Rep exclusion in spam

[Kris]

People shouldn't be able to rep one-another in spam/forum games sections. Historic rep in those sections should also be erased.
The spam section is the primary reason why rep has absolute no meaning whatsoever right now. I'm not saying this change will suddenly make rep the holy grail of metrics, but it'll take a lot more effort to actually cheat the system with this change.

An added benefit is that people will have to start posting in other sections which are actually moderated if they wish to increase their rep. At least those posts will have to stick to the rules, and thus, add some actual value.

 

[techdaan]

It would be nice for rep to be more representative of someone's contributions, rather than just how active they were on the spam forums. Nice suggestion.

 

[Riley]

what a good suggestion!

 

[Scu11]

There's too many banger threads and posts in spam section that are deserving of reputation imo, and explaining the distinction of why rep works in one section and not another to people will be confusing to people within a system that itself is already confusing (arbitrary numbers, arbitrary limits). It's a relic from 2000s era forums that does have some merit in still being here for historical reasons.

I could probably see it for the forum games section, but then I would beg the question "if someone comes up with a fun game that people enjoy, why can't I rep OP for posting the thread"? It's just an odd restriction.

Furthermore, any attempt to legitimise rep as anything more than "likes before likes existed" is going to be futile just due to the site's history. The less stock people put in reputation (somewhat poorly named, but again history dicates it) as a number, the better.

 

[Cjay0091]

There's too many banger threads and posts in spam section that are deserving of reputation imo, and explaining the distinction of why rep works in one section and not another to people will be confusing to people within a system that itself is already confusing (arbitrary numbers, arbitrary limits). It's a relic from 2000s era forums that does have some merit in still being here for historical reasons.

I could probably see it for the forum games section, but then I would beg the question "if someone comes up with a fun game that people enjoy, why can't I rep OP for posting the thread"? It's just an odd restriction.

Furthermore, any attempt to legitimise rep as anything more than "likes before likes existed" is going to be futile just due to the site's history. The less stock people put in reputation (somewhat poorly named, but again history dicates it) as a number, the better.

I don't fully get your stance here. You are saying it should just be left alone as it doesn't matter, but also some historical posts deserve it. Which is it?

If it's some decaying thing, why keep it in the first place? The forum was a good chance to start things fresh.

+1 on the suggestion as long as we can also make negging a non-payed thing.

 

[Suic]

Solid suggestion, at the very least rep received from the thread with the most posts should be erased as people just farm rep there, but it'd be better if it was removed from the spam section entirely

 

[Scu11]

I don't fully get your stance here. You are saying it should just be left alone as it doesn't matter, but also some historical posts deserve it. Which is it?

What do you mean "which is it"? These two things aren't mutually exclusive. It both should be left alone, as it doesn't matter, and I think there are threads posted that I would want to rep in the spam section.

The system has historical context from the early 2000s of internet forums. An established understanding of what it's for is in place - as I eluded to earlier it was a form of likes/reactions before they really became a thing (the 'Like'/'Thank' system was not added to R-S until the early 2010s).

If you want to delete it, then that's a different matter. But in it's current state there are threads & posts I'd want to rep people for in the spam section with its current agreed understanding of what it represents.

If it's some decaying thing, why keep it in the first place? The forum was a good chance to start things fresh.

I never said anything along the lines of it decaying. I outlined its historical flaws, such as its name. I don't think it's decaying in any form, it's been a stable system for two decades - it just has baggage from being from another era of internet forums and I think renaming it would just confuse/upset people further.

I'm personally for just straight up deleting it as a system, but I doubt the majority of the userbase is.

If we're going to keep it, I don't see why we should start adding arbitrary limits on it when people have circumvented those limits for two decades. It's not really solving or improving anything and making the system unnecessarily complex (how do we communicate why random sections can be repped in and some can't). We already get similar questions as to why post-count doesn't accrue in those sections.

As I said earlier, the less stock people put in these arbitrary numbers, the better. Attempting to legitimise it with arbitrary rules on where you can/can't give rep after 2 decades won't really change anything.

 

[Format]

I agree with Scu11 I reckon just delete the thing. Its a runescape private server forum, if it upsets people that others are taking advantage then just remove it lol. Its like tax, all the people not taking advantage of the tax systems are the ones complaining lol. Also if there wasn't so many judgemental sour people in other sections maybe more people would contribute.

Also, to be honest I didn't think anyone actually thought anything of rep so I don't see what the fuss is about. I just like poking the boys with it.

 

[Women]

The spam section is the primary reason why rep has absolute no meaning whatsoever right now. I'm not saying this change will suddenly make rep the holy grail of metrics, but it'll take a lot more effort to actually cheat the system with this change.

As you already mentioned, moving forward with your suggestion is not going to suddenly bring meaning to our rep system.

I know what you're referring to when you say cheating the system, and I could be mistaken, but I don't think there are any guidelines on how to use the rep system. Maybe there is, I haven't actively looked for them, but I think users should be free to use it however they choose. Removing it will have very little effect on "cheating the system". I can still rep whoever I want.

