Karma Description Mod Installed and Active With Log of All Activity

[HAL]

After discussion with forum staff we have enabled karma, but in this case the reason we enabled it is because a Mod Package for the SMF forum was now available to change the way Karma works. You must now give a specific reason for your points given - either plus or minus. The description doesn't have to be complicated but you MUST give a reason, and the reason can't simply be an


LOL -1
got ya back
here's a minus because you gave me a minus
Dumbass

or other such trivial reason. Any points given to a member with such trivial reasons are subject to removal without notice, and the members points restored to their previous value.

Proper reasons could be:

Nice post
You made me laugh!
I didn't know that
That's an idiotic rant
Thank you for the information
You have no idea what evolution is

and so on. The main point is to give the reason you gave the +/- Darwin point.

After some suggestions we decided to call the Karma points "Darwins".

The Karma Description Log can be accessed by everyone near the bottom of the main forum page, with links to the respective post where the Darwin point was given. You can also see the last 6 Darwin points given. We may possibly use the log to make awards based on Darwin points in the future or some other project.

Have fun.

[HAL]

Couple of other notes -

The wait time is 1 hour before you can give the same person another Darwin point.

Any point you give will result in a PM to the person receiving the point from the system as a notice.

Any points you had from the previous time we had Karma enabled are still associated with your account but there are no log entries for them.

Use the log as a tool. If you see you are getting a lot of negative Darwins, consider the reasons given. This is the advantage of this system.

[EV]

Hooray! It's almost like the previous +1 system, but with a much better way of working!

Thanks for your very concise announcement oh great HAL, we worship your sentient awesomeness <3

[Azdgari]

Thanks, HAL - but I can't see the Descriptions Log link anywhere on the main page.  Could you describe where it is in greater detail?  I may be experiencing a bug.

[Add Homonym]

I find it a bit of a worry that the system will allow you to know who is praising or persecuting you through the PM system. It's a bit like deliberately sending them a PM.

By observing who does or doesn't praise you, a tit-for-tat mentality will develop. A person will feel guilty for not reciprocating, or hurt that another person never notices them.

Whilst, previously, the best way of getting [illegitimate] points was to (1) start a separate account, (2) have an agreement with a co-conspirator, or (3) have a stalker/admirer, the new method will encourage profligate praise in the hope of reciprocation (see Twitter follows), or abject laziness and no praising (which is quite likely how I will deal with the new system).

[One Above All]

Thanks, HAL - but I can't see the Descriptions Log link anywhere on the main page.  Could you describe where it is in greater detail?  I may be experiencing a bug.

QFT

[HAL]

Thanks, HAL - but I can't see the Descriptions Log link anywhere on the main page.  Could you describe where it is in greater detail?  I may be experiencing a bug.

In the Forum Stats area, right next to More Stats.

[Azdgari]

On my Forum Stats area, there is nothing at all next to the More Stats link.

The following is what appears in the Forum Stats area for me:

425878 Posts in 17962 Topics by 2803 Members. Latest Member: sherryllrussell
Latest Post: "Re: Karma Description Mo..." ( Today at 06:59:39 AM )
View the most recent posts on the forum.
[More Stats]

[Azdgari]

Ahh, I see the problem.  I saw a +1 on one of Screwtape's posts, and clicked on it.  This yielded the following result:

An Error Has Occurred!
Sorry - you don't have the proper permissions to view the Karma Description list.

[Emergence]

On my Forum Stats area, there is nothing at all next to the More Stats link.

Same problem here.

[HAL]

On my Forum Stats area, there is nothing at all next to the More Stats link.

Same problem here.

Try it now please and let me know.

[Emergence]

Works fine now. Thanks for fixing it!

[Azdgari]

Works fine now.

[Azdgari]

The "who changed my karma?" function doesn't seem to be working right.  Same with other peoples' when I view theirs.  Only a couple of points are visible in the list.  My first thought would be that list-items expire, but the function's a day old.

[HAL]

Some Mods install permissions that have to be set in the permission area of the control menu, this was one of them. Being that an Admin can see everything, it was not initially obvious that a permission had to be set.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

The "who changed my karma?" function doesn't seem to be working right.  Same with other peoples' when I view theirs.  Only a couple of points are visible in the list.  My first thought would be that list-items expire, but the function's a day old.

It seems to be working for other members I've checked when I look in their profiles. I also logged in with a non-admin test account and I can see other members "who changed my karma?". So I can't explain why you can't see it.

[One Above All]

The "who changed my karma?" function doesn't seem to be working right.  Same with other peoples' when I view theirs.  Only a couple of points are visible in the list.  My first thought would be that list-items expire, but the function's a day old.

QFT
Also, maybe some karma was attributed to the members by the admins when the mod was installed?

