The devolution of Segway Chat

[Desert_Seg]

When SegwayChat was first launched it was a haven for Segway enthusiasts, a great place to gather, share ideas, share experiences, and to make new friends.

Over time it evolved into a community of like-minded individuals, individuals who regardless of their opinion of the Segway liked to discuss topics associated with this great device. It was a great place to hang out and discover ways of making your glide more enjoyable, a place to have fun, a place to learn more.

Unfortunately, it has now evolved into another phase of its lfe, one that seems to be based on one-sided viewpoints, argumentative posts, and rapidly devolving threads. It really isn't as fun as it was and the negativity that emanates from some posts is disappointing to say the least.

Many of us are guilty, even if we don't want to admit it, and I, for one, think that it really does need to stop. We either bring back the fun, whether it be the fun of pimping, the fun of gliding, the fun polo, or any other fun you can think of, or we just continue to devolve into another loss to the community.

If you look at the number of active members you will quickly see that they can now be easily identified and counted. Two years ago that wasn't the case. I'm sure some have left due to other reasons but I do know of a few (much more than a handful) who have left, or rarely post, due to the negativity on this site.

Let's try to get back to the basics, let's try to get back to being Segway Enthusiasts who can have a level multi-sided discussion about the pros and cons of having / using a Segway. To do that we need to leave the negative comments, the attacks (both public and private) and the vitriol off this board.

I don't think it is that hard to do, so let's all try to take a step up and "clean up".

Steven

[JohnG]

I don't quite see it that way. We have always had people who like to push the envelope in putting forward their point of view. As long as they do so respectfully and rationally, SC is and always has been open to all points of view on the Segway. SC has never allowed ad hominen or personal attacks and removes all such posts or threads once we become aware of them.

SC remains, and will likely always remain, the most pro-Segway community online today. No other community sports nearly as many enthusiastic owners and supporters of this technology.

But as you say, it's ultimately up to each member here to discuss issues in a way that encourages others to join in on the conversation. Some people are better than others in doing that, certainly...

John

[SEGsby]

Devolution to some, is revolution to others...

SEGsby

[KSagal]

I agree with John on this one. This site has always had spiritied debate, over and over.

I understand where Steven is comming from on this as well, but see it differently.

I have been on this site for many years, and for a long time, segways into the society were new, and segways into our own lives was new, and no one really knew that much about anything.

Because of this, people came here and other places to find out the answers to many questions that intriqued them. And there were very few places to get good information. To this day, every day, we see news reports on more topics than just segways, that are very much wrong technically, and often attitudinally. THis site provide a great service to help disburse the technical and societal new information.

All the while, there were opinionated people who also spouted off. And were spouted back at...

Now, the segway is several years old, there is a much better website at Inc. (it too has evolved in many ways) and years of other lesser sources of information that is available, not the least of which is the dealer network itself. There are now professional people out there you can ask your questions to, where years ago, they just did not exist!

SO, you take the 'new' away. And you take the lack of information away, with other sources of good information. What you mostly have left is the spouting off.

I agree that as a site, it is important to rein in some of the ad hominim attacks. But for most of us, that is an easy task to find the culprit. For most of us, that person is at our keyboards now! Like any worthwile change or evolution, the solution starts at home... If I want this site to be a 'nicer' place to visit, I have to make it so. And the next guy as well. It is more important to change ourselves than it is to propose others do it.

The big question for me is, "do I take the bait?" I have a tendency to react to the cellar dwellers who like to hit and run. My biggest challenge is to overcome that. Others may have a different challenge. It is up to each individual here to decide how much good or damage they want to inflict.

I do appreciate Steven's desire for a less acrimonious site. I just wonder if it is possible...

[Metal Whiskers]

Unfortunately, it has now evolved into another phase of its lfe, one that seems to be based on one-sided viewpoints, argumentative posts, and rapidly devolving threads. It really isn't as fun as it was and the negativity that emanates from some posts is disappointing to say the least.
As a Segway outsider I will say that this forum is better behaved than most of its type although there is always room for improvement. ;) It doesn't hurt to periodically remind people to be civil and to keep the noise down. As is common on the internet there are some snarky posts and a few "professional posters" who should restrain themselves but overall the discussions are worthwhile and informative. This forum is a valuable tool for dealing with the interesting challenges facing the Segway.

[quade]

Chat forums in general are positive feedback loops (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_feedback).

People with similar viewpoints tend to be attracted to sites that share their views. This has a tendency to make the site and the people it attracts more and more one sided. Eventually, sites tend to become so one sided that any normal person that wanders into it is seen as having a contrary view point.

This is among the reasons it's important to be able to express different opinions without fear of reprisal. To do otherwise is to invite, and in fact promote, extremism.

[Eric Payne]

... Unfortunately, it has now evolved into another phase of its lfe, one that seems to be based on one-sided viewpoints, argumentative posts, and rapidly devolving threads. It really isn't as fun as it was and the negativity that emanates from some posts is disappointing to say the least.

Many of us are guilty, even if we don't want to admit it, and I, for one, think that it really does need to stop. We either bring back the fun, whether it be the fun of pimping, the fun of gliding, the fun polo, or any other fun you can think of, or we just continue to devolve into another loss to the community.

I'm a "newcomer" to SC, with less than a year's membership. I am also a 48 year old, extremely outspoken person. I won't say I was raised so much to "question authority" as I was to recognize when something being done/said doesn't really make a lot of sense, and to question that.

Literally, from minute one, I've questioned our government's response to, and information released in re: September 11, 2001. In fact, if one wishes to search Google News, I posted an opinion piece in several UseNet Newsgroups on September 12, 2001, at roughly 9:00 AM entitled "24 Hours Later - Long, but I Needed an Outlet". No, I am not a "conspiracy" lunatic who believes our own government staged 9/11... but there were some serious questions I had, that, to date, have yet to be answered.

(If you're interested: http://groups.google.com/group/alt.history.ocean-liners.titanic/browse_thread/thread/a10331dae9830c52/de68c44b13724f9d?lnk=st&q=#de68c44b13724f9d)

Steven, we have diametrically opposing thoughts on a private company's right to allow Segways in a certain situation. We always will. But that willingness to oppose is one of the basic tenets of the freedoms and liberties for which this country is renowned. And while we may, as a society, occasionally call for the censorship of opposing ideas - even those times when such censorship has been imposed, that imposition is almost always very quickly removed. In few instances has the censorship remained in place longer than a year.

But in the last decade, though primarily in the last five years, I've witnessed something I never expected to see: People, through inaction, willingly giving away those rights, obligations and privileges provided us simply for political expediency. As a consequence, there are now power brokers, at all levels of society, who believe they set the rules, period... and when questioned on authority to do so, they huff, and they puff, and they blow smoke.

Notice how none of the respondents to your "we're all being uncivil" post questioned what you were talking about? We all know why, or have our hypothesis. My guess would be you might be feeling "jumped on" concerning your pro-private business stance on allowing Segways as mobility devices.

Have their been any real "below the belt" punches thrown your way? The only one that I think could be pointed to as such is one I made, but it wasn't intended to be construed in that manner.

I was born with a bad heart, but I was also raised by two people who, literally, rammed into my brain that I shouldn't keep myself from doing (or attempting to do) anything I wanted to do, solely because other people think doing that would be unsafe for me. To not limit myself just because other people thought I was limited. And that's how I've lived my life. So I just have no experience with, and nothing to compare to, a father who would further restrict their "differently-enabled" child's already limited choices in life.

But I have yet to see anyone simply "flame", or anyone go "trolling." I've seen discussion - a mutual exchanging of ideas. If anyone, on either side of the argument, has persuaded anyone else to take a stance, then the discussion has served a purpose, and should not be stifled.

But that's just my opinion.

[Sal]

... It doesn't hurt to periodically remind people to be civil and to keep the noise down. ...

Thanks to the members civility of late as well as the work of Pam, John, and those who started this site in a manner we should all be proud of as well.

Although, sometimes... we have to step in... and even then we understand that we can't please all of the people all of the time.

-S

[RAG1247]

when this chat was first formed, the majority of early members were interested in the segway technology and most of us had very few details. then we ordered almost sight unseen from amazon and awaited. I, along with Brooster was fortunate enough to attend the first training group in New Hampshire and we were all like little kids. Nobody really knew much so there were constant questions or comments on every aspect of a segway. In the beginning there were no segway lights so many of us tried various types to see what worked best and communicated such info through segwaychat. at the first segwayfest we got to meet many of those people we had basically corresponded with and in many cases those friendships continue through today. But at some time you reach a point where there is very little new about segways. in the beginning there was little talk of how to use or where to use a segway, but dealt with just using and enjoying the segway.

I think many people continue to view segwaychat but there is little to say and at times there seems to be more discussions about religion and politics. There is more to life than segways

hopefully the segway technology will continue to evolve and maybe even new units will be offered. that will get more people involved.

there are also those who like reading their own words continuously (and like to increase their post count). Quantity is not quality!

to the future!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JohnG]

Agreed, Richard.

It's sort of the same old, same old for older owners, outside of the occasional mod or new accessory to add. For new owners (or potential owners), it becomes a great place to ask questions about the product, but at the end of the day, most questions have been asked and answered 20 times over...

I think there will always be places for enthusiasts' groups like this one (since there are for every transportation device out there). It's just that if people are looking for something new, they're not going to find a whole lot new in the world of Segway.

I'm looking forward to the Segway Social website, as it'll finally allow owners to connect up with one another without someone having to go to the trouble of organizing a formal local group to do so.

John

[pam]

Which is really wise as there still great swaths of the country where it's hard to get a formal local group of any size. Large urban areas have done well in this area, but smaller areas.... <G>

I think this is a super idea, for several reasons, for both Segway and the individual Segway owner.

Pam

I'm looking forward to the Segway Social website, as it'll finally allow owners to connect up with one another without someone having to go to the trouble of organizing a formal local group to do so.

John

[polo_pro]

In the interest of improving the "attitude" here at SC, I intend to give 10 posters positive rep every week. I hoping that this encourages other to send a positive message to their fellow posters!

