, no opinion of their credibility, it is very hard not to be influenced by their rep. The type of car someone drives is no indication as to the personality of that person, but very few people will not make an assumption upon encountering a person for the first time, next to the car they drive. That assumption can obviously be revised upon getting to know that person, or by reading the post, but in this scenario rep does mean something, even for a fleeting period of time.

Even when the point of rep anarchy has been reached, little pockets of properly used reputation are still floating about. Make a good point and you may still receive some rep associated with it, and a comment to indicate why you have received it. This rep does mean something, and clearly the more you have, the more you feel your voice is being heard. To those who have not participated in any rep trading in irc, the cuckoo's nest, or elsewhere, the accumulation of rep by those who blatantly do not deserve it can feel like an injustice. Sure, it means very little in the overall scheme of things, but it's somewhat annoying, like your eye feeling like there is something in it, even after you have removed the eyelash that was stuck in it.

Reptimidation.

One of the worst aspects of the current rep system is that it seemingly cannot be queried or even discussed, without the person making the query, or seeking to debate the merits of the system being shouted down or having faeces flung at him or her from the spectator gallery of the feedback forum. The individuals doing the shouting and making the claims of whinging are almost invariably those with close to maximum rep. In this particular thread the starter of the thread had some legitimate points to make. Admittedly he could have phrased them better, but in a way he was almost obliged to put them in agressive terms and to engage with the spectators because of the way he was being attacked.

Reppomended.

The good points about the rep system include the following, many of which have been culled from earlier posts in this thread:
-It stimulates creativity.
-Cuts down on 'lol' and similar one words posts.
-Provides direct feedback to the poster.
-When used correctly it can highlight those posters who are blatantly trolling, etc., though this point is negated when neg rep gang rape has occurred.

Repform

The following steps are recommendations in order to improve the system, again, taken from/adapted from suggestions earlier in this thread:
-Close the cuckoo's nest thread (already done)
-Rescind all rep which has been awarded within the confines of this thread. If this is not possible, reset the reputation boardswide
-Possibly consider resetting rep regardless of whether the above recommendation is possible
-Display the last ten rep points given to a user in their profile, so that anyone can see from where and from whom they have accumulated rep. I don't believe it is necessary to hide a user's total rep.
-A Sticky at the top of the feedback forum to inform users about rep and how it works, or even just directing them to the relevant biki entries.

Repilogue

Currently the rep system is almost worthless and, without trying to second guess the admins, is almost definitely on its last legs. With action it can be used in such a way that the amount of whin..sorry, feedback, generated by it is minimised, and that the positive aspects of it are used they way they were intended.

Repspect to:

My employers, for paying me to be bored on a saturday night and for indirectly financing this report.

Merkurial

Thats a really well thought out post. No really its is, no sarcasm or nuthin. I mean alot of us didnt want the rep system or wanted the option to turn it off, cant imagine it woulda been too difficult. but sure now everyones turned it into a game and it doesnt massage the egos like it used to nobody wants it.

its like a little child who didnt live up to his potential and disappoints the family.

poor reppy, if only he worked the way we wanted.....

Mercury_Tilt

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Mercury_Tilt

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sharkman

"do you hear what I hear ?"

A Dub in Glasgo

Improv,

That is one hell of a post, probably the best I have read on this rep thingy.

DeVore

I asked Koneko to close that thread. I should go in there and beat sh*te out of the people rep-whoring but since I'm keen now to do something else with the system I left it alone and couldnt be arsed.

Merc, the new accounts are getting old. Stick with one will ya? Thanks.

DeV.

DeVore

Ironically, while I rarely give rep out, I would rep++ impr0v for a well thought out post!

DeV.

Giblet

You know the thread was started as a joke right, where I would give like 5 people rep, and it would disappear.

Alas...

Mercury_Tilt

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amp

Personally I think the rep system hasn't been given long enough time to be thoroughly tested. Give it a year or two.

Also, while I initially laughed at the idea of a Reputation forum I now think that it would be a good idea.

It should be created under the created in order to put annoying threads somewhere we don't have to see them principal. It would allow for the outpouring of angst that people get from getting bad rep. Counsellers could be appointed to help them through the sheer trauma of losing precious precious rep points.

While I couldn't perform as such a counseller due to my sarcastic tendencies, I would offer them such advice as using the phrase "it's just a website" for use with serious cases where a poster is going to top themselves after being intimidated and bullied on this very forum.

I myself have taken part in such bullying and I now feel a terrible sense of guilt about the whole thing. Either that or the chicken chilli jolt Goodfellas pizza I ate last night. It was damn hot.

So create the Chicken Chilli Jolt Goodfellas Pizza forum, it's the best solution to the terrible crisis of anarchy that boards now faces. If you're not with me on this one then your against me. As the a world dictator once said: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me. You can't get fooled again.

REPUTATION IS TERRORISM!
REPUTATION WHORES SHOULD BE BANNED!
REPUTATION COULD LAUNCH A TERRORIST ATTACK ON DUBLIN IN 45 MINUTES!

mad m

Heavens to Murgatroid,exit stage left.....

smiaras

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