[Azdgari]

^^ It does seem to have been attributed randomly.  When the mod was implimented, I suddenly got 12/-11 Darwins.  While it's possible that 23 karma-comments happened on my posts in that time, it's pretty unlikely.  That combined with the lack of a visible record for them makes me think that it's an unintended effect of the mod.

HAL, can you see any info on where my karma came from?  I can see the 2 points I gave out today (1 positive to Screwtape, 1 negative to Sambo) but nothing else.

[One Above All]

I also got this +8/-1 randomly; I thought I was just away for a long time or that some members had prior knowledge of this and were waiting to vote on some posts.

[HAL]

Oh, maybe I should explain better. We turned on karma a while back for a little while, but this logging mod wasn't installed. Then karma was turned off again. Any points that were given to you at that time stayed in the database, even though karma was turned off.

After this mod was enabled, those points were still associated with you, but they have no other attributes, such as explanations. Only karma given since the installation of this mod will have the other attributes that this mod saves. I hope that clears up the confusion.

[One Above All]

<snip>I hope that clears up the confusion.

It does. Thanks.

[Ambassador Pony]

First!

I am the first to put as a reason: "I naturally select you"

Darlosers.

[HAL]

Everybody is giving good reasons for their Darwin point awards so far - good job.

As the Darwin log evolves though, I'm sure we'll see some signs of a mutation which will have to be removed from the gene pool. The affected member's Darwins will be repaired if this happens, so don't worry!

[EV]

The affected member's Darwins will be repaired if this happens, so don't worry!

*GASP* Genetic modification?

I Dunno HAL, that might piss off our resident theists. It's unnatural...

It'll piss them off worse than they piss off us.

Oh the burning cynicism of my cynicism.

[mram]

I really hope I don't hurt anyones feelings or leave you in a depressed emotional state and i hope you like me and want to give me karma, BUT you'll have to excuse the fact that I don't really give a rats ass about karma and don't much give a rats ass who does or doesn't like me... Yeah, I know..I contradict myself, but that's just the way the turd crumbled when it hit the shitter. 
I hope I didn't pollute the gene pool with the above, but I'm fully prepared to evolve into a demon or some such evil force if evolution deems it necessary.

[Alzael]

I'm not here for a couple of months and there's another pointless (and what will likely turn out to be worse) karma system now in vogue.

Really, I don't know what it is about you guys that makes you think this is a useful idea. When I get back fully in a couple of weeks it'll be interesting to see what this one turned into between now and then.

On a rather more amusing note, despite the fact that I haven't even been around for the last two months; I made the top five most smited users. I seem to recall having No True Scotsman and "muscle-brain" to thank for much of that.

[HAL]

I'm not here for a couple of months and there's another pointless (and what will likely turn out to be worse) karma system now in vogue.

It's not pointless at all. It gives feedback based on the requirement to give reasons for opinion points (Darwins here). It's used on many forums, including my own forum (Atheist Think Tank) and is quite good at logging feedback, and many users are interested in the posts and reasons in the log. Why not give it a chance?

[Alzael]

^^^^ At what point did I say that I wouldn't? I went along with all of the previous systems, despite how ridiculous they were, and still participated in giving out points when I felt it was warranted.

The fact remains however, unless this new system-of-the-month causes a heavenly choir to descend from Mount Olympus and suddenly make having a karma system less annoyance than it's worth. I'm unlikely to view it any different than another annoyance I have to deal with on occasion.

[HAL]

The fact remains however, unless this new system-of-the-month ...

The karma logging mod has been around for years. It has only recently been updated for this version of SMF forum software, which is why we are just now installing it. It certainly is not a "system-of-the-month" in any case.

I'm unlikely to view it any different than another annoyance I have to deal with on occasion.

If you view opinions on your posts as "annoyances", even if some of these opinions are positive, then yes, you will not like it. But that is what you must suffer now at WWGHA. If you don't like it, you are completely free to not use the forum any longer, of course. We will refund your registration fee in total.

[Alzael]

If you view opinions on your posts as "annoyances", even if some of these opinions are positive, then yes, you will not like it. But that is what you must suffer now at WWGHA. If you don't like it, you are completely free to not use the forum any longer, of course. We will refund your registration fee in total.

I didn't say that. I said I viewed the system as an annoyance. Not comments on my posts. Why didn't you use the karma system to give voice to your displeasure. That is what it's for, isn't it? Feedback. You seemed able to do that fairly well by actually making a post.

Now are you quite finished reading things into my posts that were never actually said, HAL? If it really bothers you and would make you happy you could always downvote the post. Otherwise please unlodge the stick and don't get unduly tempermental when someone criticizes or voices displeasure at something he feels is changed for the worse.