If you want to join me in this effort, I'll appreciate the help in "spreading the joy". And remember to sign your name in the comment, or else your comment while helpful/useful is also anonymous.

[Desert_Seg]

In the interest of improving the "attitude" here at SC, I intend to give 10 posters positive rep every week. I hoping that this encourages other to send a positive message to their fellow posters!

If you want to join me in this effort, I'll appreciate the help in "spreading the joy". And remember to sign your name in the comment, or else your comment while helpful/useful is also anonymous.

What happens when there aren't 10 good posts to praise?

Once again, I tried to give you one but no go...must still spread it around some more!

[polo_pro]

What happens when there aren't 10 good posts to praise?

If that's the case, then maybe SC has bigger problems than negativity, eh? Or perhaps the subject matter has been exhausted and there's nothing original to say. I got the feeling that jgrohol was proposing that earlier in this thread.

Maybe we just need to encourage people to post their short narratives about funny gliding experiences (like Segsby has been doing).

[Sharkie]

I find there are quite a few good posts, but invariably, people tend to get discouraged when their posts draw comments that take things they said out of context, or just plain change the meaning of what was said. We have to remember that you can't show body language or subtle inflections in a text format. Smileys help a bit, but things can still be misunderstood. Try a little harder to read between the lines of what the poster is saying. Remember that if you're having a bad day, it makes it tougher to not insert those feelings into what you are reading.

Jim

[polo_pro]

In the interest of improving the "attitude" here at SC, I intend to give 10 posters positive rep every week. I hoping that this encourages other to send a positive message to their fellow posters!

If you want to join me in this effort, I'll appreciate the help in "spreading the joy". And remember to sign your name in the comment, or else your comment while helpful/useful is also anonymous.

Well, I'm half way to my goal of handing out my positive rep points for the week. Folks, log on, and click the "User CP" up on the menu bar. You may find your rep points have increased (along with a comment including my name).

And thank you to whomever was kind enough to return the favor. There was no comment, but I'm glad there was something about my posts that someone appreciated out there!

[Timezkware Tim]

When SegwayChat was first launched it was a haven for Segway enthusiasts, a great place to gather, share ideas, share experiences, and to make new friends.

Over time it evolved into a community of like-minded individuals, individuals who regardless of their opinion of the Segway liked to discuss topics associated with this great device. It was a great place to hang out and discover ways of making your glide more enjoyable, a place to have fun, a place to learn more.

Unfortunately, it has now evolved into another phase of its lfe, one that seems to be based on one-sided viewpoints, argumentative posts, and rapidly devolving threads. It really isn't as fun as it was and the negativity that emanates from some posts is disappointing to say the least.

Many of us are guilty, even if we don't want to admit it, and I, for one, think that it really does need to stop. We either bring back the fun, whether it be the fun of pimping, the fun of gliding, the fun polo, or any other fun you can think of, or we just continue to devolve into another loss to the community.

If you look at the number of active members you will quickly see that they can now be easily identified and counted. Two years ago that wasn't the case. I'm sure some have left due to other reasons but I do know of a few (much more than a handful) who have left, or rarely post, due to the negativity on this site.

Let's try to get back to the basics, let's try to get back to being Segway Enthusiasts who can have a level multi-sided discussion about the pros and cons of having / using a Segway. To do that we need to leave the negative comments, the attacks (both public and private) and the vitriol off this board.

I don't think it is that hard to do, so let's all try to take a step up and "clean up".

Steven
Sorry Steven, I disagree.

Telling people to leave negetive comments off the board is suggesting censorship. Your implying that only rosy, happy posts exist, and anyone's true feelings re: Segways should be ommitted unless they're happy ones.

There are board guidelines and rules when it comes to personal attacks and foul language. The mods do a great job of stopping these occasional posts.

As long as posters follow the rules, We should be allowed to express our true feelings. If we're pissed at the parking stand dillema, or a ban by a municipality or shopping mall, those posts should not be censored just because you or any oter poster would only rather read "positive" posts. If yopu don't like those threads, don't read them. Telling people they have to "clean up" is innappropriate in a community bulletin board format.

JMO, Steven, nothing personal.

Tim

[polo_pro]

In the interest of improving the "attitude" here at SC, I intend to give 10 posters positive rep every week. I hoping that this encourages other to send a positive message to their fellow posters!

If you want to join me in this effort, I'll appreciate the help in "spreading the joy". And remember to sign your name in the comment, or else your comment while helpful/useful is also anonymous.

The first week is over, and I've give out positive rep to 11 people! Login, click User CP and check your comments for a comment signed "polo"!!

ps - If nothing's there, don't worry. I'll get to you this week...just post a detailed positive gliding story, and you're sure to get positive rep for your trouble.

[hellphish]

Ryan I can understand where you are coming from. You really put yourself out there and the managment shut you down for whatever reason. The administrators of this site historically have never been very transparent about their actions, although I can see recently that they have really been trying to improve themselves. Sometimes it seems like they do certain things to save face, other times their actions can only be described as vindictive. Either way, this place is full of really, really good people, including the admins. If you don't get a response from them, my advice to you would be to make one last thread in the Buy and Sell forum with a note to email or PM you. The type of discussion you are looking to have belongs in private messages. That said, I hope you don't get frustrated and leave this place. Stick it out and I guarantee you will meet some great folks.

[ryanj0]

Thanks hellphish. I realize the people here are good people including John and other admins I did not deal with. I'm not here to degrade or deface them but the issue needs to be brought up. As a member you have just as much control as them. There are other forums or you could start your own if it gets too out of hand. I will not leave but will not be surprised if my rights are revoked for this. If I have an issue I bring it up! That being said I have seen some people whom I disagree with or think say bad things or perform bad actions but all in all this is one of the few forums in which I have not actually seen any bad people. And one day I will get that Segway. I respect John's word not to ask for one here although I do think it is closed minded and don't agree with it. Once I get one I can become more active because obviously if I don't have one I cannot contribute to the majority of conversation I would not know without actively gliding. But I will stay and contribute what I can. I have seen a lot of kindness here. Thank you all.

Jeremy Ryan

[pam]

Ryan, just hang out for a while. The biggest problem with your request is that we don't know you, and that's what John was reacting to. Become an active member of the community - and it's entirely possible something will come up that can be handled via private messaging, rather than asking right out.

Good luck!
Pam

[segsurfer]

In the interest of improving the "attitude" here at SC, I intend to give 10 posters positive rep every week. I hoping that this encourages other to send a positive message to their fellow posters!

If you want to join me in this effort, I'll appreciate the help in "spreading the joy". And remember to sign your name in the comment, or else your comment while helpful/useful is also anonymous.

paying it forward can be a great way to bring up the good vibes, great plan man.:) I would give you rep points, but i have to spread the wealth first

-segsurfer

[ryanj0]

Ryan, just hang out for a while. The biggest problem with your request is that we don't know you, and that's what John was reacting to. Become an active member of the community - and it's entirely possible something will come up that can be handled via private messaging, rather than asking right out.

Good luck!
Pam

Thank you Pam and I will try it's just there's only so much I can contribute to the community without actually owning a Segway. Some good news however is that my uncle gave me his old Plasma and surround sound that combined with pretty much all my assets, I should be able to sell then have enough to at least start looking at a Segway. I'd assume that as long as I have some kind of money in exchange John won't get too offended. That's a work in progress but I can assure you that one way or another (doubtful it will be here) I will get it. I can understand if you don't know me and therefore are afraid and respect that. The problem comes when there may be some people out there that genuinely are interested and by closing it down you are telling them they cannot input. Either way I will stick around and comment on what I can for now! I will also keep everyone posted. Thank you all (well most at least) for being understanding and supportive.

Jeremy Ryan

P.S. This isn't the only chat DRAFT chat did it as well it's just that there the admins were a little more rude about it!

[polo_pro]

paying it forward can be a great way to bring up the good vibes, great plan man.:) I would give you rep points, but i have to spread the wealth first

Then give those rep points to someone else! Get in the habit of asking yourself as you read SC if "you're getting caught up in the moment". Sure the post you're reading may not win a Pulitzer Prize...sure it isn't going to win a 2008 Segway Chat Post of the Year award...but it's amusing you, and for that reason alone, give the author some positive rep!

ps - And trust me, karma applies to SC. I've received more positive rep (from anonymous folks...so start signing those comments folks) in the last 2 weeks than I did during the previous half year. I'd like to think my prose has become inspiring, but realisticly, I know that there's a simpler answer. Other SC readers believe the same as me...giving positive rep (and not being stingy) improves the overall tone of SC.

[ryanj0]

How do you even give rep points?

[hellphish]

Look at polo's signature, right above your post.

[ryanj0]

Oh thanks duh!

[polo_pro]

The first week is over, and I've give out positive rep to 11 people! Login, click User CP and check your comments for a comment signed "polo"!!

ps - If nothing's there, don't worry. I'll get to you this week...just post a detailed positive gliding story, and you're sure to get positive rep for your trouble.

Well, another week, another round of pos rep points being given out to everyone. I easily hit my target of pos rep given to 10 people this week. I also noticed something...I was able to give pos rep to folks a second time. So I'm not sure if the restriction on giving positive rep is time related (ie. you must let a week pass before pos rep the same person) or if it's just related to giving rep to lots of other people (ie. "spread around rep points" before giving to the same person...just like the message says)?

Anyways, who here has received TWO pos rep from me? To check just click on "User CP" while you're logged into SC, and scroll down a bit till you see all the rep point comments in the lower right.

ps - One of the best things about this new approach is that I've been able to hand out rep points several times to deserving contributors like bystander, desert_seg, macgeek and JohnM. I hold these folks in high regard, and in the past I've always been frustrated whenever I get the "You've given too many rep points to this person...spread some around" message as I try to give them pos rep. If you find this frustrating too, follow my lead here and start handing out more rep points...it's not like anythings being taken away from you as you do it. There's no reason to hoard them.

