what's this karma thing?

[ccexplore]

 http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/huh.gif" alt="???" title="Huh?" class="smiley" />

Never noticed it before, I think it's part of the forum updates.  I have a guess about it but best let Adam actually explain.

[note: you have to be logged in to see it, under the user info displayed on each post at the left]

[Adam]

I'm glad you've ntoiced it, ccexplore!

Karma, basically is a bit like a post rating system. If you like a post, you press the up arrow, if you dislike a post / think it's spam / off topic, you press the down arrow.

Hopefully, it'll help keep some members on the straight and narrow.

So, if, say, for instance somebody posted a piece of info you requested, you could thank them by pressing the up arrow, and if someone disrupts the flow of a thread, you can press the down arrow!

[Clam]

I can see this being very open to abuse. Still, I think we can trust most people here to use it properly, so it's worth a try I guess.

[The Doctor]

T'won't be abused. The administrator will make sure of that.

[Minim]

I can see this being very open to abuse. Still, I think we can trust most people here to use it properly, so it's worth a try I guess.

I see what you're saying here and I agree, but it's quite nice to know that anonymous guests can't use this function.

[Adam]

If I didn't trust you here, I wouldn't have put it on the forum. I'm not expecting the negative vote to be used much, to be honest. Just the positive stuff.

I believe it is possible for me to find out who's been voting for whom, but I'd only do that if someone reported abuse.

[Clam]

Is it possible to just have a "net" karma (positive votes minus negative votes)? I don't like the idea of negative points sticking forever.

[Adam]

I'll look into it.. may take a bit of work, though. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/smiley.gif" alt=":)" title="Smiley" class="smiley" />

[Minim]

I just thought of an idea. If someone 'likes a post' should we display an automatic comment on the post saying something like '1 person likes this post'? Because at the moment we don't actually know which posts have been liked. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/undecided.gif" alt=":-\" title="Undecided" class="smiley" /> This concept has been used in other forums.

[ccexplore]

I don't have like nor dislike to your post above http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/winktounge.gif" alt=";P" title="Wink-Tongue" class="smiley" />, but given the Adam situation, I'm just not expecting any forum changes anytime soon. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/undecided.gif" alt=":-\" title="Undecided" class="smiley" />

I guess if someone really like or dislike a post, (s)he will probably end up replying accordingly to the post anyway, otherwise the like/dislike is probably more of a "meh".  One exception may be things like challenges, in which case number of downloads of an attached replay should give an idea of popularity.

[Luis]

No offense but I think it's pointless. I don't know why people like it. I don't mind it places where you post comments like Youtube or Yahoo, but in a forums I don't think it's necessary and leaving dislikes on a post can make people angry.

[Proxima]

I'm also a member of Caravel Forums, which has a similar system and there it works well. So why doesn't it work here? We're a much smaller forum, and (excluding the 400-odd members who've signed up but never post) we all get on well together. So no-one is actually using the system; even ccexplore only has 16 karma after nearly three years. Which, in turn, makes it much more upsetting when you do lose a point, because it's mainly luck as to whether you'll ever get it back.

[grams88]

On the other forum I go onto (ocd action) we have a thanks button which is very similiar to that one also where if you like someones post you can thank them. I don't think it will get abused if that's the right word to use.