The Karma System - trial phase

Originally the system was screwed up, that is why you saw lots of blocks. That issue got fixed. There still is potential to get lots of blocks, they just accumulate much slower now. I believe Howard has 2 green blocks.

Now I'm not sure if there are other glitches that prevent this thing from operating how we had intended or not. But ideally there would be a display for each post, really 2 ratings, 1 would be the overall karma a person has from every post of theirs that has been rated, and the other would be just for that specific post. Perhaps not even showing overall outside of that person's profile. And karma would be turned off for posts in Meeting Spot, Introduce Yourself, and Site Comments & Suggestions.

Unfortunately not everyone can get what they want, and there is only 1 person to my knowledge that can actually implement these things.

There was also a fairly lengthy discussion on this whole thing in the Site Comments & Suggestions forum a while back. Perhaps if you go through and read that you will better understand what is going on.

The karma system is not working. it isnt achieving the desired objective instead its more to do with popularity in my opinion.

With all due repect (and I mean that) Howard would obviously have more karma points as he is usually the first one to greet in the Introduction forum and the Securty and Web forum too. (Both being very polular).

And if someone becomes unpopular then he/she gets rained down with negative karma's.

So I dont think the system reflects the ability of the person.

Here's my perspective......

If and when the karma system is working, you receive the karma you deserve. If you said something stupid, then you get bad karma; and vice-versa.

Here's simply example.

Okay cfitzarl. If thats how you feel I'm reporting you. Yeah thats right, you only gave a helpful comment. But I'm a jerk and I just like reporting bad karma. Thats how I felt, because anyone can record bad Karma even if it was a helpful post.

Now I'm not really going to do that, because your to cool.

As SNGX already explained, the first time the karma system appeared on the boards we were barely experimenting to see how it worked. All those records were deleted and we started from scratch with the new "improved" weightings.

Currently the system is on a long-run trial basis, we now understand it better and have given a lot of thought on how much importance or weight should be given to each factor. The reason I brought the system in the first place was because of members' feedback, and so because this is still a trial we might get rid of it eventually if it doesn't add to the experience. I understand some of you may feel undermined if you have bad scores (although I yet have to see a single member with such a bad score that a positive one won't revert), but that is how the system works based on other members feedback left for your posts.

Some of your comments seem somewhat uninformed. The system has been discussed in the past and some hints have been given on how karma is calculated. In general terms, you should get positive karma for a "good" or useful post, and bad karma for a post that is not anything close to that. As with any kind of system that accrues values over time, the idea is that it will become fair as more posts and more votes are made. This is no popularity contest, as in theory it shouldn't target the user directly but the post made by that person. Also we can not work under the assumption that a majority members are jerks otherwise I believe this forum could not even exist.

It will be hard to explain every single calculation made by the system since we did not develop it, not to mention no system is perfect however I can assure you I have put a lot of thought for having this work the best way possible for TS. Here are some pointers:

- New users can not give karma, they have to earn altering power through other members votes or number of posts or time spent on the boards. (This invalidates the idea that Howard, for example, gets many of his votes from new members in the Intro forum).

- You get 1 karma power point for every:
500 posts made
180 days as registered user
60 karma points earned

- Users with negative karma do not have altering power.

- Users will show a 'balance' gray button for karma between -15 and 5. Anything below that starts to show red bricks, and above 5 shows green bricks. You earn an extra green brick for every hundred karma points you earn.

- When you give positive karma to a member, that member receives the number of karma altering power you have. But when you give negative karma, that user is only punished half of your altering power.

- Users are limited to five karma clicks per day.

- Users can not give karma to the same person until they have hit at least 15 other users first.

PS: Karma related threads merged
PS2: On a side note, you should note that there are guidelines for signatures that some of you do not follow (for example 2-3 line limit).

That karma system looks cool, I gotten about 2-3 negative karma from people who I made mad :haha:

But how then am I red if i only have 1 negative?

I have an idea (oh here we go), just for trial proproses, everyone on this thread or person who sees this, give me Karma, (good or bad I don't care) ans see how my "points" system is affected.