[segsurfer]

Well, another week, another round of pos rep points being given out to everyone. I easily hit my target of pos rep given to 10 people this week. I also noticed something...I was able to give pos rep to folks a second time. So I'm not sure if the restriction on giving positive rep is time related (ie. you must let a week pass before pos rep the same person) or if it's just related to giving rep to lots of other people (ie. "spread around rep points" before giving to the same person...just like the message says)?

Anyways, who here has received TWO pos rep from me? To check just click on "User CP" while you're logged into SC, and scroll down a bit till you see all the rep point comments in the lower right.

ps - One of the best things about this new approach is that I've been able to hand out rep points several times to deserving contributors like bystander, desert_seg, macgeek and JohnM. I hold these folks in high regard, and in the past I've always been frustrated whenever I get the "You've given too many rep points to this person...spread some around" message as I try to give them pos rep. If you find this frustrating too, follow my lead here and start handing out more rep points...it's not like anythings being taken away from you as you do it. There's no reason to hoard them.

When you give rep points, do you lose some from your profile?

-segsurfer

[polo_pro]

When you give rep points, do you lose some from your profile?

No. As I said above, you don't lose anything...well, other than your time as you do a kind deed.

[segsurfer]

No. As I said above, you don't lose anything...well, other than your time as you do a kind deed.

That's what I get for skimming.

-segsurfer

[nickyboy]

I find there are quite a few good posts, but invariably, people tend to get discouraged when their posts draw comments that take things they said out of context, or just plain change the meaning of what was said. We have to remember that you can't show body language or subtle inflections in a text format. Smileys help a bit, but things can still be misunderstood. Try a little harder to read between the lines of what the poster is saying. Remember that if you're having a bad day, it makes it tougher to not insert those feelings into what you are reading.

Jim

Very valid. I have had people jump down my throat about comments I have made. Perhaps what many of us forget is that sometimes our respective humour, or way of expressing ourselves, does not always travel. For sure the majority of regulars here are based in the USA, but a few of us are based overseas, with some of those writing in, what is to them, a foreign language.
Lets face it, some of us even struggle with our own language (JOKE!)

Sorry this is a bit delayed, been busy and only just got round to reading the thread.

[Sharkie]

Very valid. I have had people jump down my throat about comments I have made. Perhaps what many of us forget is that sometimes our respective humour, or way of expressing ourselves, does not always travel. For sure the majority of regulars here are based in the USA, but a few of us are based overseas, with some of those writing in, what is to them, a foreign language.
Lets face it, some of us even struggle with our own language (JOKE!)

Sorry this is a bit delayed, been busy and only just got round to reading the thread.

I know what you mean. English humour is often misunderstood in the states, and some could easily be misconstrued. I was going to make a joke about your speaking english, and that being a foreign language to Americans, but that might not have been understood either. Unfortunately, those of us with a good sense of humour have to keep a tight lid on it, as it's one of the more difficult things to get across in a text format. Subtle things that could be hilarious in the right situation frequently come across as a slam in this type of format.

Jim

[nickyboy]

I know what you mean. English humour is often misunderstood in the states, and some could easily be misconstrued. I was going to make a joke about your speaking english, and that being a foreign language to Americans, but that might not have been understood either. Unfortunately, those of us with a good sense of humour have to keep a tight lid on it, as it's one of the more difficult things to get across in a text format. Subtle things that could be hilarious in the right situation frequently come across as a slam in this type of format.

Jim

Who was it said "Two great Nations divided by a common language" ?

[jgbackes]

George Bernard Shaw, or Oscar Wilde, or Winston Churchill... The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations gives the attribution to GBS, but points out that this does not appear in any of his published work.

[nickyboy]

George Bernard Shaw, or Oscar Wilde, or Winston Churchill... The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations gives the attribution to GBS, but points out that this does not appear in any of his published work.

I personally thought it was Sir Winston Churchill, but was not sure, and I think GBS is the most likely candidate.

Anyway, whoever it was, they were right on the money.

I am very aware that I write very differently to the way I talk, by which I mean I use expressions in everyday life that I would not use here because they would be totally mis understood (And yes they are clean :p)

[polo_pro]

Well, another week, another round of pos rep points being given out to everyone. I easily hit my target of pos rep given to 10 people this week. I also noticed something...I was able to give pos rep to folks a second time. So I'm not sure if the restriction on giving positive rep is time related (ie. you must let a week pass before pos rep the same person) or if it's just related to giving rep to lots of other people (ie. "spread around rep points" before giving to the same person...just like the message says)?

Anyways, who here has received TWO pos rep from me? To check just click on "User CP" while you're logged into SC, and scroll down a bit till you see all the rep point comments in the lower right.

ps - One of the best things about this new approach is that I've been able to hand out rep points several times to deserving contributors like bystander, desert_seg, macgeek and JohnM. I hold these folks in high regard, and in the past I've always been frustrated whenever I get the "You've given too many rep points to this person...spread some around" message as I try to give them pos rep. If you find this frustrating too, follow my lead here and start handing out more rep points...it's not like anythings being taken away from you as you do it. There's no reason to hoard them.

In my third week of handing out lots of positive rep, I again easily hit my target of giving 10 different people positive rep. But this week, we also had an international polo thread with lots of contributors, so after that my task was half done!

Again, I'd like to ask people to check if I've given them positive rep twice. Just go to http://forums.segwaychat.com/usercp.php and scroll down a bit. A fair number of people should be able to confirm this by looking at the comments for something ending in " - polo". This is how I sign my name to the comments.

I will reiterate that by being this generous and spreading my task out over weeks, I've rarely gotten the "You've given too many rep points to this person...spread some around" message. I've seen many complaints over the years from other SC members trying to give pos rep about this message. However I think this proves that if you just follow the message's instructions, you won't have any trouble handing out rep points whenever you feel like doing it.

SO....go hand out some pos rep today!!!

ps - So do you think it's the holiday season or my efforts here that are improving the tone of SC? I think its gotten better. Far less negativity...well other than the political discussion in Off Topic.

[KSagal]

Steve,

It is a nice thing that you do with the rep points.

Unfortunately, I do not share your high regard for that system, because it is completly arbitrary and corrupt. Because it is full of people with earned points, people with assigned points, and people who can give themselves points, and people who can take other people's points away, and there is no way to see who can manipulate their own points and who cannot, it has no meaning to me...

It is kind of like the Baseball leagues. It is hard to have respect for a homerun slugger, if you know that there may or may not be steroids involved. Once you know that records have been broken by self mutilated 'would be athletes' then everyone is now suspect.

One thing that I do have respect for is that you are making a public effort to make this a more cordial place to read. That has merit.

edit: and just for the record, this week alone I am still getting disrespectful or negative points, with little or no comment, and no signature from the cowards among us. I also get anonymous positive points, which are not so annoying, because they are not cheap shots, but still hard to value without comment or name.

[BillPaxton]

I stopped posting anything for a long time because every comment I left seemed to be a target for sniping - and then I decided to use the ignore list. By adding one user name, I changed my SC experience entirely. I most likely still get blasted for my comments, but I am blissfully unaware now and the forum is a nice place.

[gbrandwood]

I wondered why you stopped returning my PMs ;)

At least with a PM, you know who the bleeder is.

I think things seem to have gotten a little better over the last few weeks. Some of the really contentious topics have died down a little and Polo has generously been dishing out some rep points, rewarding positive behaviour. I'm sure it has helped.

This is still one of the very few sites I'll check maybe more than once a day. And it's been that way since 2004 when I joined.

[gbrandwood]

Unfortunately, I do not share your high regard for that system, because it is completly arbitrary and corrupt. Because it is full of people with earned points, people with assigned points, and people who can give themselves points, and people who can take other people's points away, and there is no way to see who can manipulate their own points and who cannot, it has no meaning to me...I know what you are saying, Karl, but is this still going on? It must only be the mods in a position to manipulate the system in such a way, and I think highly of the mods on this board - and can't imagine them doing it. Let alone, continuing to do it. The rep system has its flaws, but it is part of the criteria a newbie might use, along with everything else (the posters message, the post count, the join date, the respect of others for the poster) to help form an opinion. I for one, assuming what you are saying is not widespread (or is nolonger widespread), think it's something we can use for the better.

Now if any mod wants to give me 5000 rep points for saying all this, I won't stop you! :D

[pam]

In one respect, I agree with Karl. I wouldn't go so far as to say the system is corrupt, but people can and do assign points or take points away based sometimes on their emotional response to the person they're giving or taking away from, rather than the content of their contributions.

The mods do have the ability to assign points - I assume we can also take away points, but I have never done so as a mod, nor would I do so. I did assign some points early on to some members - like bystander - who have contributed greatly to the forums. That was done in the first few months after the transition.

We didn't have a rep system in Schnitz or Schlitz or whatever it was :rolleyes:, the former software. Someone (either Frank or John, I assume) gave me an unghodly amount of points when we first started. I thought it was funny. (Which is probably the reason I'm so irreverent now about the point system.)

That said, Some members care very much about the integrity of the system (like Polo) and he has informed me in no uncertain terms that he doesn't want any extra points, no matter how outstanding his contribution :).

The assigning of extra points was done right after the move to the new software, and to the best of my knowledge none have been assigned since. Newbies, I would hope, would hang out long enough to get to know the posters and be able to judge the contributions based on that.

Pam

I know what you are saying, Karl, but is this still going on? It must only be the mods in a position to manipulate the system in such a way, and I think highly of the mods on this board - and can't imagine them doing it. Let alone, continuing to do it. The rep system has its flaws, but it is part of the criteria a newbie might use, along with everything else (the posters message, the post count, the join date, the respect of others for the poster) to help form an opinion. I for one, assuming what you are saying is not widespread (or is nolonger widespread), think it's something we can use for the better.

Now if any mod wants to give me 5000 rep points for saying all this, I won't stop you! :D

[polo_pro]

Gareth, I think one of Karl's points (that I agree with) is "The rep point system was not set up so that everyone was on an even footing." When we moved to this forum software, a dozen or two individuals who'd contributed alot to the forum in the early years were "granted" a HUGE amount of rep points. I'm not sure if one of the moderators did it, or our "Wise Old Elder" had a hand in it?

