Advanced Reputation System

[improv]

*Bump!*

So how is the progress over here, nobody took a look for it?
Currently I made an own system :

For each 15 karma you will receive an + image.

[Jade Elizabeth]

* Alundra believes all should vote yes

[Assistance]

voted: Yes, but only as a mod

u might be better off asking for changes to the karma system then a complete overhaul mod

[Jade Elizabeth]

voted: Yes, but only as a mod

u might be better off asking for changes to the karma system then a complete overhaul mod

i believe ive asked in the past...but no one helped

[erlend_sh]

Thanks for the bump Heero

Well, it's quite understandable that noone has embraced this mod at this point, seeing as it's quite a challenging project, and it would be a shame if most of the code turned out to be useless for the SMF 2.0 version. I think it would just be positive if the mod could get a lot of attention in the meantime, and we could discuss what would be a suitable and unique system for SMF. I've been doing a lot of thinking about this system myself recently, and I've come up with what I think is a much better and unique way of handling "reputation points" compared to the way VB does it for instance. I will post my new design later.

[Jade Elizabeth]

i dont think its all that challenging...have a good look at the mods out there, this isnt so big. there are atleast 6 people who could make this, theyre either lazy or dont know someone wants it (or dont wanna make it)

[erlend_sh]

Well, for as long as noone decides to pick this up, the best we can do is keep discussing it, get more votes, and properly discussed the features and possibilities involved with such a system, so that's nothing needs to be questioned once someone finally stands up to the task! This is why I'm currently getting all my ideas together (there are notes and scribbles everywhere...) in order to present it in a proper fashion here for open discussion.

[HecKel]

I never used Karma and I never needed such thing.

As a mod, yes! I think that we should have more mods As feature, I don't know..., admins could deactivated but maybe will be a source of problems to the Support Team...

[erlend_sh]

These are the basics for how I imagine this point-system to be like:

Part of the point behind this system is that it could completely replace post-count, should the admin wish so. So you'd have the option of whether or not to hide the post-count, and whether or not to count posts and threads in with the forum points.

Points:

• Adds points for every reply made (ex: 1p).
• Adds points for every thread started (ex: 3p).
• Any member can award you with points for a post you made. It works as such:
  A member can choose between a 1-3 starrating of your post (all being positive), each star resulting in a bigger prize (ex: 1star=3p, 2stars=6p, 3stars=9p).
• Any acts of moderation could add small amounts of points. This would be a great way of making moderators take initiative (ex: grade1 moderation: 1p, g2m: 5p g3m: 15p).

Settings:

• By default settings, you can only reward the same person once every day, if you've already rewarded two other members. If you reward noone else, you have to wait three days.
• Through settings you could change all the values and ways for making points  (say there's an article board, and replies would be proper reviews) (ex: Posts=3p, threads=10p, 1star=5p).
• Administrators, Moderators, special users and even post-based (point-based) groups could be configured to be able to award more stars (i.e. 1-7 stars).
• Able to sort threads by starrating (amount of stars and amount of ratings).

This pointsystem would benefit greatly from having the postcount split in two. (Counting replies and threads seperately). Forumpoints could also be a part of certain groupings, like instead of letting someone join a certain group based on their postcount, it would be based on their forumpoints.

Thoughts?

[Fustrate]

I just wrote down something in metapad... even coded a bit of it. A few of the point actions are only applicable if other mods are installed, but I included them anyways. Direct quote of my notes:

Action         Points
-----------------      ------------
Post                     1
Thread               2
Refer                  25
Arcade High Score   10
Lose High Score   -8
Topic Rating 5      5
Topic Rating 4      4
Topic Rating 3      3

+1 Rep Power per 100 Points
+1 Rep Bar per 1000 Points, max 12, default 1


New settings:

Code Select Expand


Setting            Description               Example Value
------------         -------------------            ---------------------------
karma_bar_power         How many points for +1 power         100
karma_bar_points      How many points for each bar?         1000
karma_max_bars         Maximum amount of bars            12
karma_bar_image         Default Karma block image         karmabar.gif
karma_super_bar         When do they get "super karma" bars?      7
karma_super_image      What is the image for these "super" bars?   karmasuper.gif
karma_descriptions      Set in order of 1 to karma_max_bars      This user has a ways to go
                              This user is on their way!
                              ...
                              This user is amazingly cool!




Wherever settings are done... after they're all set:

Code Select Expand



$descriptions = explode('\n',$settings['karma_descriptions']);
$settings['karma_descriptions'] = array(0 => null);      // Reset the variable now that we don't need the old... and you don't get a description at 0 bars...
foreach($descriptions as $description)
   $settings['karma_descriptions'][] = $description;





Wherever user info is set:

Code Select Expand



$context['user']['karma_bars'] = array();

$bar_count = ($row['points'] - ($row['points'] % $settings['karma_bar_points'])) / $settings['karma_bar_points'];

$bar_desc = $settings['karma_descriptions'][$bar_power];

while($i = 0; $i < $bar_count; $i++)
   $context['user']['karma_bars'][] = array(
      'img' => $settings['karma_bar_image'],
      'desc' => $bar_desc
   );
if($bar_count > $settings['karma_super_bar'])
   while($i = ($settings['karma_super_bar'] - 1); $i < $bar_count; $i++)
      $context['user']['karma_bars'][$i]['img'] = $settings['karma_super_image'];


I didn't check what the actual variables would be in 2.0... which this would have to be made for, seeing how that's where we're all going towards. I'm thinking this is about 8% of whatever code would need to be made, but it's a start.