See?

In my opinion, TechSpot is turning into eBay, in the "feedback" beng "karma".... and for a Tech forum site I really think that this shouldnt effect advice people give, or the perspective view of someone with "bad" Karma. At the end of the day they don't have to take your advice!

Look in the mirror and think hard whether you would complain as much if you had two green blocks..

IMO the karma system is very good for a tech site. Many people give totally wrong and irresponsible advice that is distracting could even cost a lot of money to the person they are "helping". Not to mention data loss that can be unmeasurable in any material way. Bad karma might make these people think twice about posting dubious information.

Also, in many threads we end up with different or conflicting advice given by different members. Karma gives people some information about the average quality of advice a person gives and hopefully shows how trustworthy his or her advice is.

ooo so lets put you idea to the test Nodsu.

Oh shock horror i am a newbie who gave some duff advice on a thread because I was bored.

Oh look! I have been given bad Karma by Nodsu! Ooo what can I do.... hmmmm.... perhaps I should give him bad Karma! Yes! that would be revengeful and fun!

Ooo at a post count of 3 or 4 I am one of those newbies that only register for advice on a problem, and now I am going to leave and never return.

....Meanwhile all these hard working addicts and enthusiasts take the knock for thinking that "giving bad Karma" will sort all the problems and stop bad posts! WRONG....

Sjbrand99 said:

Oh shock horror i am a newbie who gave some duff advice on a thread because I was bored.

Oh look! I have been given bad Karma by Nodsu! Ooo what can I do.... hmmmm.... perhaps I should give him bad Karma! Yes! that would be revengeful and fun!

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For a start, you wouldn`t know who had given you bad karma. Also, newbies as you call them, can`t give karma good or bad. See Julio`s quote below.

Julio said:

- New users can not give karma, they have to earn altering power through other members votes or number of posts or time spent on the boards. (This invalidates the idea that Howard, for example, gets many of his votes from new members in the Intro forum).

- You get 1 karma power point for every:
500 posts made
180 days as registered user
60 karma points earned

- Users with negative karma do not have altering power.

- Users will show a 'balance' gray button for karma between -15 and 5. Anything below that starts to show red bricks, and above 5 shows green bricks. You earn an extra green brick for every hundred karma points you earn.

- When you give positive karma to a member, that member receives the number of karma altering power you have. But when you give negative karma, that user is only punished half of your altering power.

- Users are limited to five karma clicks per day.

- Users can not give karma to the same person until they have hit at least 15 other users first.

Click to expand...

Sjbrand99 said:

Ooo at a post count of 3 or 4 I am one of those newbies that only register for advice on a problem, and now I am going to leave and never return.

Click to expand...

That`s always been the case and I suspect will continue to be so.

....Meanwhile all these hard working addicts and enthusiasts take the knock for thinking that "giving bad Karma" will sort all the problems and stop bad posts! WRONG....

Click to expand...

No one ever said the karma system would sort out bad posts. All it`s designed to do, is inform members who`s replies can be trusted based on the posters karma level. I can see where this would be quite useful in a thread where confliciting advice has been given.

It is still early days yet and Julio has already said that if it doesn`t work out, it can be got rid of. I don`t see what the big fuss is about really.

Read Julio`s post again. All the info you need is there.

Regards Howard

Sjbrand99 said:

ooo so lets put you idea to the test Nodsu.

Oh shock horror i am a newbie who gave some duff advice on a thread because I was bored.

Oh look! I have been given bad Karma by Nodsu! Ooo what can I do.... hmmmm.... perhaps I should give him bad Karma! Yes! that would be revengeful and fun!

Ooo at a post count of 3 or 4 I am one of those newbies that only register for advice on a problem, and now I am going to leave and never return.

....Meanwhile all these hard working addicts and enthusiasts take the knock for thinking that "giving bad Karma" will sort all the problems and stop bad posts! WRONG....

Click to expand...

Another thing a n00b could do is create duplicate accounts and give people loads of bad Karma.

No, a new member couldn`t do that. New members can`t give karma at all.