With that said, I'm proud that ALL of my rep points (good and bad) were earned. I may only have 3 little green squares (and a "spectacular aura") by my name, but I'm proud of the fact that my fellow SC members felt I deserved it. Not just one or two, but many many of them.

ps - Gareth, if you do get your request and are granted 5000 rep points, you'll be among a very elite few. I know of only one person who got this gift after the "mass granting" when we started using this forum software.

[Sharkie]

I have to agree that no system is perfect. The reputation system is not perfect, any more than looking at the number of posts will tell you what a person contributes. There are several posters that post to dozens of posts with a one or two word response, and the only contribution that makes is to add to their own post count. It takes a bit of dedication to find out which posters are adding something to the discussion and those that are a waste of time. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a way to tell just by looking which posters are helpful and more than you can tell if a book is any good just by looking at its cover.

Jim

[BillPaxton]

you don't mean me I hope? I love you guys overseas - even if I stopped SC altogether I would never forget your kind offers to take me on tours of your towns when I come over on business trips. Hope to see you at segfest and if not, I'll definitely be in the UK in coming months and maybe we can blow the froth off a few at some out of the way seg-friendly pub.I wondered why you stopped returning my PMs ;)
.

[nickyboy]

you don't mean me I hope? I love you guys overseas - even if I stopped SC altogether I would never forget your kind offers to take me on tours of your towns when I come over on business trips. Hope to see you at segfest and if not, I'll definitely be in the UK in coming months and maybe we can blow the froth off a few at some out of the way seg-friendly pub.

Bill, you are always welcome. Just let us know when your due over

By the way, did you make it over in November or were you just avoiding me :D

[nickyboy]

I have to agree that no system is perfect. The reputation system is not perfect, any more than looking at the number of posts will tell you what a person contributes. There are several posters that post to dozens of posts with a one or two word response, and the only contribution that makes is to add to their own post count. It takes a bit of dedication to find out which posters are adding something to the discussion and those that are a waste of time. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a way to tell just by looking which posters are helpful and more than you can tell if a book is any good just by looking at its cover.

Jim

I have noticed that there are a number of fairly regular "Thread Starters" who have something to say and start things off, and a higher number of "Thread Repliers" who only add comments. Not saying that either is better than the other, just I guess some people tend to put their ideas down, or just plain have more ideas, than the rest of us.

It's also a little like your favorite author. Sometimes I'll read a post about a subject I'm not particularly interested in because it is by a member who's opinion's I respect.

There's also the geographical aspect. I always read the posts from my fellow UK gliders, although there's only about 4 of us that contribute at present. I guess I can identify with their situation more, plus I have met Gbrandwood and Rebooter and spoken with CovRob on the phone, so I feel I "know" them more.

[BillPaxton]

No of course not - things did not go according to plan (naturally of course) and I ended up in NY instead. They (my company, Proskauer Rose LLP) ended up opening in Berkely Square instead and one of the IT guys senior to me opted to go, bumping me fom the trip. I'm still coming, I just don't know when yet - I'll definitly let you know when they let me know...Bill, you are always welcome. Just let us know when your due over

By the way, did you make it over in November or were you just avoiding me :D

[polo_pro]

I have noticed that there are a number of fairly regular "Thread Starters" who have something to say and start things off, and a higher number of "Thread Repliers" who only add comments. Not saying that either is better than the other, just I guess some people tend to put their ideas down, or just plain have more ideas, than the rest of us.

It's also a little like your favorite author. Sometimes I'll read a post about a subject I'm not particularly interested in because it is by a member who's opinion's I respect.

There's also the geographical aspect. I always read the posts from my fellow UK gliders, although there's only about 4 of us that contribute at present. I guess I can identify with their situation more, plus I have met Gbrandwood and Rebooter and spoken with CovRob on the phone, so I feel I "know" them more.

Interesting point...I hadn't ever looked at things that way. And since I do reply a fair amount, I do appreciate the disclaimer you put in there! Still, I have to wonder...who would you say are the top three "Thread Starters"? I know I'd put macgeek at the top of my list.

ps - As to reading/replying to people in your own geographical area, I notice that I favor them too. But after going to Segfest 2006, I tended to expand that group of people based on who I met there. Of course, the best course of action is to go to Woz World Cup. Nothing compares to the thrill of competition to help you bond with folks and bring them into your group of people you read/reply to here on SC!

[polo_pro]

Someone recently PMed me asking for more detailed instructions on how to give positive rep points (to me in this case), and I gave them the below reply. I thought I'd post it here too in case anyone else is interested. Oh, and if you want to try it out on my post (and feel I deserve it) so much the better!

ps - I think Segsurfer has the same picture about how to pos rep people in his sig.


Find one of my posts, look at the picture in the signature and note the small scale icon in that picture. The arrow in the picture points off to the left, and in the left hand column of my post you'll see the scale icon again towards the bottom. Scroll the screen so that the bottom of my post is in the middle of your screen and clicking on that scale icon in the lefthand column will cause a small window to open with "I approve", "I disapprove" and "Comment" in it. (Please note if you mistakenly click on the scale icon in my sig's picture, you won't see this window pop up.)

Now assuming you find my post entertaining and informative, you leave "I approve" selected and just click on the comment field. In there you may want to briefly tell me why you found my article funny or informative, but most importantly put your name in the comment somewhere. Otherwise, I don't have any idea who pos rep me since the rep system is anonymous by default. (The moderators can track down exactly who made any comment though...so there is some accountability.)

I strongly suggest clicking the scale icon on many many posts. You don't "lose" anything. Your own rep points never go down. And you'll avoid having the system tell you that it can't give rep points because you haven't "spread them around". See if you pos rep someone, and then pos rep them again shortly afterwards, it assumes you're abusing the system. But if you give lots of different people pos rep, you'll find that you can give a person pos rep a second time in the very same day!

Besides, is there any reason not to spread the joy and make someone feel happy that their articles are being read and appreciated? 8^) 8^) 8^)

[KSagal]

In the last few days, I got two rep point comments, one negative, and one positive, for the post above (#38?).

THe positive one left a name, and a comment that explained his position. I have respect for that.

The negative one made a nasty snipe that included the reference that they regularly assign negative points to me, regardless of all else. This sad individual who has not got the intestinal fortitude to not take cheap shots is a real downer, and that is why the system has no value for me.

I have also gotten negatives from people who leave a quick note and a name or initial. I have no problem with this, as diffences of opinion are what this nation is all about protecting. I do not react negatively just because it is a red dot, but because of a cheap shot.

If you want to take me down a notch, go ahead. Just do it to my face, if you want any respect at all...

Still, what Polo is doing is trying to be part of the solution, and that is good and gains my respect.

[segsurfer]

Someone recently PMed me asking for more detailed instructions on how to give positive rep points (to me in this case), and I gave them the below reply. I thought I'd post it here too in case anyone else is interested. Oh, and if you want to try it out on my post (and feel I deserve it) so much the better!

ps - I think Segsurfer has the same picture about how to pos rep people in his sig.

What can I say, you have good taste in signatures:)

[polo_pro]

In my third week of handing out lots of positive rep, I again easily hit my target of giving 10 different people positive rep. But this week, we also had an international polo thread with lots of contributors, so after that my task was half done!

Again, I'd like to ask people to check if I've given them positive rep twice. Just go to http://forums.segwaychat.com/usercp.php and scroll down a bit. A fair number of people should be able to confirm this by looking at the comments for something ending in " - polo". This is how I sign my name to the comments.

I will reiterate that by being this generous and spreading my task out over weeks, I've rarely gotten the "You've given too many rep points to this person...spread some around" message. I've seen many complaints over the years from other SC members trying to give pos rep about this message. However I think this proves that if you just follow the message's instructions, you won't have any trouble handing out rep points whenever you feel like doing it.

SO....go hand out some pos rep today!!!

ps - So do you think it's the holiday season or my efforts here that are improving the tone of SC? I think its gotten better. Far less negativity...well other than the political discussion in Off Topic.

Four weeks? WOW! That's alot of pos rep I've given out. I must say that after almost a month, I'm pretty happy with how this has all worked out. It takes a bit more effort for me to pause while I read thread after thread. But I think it's worth it!

I really appreciate everyone who's also putting in effort to pos rep others here in SC. Keep up the good work!

ps - Is anyone else striving to give out 10 pos reps every week?

[nickyboy]

Just striving to give points were I think appropriate. Not counting.

[polo_pro]

Just striving to give points were I think appropriate. Not counting.

Just don't make the classic mistake of putting the bar too high (and thus only repping once or twice a week). I think historically this has been what the problem is. In a smaller community like ours, this behavior leads everyone to rep infrequently, and then you run into problems with "spreading it around".

Keep in mind some vBulletin features are really meant for larger communities with thousands of contributors. In that situation, people can be very picky about who to rep, and they'll still manage to give 10 reps a week.

ps - Why does this feel like trying to jump start an economy? "Folks just need to start lending more money and buying more stuff! Get those dollars circulating!"

[Desert_Seg]

Just don't make the classic mistake of putting the bar too high (and thus only repping once or twice a week). ...

Yeah, but if you set the bar too low you devalue the system and make it pointless.

IMO, there weren't 40 posts worth rewarding in the past 4 weeks...probably not even 10.

I give when I think appropriate. Unfortunately I can no longer give to the folks I think are most deserved, which is a major flaw in the system.

Steven

[polo_pro]

Yeah, but if you set the bar too low you devalue the system and make it pointless.

Well, let's worry about that when we get there. As someone who not an advocate of the rep system, I'd think you'd be quite comfortable if we overused it to the point where it was turned off, right?

I've been watching everyone's rep for a month, and I haven't seen any unusual jumps indicating that things are getting out of hand. Though I'll readily admit my rep has gone up due the added visibility I've gotten by starting this crusade. I guess there's more than a few people who feel any move in a positive direction is good, and now they know a way to show their support for it....pos rep points!

ps - I will point out that having a high bar makes things easier on the reader. They can sit back more and let the posts wash over them instead of spending a moment evaluating each with the new lower bar and then occasionally giving a pos rep comment. But is this really that much added work...are we just that lazy that we can't give a moment to help improve the atmosphere here in SC?

