Suggestion to Hosts: Can the display of acquired points be made optional?

But why would they not?

Hello:

My comment to your suggestion in the other thread is still operational:

Hello Meg the Dog:

The hosts read these forums. To be candid, I seriously doubt if many people would understand your suggestion. Those of us that have been around for quite awhile and have quite a few points are really disinterested in whether we get any more. The points are there to give an indication to readers of threads how others view the feedback. The idea is that people who have answered people to their satisfaction might have quality feedback that might be more valuable than other feedback. From here, it is nice to have someone say thank you for helping - the points are nice, but certainly not the reason I volunteer time here.

Barry

I was trying to find the notice from Apple explaining the points system (and wasn't successful) - in any case, I remember the point they made (pun intended...) about "reputation within the community by acquiring status/points" or similar verbage. So, my take on it is that they believe it helps newer users by looking at how many points someone has: higher point total > more helpful/correct answers > more experience > trustworthy. In other words, I think they want them displayed?

Assuming you are not asking this from a completely neutral position, can you explain, if you don't mind, why you would not want your own points displayed? If your request is neutral, then can you explain why some third party might prefer to not have their points tally displayed.

Off topic a little: there is often, I've found, a weak correlation between points and skill level. I think this is especially true for some who got points much more easily, as I understand it, in the pre- '06 format. One of the most knowledgeable helpers I've encountered here is under 5,000. (But this is a tired, old subject.)

>...and a benefit to some....

What benefit? You still haven't explained why some (you?) would find it preferable.

>Some may not want to display points....

Again, why? I'm not saying you are wrong, I just want to understand why you are saying this. "Why not" is hardly an answer.

I tried twice; I'm finished wasting my time here.

Your question/proposal i likely to receive the lowest possible priority from the Hosts due to the simple fact that, out of hundreds of thousands of users, you are only person ever to ask to have points hidden from public view.

But there is a cost to the community. The points do give some indication of a members abilities here and to lose that would make it harder to navigate the many posts here.

I'll be honest I do give more credence to posts from members who have higher points. If I ask a question and get to contradictory answers, one from a member with few or no points and one from a member with a higher point total (especially in the group I and asking the question in) I will give more wait the that persons answer.

I will read the other post, I won't dismiss it outright but .....

If a user doesn't want to display his or her points then maybe that user shouldn't be accumulate points at all? Maybe what we need are accounts that allow a user to respond but not acumulate any points.

I probably should bow out of this thread, but Klaus1 has boiled the value of the suggestion down quite well.

-0? 😉

Barry

Message was edited by: Barry Hemphill

i think the option to not disclose points is a great idea!

to answer the question "why":

I fully understand the benefit of advertising points as reputation.

on the other hand, many participants are vying for points. that's not intrinsically wrong since the net result is more questions answered. and that it makes people happy to chalk up points, as if they're almost playing an online game and the points advertise their accomplishment, well, good for them.

while again i understand the benefits of points, on the other hand, they're entirely abstract, and there's a kind of silly smallness to caring about racking them up. a dolphin jumping around a pool for fish treats gets more from the fish than we get from points. so why be a dolphin? why not answer questions for the sheer interest in the exchange of information?

correct answers can come from anyone, and if you hide the points, it's still clear who is informed and who isn't. Noobs frequently provide correct answers, and their answers are recognized, even without points. At the same time, experience also shines through without the points. Informed answers from experienced users stand on their own.

and then there are answers that appear to be designed to win points. people who answer questions with one word answers to clock up points and avoid answers that require more than a single sentence. obviously, that's still helpful as someone has received a correct answer. let those users spray the forum with point chum.

but there's also another class of responses that are more throughtful, conceptual, and discussion oriented, and are among the most helpful. these often involve users active in whatever field is being discussed, and points either have nothing to do with them, or can shut the thread down: question answered? boom, end thread!

For some, "egoboo," (the pleasure received from public recognition of voluntary work) is a key motivator to participate in online communities. For them there's points. But for participants who prefer to be judged solely on the basis of their comments rather than a badge of accumulated points, why not have the option to turn them off?

None of this is all that weighty an issue. Points aren't poking anyone's eyes out and i don't want to overstate the case. but to have the option, why not?

So should it also be optional to show levels?

As far as your assumption that people who answer questions with one word answers, I try to emulate Neil whenever I can. There are many questions here that can easily be answered with one word answers, adding more is just clutter. But I can also answer questions that require more than that. Has nothing to do with trying to rack up points. And I really don't care what motivates people to answer here. If they are doing it to amass points and helping people in the process, good on them.

Meg has made her request in the appropriate place, I'm sure the hosts have seen it, now it is up to them. If there is a monetary cost that Jive will pass on to Apple we will probably never see it changed.