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JayJhabrix
Inspiring
May 19, 2009
Answered

How seriously do we take this point system?

  • May 19, 2009
  • 14 replies
  • 19272 views

Seriously, do points matter? Do you want them? Why if so, why, if not? Are points any good? Do points make you feel more secure? Are points pointed and sharp or are they blunt and blunted? Do points encourage you to answer questions or do they discourage you?

Points are not a line... but connecting two pints makes a line... So do points awarded in an answer draw aline and stop all further discussion?

I've been following threads in DW General and AI General. I notice that threads, by and large, stop far sooner than they would have. I put that down to the lack of participants for various reasons and the 'Correct' answer flag. So much knowledge and information is not being shared.

True, a lot of the posts came from the NNTP side... but a lot also came from the web side... these forums are killing all spontaniety.

However, the killers are:

1/ Lack of NNTP

2/ Points

3/ Correct answers

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Jesseham

    I really only watch the Illy forum (and lately this forum as well) but what I've seen is that the rating system really matters for a few  (5?) of the regulars over there, who are now posting answers for every single question that comes up.  The quality of answers has gone up, but only from those 5 people who are shooting for the leaderboard...

    Is it a problem?  I don't know.  It's decreased the variety of responses, but it's also increased the quality...

    14 replies

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    A
    Anonymous
    May 19, 2009

    I take the point system so seriously that I feel it it is my duty to start free point threads so everyone can share the wealth.

    Mark_A__Boyd
    Mark_A__Boyd
    Inspiring
    May 19, 2009

    IMHO...

    No. No. N/A. No. No. Neither - they are pointless. Neither.

    No.

    I think the threads stop sooner due to the amount of time it takes to read and reply to anything via the Web. And the email system isn't ready for prime time, so it's no help.

    However, the killers are:

    1/ Lack of NNTP
    2/ Points
    3/ Correct answers

    1. AGREE
    2. Disagree. I don't think the point system kills discussions. Who outside of this forum pays attention to them?
    3. Possibly AND;
    4. Poor email implementation
    5. Poor Web performance

    [Edit]

    I said the email system is no help. It does help in one way. I am now using it to pick up reading from my last unread message in a thread! Sort of. The feature so blatantly missing in the Web interface itself. Still, it requires toggling between email client and browser. I was using Opera to avoid that, but my Opera emails are the ones that go into auto-repeat.

    A
    Anonymous
    May 19, 2009

    I can definitely say that "answered" posts do discourage me from answering. Even if I have something to contribute, it seems to me that it's less likely to be read or seen, so why bother?  Or you may have a better answer--yet the first crummier one gets singled out. 

    It's just not an improvement in practice.  Most changes aren't--that's why most companies, inventions, ideas, policies, and so on fail.  That's why people have a natural instinct to oppose change, most of us know instinctively that it fails more often than not.

    The concept of "forum points" has been around for years. It has had it's chance, and it's been largely rejected by the market.  If it were genuinely helpful, every help, tech, or whatever forum would have had it implemented by now, and that's the bottom line.  Jive is just a semi-pretty looking (highly marketable) piece of crap.

    A
    Anonymous
    May 19, 2009

    This was all pointed out during the trial period and has been repeated literally dozens of times since.


    Nobody likes it   —   It has no advantages to anyone   —    it can be abused by anyone    —   it annoys the hell out of me!

    Kath-H
    Kath-H
    Inspiring
    May 19, 2009

     threads, by and large, stop far sooner than they would have.

    I still maintain this was a deliberate aim of the system.

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