What's the point?

[ilssac]

Well, I have stuck it out, answering a few questions here and there where I can, almost exclusively in the ColdFusion forums.  But not nearly as many as I used to be able to answer when NNTP was available.

So I have manged to collect a few of these so called "Answer Points' or whatever they are named.  And I wonder what could they ever be good for?  I have noted many of the arguments against them and find most of them to be quite valid.

But, while noticing when my points would accumulate, I thought of one possible use for them, if only this system would allow it.  It could be useful, if I could somehow get a list of my posts that have been awarded points.  Then I could see where I have helped people and what answers where actually useful to somebody.  But there is no way to do this.

I can look at the list of my recent posts in my profile, and see which ones have been answered by the checked star.  But in many of those, my post was not marked as the 'answer' by the poster, so each answered thread may or may not apply to me.  On top of this, there is nothing that indicates when and if I give a 'helpful' answer.  When I am bored, I will sometimes review all my posts for a period of time.  Even then, I can not account for all of my points.  I am earning points either on posts that I can no longer see on the screen listed on my profile, or there are other factors involved in this point system that are not understood by me.

Not that I actually expect anything to ever come of this idea.  And I would probably be happier of this strange point system was discontinued as I feel it probably has more problems then any possible good.  But if we do have it, wouldn't it be nice if it was actually useful for something.

[Claudio González]

Well, as you are asking yourself, what's the point? Threads continue being locked for no apparent reason, messages vanish without any trace, moderators agree on the bad quality of the software used for these forums, we are been told that the solution to the many problems of the forums is not in the hands of  Adobe but Jive's, ... There is really no point in suggesting anything knowing that the chances of seeing any positive change are nearing nil.

[ilssac]

Well, I must have a bit of Don Quixote in me, cause I am still willing to 'tilt at a windmill' now and then.

Heck, I still have a go at mathmetical puzzles, that have long ago been proved to be impossible, such as the three houses and the three utilities problem.

[Jochem van Dieten]

ianskinner wrote :

It could be useful, if I could somehow get a list of my posts that have been awarded points.  Then I could see where I have helped people and what answers where actually useful to somebody.  But there is no way to do this.

The data appears to be available in the database, but I can not find a place where that data is exposed in either the web or the webservices interface. So to get access to it, somebody would need to write a plugin and Adobe would have to install that. I think that is a low probability event.

[ilssac]

jochemd wrote:

I think that is a low probability event.

Undoubtedly.  But so is buying a lottery ticket and I will do that occasionally when the mood strikes.

So I put the idea out here.  Maybe it can get discussed a little, maybe it settles in the back of the mind of some doer in this system, and maybe the jackpot is won and a new feature comes about.

Probably not, but I had a moment to fritter away.

[Claudio González]

Well, I also buy a lottery ticket every now and then, with no luck so far. Sorry if I sounded too negative in my previous message; it is kind of unavoidable to be ocassionally caught by the atmosphere of this particular forum.

If the points system is going to be maintained, your idea would give some utility to them. And I am glad that the possibility of materializing it, although remote, does seem to exist according to Jochem.

Thank you for reminding me of all the mills I have been tilting at during my whole life.

[Guest]

Just remember the Lottery works the other way also. You can't lose if you don't play.

Most dollars that go into the lottery go into the hands of the politicians.

Choose your poison.

[Claudio González]

Saskatchewanobie wrote:

Just remember the Lottery works the other way also. You can't lose if you don't play.

Yes you can. Your wallet might be stolen...

Saskatchewanobie wrote:

Most dollars that go into the lottery go into the hands of the politicians.

This doesn't happen with our humble pesos...

Saskatchewanobie wrote:

Choose your poison.

Dreaming a little dream is no poison. Specially if there is the slightest chance of its coming true.

[Guest]

Claudio González wrote:

Dreaming a little dream is no poison. Specially if there is the slightest chance of its coming true.

Gambling is a disease that starts small and winds up consuming a person's entire life. Best to leave it alone and let hard work bring riches.

[Claudio González]

Saskatchewanobie wrote:

Claudio González wrote:

Dreaming a little dream is no poison. Specially if there is the slightest chance of its coming true.

Gambling is a disease that starts small and winds up consuming a person's entire life. Best to leave it alone and let hard work bring riches.

I very much doubt that Ian's little dream of introducing a useful change in the useless system of points will end by consuming his entire life. Or that his or my occasional purchases of lottery tickets will eventually consume his or my life... As a matter of fact, it doesn't even make us gamblers, unless you call a gambler someone like me, who for too many decades has only bought at most a couple of tickets per year.

[JimAtAdobeLR]

Thanks for posting the idea, Ian. While I can't speak as to when updates like this would be considered or made (you can see the list of current changes in progress on this link), I can say that I personally like the idea. Thanks for your thoughts.

[Ozzwoman9]

It is a little hard to take that link you posted seriously when all the dates on that thread are all out of whack.