Reputation System - The FAILED Experiment - XDTalk Forums

**Kermee** · 05-19-2009, 05:53 PM

Hi All-

As you guys quickly have noticed, the User Reputation System for the board has been disabled. Intended as an experiment for the betterment of user participation on XDTalk, after a few weeks of it being turned on this year, it quickly degenerated into a perverse and divisive tool; thus that is why I have turned it off.

I will tell you right now, that for every "public" post about the discontent in the Reputation System (Yes, I've been quietly following all the "Rep" threads on the board), I received TEN times the amount in personal messages and e-mails about the system. In the end, the experiment did a lot more harm to the community than I expected to do good.

Therefore, the Reputation System will be disabled indefinitely. I thought about bringing back the "Thank You" system for helpful posts, but a lot of you didn't like the system and I have a feeling that system too would be abused in the end.

Also, to the member which requested his/her donation to XDTalk to be refunded due to the fact the reputation system was turned off, I have done so. However, I will not dignify a personal response to your e-mail but will state my position here:

The Post here if you want to increase your post count thread that was started back in August 2006 has existed this long because presently, contrary to the name of the thread itself, it has ended up a "Community Building" thread. If you read through the last several-thousand pages of posts, you will see the majority of posts are not solely "Drive-By" posts or posts in increase ones' post count. Percentage/ratio-wise of the # of posts to issues/reported posts/etc. in this thread is the lowest of any large thread and actually, the "Report Post" has *never* been used on this thread of over 200,000+.

When the Reputation threads, and even NON-reputation threads and just plain PM's & e-mails to me about the Reputation System are being alerted more often then...

1. All of the Political View forum.
2. The (NWS) Girls & Guns thread.

...I have to put my foot down. To equate the Reputation System as being a useful forum resource at this point is absolutely ludicrous and to equate that the removal of the Reputation System must mean an equitable logic of removing the post-count thread is inherently, illogical. There is a reason I haven't shut down the "Rep" threads yet until you guys give me a reason to do so. Anymore violations of the CofC and I will *mass reset* the entire XDTalk Membership base to re-read the CofC and to Accept it before you're allowed to post again.

Thanks.

**community** · 05-19-2009, 06:07 PM

you are the boss (owner). What you say goes. who am I to say otherwise. I just like posting on this forum. It is fun and informative.

bowl443 · 05-19-2009, 06:15 PM

Fair enough... no complaints here.

**slugger6** · 05-19-2009, 06:17 PM

Works for me!

**XDConvert9mm** · 05-19-2009, 06:22 PM

I think shutting it down, considering how it was being abused and how worthless Rep had become, was a great move. Thanks.

**1lowlife** · 05-19-2009, 06:25 PM

Thank you.

**BoomerBSG** · 05-19-2009, 06:28 PM

We had a rep system?

J/k. You found what other forums found out as well. Personally, I never understood why people got miffed about rep points. Its not like you get a prize/money for most points.

I don't care either way, I like and will continue to support the forum and tell people about it.

Cheers

**Hwkeye** · 05-19-2009, 06:30 PM

Well, you are the boss! It really is your decision, and we will stand by you even if we think differently. It is a great forum, and much like a family, there will be disagreements.... we will get past it like always!

**SgtWKPII** · 05-19-2009, 06:31 PM

Thanks for letting us know what is going on Kermee!

**Krackels** · 05-19-2009, 06:44 PM

Good call Kermee. I agree, there were abuses on both sides of it.

