New Member Listing?

Hi,

Yes, the way members are listed has changed. Basically, the new system isn't based only on the number of posts you have made. Different numbers of points are awarded for things like posting a new topic vs. having your answer marked as a best answer, etc. This is why you might see some discrepancies like that.

The main advantage of this system is that it will allow, in the future, people to become subject experts. If you have a large number of points on a specific forum, you will be listed as an expert on that topic. You can be an expert on multiple topics, as well.

As for why the names have changed such as "Tom's Newbie, Tom's Regular, etc" from the old one, we wanted a standardized thing over all the forums. Also, once the expert listings are finished, those names will become less important.

For a better explanation, please see this post: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/20737-12-member-ranki...

Justin

Bad idea. So, a member's 'ranking' has become a product of your discretion. Not so much that, but what's with changing 'everything' about the Forum? So far, there is little success in the complete makeover. The Forum is 'down' more than it's up and functioning correctly like one would expect it to. If my computer ran as bad as this Forum does I would stop using it and get something that worked properly. Amazing the people in charge of the technical aspects of this site can not even troubleshoot and maintin a message board for God's sake. Talk about ineptness and making a bad choice career-wise. Besides being down with increasing regularity, one of the most useful features of the Forum was totally eliminated due to 'taking too much resources'. Pardon me while I wipe the smile off my face. The New Topics link used to link New Topics for the 'entire' Forum. A one click solution to view ALL new topics for the entire forum with the click of the button. Now, when I click New Topics on the individual Forums, it doesn't even work. I do not know what that is, some malfunctioning junk someone screwed up. Anyway, the Forum has most assuredly gone downhill with all this change. The Forum should have been left alone for the most part. It's like a bunch of know nothings in life emptied the toy box, messed their diapers and getting a fresh change is all that matters for the day. If you can not see that changing everything about the Forum has it heading for disaster, then you have learned nothing in life. What awful management to tear down a site like this.

You are arbitrarily assiging "badges" as you see fit?


Edit; Quotation marks added so not to confuse with Tom's member AKA badge

Well Knocknut, every member is effected by this new member ranking one that had been in place for probably ten years. Now you are a Tom's Newbie (laugh). I am a Tom's regular (been her more than three years for that designaton). But Justin. Justin is an Administratior. Designated in Red. Bad. Just plain bad judgement on management's part. Justin is exempt from his own member ranking ranking. Fail.

knotknut,

No, the future badges will also be assigned based on point scores. They will just be individual to specific categories. For example, someone might be ranked a Gold (or whatever it ends up being called) in Windows XP and a Silver in Homebuilt Systems.

Justin

badge,

If you'll notice, they are still deciding exactly how to designate each ranking and what to call it. As to why all these changes have been done, I can't give you an answer. I don't create these changes. That isn't what I do. I just moderate the forum and report bugs. I give my opinions before changes go into effect, but I am not, by any means, the only or most influential person with opinions.

Justin

After looking at various other members information I have determined that Fredi's ranking chart does not apply... period.

I read the link member rankings. The 'point' system you applied may have some use in the future, remains to be seen. It's a bit complicated. 40 points for this. points for that. Behind the line, 3 points. Free thow 1 point. Missed free thow -1 point. How many points for a suspension and fine? I have no idea how to score points. Or detract from my point total for that matter. Knocknut has been around for yars. he is now a Tom's Newbie. If he works hard he can become a Tom's Regular. Pinch me. Anyway, Justin thanks for taking the time to answer these posts. I appreciate it. Hey, do I get a gold star in this section. On a more serious not, I meant it when I said making all these changes will likely have a negative effect in the long run. The people in charge fall of this Forum fall short on learning curves. Their 'no experience' attitude is a glowing personal asset.

If they take out the Mods ratings, its pure failure. Change for change sake? Or, better yet, if it aint broke.....

badge you have the best answer......now where do I get the 25 points?

Edit; please give badge 40 points for being selected.

Thank you

Thanks for the info Justin. I am not going to "shoot the messenger", but I am going to add my 2 cents.
It was a horrible way to launch a completely irrelevant system.
All I need to do to boost my points rating is to start posting eh? Okay, I can do that, boy oh boy can I do that.
Makes no difference if I simply ask a hundred pointless dumb-ass questions, I'll still get points...yippppeee.
How ridiculous.
I really see no way to possibly offended all the long time posters worse than this latest fiasco.

As I said, I am not shooting the messenger, but please, please make sure all the feedback gets back to the idiots who think this stuff up.
Why don't they ask the people who actually frequent the forum with nothing but good intentions, about matters like this instead of just shoving it down our throats?

Tom's Regular   Can you image the wardrobe of the guy who thought this up. Pee We Herman comes to mind.  

