Member Karma System Explained

[Andy R]

The Forums Karma Points System (sometimes referred to as reputation points) is an interactive way for members to give and receive feedback about their posts. If you like a post or think the info is notable, you can give karma (hopefully positive) to the poster and leave a personal message.

Members can only view their own Karma levels and comments. To view your karma, click "profile" link on the blue bar under the member map image. Then scroll all the way down the page. You should see your accumulated score and comments left by others.

Here is how it works.

You earn karma power thusly:

• 1 point for each year of membership
• 1 point for each 500 posts
• 1 point for every 50 karma points you earn

The amount of karma you earn is based on the karma power the person giving you karma has. So if I have a karma power of 8 and give you good karma then your karma increases by 8 points.

Here are other rules:

• You can only give 10 people karma per day
• You have to give 10 different people karma before you can give the same member karma again
• All members have 10 karma points by default
  If a member has less then 5 karma points their "karma hits" do not count toward any other members until they get their karma back above 5.
• A member must post at least once before their "karma hits" count toward other. So if a member has never posted, they can still leave karma but it wont have any effect on the user.

[BC Mike]

What if you just piss off people, can you go negative ?
The antifouling paint question was answered very well by all posters, is there extra karma for having group karma ?
Michael

[Andy R]

Yes you can go negative. A person that has negative karma can still give positive & negative karma but it will not influence the person they are giving it to because it considers that person none influential.

Basically the system is trying to derive who is influential in the communtiy by using the above values. That being said, GordMay would be our most influential member because he has close to the most posts (just recently surpased by CaptainK) and has been a member longest. So when Gord gives others karma, he is going to give them more karma then if a newer less influential member give another member karma.

The biggest variable becoming influential is earning karma. Since every 50 karma points earns you a point of karma power that means it is the quickest way to become more influential.

Here is an example:
I have been a member for less then a year and have less then 500 posts. That means if I give another member posititve karma, their karma score is going to go up by just one point.

If Gord gives a member positive karma their karma score is going to go up by at least 8 points (5 points because he has over 2,500 posts/500 and 1 per year of membership). So that means that Gord is way more influential in this system then I am. So if Gord gives you karma consider it way more special since he has been around so long and contributed so much.

This also puts our older members who don't post as much as more influential then me because they have been around longer, etc...

The system is by no means perfect but is kind of a fun way to tell others thanks for a good posts.

In the example above, the proper thing to do is to give good karma to each response. There is no group function because karma is not given to the person but to the post (to reward good posts).

It will take some time for this system to settle into place but is nice then you think to log into the UserCP and see the other feedback members have left for you. Just another little thing to add to our online cruisers community...

[BC Mike]

Today I was showing a lady our fleet of sail boats as she wants to crew.
She was wearing a lime green blouse which fortunately matched my lime green boat shoes. I also had a Grolsch beer glass with Grolsch beer in it.
Is this good Karma or simply bad taste ?
Michael

[S/V Elusive]

BC Mike - that would depend, yes? First, was she good looking? Second, did she flirt with you, third, did she accept a beer from you, and fourth did you drink the whole beer without spilling any?

P.S. Your karma points will directly depend upon the answers!!! }:>

[Starbuck]

And, was the beer reincarnated as anything else later?

Did I fall asleep and wake up in the Dungeons & Dragons bulletin board?

We already know who is influential, who the ranters are, who the blow-hards are, and so on. I don't need a scorecard to keep track of it all.

I'm the only one who will see my points total? What fun is that?

[Alan Wheeler]

We don't have any here like that do we Cpt Jeff???

[Talbot]

does anybody bother with the karma system - IMHO a total waste of time

[BC Mike]

From S/V Elusive.
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
One small problem, she has a narrow face that reminded me of my X mother in law.
A second viewing with less " fuel " in the system was better.
She also made mention to our club statistition ( the results calculator, also a lady ) that she enjoyed the tour.
She went out on a Capri 30 and the captain reports she does know how to sail, but it was a light air day.
We will be at it again this afternoon.
Michael

[S/V Elusive]

BC Mike - AT What?? O

[BC Mike]

Sailing. The races have moved to Wednesday evenings from Sunday. We will go back to Sunday later in the year. I assume the new girl ( the one with the lime green top that matches my boat shoes ) will be sailing on the Capri 30. We will again beat them boat for boat with the Laser 28, which rates about twenty seconds slower.
My Tanzer 22 ( Grolsch ) will hit the puddle very shortly.
Michael

[Andy R]

As our community evolves we might try out some various features and determine that they are not really a good fit for our community. The aministration and moderation team have decided to disable to the karma system.

Thanks for helping us check this system out and for you patience while we figure out what is best for Cruisers Forum...

[Starbuck]

Thanks to the admin. for not being stubborn: it's pretty obvious that this idea didn't really thrill anyone. But keep the ideas percolating: in baseball, batting .300 is very good. Better luck next time.

[Andy R]

Haha, great analogy. A swing and a miss...

Over time it will all shake out just like it should, I will keep the ideas coming and you all just let me know what you like and what you want to throw back into the water...