User Reputation

[LocoColt04]

Hey guys - since the introduction of the "Like" system, I have noticed a RIDICULOUS decline in the utilization of the Reputation system; namely, it basically doesn't get used at all. I know a lot of us have a ton of rep squares from days gone by, but in the interest of removing some of the clutter and streamlining the forums (more on this soon!), I was wondering how you guys felt about removing rep from the postbit altogether. If you wanna keep it, that's cool, but it's basically just hanging out. User choice! Hit the poll. You have a week before I do whatever the results of the poll say to do.

[Rowan]

I just got my third bar and it took me 4 years.

for some reason, when pete repped me once, it gave me over 100 points or something? whats that all about? Like, rep this for example loco and ill tell you how many points it gives me from you.

One of the reasons the system isn't being used is because of our main issue right now - Noone is using the forums at all.
Secondly, we have the like system to compete with it. I still recieve rep occasionally, but I think it sucks the system got nerfed after everyone else maxed theirs.

[LocoColt04]

It'll give you one point. The original rep structure allowed for ridiculous abuse based on time since join date and total post count. People who had a few thousand posts and had been here for a few years were giving hundreds of rep per hit... and at the time, negative rep was also on, so when Merlin changed the system a few years ago, it knocked everyone to a single point and negative rep was deactivated altogether. I could always change it to be more akin to the old system... but as pointless as it is, I am still concerned that we could end up seeing abuse again. Someone always complains one way or the other! <3

[Rowan]

It'll give you one point. The original rep structure allowed for ridiculous abuse based on time since join date and total post count. People who had a few thousand posts and had been here for a few years were giving hundreds of rep per hit... and at the time, negative rep was also on, so when Merlin changed the system a few years ago, it knocked everyone to a single point and negative rep was deactivated altogether. I could always change it to be more akin to the old system... but as pointless as it is, I am still concerned that we could end up seeing abuse again. Someone always complains one way or the other! <3

kek, someone changed it loco, i have 235 points now lmao

i forget how to check rep power tho, can you tell me?

edit: Just checked, it says my rep power is '7' so I assume I give 7 points to someone when I rep them? It also seems to be based off of my current reputation, which actually makes sense. Maybe soemone fiddled with this?

[LocoColt04]

"My Account" link at the top of this page. Scroll down to your "Latest Reputation Given" box. It will tell you what your power is. Apparently mine is still 25. It's a lot lower than the 400+ it was at one point. I could go into the admin panel and dig into the formula, but honestly I'm indifferent until the poll is over. If the majority wants to keep it, we can look at restructuring in a way that makes sense.

OH, one of the other ways it used to be broken was that you would give more reputation if you had a higher reputation score. You can imagine how, at 1690 rep points, on top of the staff bonuses that used to (or may still?) be there and the tenure bonuses and so on... how much of an impact a positive or negative rep from me used to be.

[Rowan]

OH, one of the other ways it used to be broken was that you would give more reputation if you had a higher reputation score. You can imagine how, at 1690 rep points, on top of the staff bonuses that used to (or may still?) be there and the tenure bonuses and so on... how much of an impact a positive or negative rep from me used to be.

But surely you could tweak that to make it more reasonable, because it only makes sense that someone with good rep who gives someone rep, would mean more than someone with no rep giving rep to someone else.

instead of the masters of ultima dishing out 1000 points per rep, have it something reasonable like 50 points or something.

[LocoColt04]

Well now that it's all positive-only anyway, it's probably less of a big deal when the numbers get bigger. When the poll is done, I'll post the exact formula as it is right now and we can talk about it as a group; what changes to make, what to keep, whether negative rep needs to be a thing (probably not), etc.

[Rowan]

Well now that it's all positive-only anyway, it's probably less of a big deal when the numbers get bigger. When the poll is done, I'll post the exact formula as it is right now and we can talk about it as a group; what changes to make, what to keep, whether negative rep needs to be a thing (probably not), etc.

I think negative rep is a bad idea since anyone with bad rep can neg rep someone else who they dont agree with, regardless of their behaviour.

Although I think the main reason the rep system is cool is because it shows underneath your avatar. If you could find a way to make the green bar representative of how many likes you have instead of rep, then I would be all for abolishing the rep system. If you can tell me if thats possible, ill even draw up a formula for how many likes = 1 green bar etc.

