Post:like ratios changed

[Dan]

I've changed the post ratio criteria for the 'esteemed' member tag.

I've also posted this in the off-topic chat area, so feel free to take this one off-topic. It won't affect your like ratios as posts in this forum category aren't counted towards your total likes or posts. (That's a heads up as to how to post off-topic content! - This forum category has always been here lol)

So the criteria for esteemed is currently set at:-

• 1000 posts required
• Half of those need likes

So 1:0.5 is the ratio.

So 20,000 posts need a total combined likes of 10,000.

I have mentioned this somewhere else, but I'll say it again just in case you didn't clock it.

Lou and I have setup a 'Winner' reaction (like button) that will register a +5 'like' figure for each click we give. So between actual work, we're going around trying to find the bigger more detailed replies to newbies, and clicking it for you. This will take some time to do, clearly, but at least we're helping you guys out.

If you know of a post you did that you think was really helpful, report it for us, and say 'consider this' or something and we'll take a look. Can't promise anything but we'll take a look for sure.

The new video area needs attention: https://www.plumbersforums.net/media/

This will one day be nice and busy, we hope. So for those that are contributing towards adding videos to there, we will click the 'winner' like thing for you on each and every video you add. Try not to spam it with rubbish. Just the plumbing-related stuff please.

(That doesn't get counted as a post for you either - so that's a +5 reaction, without an increase of your post count! )

Big thanks to the people who have stuck with us during this change. We can all relax a bit now I think. And get the forum as a whole back on-topic and helpful.

I'm working on the directory, which will give you some financial benefits long-term. I do keep breaking it, it wasn't designed to do what I want it to do, so I'm chopping up code. But carefully, so when we upgrade the forum in the future, there's less chance of us losing it again. I think this must be the 4th go of a directory we have tried. One was even an independent site (anybody remember FindTrustedTradesmen.co.uk? - We missed the boat there, that was online before all these check-a-builder sites! - Why aren't I a millionaire now? lol).

 

[king of pipes]

I can't see me getting 50% of likes Dan I have helped a good few people out recently and they say thanks but never hit that like button if I wasn't for you and Lou I would never get any ha ha. Kop

 

[rpm]

Agree with kop (and would add a like if I could). As he said people seem to say thanks in words for some strange reason as I believe they are advised of the like button when they join.

I know my core subject very well, can`t remember ever being challanged on a reply, yet I haven`t a hope in hell of hitting the ratio level and no way on earth am I adding a pleading note at the end of any post to "like" me.

I earnt the old badge given to me on merit recognised over time by old long standing members not a selection of one question and I`m gone people. That said I can live without a badge besides my name just in case anybody thinks I am pleading for one now.

 

[Best]

To achieve ‘Likes’ from new members to our posts equivalent to 50% of posts is likely to need Lou to constantly go through all threads adding Likes, which she is doing at present.
That would add a lot of work though for Lou, or anyone doing same.

I see one problem with that being if someone does a detailed reply to a thread, - that would not always necessarily be correct or helpful information, so how can a post be verified as correct or relevant to the posters query?

 

[king of pipes]

Agree with kop (and would add a like if I could). As he said people seem to say thanks in words for some strange reason as I believe they are advised of the like button when they join.

I know my core subject very well, can`t remember ever being challanged on a reply, yet I haven`t a hope in hell of hitting the ratio level and no way on earth am I adding a pleading note at the end of any post to "like" me.

I earnt the old badge given to me on merit recognised over time by old long standing members not a selection of one question and I`m gone people. That said I can live without a badge besides my name just in case anybody thinks I am pleading for one now.

Agree with you totally bud .
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This is something that's not sustainable Lou and Dan have more than enough to do, short-term maybe to check the quality of advice and guidance but Maybe its time to just let it ride if people press like all well and good but its not a problem if not . Kop

 

[Dan]

I can't see me getting 50% of likes Dan I have helped a good few people out recently and they say thanks but never hit that like button if I wasn't for you and Lou I would never get any ha ha. Kop

You nearly have 50% mate.

