I say ditch the Karma points system entirely. It really doesn't help anything. You can be the nicest guy with 3 karma, or the biggest prick on the forums with 100K karma. Post a picture of a scantily clad woman for cheap karma points. What's the point? Also, it would clutter up a mobile version of the site.

Ditching the karma system would also prevent people from making sock puppet accounts to up/downvote.

Keep the thumbs up & down tho. It's easier than posting "i agree" after quoting a super-long post.

If karma is to be kept, have it for anything except the forums. Post an honest rating on a game? Karma++ for that.

I'm still having a hard time believing that:

1) people actually fish for karma points, as if it's a game.

and

2) people actually care that they do, if that is what they're actually doing.

I admit to having read some of this thread, some of the ideas, and to being a relative newbie here with a little over a year under my belt. That said, maybe someone has mentioned this and I missed it among the drool over cheeseburgers or whatever... so if this or similar has been mentioned, put me in line to UP VOTE that prior post.

Three things-

The reason I started even using this site was to LEARN from others who knew something I did not-
Maybe its me...

But- if thats a core reason for this site to exist, to SHARE knowledge and PROMOTE pinball.

1) WE NEED a way to promote THAT interaction-

Do we need to reward a post about high scores? How about clarifying rules? How about me posting pics of my new baby (err... pinball machine), How about what I think about WOZ (although I have never played one)... etc. I think a simple POST counter would take care of that. SAVE Karma, or religiosity, or holiness (I like that one) or whatever you want as a system that is UP VOTED by users.

How can you do This without getting idiots up voting each other in some strange narcissistic group hug so they look cool?

2) How about implementing a SOLVED or UP VOTE system where the OP can mark a question SOLVED by labeling a response post as solving the question. Then, for posts where there is no question, and were just talking about how Bad/Great some game is, or what you ate for breakfast, no points, no harm, no foul.

The programming sites use this extensively and to VERY good effect. Yeah, your going to get people who sit there all day and answer questions and solve problems and *hog* all the Karma- but that only works if you actually HELPED someone.

3) Where do you draw the line? Who the heck knows. Maybe every post gets a further category, maybe you ask people to decide if this post is a question and then the UP VOTE/Solved mechanism comes into play. Then, you probably have to implement a down vote so that frivolous posts in that category can be voted down to a regular post with no Karma available.

In my mind, this rewards people helping other people. Period-
In my mind, this is basically the real reason I come here. I have learned a TON, I continue to learn and I try to help others.

Also-

Including total # posts and year joined with Karma (or whatever) is fine and helpful. But KARMA should be reserved for helping people, not posting.

_{Post edited by rufessor : Clarity and to add something about Cheese Burgers}

Just a further thought...

Cheese burgers taste best with Bacon.

Just a further thought...
Cheese burgers taste best with Bacon.

That is a given but to really make them taste great you need the Greek seasoning.
It isn't a Cheebourgie without the Cavender's.
I just solved the problem of the bland cheebourgie so I better get some PKP for this one.

cavender_s.jpg

I am thinking bacon bubble gum. Is anybody else?

I agree with this!

I like the thumbs, but maybe they shouldn't count for anything. I'd rather see 1 post with 5 thumbs up and 5 thumbs down, rather than 10 posts saying essentially "I agree" or "I disagree".

Yep.

Sometimes people use this site on a mobile device and accidentally give a thumbs down when the meant to give a thumbs up... I've seen it said many time... so don't take it personally...

I realize this is a fantasy suggestion but I'll throw it out there anyway.

I would like to see the profile be a real name, full address, home phone number, *PARENT’S phone number* and blood type. All verified.

THAT may cut down on sniping and commando comments. (fantasy off)

*blood type is just more busy work for Robin

Kim
http://www.WrongCrowdProductions.com/

Only if your blood type is Positive (Thumbs Up) as we do not want to promote undeserved Negativity (Thumbs Down), me I'm lucky my blood is blue...er I mean ones blood is blue

You forgot dental records and finger prints just to be sure.......btw is that you ma?

My blood type is A Positive... That reminds me... I'd also like a sperm count in the profile.

Hey Finrod. With all due respect, why the thumbs down? Seriously, I'd like to know.

Kim
http://www.WrongCrowdProductions.com/

Mine is A Negative. And I know why you want to know! So you can get a bloodhound to sniff out the location of your ex Joker Poker.

Because I'm into privacy, and you were mocking it. I don't use my real name online, and I've been using this name for over 20 years. I post in a number of political forums, and if someone that hated my opinion had my real name, there is a significant chance that they could track me down and cause me no end of trouble if they were sufficiently obsessed (which there are far too many of those types out there). I even have a separate email account that I use for job-hunting so that potential employers can't go looking into my online history and discriminate against me because of it. Keeping my privacy keeps me safe, and I really don't like people mocking that.