An added benefit is that people will have to start posting in other sections which are actually moderated if they wish to increase their rep.

Lol, let's be real bro that's wishful thinking.

Anyway, I think it should either be left alone or removed entirely. Imo adding useless restrictions would actually do the opposite of what you're suggesting and would harm forum activity. But I agree with Scu11 in that it has historical value, and overall think it's a fun feature, so I err on the side of keeping it around.

 

[Kris]

If multiple people are suggesting to get rid of it, why aren't we? There was a significant push to try and get rid of rep to begin with when we migrated. Despite that, effort was put in to ensuring that rep transfers over. Who's actually against removing it? I don't mind that option either, but it seemed like a sunken ship so I've been looking at ways to make something completely meaningless at least mean something. I honestly can't stand the mindset of "too little too late" or "it might fail so let's do nothing at all". It's really not helping this community.

 

[Scu11]

I think it should be some form of community vote. Some people are very invested in it - also there is a lot of history in the rep comments etc. It's been a staple of the forum, so I can imagine some would be sad to see it go.

 

[Format]

If multiple people are suggesting to get rid of it, why aren't we? There was a significant push to try and get rid of rep to begin with when we migrated. Despite that, effort was put in to ensuring that rep transfers over. Who's actually against removing it? I don't mind that option either, but it seemed like a sunken ship so I've been looking at ways to make something completely meaningless at least mean something. I honestly can't stand the mindset of "too little too late" or "it might fail so let's do nothing at all". It's really not helping this community.

I haven't seen any official suggestions or forum poll? I appreciate you trying to better the community but Im sure theres a million other way better things that could help this forum more. Removing rep or changing the way it works isn't going to do anything. Most people just use the likes/thanks anyway.

 

[Kris]

I haven't seen any official suggestions or forum poll? I appreciate you trying to better the community but Im sure theres a million other way better things that could help this forum more. Removing rep or changing the way it works isn't going to do anything. Most people just use the likes/thanks anyway.

That's because there never was anything official, but a lot of people in discord did try to push towards the removal of it. Nothing ever came of it, kept pushing and specifically wasting time on ensuring this feature ports over.
Likes/thanks received used to mean something. It didn't get the same treatment as rep did though, and so it ported over completely wrong. Mine shows 650ish thanks received. On VBulleting, iirc I had a either 1.5k or 3k (I don't remember whether the received or given was the 1.5k one). It's nowhere near those metrics so that was entirely destroyed, arguably it was more valuable yes because of how tarnished rep had already become.

The argument of "there are better things to put time on" is a shit excuse to not do something. There's always something better to do. It's not an excuse to not do anything else.

 

[Rusko]

That's because there never was anything official, but a lot of people in discord did try to push towards the removal of it. Nothing ever came of it, kept pushing and specifically wasting time on ensuring this feature ports over.
Likes/thanks received used to mean something. It didn't get the same treatment as rep did though, and so it ported over completely wrong. Mine shows 650ish thanks received. On VBulleting, iirc I had a either 1.5k or 3k (I don't remember whether the received or given was the 1.5k one). It's nowhere near those metrics so that was entirely destroyed, arguably it was more valuable yes because of how tarnished rep had already become.

The argument of "there are better things to put time on" is a shit excuse to not do something. There's always something better to do. It's not an excuse to not do anything else.

Not true, the same thread everyone is using for reputation were also getting thanks received so didn't really mean anything more than rep.
Both numbers are something that meant something back in the day and today they are a joke but still a lot of history behind them.

 

[Format]

That's because there never was anything official, but a lot of people in discord did try to push towards the removal of it. Nothing ever came of it, kept pushing and specifically wasting time on ensuring this feature ports over.
Likes/thanks received used to mean something. It didn't get the same treatment as rep did though, and so it ported over completely wrong. Mine shows 650ish thanks received. On VBulleting, iirc I had a either 1.5k or 3k (I don't remember whether the received or given was the 1.5k one). It's nowhere near those metrics so that was entirely destroyed, arguably it was more valuable yes because of how tarnished rep had already become.

The argument of "there are better things to put time on" is a shit excuse to not do something. There's always something better to do. It's not an excuse to not do anything else.

Its not an excuse, its an opinion lol... Anyway I genuinely believe it won't make any difference whatsoever, especially with the new forum. Like I said, I appreciate that your trying to better the place, but I think this place needs more engaging exciting features (like viewing live streams of servers) rather than adjustments to useless legacy features that already have a replacement (the like system). The truth is there is nothing innovative keeping people or attracting new people. We are stuck in a frame of time that will soon be forgotten about.

If all us developers collectively focused more effort on creating cool evolving exciting ideas that keep people engaged here then we wouldn't have an issue. But unfortunately we are all adults living in our childhood nostalgia with priorities of life keeping us from contributing here.

 

[Luke132]

terrible idea no support