No more balls - for now

I stayed with and supported the reputation system until hours before it was terminated. The original intent was excellent......i.e., grade individual posts on the content and usefulness......, but with no checks and balances it soon turned into a popularity contest.

When one CSR member received 2 green balls from the system based on a single post of a non-boating joke and other members got red balls for every helpful boating related post because they angered others with their postings 2 weeks ago, the system isn't working as it was intended. If you doubt the above, just sort the ball count and see who the top 10 are.

Opting out of the system is a mistake. If we have such a system, participation should be mandatory.

I am concerned that some of the methods, fixes, recommendations we see posted are just off the wall, clearly wild a$$ guesses and in some instances, down right dangerous. I suppose that is the nature of forums as they grow. Some type of process is needed to identify who you can trust for experience and down to earth, quality answers.......I just know the reputation system in its recent format wasn't the answer.
 
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In my view, one major problem was the "weighting" of the points. It seemed that getting a "green" or a "red" from a high ranking board member would swing points significantly. Not cool. One ball.. . one point.

Personally. . . I am happier without it.
 
Now what are some going to going to bitch about?

I had just about moved from #12 into a virtual tie for the 10th spot with some recent spurts of "boating genius," and now it's gone. All gone! :smt089:smt089
 

Deleted again


You keep that up and you are libel to get... what was the term I heard when I was much younger and in the military. Had something to do with not getting sex ... one was apt to get something balls...I remember it was a color...what was it? ____balls :lol::smt043:lol:
 
While the balls were amusing (I was proud to have 3, but my wife didn't understand), they are unnecessary. After only being on the forum a few days, several things were very obvious to me:
Both Franks give good advice. Frank W is a bit more tactful
Hampton gives good advice period
Presentation ponders many things and has broken at least one "Covet" commandment
Gary gives good advice, but may beat you to death with it
Mike (Turtle) is funny and gets stuck in thunderstorms
Hurricanes follow Gary
Bill (BillandAmy) is very ecclectic
Kearny is full of crap

My point is that if you pay attention, you can figure out who is what. If you come to a forum like this and take the first advice you get, without doing a little research, then you deserve what you get.

Just my $.02, I could be totally wrong though.
 
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I worked really hard at my measly two greenies. I have not been posting much lately, just checking in now and then.... way too much great boating weather here in Cincinnati. I will miss my balls, green or otherwise. After almost one year here at CSR I have easily identified who to trust and who to just smile and nod at. As in life, BS and nonsense is easy to spot... I'll always agree that the rep system should not apply to the "Holding Tank"
 
I personally was just getting used to having balls at all. Now I know why you men are always so distracted.
 
What should be looked at is the quality of the posts - were they better after the ball system was instituted? I would argue that there has been no significant difference in the quallity of the content of the board from before/after the balls. So why bother with the green and red balls ?
 
Even though I wanted the ball system to work, it is my personal opinion that people were playing games with the system and it was not being based at all on the content of post. Also every other post had mention to the reputation system and that was not the point. It would have been nice if we could have used it correctly and for the right purpose. However that was not the case.

In my humble opinion it was not working and I am glad to see it gone. As has been pointed out by several of the members it is pretty easy to tell who is giving useful information and those that are just throwing out a guess.


Wesley
 
While the balls were amusing (I was proud to have 3, but my wife didn't understand), they are unnecessary. After only being on the forum a few days, several things were very obvious to me:
Both Franks give good advice. Frank W is a bit more tactful
Hampton gives good advice period
Presentation ponders many things and has broken at least one "Covet" commandment
Gary gives good advice, but may beat you to death with it
Mike (Turtle) is funny and gets stuck in thunderstorms
Hurricanes follow Gary
Bill (BillandAmy) is very ecclectic
Kearny is full of crap

My point is that if you pay attention, you can figure out who is what. If you come to a forum like this and take the first advice you get, without doing a little research, then you deserve what you get.

Just my $.02, I could be totally wrong though.

Herein lies part of the problem. If both Franks give good advice, then Hampton giving good advice period is more of a reflection of the system than the advice. Somehow, I got on the crazy train on rating in the last week or two. Frank W gives good advice period. I, Hampton, try really hard to give good, quick advice, and am not afraid to give a guy a wag at his costs, efficiency... I never, ever, flame a guy for any input or question that was posted in good faith. I attack vigorously people who flame others who are not deserving.

Maybe my rating went higher than deserved because I always treat people with respect until they prove they don't want and/or deserve it. Either way, I'm glad it's gone - for now.
 

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