People who have good opinions don't need to hide behind pseudonyms...

Democracy is supposed to be out front and loud. Don't hide...

Ever had your car keyed because of a bumper sticker you put on it?

I know plenty of people who have had that happen, which is why my car doesn't have any bumper stickers, either.

They do if they want to express those opinions on company time. Oops, I'd better get back to work...

Good point, Finrod and I thank you for the explanation.

I just wish there was a way to get people to be more civil on the internet. Being anonymous seems to give some people licence to say things they never would otherwise.

Kim
http://www.WrongCrowdProductions.com/

Great stuff tracelifter! I always have Cavender's on my shelf. Great when grilling too.

Thumbs Sideway

You wish!

Only been on the site a month or so, but never understood the "karma". Why karma? Just doesn't make any sense to me in a pinball forum.

I never pay attention to anyone else's points because I just don't see how it matters how many points someone has that I'm replying to or who has replied to me.

So, I've go no suggestions or recommendations because I just don't care and I don't join a forum to rack up points and gain a title next to my name.

Just finally clicked on this topic because it's been sitting at the top of the posts since I joined and curiosity finally got the best of me.

Do you really feel like you have no additional "trust" toward someone whose name you see all the time, or who has a huge pkp?

I'd personally be willing to blindly invite someone like Ted, vid, or other high pkp people to my house than someone who doesn't have an established presence here.

I must be in the minority, but I don't even look at the name of who posts. Must be because I'm new here and too many new names are overwhelming...not like many people use real names anyway. So I'm not about to learn 100s of handles. I'm here to read and learn primarily, not necessarily to invite people to my house.

I couldn't even try to remember who I am replying to right now because I'd have to scroll up on my ipad. I'm just replying to your comment, whoever you are.

Many of us are here to read and learn, AND invite people to our homes. It's happened many times. A few months ago we had about 20 Pinsiders at parties.

I'm here to read and learn, make new friends, and get new recipes for bacon.

Love the coin idea. I would add a bit of fun to the mix. Toss thumbs down, I agree with everyone's thoughts about increasing negativity. I'd rather post why I disagree - the reasons behind an implied thumbs down; it seems that's better than just a -1 without an explanation.

You really initially identify people by their avatar icon. Over time you learn names. People like O-din change his icon every day so they are harder to get to know until you learn their names, but eventually you do that as well. Longer you are here the more readily you will be able to identify people.

Giving karma based mostly on quantity of posts should be completely scrapped. The biggest problem with pinside is the signal to noise ratio. There are WAY,WAY, WAY too many useless posters and not enough lurkers. I say that you should have to get at least one thumbs up for every five posts or lose your ability to post for a week.

People who constantly feel the need to post stupid pictures that clog pinside should be reigned in somehow and their karma docked. There needs to be something like a thumbs down button for flagging pictures posted that are not in context with the thread. If you get flagged for five pictures in a period of a week, you lose a bunch of karma and your ability to post pictures for a month.

These 20,000 post threads really suck. There should also be a way to flag posts for being OT to lose Karma. Not to mention personal messages back and forth between two people within a thread; take it to IM or lose Karma.

Don't be silly.....er, Jim, what are you eating tonight?

alien_predator016.gif

Karma + I understand , but less ?

to the new name

pinside , bonus , Life , stars

This would really isolate new people from wanting to post and encourage others to make fake accounts to thumb up themselves so they don't get locked out.

Perhaps an "ignore thread" option similar to the ignore sub forum option we already have would address your concern. As things stand now, you can ignore sub forums (ie. if you aren't looking to buy anything you can ignore the market place and will not see FS threads if I am doing my job and moving them into the sub forum).

Threads like the "machine owner club xyz" and the "regional peoples sub forums" are really fun for the people participating in them. They are already very popular on Pinside and are growing more popular every week. I would hate to ruin the fun for those people that are in those various threads and enjoying them.

BONES

BONES

You rang?

mccoy2.jpg

yes you replied
have had to give the ideas NO ?

I give ideas as they come to me YES.

Ok

I send you my ideas for how by air -mail, in front of a beer

Hi Robin,

I would like to see you keep the changes simple as the system to me works but just needs a minor tune up. Some of your suggestions are reflected here as well.

My Suggestion:

*Keep The Karma Point system but rename it "Credits"

*No more "Credit" points for "Off Topics"

*Thumbs up bonus "Credits" would remain the same but thumbs down would now take away any bonus "Credits" accordingly but would not go below the starting "15 Credit" points at the start.

Thanks for a great site too.

Ken

EM hangout should get extra credit.