Agree with kop (and would add a like if I could). As he said people seem to say thanks in words for some strange reason as I believe they are advised of the like button when they join.

I know my core subject very well, can`t remember ever being challanged on a reply, yet I haven`t a hope in hell of hitting the ratio level and no way on earth am I adding a pleading note at the end of any post to "like" me.

I earnt the old badge given to me on merit recognised over time by old long standing members not a selection of one question and I`m gone people. That said I can live without a badge besides my name just in case anybody thinks I am pleading for one now.

Just had a quick look, quite a lot of your posts are in reply to already off-topic stuff. So unless you and whoever you were waffling with liked each others posts, you just caused more posts with no likes.

We are trying to clock the threads with a lot of waffle in them, and remove the posts. Make the thread helpful for people in the future who find them via google etc. It will be something we need to work on (me and Lou).

So you guys concentrate on helping each other, and fellow plumbers who come here from hereon in, and of course the odd DIY member will be super grateful for helping them with their issues.

And we have notices up (and will work on the auto-emails that go out when people register to inform them too) everywhere now telling people to not waffle, and to like helpful posts.

To achieve ‘Likes’ from new members to our posts equivalent to 50% of posts is likely to need Lou to constantly go through all threads adding Likes, which she is doing at present.
That would add a lot of work though for Lou, or anyone doing same.

I see one problem with that being if someone does a detailed reply to a thread, - that would not always necessarily be correct or helpful information, so how can a post be verified as correct or relevant to the posters query?

We are all up against the same ratios here. And a lot of people have the esteemed tag. So if we're to see the difference between their account and yours, it's usually always the waffle.

Despite you getting likes, you're waffling a lot (off-topic). So your helpful posts have got some likes on them. But then you've posted 3 more posts in the thread just waffling to another member. And that means both of you now have 3 more posts with no likes.

I know this like thing is awkward, and borderline weird. And a bit stalkerish when me and Lou are going backwards in time to like stuff.

But the other option was to have fellow plumbers 'vote you in' (or even worse, have your name thrown in the ring, and have people say No, don't let him in the TA group and forum - then one day you do get in, and you read that - and end up with a grudge for life) and that's really cliquey and caused a lot of issues for the forum as a whole. Because the threads are then just discussion between mates. And not the helpful forum threads we intended to have when making the forum.

I obviously have three forums I run. And all forums are now using this method. And it works. I wish we could have launched the forum with the system, but we didn't even have likes back in 2007 let alone become able to set tags based on them. (So anybody who's been here since around 2010 will have a lot of posts with no likes on from then).

I've adjusted the ratios to catch a lot of people, but not everybody. If I relax it too much, everybody has it. Even when they first sign up to the forum. And it also becomes easy to cheat then too.

So I'm working WITH you (not against you) to make this system run well. And reward you all.

It isn't quite there yet. But we are getting there I think. The other forums are kinda there now. This one had a shocking amount of waffle in threads, and I think that stems from the former staff being very cliquey and waffling themselves within threads. So it kinda set the tone of the forum.

Hence me coming on a bit strong when I changed it over, to get rid of some of the trolls and cliquey groups. So we have left the sound people who are helpful and do want to support the forum.

It was on its last legs. You are still only online here because the electricians forums is doing so well. We have (and had) a hell of a lot of traffic, we have literally thousands of members. Yet a lot of it was off-putting for people not in the clique.

I bet you all a fiver, that you can't name more than a dozen members. And if you do name a dozen, 10 of the 12 on each of your lists are the same 10.

It needed changing. It needed somebody with balls to do it too. Because we have and had a lot of abuse doing it. And staff (volunteer or otherwise) don't deserve it.

We've had bloody hate mail as a result. How weird are some of the people on these places?! lol

So we need to move on, be better, not let cliques develop, report any waffle you find (current or old threads) and we will move on together.

As the community we once were.

The PlumbersForums - The sound plumbing forum that invites people aboard and helps them with their plumbing issues.