Wait, Justin thought this up? You can suspend me now. Just don't change the seating arrangement and sit behind me at the theatre.

jitpublisher,

I have already given feedback along the lines you have suggested, but, people feel that, in order to increase forum activity we need more questions. Also, the "best" answers do get a large amount of points. I tend to disagree with the methodology myself, as it could be seen as encouraging people to ask a lot of dumb questions and lowering the perceived value of answers. However, I already mentioned to the main design people this possibility. They feel that the fact "best" answers are awarded so much makes up for this. That could be right, only time will tell. As I have said, the point values can be adjusted over time.

Justin

badge,

You are right that I changed the mod, but that has nothing to do with this ranking system change. It was just that a moderator suggested it to me at the same time. I think it does make sense to have moderators in different colors to alert users who they are talking with (in case the moderator asks the user to do something like tone down his responses). Otherwise, how would the user know it wasn't just some random person?

Justin

Thats the whole thing. Change the writers/articles/depth/direction, fine. Change the look, the colors, structure etc, fine, change how the forums look/are used/and whats in them, fine. But dont attempt to insult us old timers by defining us, not so fine

To finish off jaydeejohn......... DONT fix it!!!

Any way to make you reconsider all this change that has been implemented? Come on, you are a nOOb. 231 posts and 173 points? I have nearly 8000 posts and only 1686 points. I have no idea how I got them. Blind ambition is a virtue I tell you. Not a great attribute, but driving this thing while blind is a sure direction for disaster. That's what I see on this Forum regarding all the change. Blind ambition. Kind of like an attribute a dictator has. Straught in the toilet. It's the lack of experience at being a ruler of the world that tell's me I should have left well enough alone. To put it lightly.

Edit for Writer's Embellishment. And points. A lot of points. I think.

OK, long lengthy point coming in:

Awhile ago, I wasnt very popular in the cpu section, as it tended to be so 1 sided, it wasnt funny. P2 was coming, and I presented its case, strongly, with as much info as I could find, which was vehemently knocked back, down and around by the somewhat 1 sided cpu section, at that time.
I made several threads, all attacked, me getting major vote downs etc, while other people were getting their "best points".
Now, I really dont give 1 iota about points, or other such things that seems to matter to some, but, I do think its important that others, newer members see all that contribute in a positive way, regardless of the "feelings" of others, and how, overall, that will effect their "score". Entering into this type of folly just muddies the waters.
I look upon the cpu section now, with a much more balanced mindset, which is more open to ideas, and posts, unlike before, and yet, the very thing that happened discredits those that go against the "norm", even tho, down the road, the "norm" is what was said by those that opposed it at that time.
You want better, more? Get rid of the point system

Was it you who 'broke' the CPU section? Last I clicked on that section, it didn't exist.

badge,

There is nothing that you can say to me that will make me change anything. I don't have the power to change anything, even if I wanted to. Now, is there anything you could say to anyone that could make BOM change anything? Yes, we are discussing changing the different levels, etc. I just sent an e-mail saying I don't like the historical way points have been awarded (downranking people). Hopefully it will be changed.

As for getting rid of this system, no, we aren't going to get rid of it. I know that much for certain.

Justin

*sigh* The quality of the forums continues to slide, that is also for certain.

The ponits don't seem to be based on anything of substance though. Why do I get points for selecting a best answer? What does voting have to do with anything that matters at all?

This is just asking for more google failures.. We complain about morons posting things like "is a 4890 better than a gtx275?" instead of using a search engine all the time. Now we are rewardign it? It is mind boggling.. This world should reward independant thinking, not lack of knowledge. I come here to read and take part in discussions, and help the odd person from time to time. Not to read a billion threads on how Joe can't figure out how to use google.

I see that current members were just given points as a fraction of thier posts. I guess have somecatching up to do, lol. I won't start posts about *** though  

I don't acre that I have relatively few points, but I certainly do care about the forum system rewarding those that do by allowing them to fill the forums with threads that don't mean anything. I get sick of all the folks who can't be bothered to look things up on thier own already.. now we are basicvally asking them to never bother with it again? How is this going to make teh forum look in a year from now? Will those of us wanting to have a real conversation jsut be drown out in a sea of is 'A better than B'?

Justin,

Well, thank you again for understanding and taking time to think the issue through. My God, you must be talking to like a guy who builds his house in gold bricks with American dollars. If He's French, say mean words to him and get him to surrender along with the entire country. I think you are an educated guy who can see past ruining something through blind ambition and the change that comes with it. You are right here in the US of A right? Who are the people you are talking to at BOM? Besides Joan of Arc and Helen Keller? Is it a woman? You are dealing with a woman. She will fleece you for everything you have. But yes, changing the member rankings to names more resembling the strong bunch of men we are would help. I feel like a woman has demoted to a Tom's pansy calling me a 'regular'. God I'm glad I'm not a scout. As in Boy.

I fail to see how taking away the rankings most have already earned is going to generate more questions...