[RAG1247]

imo, they should get rid of the rep system since if one gets a positive or negative rep, it is only as good as the member giving the positive or negative rep.

similarly, the total post count is somewhat meaningless because quality counts far more than quantity.

the past few weeks have been involved with numerous posts about rep points almost to the point of outnumbering true segway topics.

and asking members to make more use of the rep system probably just serves to dilute the rep system more.

I agree with desert seg in that there have been very few, if any, posts deserving of either a positive or negative rep in the last few weeks.

unfortunately, the major problem is that there is not much new (other than segwayfest 2008) and one runs out of things to talk about.

[jackives]

May I suggest a neutral rep catagory! That would allow you to get something said that was neither good nor bad! The rep system is not only good at creating credibility but also getting something across to the poster outside of pm.

Jack Ives

[bentbiker]

May I suggest a neutral rep catagory! That would allow you to get something said that was neither good nor bad! The rep system is not only good at creating credibility but also getting something across to the poster outside of pm.

Jack Ives
Jack,

Welcome. If this cannot be easily implemented, you could give a positive rep with comment, "Neg Rep to follow with comment." Negative rep would then neutralize the positive, and carry the true message. I must admit I'm struggling with the concept that you'd feel motivated enough to go through the rep process, but not want to categorize the comment as either positive or negative.

[jackives]

Jack,

Welcome. If this cannot be easily implemented, you could give a positive rep with comment, "Neg Rep to follow with comment." Negative rep would then neutralize the positive, and carry the true message. I must admit I'm struggling with the concept that you'd feel motivated enough to go through the rep process, but not want to categorize the comment as either positive or negative.

I suppose but there always are some posts that seem so-so as with everything else in this world. Just figured at times you don't really feel positive or negative yet neutral but want to be voiced. Maybe I got this wrong but thought I would make the suggestion.

Jack Ives

[BillPaxton]

isn't a neutral rep point kinda the same thing as a PM though? And if it does not impact the rep points in either direction and it is supporting or reafirming the post, why not just post a reply?

[BillPaxton]

oh, and welcome! :)

[jackives]

isn't a neutral rep point kinda the same thing as a PM though? And if it does not impact the rep points in either direction and it is supporting or reafirming the post, why not just post a reply?

I suppose you are right! It would be more of a convienience thing! If you wanted to say something short. Something that may not really be a contribution to the thread but directed specifically at the poster. A pm would work but a pm would take a little longer. Basically the only benefit would be on a rare circumstance and would be convienience. I suppose it really wouldn't be worth the programming!

Jack Ives

[nickyboy]

:o I know I'm not the sharpest tool in the box when it comes to things like this new fangled interwebnet thingy but I assumed a "rep point" was just that, a kind of tick to say good or well done,. I got rep'd yesterday and my count went up by, I think, 9 (could be wrong, not really been taking that much notice until Polo started the whole 10 a day thing off).
When I rep someone it just offers I agree or I disagree radio buttons and a comments box.
Really sorry if this is obvious to everyone, but SC is the only forum I read or post on, so not really up to speed on these types of things.

Maybe if Gareth's vote gets things changed I'll understand it a little more

[bentbiker]

isn't a neutral rep point kinda the same thing as a PM though? And if it does not impact the rep points in either direction and it is supporting or reafirming the post, why not just post a reply?
Neither PM nor post allow him to remain anonymous.

[bentbiker]

:o I know I'm not the sharpest tool in the box when it comes to things like this new fangled interwebnet thingy but I assumed a "rep point" was just that, a kind of tick to say good or well done,. I got rep'd yesterday and my count went up by, I think, 9 (could be wrong, not really been taking that much notice until Polo started the whole 10 a day thing off).
When I rep someone it just offers I agree or I disagree radio buttons and a comments box.
Really sorry if this is obvious to everyone, but SC is the only forum I read or post on, so not really up to speed on these types of things.

Maybe if Gareth's vote gets things changed I'll understand it a little more

You have it correct, but as I understand it, certain people (presumably those with high rep counts) carry more weight and somebody with clout must have liked your post.

[nickyboy]

You have it correct, but as I understand it, certain people (presumably those with high rep counts) carry more weight and somebody with clout must have liked your post.

Ahh! So the higher the rep points of the person issuing, the more points you recieve?

Have a rep point on me! Sorry, it will only be one, I'm well down the list :D

[BillPaxton]

:o I know I'm not the sharpest tool in the box when it comes to things like this new fangled interwebnet thingy but I assumed a "rep point" was just that, a kind of tick to say good or well done,. I got rep'd yesterday and my count went up by, I think, 9 (could be wrong, not really been taking that much notice until Polo started the whole 10 a day thing off).
When I rep someone it just offers I agree or I disagree radio buttons and a comments box.
Really sorry if this is obvious to everyone, but SC is the only forum I read or post on, so not really up to speed on these types of things.

Maybe if Gareth's vote gets things changed I'll understand it a little more *I refer to +R for positive rep points and -R for negative in the following

You will see this argument resurface every few months...get rid of the rep points, change them, etc..my previous comment was not questioning your point (in re-reading, it seems kind of negative and that was not my intent). What I mean to say is, reputation points *should* be a good indication for people just like you that are brand new and want to get the opinion of someone that the rest have clearly pointed out to be knowledgeable. So when someone gets really bogus advice and end up trashing a lsf, ruining a tire bead, or the like, a -R for the person offering said bad advice is in good order. Likewise if someone posts a step-by-step on making a new key or pimping your glide, a +R is merited. A neutral would offer no benefit to anyone and therefore, there is no point in using it, simply send that person a PM and say "interesting post" or something to that effect. (Or go here: http://www.pixelscapes.com/spatulacity/button.htm)

Anyway, if it worked that way it would be great. Instead, someone dissagrees with someone else's politics, statements, or whatever and based usually on opion or general dislike they lob -R's. I see people who have posted great numbers of posts that read like "Letters to the Editor" most of the time, and they have tremendous +R points (and I like these posts quite alot, don't get me wrong), while people that post Extremely good DYI threads on any range of Seg-improvement projects have one or two green boxes. I think that's why so many just flat out ignore rep points.

But thats just my opinion, not any fact behind it aside of personal observation.

[bentbiker]

Ahh! So the higher the rep points of the person issuing, the more points you recieve?

Have a rep point on me! Sorry, it will only be one, I'm well down the list :D
You undervalue yourself; you are 100% better than you think.

Check out post number 5 on this thread
http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=154551
and we might find those things which influence the value of a given award. It would appear it is influenced by total posts, rep points, time since joining, and whether you are an admin. Looks like a large number of positive rep points could Rep User Spread from 20 to 1 makes me believe the remainder of the settings are still on default.

[hellphish]

imo, they should get rid of the rep system since if one gets a positive or negative rep, it is only as good as the member giving the positive or negative rep.

similarly, the total post count is somewhat meaningless because quality counts far more than quantity.

the past few weeks have been involved with numerous posts about rep points almost to the point of outnumbering true segway topics.

and asking members to make more use of the rep system probably just serves to dilute the rep system more.

I agree with desert seg in that there have been very few, if any, posts deserving of either a positive or negative rep in the last few weeks.

unfortunately, the major problem is that there is not much new (other than segwayfest 2008) and one runs out of things to talk about.

I would have to disagree. I have put a lot of thought into some of my posts dealing with more technical topics, and I'm happy to receive the positive rep in exchange for my efforts.

[BillPaxton]

You undervalue yourself; you are 100% better than you think.

Check out post number 5 on this thread
http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=154551
and we might find those things which influence the value of a given award. It would appear it is influenced by total posts, rep points, time since joining, and whether you are an admin. Looks like a large number of positive rep points could Rep User Spread from 20 to 1 makes me believe the remainder of the settings are still on default.
Thank you! That cleared up alot for me and also prompted me to get more info - I like to know why I sometimes get odd numbers after an even number of kudos. Here is what I found, starting from the thread you quoted and following others, with the juicy bits all laid out below:

Here is how the vB reputation 'dots' work:

One green dot (http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l2/icarus256/dg.jpg) is given for every started 100 reputation points.
From 500 points on, one bright green dot (http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l2/icarus256/g.jpg) is given for every started 200 reputation points.
One red dot (http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l2/icarus256/dr.jpg) is given for every started 100 negative reputation points.
From 500 negative points on, one bright red dot (http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l2/icarus256/r.jpg) is given for every started 200 negative reputation points
If a user has 0 reputation points, a gray dot (http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l2/icarus256/gray.jpg) is displayed.
If a user has chosen to turn off reputation in his UserCP, a black dot (http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l2/icarus256/bl.jpg) is displayed.

Here is the default level info:


http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l2/icarus256/reputation_manager.jpg

And here are the multipliers and a brief description of what that means:

1. You have two values attached to your account. REP is the total number of reputation points you've earned. REP POWER is INT(REP/100), and is the amount of rep that's given to another poster when you "rep" them. (For example, if you have 3425 rep points, your rep power is 34. Rep power also increases by a point after a certain amount of time elapses: for example, one point each month.)

2. When you rep someone, your rep power is added to their rep. If you ding ("neg rep") someone, half of your rep power is removed from their rep. You are also given the option of leaving feedback when you give/take rep.

[wwhopper]

I would have to disagree. I have put a lot of thought into some of my posts dealing with more technical topics, and I'm happy to receive the positive rep in exchange for my efforts.

Who would give Helphish a point or two for turning off his flashing Avatar. ;-)

I really liked the RED Christmas hat, and am hoping he puts on something for Valentines Day and Saint Paddys Day! A Ground Hog Day hat would be too much to wish for... ;-)

[hellphish]

The flashing avatar is for your own safety. I don't want anyone to get (their feelings) hurt when I come around, so the loud avatar alerts them to my presence so they have a chance to avert their eyes.