[LocoColt04]

If you could find a way to make the green bar representative of how many likes you have instead of rep, then I would be all for abolishing the rep system. If you can tell me if thats possible, ill even draw up a formula for how many likes = 1 green bar etc.

Now THERE is an idea I really like. I'll look into it.

[loaf]

I love rep and I want my Squares!!

Remove it!

Reason being, we have VMs, the Like system and the VMs was Reputation combined. If you think about it Rep was Likes and VMs combined, however it's simple to click "Like" and not say anything. Imo Like is fine and reps are not needed, if you want to say something on a post you like, Quote the post and reply or send a VM.

[Pete]

I agree, we need to somehow streamline the whole system.

I think we can agree that the green bars should stay in some fashion. If we could tie it in to the like system, that would be cool, but I feel like it got pretty abused back in the day.

At the same time, I also like the rep system, even though I'll be the first to admit that I haven't really used it in almost 2 years. I liked that it was a simple box where you can like or dislike a post, and then add a private comment without going to the trouble of sending a private message, and the user receiving it would know exactly what the comment was for. And yet it's more private than a VM, so members can have their own little asides.

However, loaf isn't wrong, and the VMs really do cover the majority of side conversations.

One step at a time though.

I know this is probably a stupid question, but does the system get blown up and started from zero for everyone, or do we find some way to preserve what we have and integrate it with the idea of bars for likes?

[Priscilla]

I like the rep system. Though I remember back in the day people who hated you for no reason would neg rep you.

I voted keep it as I like having the bar though if you can change it to likes that also works. I guess I just have nostalgia for the system!

[LocoColt04]

I know this is probably a stupid question, but does the system get blown up and started from zero for everyone, or do we find some way to preserve what we have and integrate it with the idea of bars for likes?

There was an option for a conversion (rep into Thanks [which is what it's actually called in the system]) but at the time it was decided NOT to do that... and now I don't think there's a way to go back and do it retroactively. I've been looking for ways, but I'm not even finding a good way to put the Likes/Thanks into the postbit that isn't going to cost us money. I also don't mind spending money on a well-written mod, but it really depends upon the cost.

[cetra_aeris]

Merging it with the Like system seems like it would make more sense. With the forums as inactive as they are lately, that seems like the better idea. But regardless, I don't mind losing the rep system. I was rather befuddled by it when it first came to fruitation way back when. Being able to hit Like is a lot easier than going to someones page and giving them rep for it.

-shrugs- Either way works for me though.

[Incognitus]

Because I rarely use it, I don't have a strong opinion one way or another on it. It does seem redundant when Likes exist.

(That, and I don't mind taking classes from Quistis. Forever.)

However, if it's going to be kept in some fashion, I suggest we spruce up the PNG file a little bit. I know green=good and all, but I am not a huge fan of that green. It clashes with both color schemes. Go with a darker shade of the TFF Crystal green/teal color (HEX #1bd0d7). On that note, the boldface thread topic prefixes like the one on this post could use the same treatment.

[Michael Swayne]

I still give out rep from time to time. It lets me basically give a "Like" and a VM at the same time, with no obligation to have a response. When someone sends me a VM, I feel obligated to reply. And that cycle continues until I and the other party end up giving one-word responses. So, the rep system still has some use for me.

[Zargabaath]

In the spirit of Reddit, since it is quite applicable, TIL how to add to someone's rep. I never knew this whole time.

[Unknown Entity]

I dunno, I like the rep system.

Maybe integrate likes into it? I think that'd be pretty cool. But then wouldn't people like like someone just for the sake of it was their buddy, or something? You could have someone who's been on the forums a year and have more rep than an active user who's been active for five years, for example, over a matter of time. Maybe do something like every ten likes = one point? And every rep given is ten, or whatever the current figure is?

Besides, you can check likes on everyone's profile. I like that you can see how many people give too. Reputation is secretive, and I really like that about it. You have bars, but any regular member of the forum wouldn't know what it was for. With a like, it's obvious. If anything, I can see (and have seen) likes cause more trouble than rep has done since the change.

And no neg rep or dislike buttons. People would just use them to be an ass. </3