05-19-2009, 05:53 PM	#1
Kermee XDTalk Founder Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 1,325 Blog Entries: 1	Reputation System - The FAILED Experiment Hi All- As you guys quickly have noticed, the User Reputation System for the board has been disabled. Intended as an experiment for the betterment of user participation on XDTalk, after a few weeks of it being turned on this year, it quickly degenerated into a perverse and divisive tool; thus that is why I have turned it off. I will tell you right now, that for every "public" post about the discontent in the Reputation System (Yes, I've been quietly following all the "Rep" threads on the board), I received TEN times the amount in personal messages and e-mails about the system. In the end, the experiment did a lot more harm to the community than I expected to do good. Therefore, the Reputation System will be disabled indefinitely. I thought about bringing back the "Thank You" system for helpful posts, but a lot of you didn't like the system and I have a feeling that system too would be abused in the end. Also, to the member which requested his/her donation to XDTalk to be refunded due to the fact the reputation system was turned off, I have done so. However, I will not dignify a personal response to your e-mail but will state my position here: The Post here if you want to increase your post count thread that was started back in August 2006 has existed this long because presently, contrary to the name of the thread itself, it has ended up a "Community Building" thread. If you read through the last several-thousand pages of posts, you will see the majority of posts are not solely "Drive-By" posts or posts in increase ones' post count. Percentage/ratio-wise of the # of posts to issues/reported posts/etc. in this thread is the lowest of any large thread and actually, the "Report Post" has never been used on this thread of over 200,000+. When the Reputation threads, and even NON-reputation threads and just plain PM's & e-mails to me about the Reputation System are being alerted more often then... 1. All of the Political View forum. 2. The (NWS) Girls & Guns thread. ...I have to put my foot down. To equate the Reputation System as being a useful forum resource at this point is absolutely ludicrous and to equate that the removal of the Reputation System must mean an equitable logic of removing the post-count thread is inherently, illogical. There is a reason I haven't shut down the "Rep" threads yet until you guys give me a reason to do so. Anymore violations of the CofC and I will mass reset the entire XDTalk Membership base to re-read the CofC and to Accept it before you're allowed to post again. Thanks. __________________ -Kermee, Seattle, WA *Proverbs 3:5-7* "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil." Last edited by Kermee; 05-19-2009 at 05:56 PM. Reason: Fixed grammatical errors.
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05-19-2009, 06:07 PM	#2
community XDTalk 3K Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: White Lake, MI Posts: 3,860	you are the boss (owner). What you say goes. who am I to say otherwise. I just like posting on this forum. It is fun and informative. __________________ *Save a Greyhound. Adopt one.*
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05-19-2009, 06:15 PM	#3
bowl443 XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: tx Posts: 1,573	Fair enough... no complaints here. __________________ "Today, my friends, we each have one day less, every one of us. And joy is the only thing that slows the clock." -John D McDonald via Travis McGee "Livin' with Louie dog's the only way to stay sane" -Bradley Nowell
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05-19-2009, 06:17 PM	#4
slugger6 XDTalk 25K Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 26,797	Works for me! __________________ "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us". - Ralph Waldo Emerson
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05-19-2009, 06:22 PM	#5
XDConvert9mm XDTalk 10K Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: NW Atlanta Suburbs Posts: 11,867	I think shutting it down, considering how it was being abused and how worthless Rep had become, was a great move. Thanks. __________________ "There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. When there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws."
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05-19-2009, 06:25 PM	#6
1lowlife XDTalk 5K Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: The Great Lone Star State Posts: 5,025	Thank you. __________________ *Life goes by so fast,* You only want to do what you think is right. Close your eyes and then it's past; (it's the) story of my life...............Social D Happy Birthday Jimmy.............O&A - The Virus MOΛΩN ΛABÉ
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05-19-2009, 06:28 PM	#7
BoomerBSG XDTalk 2K Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: houston,TX Posts: 2,248	We had a rep system? J/k. You found what other forums found out as well. Personally, I never understood why people got miffed about rep points. Its not like you get a prize/money for most points. I don't care either way, I like and will continue to support the forum and tell people about it. Cheers __________________ Colt Combat Commander, Colt Defender 1911, SIG P239 9mm, SIG SP 2022 9mm, Beretta M9 (wifes), Winchester Defender 12 gauge, Mossberg Maverick 88 12 gauge, Mosin Nagant M44, Bersa .380, Bushmaster ORC, Marlin Model 60 .22, Ruger 22/45, Beretta Neos .22 NRA Lifer Running around the house half blind tripping over My Little Ponies and hollaring "Where's the bathroom?" is not a tactical look. -Scotton
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05-19-2009, 06:30 PM	#8
Hwkeye XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1,741	Well, you are the boss! It really is your decision, and we will stand by you even if we think differently. It is a great forum, and much like a family, there will be disagreements.... we will get past it like always! __________________
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05-19-2009, 06:31 PM	#9
SgtWKPII XDTalk 20K Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Warshington State Posts: 24,316 Blog Entries: 19	Thanks for letting us know what is going on Kermee! __________________ Legalize Freedom
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05-19-2009, 06:44 PM	#10
Krackels XDTalk 20K Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Southeastern PA Posts: 21,977 Blog Entries: 5	Good call Kermee. I agree, there were abuses on both sides of it. __________________ "Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." --Benjamin Franklin PA Roll Call & PA XDTalkers UserGroup
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