[TX2Wheels]

Personally I choose not to join in on any squabling and/or name calling. For me it is a fantastic wealth of knowledge and people willing to give answers and advice. There is no perfect world and at 64 I have learned to roll with the punches. Oh yea, I think serving on the local school board helped.
Thanks all for the answers etc from this forum.

Jay Guillot
Cajun 2 Wheels, Inc.

[polo_pro]

until Polo started the whole 10 a day thing off

Just to clarify, I aim for 10 a week. Actual numbers probably end up between 12 and 15, though maybe I pos repped you a few times so it looks like it's 10 a day, eh? 8^) 8^) 8^)

ps - Just so people know, I work very hard at spreading pos rep around even with jgrohol's resent change. I don't want this to become a repfest among a small group of people. It's always better to spread the joy far and wide.

[polo_pro]

*I refer to +R for positive rep points and -R for negative in the following

You will Anyway, if it worked that way it would be great. Instead, someone dissagrees with someone else's politics, statements, or whatever and based usually on opion or general dislike they lob -R's. I see people who have posted great numbers of posts that read like "Letters to the Editor" most of the time, and they have tremendous +R points (and I like these posts quite alot, don't get me wrong), while people that post Extremely good DYI threads on any range of Seg-improvement projects have one or two green boxes. I think that's why so many just flat out ignore rep points.

Keep in mind that different readers value different things. Clearly you value DIY threads because you like to tinker. So you +R them. But many many gliders wouldn't dream of DIYing or pimping their ride, so they'll +R other stuff. Everyone has a different standard, and I think it'd be a big mistake to try to get everyone to agree on a standard.

ps - I do understand your concern about certain people having artificially high rep points. But it's only a handful of people, so I've chosen just to look past that and focus on getting everyone to use rep. You will notice that I've supported resetting, and I'd even suggest doing it every Jan 1st since this pushes everyone to be active to maintain their rep. People can only ride on their laurels for up to 12 months in a situation like that.

[BillPaxton]

ps - I do understand your concern about certain people having artificially high rep points.
I think every rep point is deserved, I just wanted to say I think some are much more valuable than others, but I guess thats why the authors of the software designed the weighted balance system rather than hard numbers. For example, I personally will read any post started by 3 specific users and for completely different reasons. I enjoy one's opinions, I enjoy another's writing style (albeit replete with opinions I often do not share, but he is passionate and that is good reading), and the last because I consider him a friend and the very reason I ended up here.
My post just meant that IDEALLY the rep system would tell people who were passing through who they should listen to, but in the long run, we lure them in anyway and assimilate. So its all good!

And, not for anything, I find you are right - I +R people that last month I would not even respond to. I will not -R someone unless I feel they are completely wrong, not posting in the best interest of the forum, or just being mean spirited, and even then I find PM clears up alot of miss-perceptions that are nrought about by this media.

+B (thats positive Bill as opposed to -b, negative Bill)

-BTW I do not post the names of the people I mentioned above because they did not choose to take part in my opinion.

[Desert_Seg]

I have to say I've that Polo has had a positive effect. I've enjoyed reading the commentary on my posts and have even dished out a few extra positive rep points.

I wonder if it is the season???? Will this continue???

Steven

[polo_pro]

I have to say I've that Polo has had a positive effect. I've enjoyed reading the commentary on my posts and have even dished out a few extra positive rep points.

I wonder if it is the season???? Will this continue???

Only if you jump in and continue participating. Don't ask what others could do to make a positive environment...focus on how you can do your part (even if the tools being used are imperfect)!

[SEGsby]

God told me to smite trolls... So I dood it.

SEGsby

Only if you jump in and continue participating. Don't ask what others could do to make a positive environment...focus on how you can do your part (even if the tools being used are imperfect)!

[Desert_Seg]

God told me to smite trolls... So I dood it.

SEGsby

Amen to that!

Steven

[polo_pro]

God told me to smite trolls... So I dood it.

Careful...that's Pam's job. Though she might have a spare 2 by 4 back there that she'd lend you occasionally!

[Desert_Seg]

Careful...that's Pam's job. Though she might have a spare 2 by 4 back there that she'd lend you occasionally!

Anybody can smite Trolls. Pam and John just make sure they don't come back. Their "smite" is more powerful.

Steven (+1)

[SEGsby]

My Smite-Fu is not powerful enough...

*sigh*

SEGsby

[polo_pro]

Four weeks? WOW! That's alot of pos rep I've given out. I must say that after almost a month, I'm pretty happy with how this has all worked out. It takes a bit more effort for me to pause while I read thread after thread. But I think it's worth it!

I really appreciate everyone who's also putting in effort to pos rep others here in SC. Keep up the good work!

ps - Is anyone else striving to give out 10 pos reps every week?

Week five was a bit slower. But I'm pretty sure I reached my goal of 10 pos reps this week! Only jgrohol could tell me for sure, and he'd have to go digging through the backend database for that info.

Posting about people's experiences and advice on small light generators/inverters caused me to give out alot of rep. Alot more people than I expected turned out to give me their views/opinions, and I really appreciated that. What better way to show this appreciation than rep points!

Also, I'll take a moment to say, I like how giving rep points has changed my style of reading SC. You'd think focusing on rep points would make your more critical. But by setting that goal of 10 a week, it's more like checking if you do a "lol" after reading what someone says. Or maybe I should compare rep pointing to bookmarking on the internet, eh? Either way, it's an easy habit to get into...so come on and join me today and rep point someone!

ps - Remember folks to sign your name to the comment. Otherwise, we don't know who's kind words we're reading. I'd guess that about a third of the comments given to me with rep points are filled in but unsigned.

[wwhopper]

Week five was a bit slower. But I'm pretty sure I reached my goal of 10 pos reps this week! Only jgrohol could tell me for sure, and he'd have to go digging through the backend database for that info.

So what is your number now? I am up to 624 - a couple of those are thanks to you!

I was thinking the more you got, the more you can give away - Sort of like money (which I don't have) so I have been pos reping people who are doing a good job at keeping this site positive!

[polo_pro]

So what is your number now? I am up to 624 - a couple of those are thanks to you!

I was thinking the more you got, the more you can give away - Sort of like money (which I don't have) so I have been pos reping people who are doing a good job at keeping this site positive!

I broke 300 today, so I got that fourth green square under my name. And I think that does mean I'm giving away more pos rep now. I'd estimate now every pos rep I give bumps a person's rep by 4 points...maybe as much as 8?

Just remember, that I can't do this by myself. It's important that you keep doing your part. And the more people who join in, the better it'll be.

[polo_pro]

Week five was a bit slower. But I'm pretty sure I reached my goal of 10 pos reps this week! Only jgrohol could tell me for sure, and he'd have to go digging through the backend database for that info.

Posting about people's experiences and advice on small light generators/inverters caused me to give out alot of rep. Alot more people than I expected turned out to give me their views/opinions, and I really appreciated that. What better way to show this appreciation than rep points!

Also, I'll take a moment to say, I like how giving rep points has changed my style of reading SC. You'd think focusing on rep points would make your more critical. But by setting that goal of 10 a week, it's more like checking if you do a "lol" after reading what someone says. Or maybe I should compare rep pointing to bookmarking on the internet, eh? Either way, it's an easy habit to get into...so come on and join me today and rep point someone!

ps - Remember folks to sign your name to the comment. Otherwise, we don't know who's kind words we're reading. I'd guess that about a third of the comments given to me with rep points are filled in but unsigned.

Week six was a bit more rocky. I know I made my quota of 10 pos reps, but I clearly rocked the boat with one of my posts. I got my first neg reps in a long long while. Ah well...clearly my pessimistic views of the "average" dealer doesn't resonate with all. Combining that with my disdain for Segway INC's position on segways being used by disable folks made for an acrid post, eh?

At least one of the neg reps signed their name. That always makes it easier to accept the criticism.

My most recent observation in this "10 pos rep" effort is that I'm not posting as many "me too" or "I agree" replies as I use to. While reading posts, besides evaluating if it's worthy of a pos rep, I find that it's enough just to put it in the comment (along with my name of course) as an alternative.

Now some might wonder if my posting frequency is actually slowing down, but to prove my point I'd suggest looking at the average length of my post. I think they're getting longer...not as long as jryan0's, but I'd bet mine average at least 100 words across a few paragraphs. Much like this post....8^) 8^) 8^)

[Sharkie]

I've always been a firm believer in the old axiom, it's better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt. I'm not one of those that posts a one or two word response just saying something like "I agree" or something like that. If I have something to contribute (or at least something I feel I need to say) then, I'll jump in. My post count reflects the fact that even though I've been here longer than some, I have a lower post count due to this. I still don't see a point in posting just to increase post count, or quoting a whole bunch of stuff just to add a couple of words, but each to his/her own.

Any time you post a point of view, you're going to have some people that will disagree with you, and some are more than willing to give negative rep. Only a few are willing to identify themselves though, and that's a shame. If the rep system wasn't anonymous, then I doubt we'd get as much negative rep, but it could easily turn into a battle where you give me negative rep, and in retaliation, I give you negative rep. Unfortunately, I don't see a solution to the problem, so I can't really be constructive here, but it is inevitable that you're going to get negative rep at some point if you post your opinion. Fortunately, we live in a democracy so that we are allowed to disagree with the minority.

Jim

[Eric Payne]

Okay, so the little boxes indicate the number of "rep points" given by other users of Chat.

What do the stars under user name indicate?

[quade]

Fortunately, we live in a democracy so that we are allowed to disagree with the minority.

I wish people would quit saying that . . .

We live in a REPUBLIC, not a democracy. :D

Feel free to disagree with me though. :D

[KSagal]

I wish people would quit saying that . . .

We live in a REPUBLIC, not a democracy. :D

Feel free to disagree with me though. :D


Actually, Quade, You and I live in a Democratic Republic, as in, the representatives are elected, not appointed.

And Sharkie lives in a different Country, but I believe it is also a Democratic Republic.