Unless they meant in the Fourms section, it will certainly generate plenty here.

EDIT: Also, how are we to earn these coveted 'best answers' when the noobs usually hit and run?

Toms' Joan and Helen's Hardware.

Wannabe Hardware.

This does have serious ramifications. Id hate to see Toms slide down the slippery slope of mediocrity, where true help is abandoned/discedited, and those who do the discrediting are rewarded, meanwhile, google gets a breather from all the mediocrity answered here on Toms.
I say, all you who take part in change, know what it is, what it means, and how, if any is applied, is best done. Get out in the forums yourselves.

Good sound advice from a Tom's Regular. It's the Tom's Newbies, Tom's Scouts and Tom's Pansy's that come over here in the Forum related section and post things like my desktop toolbar has dissappeard, wth. That should all change (HAR) with Tom's newbies and Pansy's around with like 2000 posts.

I suppose it is all pointless.. no one really cares about the points. I've never seen a random mention someones post count unless it was to indicate one had no life.

Good information will still be good information regardless of the nubmer of points. Regulars will still know who the regulars are.. I just fear for a future where we want people to post pointless crap that means nothing istead of warning and bannign them if they forget to check google first 10 times an hour... It gets hard to wade through the crap now. I can't imagine how it will be when people find out they get extra star power for posting crap they were always told not to in the past.

I just don't want the forum to be 99.9% "How do i turn on my monitor"

Hea, check it out.

I'm a Wannabe-Wannabe

And I already have 50 POINTS....WOW!

Hi,

Yes. I am in the USA. As for taking away rankings that people have already earned, I agree that is stupid. That is why I sent an e-mail asking to fix this. Unfortunately, France is 6 hours ahead. No one is at work now, I won't have an answer till tomorrow (if then).

Justin

heh,heh,heh!

Remember Justin, none of this is directed AT you, but to you, in efforts to sum up our disappointment/disapproval of this, and to give you some fodder in this stupid decision

+1, We love all of our mods.

I'm glad you guys are here to forward on our concerns.

How many points do I get for starting this thread??? ... Just Joking....  

As other people have said... Justin... thank you for taking the time and trying to explain why people do what people do. We are fear change and we can't make everyone happy. I agree with daedalus685 ... I have found these forms to be very useful and I take pride in providing my feedback with the goal of maybe a little of my knowledge will help someone out. I just wish there was a better way of "Grandfathering" in the regulars and not putting them in the same class as people that triple post or start two or three threads on the same topic but now have the same points. I take all feedback but I look for feedback from the regulars I see posting everyday.

No system is perfect... We can only hope to improve upon it when faults are found.... Maybe we'll get SP1 for the New Member Listing after Justin talks to the people in France....

I am a Tom's Scout!
I cannot help but sit here and laugh as look at that. I really could care less about the point deal, as it is set up to work, it is means nothing anyway.
It is just too funny, makes me feel like a 50 year old Cub Scout.
I think I'll build bird house out of popsicle sticks this weekend.

Hey,

I have received feedback from France. Basically, what they feel (and will be willing to adjust if necessary in a few weeks time) is that, scores will rapidly improve with the system after a few weeks. The reason that older scores are so low is to not have the system negatively affected by old members who are not active anymore. They are confident that, given a few weeks of normal participation, your scores will be very accurately reflected.

Justin

Back in the 60's and 70's calling someone a Wannabe or being called a Wannabe was as bad as any Racial Slur. I still hear it everyonce and awhile today.
To use a term like Wannabe, I feel is totally inappropriate.

Well, in the end, its what we know, and how we share it. Accuracy on a faulty system? TY Justin

rsetter,

The actual naming of the ranks is under debate too.

Justin

Thanks for your continued sharing of the info as you get it Justin.
I'll stop whining now.

Yeah, how about a suggestion regarding naming of the ranks to follow the posts totals like name/ranking has been in the past. The new Point totals remains to be seen how meaningful or non meaningful they become. I know, you can only suggest to the brown pants of France. I would ask after what model they used to come up with this new member Id/ranking system. Where is this in practice and so successful with everyone involved? Mention how we landed on the beaches of Normandy and gave them back their country. Ask them if they know who Speilberg is? An, let them know you won't stand for this and will resign as Supreme ruler if they don't run in defeat before the fight starts.

Edit for Writer's embellishment and the defeat of France. Again.

Yeah





















Or, just tell em we'll start a war " o noe, we loze agin"

Cheese eating surrender monkeys.

Everybody seen the French army knife?
http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/images/blpic-fr...

Don't do any more hurtful French jokes. They have experienced enough hurt for one nation. Since Saddam is gone, they have been paying a hefty premium for their energy needs.

They need to use gasahol

When have you seen snakes use crude alternatives/

Theres always Imalwaysbadad from Iran
Or is his name Iminitforthegihad?