Dramatically different system for recommended threads.

[Boojatta]

Suppose that each DU member gets 10 points per day added to a personal recommendation power account. Maybe there would be a maximum of 150 points in any one account so that nobody would be able to let the points accumulate for a few years and later have lots of influence.

Any thread that gets 50 points worth of recommendations would become a Greatest Thread. In that case, one person could make a thread a Greatest Thread, but would only be able to keep doing that regularly at most once every five days.

Note that one would not have to give a thread a full ten points towards it becoming a Greatest Thread. One could give two points, eight points, twenty points, or whatever one considers appropriate and affordable.

[rug]

1. I'd recommend this

but I can't figure it out.

[Boojatta]

3. Does this help?

For the first two days of the new system, you don't spend any points. On the third day, you have accumulated thirty points. On that day, you see a thread you really like and you take twenty-five of the thirty points that you have accumulated and you spend them to recommend that thread.

Somebody else also spends twenty-five points to recommend that particular thread. So that particular thread got fifty points and it becomes a Greatest Thread.

On the third day, you still have five points left because you only spent twenty-five. You spend all five to recommend another thread. Four other people coincidentally do the same thing, so that thread becomes a Greatest Thread.

At the end of the third day, you have zero points, but on the fourth day you have ten points, on the fifth day you have twenty points, and so on.

[philosophie_en_rose]

2. I think we need hearts and frown-y faces.

:bounce:

[El Fuego]

4. Then the "occasional" poster would have more

recommendation power. Like if someone only logged in once a month, they would have 3000 points to spend. And if you read DU every day, you wouldn't have many points.

[Boojatta]

6. No, you would only have 150 points maximum.

However, you have a good point about people not logging on. Perhaps people should get ten points per day only on days when they actually sign in.

[skygazer]

5. And the reason for this would be....?

Why would we need to earn points to nominate for greatest threads? I thought the emphasis was on the thread, not those who were nominating it.

[Boojatta]

7. Is logging on at DU such a chore that the ten points obtained that day

are "earned"?

I'm not saying that the system would say who gave points to recommend a thread. So what emphasis on the people nominating the thread are you concerned about? You would only see points just as now you only see the number of recommendations. The difference is that now people are counted, but a person either recommends all the way or doesn't recommend at all. Now, a person can hand out an unlimited number of recommendations, only restrained by the fear of violating a vague rule about "being responsible."

[skygazer]

8. I simply don't understand the need for a change

Some people don't log on every day - some people are only here occasionally but why should those people be limited as to whether or not they can recommend posts? If a post is worthy of recommendation, I should be able to recommend it, whether or not I have these "points".

I just don't understand why you feel we need a change. What is it YOU are concerned about? I don't get it.

[Boojatta]

9. You would get to make the equivalent of "one" recommendation for

every day that you log on. What's the problem with that?

The problem with the current system is the notion that if five people agree that something deserves recommendation then their opinion matters, but if four people (perhaps after careful consideration) conclude that something deserves recommendation, then their opinion doesn't matter.

[skygazer]

11. Well, run it by Skinner then

I just honestly don't see a need for it. JMO :shrug:

[Boojatta]

14. I'm not trying to get it imposed on DU. Why not discuss it?

If it's a bad idea then it should not be adopted at DU, even if all the Mods and Admins think that it's a wonderful idea.

[El Fuego]

17. Maybe if it only gets 4 votes

The thread probably doesn't merit being on the greatest page? :shrug:

[Boojatta]

20. You just gave me an idea.

There could be a "Great Threads" page and also a "Greatest of the Great Threads" page. It could take 50 points to get on the "Great Threads" page and 171 points to get on the "Greatest of the Great Threads" page.

After a thread gets on the "Great Threads" Page, there could be 48 hours available for it to get on the "Greatest of the Great Threads" page. Once a thread gets on the "Greatest of the Great Threads" page, it stays there until 96 hours after the thread was started.

Note that the "Greatest of the Great Threads" page will likely have fewer threads in it than the "Great Threads" page. So it will attract a bigger audience than the "Great Threads" page if the "Great Threads" page is crowded with lots of threads.

[Boojatta]

10. Must the science/humanities Berlin wall remain standing?

"In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual."

[skygazer]

13. Jesus, you certainly are passionate about this!

I don't really give a rat's ass one way or another - I'm just trying to figure out why you feel it needs a change. Nor am I arguing with you, though you seem to think I am - just trying to understand why you're so keen on it.

Get a grip, dude.

[Boojatta]

19. Galileo! What grip problem do you perceive? Figaro! e.o.m.

[DS1]

12. It's worked elsewhere

but this will never get by those who can't stand any sort of personal recognition, and complain about popularity contests at the drop of a hat.

[Boojatta]

15. Could you explain why you refer to "popularity contests"?

After a thread receives 50 points, it would become a Greatest Thread. At that point, why squander points to raise its rating when you could use those points to guarantee that an important thread will get on the Greatest Page and get the attention that you think it deserves?

[DS1]

16. Nope

You'll have to experience it on your own.

[Boojatta]

18. How about this: when a thread gets on the Greatest Page, the place

in the OP that shows the username of the DUer who posted the original post will become blank. That could be done now. Then it's definitely a matter of a greatest thread and not "greatest member."

[DS1]

21. Why even bother

?

[SofaKingLiberal]

22. I don't think just one person should be able to

put a thread on the Greatest. That has potential for abuse.

[Boojatta]

23. Okay, suppose that signing in to DU at least once on any given day

gives one ten points for that day and suppose that one can accumulate up to 300 points and after that one's total does not increase even if one is signing in every day.

Now suppose that it takes not 50 points, but 300 points for a thread to get on the Greatest page.

Would you say that one person having the power to put a thread on the Greatest page once every thirty days is a situation that has potential for abuse? Note that nobody would be able to spend points to recommend his or her own thread.

On the above assumptions, can you give an example of a possible scenario that you would consider to be abusive?

[Boojatta]

24. With three recommendations, this thread deserves at least one kick.