XP spreading...

[Bullgrit]

I'm sorry that seemed confusing. I thought that since we totaled the XP and gave the poster a level, it would be obvious that giving an XP for a post is by extension giving a nod to the poster.

See, I thought the level showed that the poster has made many good posts, not that the poster was well liked. shrug.

Bullgrit

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

see, i thought the level showed that the poster has made many good posts, not that the poster was well liked. Shrug.

Bullgrit

qft.

 

[IronWolf]

I've been giving (serious) xp to good *posts*, not to favorite *posters*. I've given xp to posts by posters that I don't particularly like, when that post is a good point. Giving that xp is a "thumbs up" to that post, it is not an endorsement of that poster.

This is more along the lines of how I have been doing it was well. If a post is good then I can acknowledge it via the XP system. I've given and have no issues giving XP to posters who write a good post even if I am not a particular fan of theirs as I am basing it on post content.

 

[mach1.9pants]

It would mean something if we could give xp to posts/posters who deserve it, when they deserve it, regardless of whether it's once a month to that poster, or once a day. As it is now, probably 1 in 20 xp really "means something." The other 19 xp is just tossed around to burn through the buffer.

Bullgrit

Yes, although I don't randomly spread XP myself but I become 'less stringent' in my XP requirements!

I misunderstood the xp system. I've been giving (serious) xp to good *posts*, not to favorite *posters*. I've given xp to posts by posters that I don't particularly like, when that post is a good point. Giving that xp is a "thumbs up" to that post, it is not an endorsement of that poster.

My misunderstanding comes from an xp award being associated with (shown on) the particular post on the forum, rather than being associated with the particular poster.

When I've seen xp given to one of my posts, I've been assuming I made a good post. I never thought that the xp meant, "You like me! You really like me!"

I'll reconsider my xp awards from now on. If awarding xp is an endorsement of the poster in general, rather than kudos for that particular post, there are some xp I'd like to rescind.

Bullgrit

qft.

And again, can't give you guys XP, but I have been XPing posts not posters. If it is just 'you like that user' then you should be only able to do it once and never again and the levels should be lower. IMO.

 

[Umbran]

See, I thought the level showed that the poster has made many good posts, not that the poster was well liked. shrug.

Shrug yourself, dude. If you want to be that 100% literal, rather than have a discussion in relaxed form, I can do that.

It doesn't show the poster made many good posts or that they are liked - it shows the poster made posts that many people chose to give XP to. Maybe they did it because they liked the post, or liked the person. Maybe they did it because the post met some quality standard (which doesn't equate to "liking" - you can note quality without being pleased by the result). Maybe they did it to post a snarky comment, and were willing to up the XP total to do it, and so on.

That's basically true whether under any rules, or none. There is never any guarantee that the XP denotes quality, either of post or of poster, unless the individuals of EN World choose it to be so. And if they so choose it, that's what they'll denote no matter what the particular rules - the specific rules are only a framing to make some voting patterns a little more difficult.

 

[Nifft]

Unlike postcount, XP are actually supposed to mean something.

Why do you hate @Crothian:?

Cheers, -- N

 

[TarionzCousin]

Why do you hate @Crothian:?

Because he has too many posts here.

Any non-mod with more than 10,000 posts is obviously not busy enough gaming in real life.




P.S. How you doin'?

 

[Nifft]

P.S. How you doin'?

Just peachy, though I need to spread some XP around before poking you back.

"Actually today was more nectarine-y", -- N

 

[TheYeti1775]

Honestly the XP system really means nothing.
Either you like a post or you don't.

 

[Camelot]

Rating and voting systems have meaning only if they have structure, and if folks use that structure in their rating/voting strategy. If you fail to work with the structure, that will result in your votes meaning less.

In this case, the behavior you're describing is exactly the stuff that makes your votes have less meaning in the structure. You give an XP because you really like one post. You see another post by the same person, and want to give another XP. So, you lay about you to "burn through the buffer" as you put it. In that process, you devalue your first point. So, why in heaven's name are you doing that?

The system is currently designed to show breadth of appeal, not depth. You already said you liked the person's post. That you like seventeen other of their posts is not really what the system is measuring - you liked the one, we already know you're going to tend to like other posts by that same poster.

If a person has 20 XP now, it more or less means that his posts were liked by something like 20 people. That five people liked him a whole lot is not something the system is intended to display. Trying to force it to display depth when it isn't intended to is what makes your votes have much less meaning in the system.

I haven't been here as long as some of the other posters, and maybe my new-fangled youngster thinking is the reason for this, but I agree with the idea that XP should be for posters not their posts. However, I also agree that the way the XP system runs currently is attributing to the idea that it is for the posts.

To show that XP represents the posters and not their individual posts, the XP awards shouldn't be shown in the post, but like it used to be should be shown only when you click on the poster's name. Also, the "spread XP around" idea really reinforces XP --> post mentality. What would help XP --> poster mentality would be to only allow you to award XP to a poster once every week or two weeks or something. This would show that the poster is still worthy of admirers as time goes by, rather than showing that they had one or two good ideas. It would also completely get rid of the need to "spread around XP" to people who "don't deserve it."

But me, I've only been here a little over a year. Plus, this is the first forum I ever joined. I may not yet be used to how a forum works as a whole, or how the XP system or lack thereof affects the community. It's the only system I've ever known. Still, I thank you all for giving me, a lowly kobold, the opportunity to make known my whippersnapper ideas. It has been an honor and a privelage.