Since calling it a Democracy is not complete, and calling it a Republic is also somewhat incomplete, I believe it is splitting hairs to complain overmuch about either term...


And Eric, I believe the stars are a graphic representation of your post count. They are either tied directly to the count, or the title, but the title is tied to the count... I am not sure how many stars go with what count, and why some are different colours, but I am guessing that is all post count related as well.

[BillPaxton]

Okay, so the little boxes indicate the number of "rep points" given by other users of Chat.

What do the stars under user name indicate?
Star indicate user ranks in vBulletin.
"User ranks are images or text that are assigned to your users based on their post count. The most common usage of ranks is that of stars that increase or change color based on the user's post count and usergroup.
User's ranks generally appear beneath their username on posts, private messages, announcements, usernotes and in their profile."

I cannot, unfortunately, find the default values. I have Vbulletin 3.6 and it uses smileys, but I'm pretty sure the defaults have been changed here.

[polo_pro]

Star indicate user ranks in vBulletin.
"User ranks are images or text that are assigned to your users based on their post count. The most common usage of ranks is that of stars that increase or change color based on the user's post count and usergroup.
User's ranks generally appear beneath their username on posts, private messages, announcements, usernotes and in their profile."

I cannot, unfortunately, find the default values. I have Vbulletin 3.6 and it uses smileys, but I'm pretty sure the defaults have been changed here.

I've noticed that vBulletin measure the same thing in two different ways.

Rep is measured by both green squares and a mouse-over message for those green squares. Oddly enough these two scales don't coincide. Your green squares my increase by one, yet the mouse-over message stays the same.

In a similar manner, the post counts decide your title. But at the same time the post counts are also shown by the number of stars you have below your name. Again, these two scales don't coincide.

ps - Rep points for keeping us informed on the details of how vBulletin works!

[polo_pro]

edit: and just for the record, this week alone I am still getting disrespectful or negative points, with little or no comment, and no signature from the cowards among us. I also get anonymous positive points, which are not so annoying, because they are not cheap shots, but still hard to value without comment or name.

Yeah, I'm starting to feel the heat too, Karl. I think your "fan" has turned their attention to me (and are doing their neg reps anonymously). 5 neg reps in one week...oh well. Some people use the available tools for good, and others feel a need to use them to snipe from the shadows.

None the less, I still have a choice of how to react. And I'm going to keep giving 10 pos rep every week and pushing the "give more rep" agenda! Nothing's going to keep me down!!
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lJIjdajBww )

ps - OK, I'm still smarting from the loss at this weekend's polo match! BTW, does anything else think this is perfect music for the segway crash video? 8^) 8^) 8^)

[jryan]

I think anonymous negative rep is aweful! I think that if someone has something to say to say it! I personally don't much care about the rep system although I do enjoy reading the comments but some here value it!

If you are going to give negative rep to someone who values the system or if you don't know what their beliefs are it is not worth giving if you can't back it up with a comment or signature.

It means a lot more and gets more thought if you actually tell why you gave negative or positive rep! I'm sorry to hear some are too chicken to stand up to the plate with both of you (Karl and Polo) but whoever it is please know you are only doing a disservice to yourself!

If you tell why you feel the way you do it is likely it will be taken into consideration by the poster. If you do not tell why the same patterns you do not like will never change. You are only wasting your own time!


Jeremy Ryan

[Desert_Seg]

For me the best are the comments which aren't signed and I don't understand but I feel the authors are hoping for a reply. I have had two recently:

"please subtract 10 yr."

and

"If you dont post i dont glide"

If you need a reply or something else from me, please sens me a PM. If I'm just reading too much into it then feel free to ignore this...or send me a PM telling me I'm nuts (not all of you have to jump on that one, you know!).

Steven

[polo_pro]

Week six was a bit more rocky. I know I made my quota of 10 pos reps, but I clearly rocked the boat with one of my posts. I got my first neg reps in a long long while. Ah well...clearly my pessimistic views of the "average" dealer doesn't resonate with all. Combining that with my disdain for Segway INC's position on segways being used by disable folks made for an acrid post, eh?

At least one of the neg reps signed their name. That always makes it easier to accept the criticism.

My most recent observation in this "10 pos rep" effort is that I'm not posting as many "me too" or "I agree" replies as I use to. While reading posts, besides evaluating if it's worthy of a pos rep, I find that it's enough just to put it in the comment (along with my name of course) as an alternative.

Now some might wonder if my posting frequency is actually slowing down, but to prove my point I'd suggest looking at the average length of my post. I think they're getting longer...not as long as jryan0's, but I'd bet mine average at least 100 words across a few paragraphs. Much like this post....8^) 8^) 8^)

Week 7 was easier than last week. This week we had plenty of threads about polo and a great one about battery repacking! Also while I received a few neg reps from someone focusing on me, I also noticed that the deductions were minor.

I think the system is set up so that when a person pos reps, it has more effect than when they neg rep. Either way, by the end of the week, those neg reps done by that individual had been erased by everyone else's pos rep! Thanks folks for the show of support (though honestly, I just got the usual show of support that cancelled out any neg rep)!!

I do hope folks are get this message...neg rep isn't as bad as it seems. Think of it as "feedback" and realize that even when it's abused, neg rep is quickly overwhelmed by pos rep. If you're a regular contributor, by now with so many people pos repping that neg rep abuse will be cancelled out!

ps - Just so folks know in advance, next week will be my last weekly report on pos repping. I going to switch over to a monthly report (still doing 10 pos reps a week). I hope the reduction in frequency doesn't cause people to get lax when it comes to showing support of their fellow poster.

[wwhopper]

I just looked at the member list, sorted by rep points,

And it still looks like the same players in the same positions.

I know I am repping more and getting repped more because of the focus on the system.

Hopefully more people know about how the system works now, and will use it wisely!

[polo_pro]

I just looked at the member list, sorted by rep points,

And it still looks like the same players in the same positions.

I know I am repping more and getting repped more because of the focus on the system.

Hopefully more people know about how the system works now, and will use it wisely!

I've been doing the same as you since I started this experiment. I wanted to monitor if by handing out rep points alot if I'd unbalanced things. So I can summarize how much things have changed in some vague terms...only jgrohol (and maybe a moderator) could give you precise numbers.

Everything I know comes from the little green squares that you see below a person's name. It represents how many 100's of rep points they have (plus the initial one green square when they started with). So with that said, the results are as follows:

Back on Dec 11th, three people had 4 green squares and five people had 2 green squares. My efforts along with everyone else's effort to hand out lots of pos rep changed this situation. Now four people have 4 green squares and eleven people have 2 green squares. So pretty much, one person a week has risen in rank. Given the hundreds of active members we have, this seems like a reasonable outcome.

Looking at my own efforts, I figure a person has gotten on the average three rep points from me every time I pos rep. If you figure I've averaged a dozen pos reps every week, then my actions caused around 200 rep points to be added to people's rep totals. Since I tried to spread these rep points widely (not favoring any one group of people), I doubt my actions alone are causing people to jump in rank. Still, you could probably claim that my efforts contributed significantly to two or three people to go from 1 green square to 2 green squares. More than likely though, many other SC members giving pos rep caused their jump in rank.

ps - I hope people don't jump to the conclusion that "inflation" is occuring. If you really feel this is the case, step back and look at the numbers. Months of effort by numerous of your fellow SC members (trying to improve the atmosphere here in SC) has caused a total of SEVEN people to change rank in an obvious fashion. Given the total number of people here on SC, is this really a horrible outcome that will bring down all of SC? I doubt it.

[BillPaxton]

Looking at my own efforts, I figure a person has gotten on the average three rep points from me every time I pos rep.
I've been watching this - Last week you +R'd me and it was worth 8 points (which means if you -R'd me it would take off 4 points). I've had two anonymous +R's that were worth 1 and 3 respectively. Unfortunately, I was not on SC for three days and somehow in that time I ended up with 33 +Rs based one post!!! I don't know how that added up, if it was a few people with great rep or alot of people with lesser rep, 'cause it only shows the last four received. Anyway, I keep watching, its interesting to me to see how everyone has become more positive for the most part, and overall I think the posts since Thanksgiving have been more interesting than all of last year combined, except for the handful of DIYs which I love more than anything. Oh well, off to play with my new video camera, I'm planning on making some youtube videos on the segs. Happy Sunday!

[pam]

I think (as best as I can tell) at some point, you get more than 1 for 1 rep points. Don't ask me what the numbers are, I haven't the faintest.
Pam

[Mr_Laurenzano]

Then I was back to advanced
Then again a senior
There are a lot more members now vs then.

Mabey its based on segway sales or glides, who cares, just as long as you don't stop posting.

Can't wait for the video.

...If you don't have a rep points click here |_| and one will be granted.

Rep points~I just figured out I could change my avaitar.

Where is that picture.
Late
Crash

[polo_pro]

Week 7 was easier than last week. This week we had plenty of threads about polo and a great one about battery repacking! Also while I received a few neg reps from someone focusing on me, I also noticed that the deductions were minor.

I think the system is set up so that when a person pos reps, it has more effect than when they neg rep. Either way, by the end of the week, those neg reps done by that individual had been erased by everyone else's pos rep! Thanks folks for the show of support (though honestly, I just got the usual show of support that cancelled out any neg rep)!!

I do hope folks are get this message...neg rep isn't as bad as it seems. Think of it as "feedback" and realize that even when it's abused, neg rep is quickly overwhelmed by pos rep. If you're a regular contributor, by now with so many people pos repping that neg rep abuse will be cancelled out!

ps - Just so folks know in advance, next week will be my last weekly report on pos repping. I going to switch over to a monthly report (still doing 10 pos reps a week). I hope the reduction in frequency doesn't cause people to get lax when it comes to showing support of their fellow poster.

Week 8 was a bit slower...to be honest I haven't been able to keep up with all the posts. I'm definitely getting bummed out about all the polo practices/matches being rained out. I think I did manage to get 10 pos reps in this week thought. BTW, I'm seeing lots of people signing names to their pos rep. I think I only have one pos rep showing on my User CP that's anonymous!

