The rep system sucks, this is better

[haloOfTheSun]

Okay, so we all know the rep system we have is dumb. It's arbitrary, easily abused, and if you're anything like me, its existence is forgotten 99% of the time. In the past an alternative was suggested, which was a like/dislike system for individual posts, rather than for just a member in general. Such an SMF mod exists, but the notion was divisive because it's too Facebook-y (I agree).

Lately I've seen a couple of forums use a similar but BETTER and COOLER system, in which posts are given various positive or negative ratings, like this:

[spoiler][/spoiler]

If a post has few different ratings, the name of the rating would be indicated, like this:

[spoiler][/spoiler]

On a member's profile, a comprehensive list of their ratings are shown, like this:

[spoiler][/spoiler]

This is a much better rep system than what we have, because it can't be as easily abused. You'd only be able to rate a post once, meaning if for some reason a person had a vendetta against someone for some reason, they could only troll them with negative ratings each time that person posted. Plus, at least on other forums, when someone rates one of your posts, you are given a notification telling you who gave you what rating.

It would be much less arbitrary because it's not just about random meaningless numbers. If a person makes a good or bad post, that is reflected in the ratings, and then a person KNOWS why they are getting such ratings. If they make a stupid post and get negative ratings, they know they're doing something wrong and should learn from that, assuming they have the mental capacity of such a thing.

Of course, the immediate problem with this is the fact Roph seems to barely be around anymore and I'm not sure he'd want to implement it. Even though, as stated above, there is a like/dislike SMF mod available, that is LAME and Facebook-y and doesn't offer various kinds of ratings, meaning a custom system would need to be made. I know very little about these sorts of things, so I have no idea how intensive the work to do so would be, or if it would even be possible. Or if people would even like such a thing! If everyone wants it, I suppose we could pester Roph, otherwise...

[&&&&&&&&&&&&&]

Informative

[strike]

I can see it. I don't like some of the categories but i'd imagine it's able to be tailored.

It would mean we could give feedback to posts so those kids whose threads get views but no responses would be more likely to recieve some kind of response. less likely to freak out that no one is posting in your thread if it got 20 Cool ratings or something.

what forum are these screenshots from? or are they just examples. Do you have a link to the add on?

[IAMFORTE]

feels

This is a much better setup in comparison to the current imaginary point system.

[Jules]

wait... so... the rep system isn't real? Like.. this means nothing?




I actually really like this idea. And I agree with strike.

[haloOfTheSun]

I can see it. I don't like some of the categories but i'd imagine it's able to be tailored.

It would mean we could give feedback to posts so those kids whose threads get views but no responses would be more likely to recieve some kind of response. less likely to freak out that no one is posting in your thread if it got 20 Cool ratings or something.

what forum are these screenshots from? or are they just examples. Do you have a link to the add on?

Yeah, a lot of categories would be unnecessary.

I was reading something about the Sonichu guy and ended up on this forum, which seems dedicated to lolcows in general (which I suppose explains a lot of those ratings, especially the negative ones. I don't see any mods for SMF that are like this, except the like/dislike one. The one from the screenshots seems to be this. I'm not sure how helpful that is.

I don't know if SMF could have a system that is quite as involved, but considering the Pokemon system seems to be fairly complex, something like this should be easier.

[&&&&&&&&&&&&&]

Here's another example.
http://forums.tekkify.com/threads/vermillionx-grief-report-squatters.5481/#post-49508

[yuyu!]

I want this system.

I found this, but it might too close to the facebook-y system (or maybe this is the one you showed me yesterday, but I don't remember the comment part): http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/?mod=1129

The cool thing is that it allows commentary, but that's just about it.

[yuyu!]

I found this! I think this is pretty much exactly what we're looking for:

http://www.smfpacks.com/page/sa=facepunch

It's not free, though. I think it's only a one-time $20 cost, so maybe we can chip in for it if we really like it? That is...assuming this will work for us, we'd still need someone with the capability to install it that won't break the forums.

[PhoenixFire]

Depends just how modified/customized our install of SMF is, but, given the resources, I could probably get this to work for the forum. We would still need to bug Roph though, because I would need a copy of the current SQL database and a copy of the forum code we use.

[haloOfTheSun]

I found this! I think this is pretty much exactly what we're looking for:

http://www.smfpacks.com/page/sa=facepunch

It's not free, though. I think it's only a one-time $20 cost, so maybe we can chip in for it if we really like it? That is...assuming this will work for us, we'd still need someone with the capability to install it that won't break the forums.

Nice find!. I couldn't find any for SMF except the Facebook-y one and ones that let you give star ratings to posts. I'm sure between everyone $20 wouldn't be hard to get. The question is, does everyone think this is worth actually spending money on? I would chip in

[PhoenixFire]

I'll chip in $10 next paycheck.

[yuyu!]

I'd chip in, too!

[strike]

I would like to point out that the Unbranded one is probably what we want. don't want any faggoty branding for someone else on rmrk.

[bluntsword]

While we're on this topic, what the heck does my "level" mean?

And I like the suggested changes.

[haloOfTheSun]

I would like to point out that the Unbranded one is probably what we want. don't want any faggoty branding for someone else on rmrk.

Eh? Didn't even notice that. So we need to get $30 then!

While we're on this topic, what the heck does my "level" mean?

And I like the suggested changes.

Level is just another arbitrary number that is calculated based on your post count and amount of time since the day you've joined. So even if you don't ever post, your level will go up just because it does.

[&&&&&&&&&&&&&]

While we're on this topic, what the heck does my "level" mean?

And I like the suggested changes.

When you slap a woman, you level up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6clbNpE6hag

[yuyu!]

$30 isn't really a big deal, either

also boe slaps me all the time. That's why his level is so high. : /

[strike]

talked with roph about it a bit. this would add a lot of weight to the database and smf 2.1 is due to be out soon and might make it incompatible and need to be scrapped when that change hits.

sounds like we'd be better off with an alternative.

[yuyu!]

Damn. I guess we'll have to wait a bit. It's not really an urgent change, just a cool one.

[pacdiggity]

I liked the way it was

Although yeah, thumbing up posts makes more sense than thumbing up people.

Unless you're in to that.

[strike]

it's not just thumbs or likes or whatever

for example, someone posts a script that seems useful, maybe you don;t have anything to comment on as a kinda lurker, but oh now you can tag the post USEFUL or NEAT or something and the person knows that people are seeing it and acknowledging it.


You might have noticed that a common reason newbies don't stick around is lack of acknowledgement.

Now I mean we really should try to post some kinda response on new scripts or resources or games when we can.

[pacdiggity]

So it's like posting "neat" or "nice script" without actually having to post that because those posts are tedious

i like it

[strike]

that's the idea. those posts can provide some positive feedback but mostly just end up like posts with someone saying "LOL" because they thought it was funny but have nothing to add.

[yuyu!]

LOL