EDIT: WORK IS UNDERWAY!

Anyways, I've coded the permissions for the following:

• Disable display of own karma
• Can +karma others
• Can -karma others

and I've written the install.php to make the applicable changes to the database. If I get done in a timely manner, I'll probably add in karma descriptions (even though that's already a mod, I'd like to include it like one big, happy family).

I know, I said I'd start this months ago, but I haven't forgotten Took some time today to figure out how to add permissions and generally work with /Sources/ files, and I have to say it was worth it - I know how to do a lot more in regards to this. I'll put up a url for testing once there's something on the user end to test

[erlend_sh]

Is there anything I've already mentioned in the post above that will not be included in this mod? For instance, will your rep-system allow for different point values from one board to another?

Also note that I added some new ideas about admins, moderators and special users.

Also, the point about having "stars" instead of calling it "rating", is that people are so accustomed to "rating" being an x-y rating, x being the worst and y being the best. Calling it "rating 3-5" 3 being the worst and 5 being the best, makes it sound like if you rated it with a 3, the average rating would drop. That's not the idea I had in mind. The way I was thinking, you don't really "rate" a thread, you just 'reward' it, hence the +1 or +2 or +3 stars, which in my opinion has a more positive ring to it.

[JenniferP]

Please send me a pm when you have it.  I would love this!

[Fustrate]

I'll try to incorporate everything you suggested into the system, but I might tweak a few things. In addition, the ratings and arcade points would depend on whether or not you have the respective mods installed - I'm trying to figure out how to do this, but I don't think it'll be impossible.

So the 3-5 is a subset of 1-5, where you don't get anything for 1 or 2 stars.

[erlend_sh]

I can see how the arcade points would depend on a seperate mod (personally I probably wouldn't use it), but how does this also count for the rating system? I always imagined a new kind of rating system being created a long with this mod, in order for it to for its purpose perfectly.

I will post a more detailed suggestion on a more suitable post-reward mod later.

[Fustrate]

I was merely thinking, in the way of ratings, that we shouldn't reinvent the wheel. There is already a great mod that does topic ratings, and that should be left how it is. We just need to use it's basic functionality for our own purposes.

Anyways, I'll do whatever you'd like me to do, just as long as it stays within the scope of a rep system. Also, should all instances of the word karma be changed to reputation in this mod, or should it be left as-is?

[erlend_sh]

Well, the basic thing about karma is that it's supposed to reflect both the good and the bad actions of someone, and then measure them up against one another. This system wouldn't quite fit into that description, seeing as it's all about rewarding, not about punishing. Then on the other side, I don't really want to go all copycat and call this a "reputation system" just like all the other forums do.

I would like to look for a word that describes better someone who is an active and appreciated member of any given forum. Maybe something like "Recognition System"? Or maybe, seeing as ideally I'd like to see this system being used for many purposes, we could just call it a PointMod or something? Maybe a more catchy name like "PointBooster"?

Now, as for using the rating mod, I guess that's the most sensible way to go if it really makes the development process that much easier.

[Fustrate]

go to http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=219553.0 - it's the mod that I'm thinking of. (in the charter member only section, for anyone reading this who can't view it)

Now that I'm home, I can make that a proper link Apple really needs to implement copy+paste for the ipod touch...

Another question - for members who have karma display disabled (which I just finished coding), should it show a grey bar image and have the title "{name} hides in shadows" or something like that? or just don't display anything at all?

[erlend_sh]

(...) Another question - for members who have karma display disabled (which I just finished coding), should it show a grey bar image and have the title "{name} hides in shadows" or something like that? or just don't display anything at all?

Hmmm. Well first off, these people would still be "votable", right? As for the image and message, something like your suggestion would probably suffice. Would be kinda nice this could be something you could easily alter through the settings of the mod  though. I don't know if it's possible, but in my intended use of the mod, it would be desirable to have karma on as a mandatory setting, not an option, as I might choose to replace post-count with karma.

Ehm, and, I would prefer to stop talking about karma ^^ How about if we refer to the points as credits, as the default name of the points in this mod? Credits Mod...

[Fustrate]

I just refer to it as Karma so that other people reading this thread will know that it builds upon their current karma system, and not something totally different.

Speaking of a name... we need to come up with one to use sooner or later. I personally dislike 'credits' because it makes it seem like something you can use for a shop. Let's just keep it at karma for now and let users decide what they want to call it. We could even make this mod change every occurence of 'karma' in a $txt to whatever we want it to be.

Oh, one more thing - red karma bars for users in the negatives? I was making some test images last night and remembered that we needed to include negative karma too. I'm also thinking of removing the admin settings to change the image names - it's easy enough to change in Profile.template.php anyways...

Just finished a major part of it... I'll give a full update this afternoon (it's 12:52 AM right now), seeing as I have work in 6 hours... get to set up 8 new laptops (but they're running Vista, so it's not THAT fun)

[erlend_sh]

Ehm, why do we need negatives? This is a rewarding system, it would never be used for punishing anyone. You're saying we should allow negative ratings on threads?