Randy, I wasn't around these parts back when FT had a "reputation" feature. What was the problem with it? Did it get abused? I tried doing a search but didn't come up with much.

The reason I ask is that I've seen it on other IBBs and it seems to work and provide an interesting perspective for other users in assessing knowledge and the like.

Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide!

Maybe I can help, even though I don't remember all the details of it.

The software was updated to the version we're on now giving a host of new features. One of them was the ability to, basically, rate a poster & leave a comment about the post or the poster. The user id of the person leaving the comment was not displayed.

Seems a few people decided it would be fun to leave negative comments about posters they didn't like, and sign someone else's name to it.

It all blew up when Randy displayed the user id of the person leaving the comment. It made it pretty clear the person signing the comment and the person actually leaving the comment weren't the same.

Similar happened with the rate-a-thread feature.

Of course, I welcome being corrected if I have recalled any of the details incorrectly.

edit - I just remembered something else... I believe the intent to use the feature was as a feedback system for those in coupon connection. Somehow it was turned on for all of FT, or maybe it couldn't be selectively turned on, and that's when all the fun started.

"Reputation" sounds too much like a popularity contest, i.e. take unpopular stances and your "reputation" will drop. Besides, if was reinstated, Magiciansampras, you and I would ruin each other's reputation in no time.

LOL!

Actually, in all honesty, while I rarely agree with you (except on some core liberal politics issues), I do respect you and your opinions and would rate your reputation as quite high if given the chance. ^

You have!

Thanks for the basic outline. Sounds like, as usual, a small number of folks probably ruined a potentially useful tool.

I actually don't remember the exact details as that was a long time ago. Rather than recall what i think i remember, I'll let the history of FlyerTalk and those really interested in proving that the search function actually still does work drag it all out for their own personal information and recall.

I think the problem was that unlike other IBB's, we have a strong culture here in FlyerTalk among travelers who can be opinionated to a particular topic or in a discussion with another member's opinion that was developed from day one - caused in part because there was a need to learn to speak out on the sub-standard service and actions by some airlines and hotels in the travel industry. In other words, we learned to try to keep them in line.

As well, the reputation was not implemented in the original version of FlyerTalk, and again, that was a long time ago, maybe because it wasn't an original feature in UBB (?) and as such when you introduce something like that well after a culture has developed, it can cause a few problems, unlike other newer communities or ones that do not have the same tribal culture we have here on FlyerTalk. So when it was introduced it might have allowed some members to pass along other members reputation in their current light rather than use it to measure other members when they had no direct history with that member. For instance, you and Punki (random member names), might if you were so inclined, ding my reputation as a really, really bad guy given what seems to be in your point of view a decision I made recently. Fair or not, since it may not consider if i've ever done anything to further the advance of FlyerTalk to be helpful to tens of thousands of others, it would still be your privilege to use the reputation in that manner. As you can guess, that's not really how reputation should be used or implemented and rather than try and erase and restart the culture on FlyerTalk, it was a unilateral (I love that word, don't you?) decision to simply end it. Now, and i again ask you and others who are more skilled in the search tool than myself (past is past....), i can't remember if we really did consciously engage reputation. I seem to faintly recall (and just humor an old man with his memory here...) that in a software upgrade it was one of those things that was default and it just kind of happened without any particular thought process and got going without any particular instructions and management. Again, I could be wrong with that recollection, but it really was so long ago.

Bottom line: Here's what i recall and others may find something that either will faintly support this long passed history or (remember, it's now considered great sport to dissect one's recall) will find something different.

Hope this helps guide whatever it is you are looking for.

I'll close this thread since "Question asked/Question answered" and if anyone finds past threads that seem to indicate Randy forgot something and it's really, really important, will you please send those links along to this member? Thanks.