Anyone signing up under more than one account name, is liable to be banned. That`s because it`s against our rules to have more than one account.

Taken from HERE.

Each member is entitled to have only one forum account and must provide a functional e-mail address (not made public unless you've agreed to).

Click to expand...

Again, look at Julio`s post.

Regards Howard

When is a member able to give karma?

Howard its not that hard to create several email addresses. Its just as easy to create several TS accounts. Its even easier to level those accounts up. And then all that person has to do is give people fake Karma.

Infact you can just leave out the create the email accounts if they just use www.spaml.com. It seems like just a little to much effort but people will do it. Usually the young and immature people.

Julio said:

- New users can not give karma, they have to earn altering power through other members votes or number of posts or time spent on the boards. (This invalidates the idea that Howard, for example, gets many of his votes from new members in the Intro forum).

- You get 1 karma power point for every:
500 posts made
180 days as registered user
60 karma points earned

- Users with negative karma do not have altering power.

- Users will show a 'balance' gray button for karma between -15 and 5. Anything below that starts to show red bricks, and above 5 shows green bricks. You earn an extra green brick for every hundred karma points you earn.

- When you give positive karma to a member, that member receives the number of karma altering power you have. But when you give negative karma, that user is only punished half of your altering power.

- Users are limited to five karma clicks per day.

- Users can not give karma to the same person until they have hit at least 15 other users first.

Click to expand...

Hope that helps.

Regards Howard

beef_jerky4104 said:

Howard its not that hard to create several email addresses. Its just as easy to create several TS accounts. Its even easier to level those accounts up. And then all that person has to do is give people fake Karma.

Infact you can just leave out the create the email accounts if they just use www.spaml.com. It seems like just a little to much effort but people will do it. Usually the young and immature people.

Click to expand...

Yes, but as I`ve already said. New members can`t give karma.

It only needs a mod to check an account to know if multiple accounts have been made. It takes less than two minutes to check.

Regards Howard

Hmm Howard you are getting carried away, and your "double post" is a sign! I am tempted to give you bad Karma!


Oh and something really stupid,

" Time paradox is an unknown quantity at this point " - Wtf? I may be Scottish but I do know that this is utter rubbish.


And what the heeck, yesterday I was on red, now im grey. I havent recieved anything!

beef_jerky4104 said:

Howard its not that hard to create several email addresses. Its just as easy to create several TS accounts. Its even easier to level those accounts up. And then all that person has to do is give people fake Karma.

Infact you can just leave out the create the email accounts if they just use www.spaml.com. It seems like just a little to much effort but people will do it. Usually the young and immature people.

Click to expand...

*cough*IP Addresses*cough*

Sjbrand99 said:

Hmm Howard you are getting carried away, and your "double post" is a sign!

Click to expand...

Lol, I wasn`t getting carried away. I posted a reply to cfitzarl. By the time I`d submitted my reply, there was a post by beef_jerky4104. I therefore replied to his post separately.

I am tempted to give you bad Karma!

Click to expand...

Obviously, that`s completely up to you, but on what grounds may I ask?

Regards Howard

I'm sorry but I won't bother explaining everything again if you don't even care for reading this forum guidelines (SIGNATURES) and my explanations for the Karma system. All your new questions were already addressed in my post (e.g. new users can not give karma, etc.)

Now, don't be fooled into thinking there is a democracy in these boards as for the most part this is merely a friendly dictatorship.
At this point you may want to start thinking about treating everyone with respect and read whatever they have to say to help you and don't keep complaining about something you don't even want to understand.

howard_hopkinso said:

Obviously, that`s completely up to you, but on what grounds may I ask?

Regards Howard

Click to expand...

Wel... on the grounds that I am like the majority of "Bad Karma" giver.... nieve and stubborn and quite frankly ignorant of others.

I was kind of hoping for a sensible answer, but obviously that was too much to hope for.

I think all your questions and objections have been addressed. If you still don`t like the karma system, I guess there`s nothing we can do. You`ll just have to live with it I`m afraid.

Regards Howard