My next update will be at the end of this month. Hopefully, I'll be able to report that I've done 40 pos reps in Feb. Somehow, I don't doubt it'll happen, but part of this project has also been letting my fellow SC reader know about my progress. I'm hoping that spurs more people into action....

The really good news is looking at the rankings. Last week I noted having only eleven people with 2 green squares. Well, this week it's jumped up to fifteen people with 2 green squares! So either alot of people were just at the boundary with 90 or so rep points, or a bunch of you folks are making the effort to pos rep your fellow SC member.

ps - I'm particularly happy about seeing JohnM with 2 green squares! I know there's a bunch of people here on SC who have issues with him, but I always enjoy reading his views on segways. I guess I don't mind opposing viewpoints...and I'll point out that JohnM and I have clashed regarding my favorite topic ( http://forums.segwaychat.com/showpost.php?p=126022&postcount=22 ). Elephant polo always brings a smile to my face since that day!

[polo_pro]

Week 8 was a bit slower...to be honest I haven't been able to keep up with all the posts. I'm definitely getting bummed out about all the polo practices/matches being rained out. I think I did manage to get 10 pos reps in this week thought. BTW, I'm seeing lots of people signing names to their pos rep. I think I only have one pos rep showing on my User CP that's anonymous!

My next update will be at the end of this month. Hopefully, I'll be able to report that I've done 40 pos reps in Feb. Somehow, I don't doubt it'll happen, but part of this project has also been letting my fellow SC reader know about my progress. I'm hoping that spurs more people into action....

The really good news is looking at the rankings. Last week I noted having only eleven people with 2 green squares. Well, this week it's jumped up to fifteen people with 2 green squares! So either alot of people were just at the boundary with 90 or so rep points, or a bunch of you folks are making the effort to pos rep your fellow SC member.

ps - I'm particularly happy about seeing JohnM with 2 green squares! I know there's a bunch of people here on SC who have issues with him, but I always enjoy reading his views on segways. I guess I don't mind opposing viewpoints...and I'll point out that JohnM and I have clashed regarding my favorite topic ( http://forums.segwaychat.com/showpost.php?p=126022&postcount=22 ). Elephant polo always brings a smile to my face since that day!

I probably didn't hand out as many pos reps during week 9, 10, 11 and 12, but I'll bet I still averaged 7 or 8 per week. To be honest, I focused more on going to the chat room every night. I enjoyed seeing interest in the chatroom increase to the point where we always had 6 or 7 people! I only wish we had more new members participating besides jryan and segsurfer.

I noticed a sudden shift in the rep standings. I believe the moderators may have "promoted" 8 or 9 people by increasing their rep points from less than 100 up to 500. I wasn't watching closely, so I don't know for sure who merited this distinction...as I've said in the past I don't want this to happen to me. I prefer to earn my rep points!

I think the most rewarding experience of this rep point campaign has been seeing so many deserving peoples' rep improve dramaticly. Five people have over 200 rep points (3 green squares), six people have accumulated more than 150 rep points (2 green squares and a "spectacular aura") and fourteen people have 100 rep points or more (2 green squares). And the roster of these 25 people include lots of people I've got to know over the years! All are solid contributors, and I'm glad their effort is being recognized by their peers!!

I'd like to thank everyone for participating in this effort to make Segway Chat a more pleasant and positive place. I think we've achieved the goal of dimiishing the amount of whining, sniping and bickering. It's been replaced by folks expressing their appreciation of their fellow poster's efforts here!

[pam]

No one was "promoted" polo-pro. The moderators did not edit any rep points.
Pam

[nora k]

I probably didn't hand out as many pos reps during week 9, 10, 11 and 12, but I'll bet I still averaged 7 or 8 per week. To be honest, I focused more on going to the chat room every night. I enjoyed seeing interest in the chatroom increase to the point where we always had 6 or 7 people! I only wish we had more new members participating besides jryan and segsurfer.

I noticed a sudden shift in the rep standings. I believe the moderators may have "promoted" 8 or 9 people by increasing their rep points from less than 100 up to 500. I wasn't watching closely, so I don't know for sure who merited this distinction...as I've said in the past I don't want this to happen to me. I prefer to earn my rep points!

I think the most rewarding experience of this rep point campaign has been seeing so many deserving peoples' rep improve dramaticly. Five people have over 200 rep points (3 green squares), six people have accumulated more than 150 rep points (2 green squares and a "spectacular aura") and fourteen people have 100 rep points or more (2 green squares). And the roster of these 25 people include lots of people I've got to know over the years! All are solid contributors, and I'm glad their effort is being recognized by their peers!!

I'd like to thank everyone for participating in this effort to make Segway Chat a more pleasant and positive place. I think we've achieved the goal of dimiishing the amount of whining, sniping and bickering. It's been replaced by folks expressing their appreciation of their fellow poster's efforts here!

i have three boxes now! and i definitely don't see any grand conspiracy in how i got them b/c almost every person who gave points told me who they were.

it seems like you're giving yourself less credit than you deserve. people are taking to the rep points things as you hoped they would. don't look for conspiracies where you should really be congratulated for your own positive actions.

[polo_pro]

No one was "promoted" polo-pro. The moderators did not edit any rep points.
Pam

Then the other explanation is that the number of people being shown per page changed. I use to be on the first page when you sorted by rep rank, but when I got back I'd fallen to the middle of the second page. Thanks for chiming in letting me know what happened from the moderator's viewpoint...I clearly must have jumped to a conclusion.

ps - Nora, you got your rep because you earned it! When rep points are granted, it's always been a very big number. You've got 200+ rep point...you'd have more like 500 (with 5 or 6 green squares) if the moderators had stepped in and changed it.

[wwhopper]

And knowing them, I know they would not.

Polo Pro, thanks for bringing attention to the Rep Point system. Because of your doing so more people are aware of how they work, and are using them. Plus because of your attention you did get Dr. G to change the rep point system so that people could post rep points more often to other posters without having to wait and spread the "love" around.

Also Polo Pro, thanks for brining attention to the Live Chat option as well. I know I spend way more time on there than I should, when I should be doing other stuff. But is a great aspect of this chat site. I recall back in the early days on the old software, lots of people used that feature, and it was great. Looks like more and more are using it again.

[KSagal]

I believe that there was some manipulations in the past, regardless of claims to the contrary, as was also admitted in the past. Perhaps there has not been a recent manipulation... I do not know.

One point to consider, if a person with 10 rep points praises or zings you, they have a small impact on your rep points, just one or two points.

If a person who has 500 points praises or zings you, then the effect is several points at a time. If some people a year or two back were gifted 500 points, then every time they use the system, that impact is felt.

I have been given a single rep point comment, and by the amount of points involved, I have an idea of the amount of points the sender had...

In this manner, some people with elevated points can have a significant impact on another's point total without actually using the edit features...

My last point on this issue, is that if a person has earned a lot of points over the years, than it does make sence that their comment has more weight.

[polo_pro]

I believe that there was some manipulations in the past, regardless of claims to the contrary, as was also admitted in the past. Perhaps there has not been a recent manipulation... I do not know.

One point to consider, if a person with 10 rep points praises or zings you, they have a small impact on your rep points, just one or two points.

If a person who has 500 points praises or zings you, then the effect is several points at a time. If some people a year or two back were gifted 500 points, then every time they use the system, that impact is felt.

I have been given a single rep point comment, and by the amount of points involved, I have an idea of the amount of points the sender had...

In this manner, some people with elevated points can have a significant impact on another's point total without actually using the edit features...

My last point on this issue, is that if a person has earned a lot of points over the years, than it does make sence that their comment has more weight.

You are spot on with everything you've said. But I'd add one more thing. You sort of touched on this above...but if a person has 500 rep points, they'll give 10 pos rep point. So these people have more influence on both the up side and the down side (as Karl describes above).

Karl mentioned this above, but I want to reiterate. If a person can give 10 pos rep points to you because they have 500 rep points themselves, then that same person only gives 1 or 2 neg rep points when they slam you. The rep point system is not zero sum. You have to be a real jerk (in the eyes of your fellow poster) and get at least five or ten times more neg rep than pos rep before your rep is seriously affected.

So don't sweat it if you occasionally get a neg rep....just move on and keep posting because someone's going to pos rep you soon and effectively erase that neg rep.

ps - Personally, I think everyone should look at the reason for the neg rep. Hopefully it's signed so they have some context for it. It never hurts to be introspective a little bit.

[Sal]

Purely for Polo's efforts:

Since 01Feb2008 through 29Feb2008 397 Reputation comments were handed (differing values) amongst the SegChatters.

Out of the 397 reputation comments made, only 16 were negative.

:) I did this on my own, so please don't ask me to do it again, because, there's no magic program. I had to sift through pages and pages of lists, and keep a manual count, so I could be off.

Additionally, only 8 people who have more reputation points (http://forums.segwaychat.com/memberlist.php?&order=DESC&sort=reputation&pp=20) than polo got points in the month of February (between the dates noted above), and no one received a total of more than around 50 points.

Glad to have you back Polo.

This should put any conspiracy theories to rest.

-Sal

[macgeek]

While I was not here, I assumed my rep points would take a major hit.

They have not

(To the credit of the mods)

Jonathan

[jryan]

While I was not here, I assumed my rep points would take a major hit.

They have not

(To the credit of the mods)

Jonathan

Well it's good to have you back!!


Jeremy Ryan

[RAG1247]

While I was not here, I assumed my rep points would take a major hit.

They have not

(To the credit of the mods)

Jonathan


why would you think that your rep points would go down if you weren't here? PT's hasn't gone down.

[KSagal]

why would you think that your rep points would go down if you weren't here? PT's hasn't gone down.


PT may be a bad example. I do not recall when the change to this software was made, but PT has not posted in over 2 years, I believe...

That would mean that he has become one of the people with the highest reputation scores, while never having posted on this forum with reputation points.

This is no indication of his PTs reputation, just his point score.

[pam]

Yes, PT earned his reps long before the move to this software, (the book of pt) there was just no way to show them. :)
Pam