Hobby Award - thoughts ?

[Philsuma]

In furtherance of my other posts where we need to elevate the "good", I'm thinking of designing some kind of award. A digital award to perhaps, help the new people see who is thought of as worthy.

Some thoughts for possible categories;

1. Longevity - 10 years, for example ,ought to be worth some kind of award all by itself.
2. Helpfulness - answering questions, helping new hobbyists.
3. Breeding species that have very few representatives in the hobby - service to keeping certain lines going.
4. Overall Hobby advancement - possibly in a retail setting, by providing lots of stock and various items.
5. Artistic Vivarium design or photography art.
6. Hosting local meetings or helping out yearly events, like Frog Day.

Please post thoughts on this, folks. I just think it's time we praise more often.

[EntoCraig]

You could make those awards little icons that poeple can put under their Sig. I have seen this done on a few other sites.

I think these awards could be helpful to some of use who dont know the people on the boards very well. It would help me distinguish who is the expert at what, or know who is helpful, vs who has a billion pointless posts. I run into this issue on PlantedTank.net all the time. A person will have thousands of posts, but they aren't very helpful, and honestly don't really have much experience. They are just chatty.

From a forum Admin positions though, I could see how this just adds another thing you would have to manage, especially people who think they deserve an award, or people who think someone should have one they earned, etc...

Just some overall thoughts. Keep up the good work.

[Philsuma]

Thanks Craig. I just keep coming back to "How to combat the bad sellers" / the fippers, the jobbers, the Fly-by-nighters, the flash in the pan, the "I got a lot of money and I like animals" ect ect.

The way to do that - to put distance between the good and the bad, is to elevate the good AND bury the bad...at the same time. To create the biggest margin.

There are at least 3 people that are posting frequently here on DD, that I think would be worthy and then a small handful of businesses and other people, to start.

[EntoCraig]

Well you could always implement it and if it works out great, if not you nix it and move on. What im saying is I dont think it would hurt anything to try something like this out.

[Kate]

I like it! I'm a big supporter of giving credit where it's due. Certain people have been invaluable to me as I've made my way through this hobby. I try to express my thanks whenever I can, but this would take it a step further.

[fieldsmith]

I vote for "Good Guy Gold Stars"
It really does seem like a great idea Phil, especially if the badging is clear (i.e. it is easy to understand that an icon means that this persons is "very helpful" or "has lots of viv-building experience") instead of some icon that won't mean anything to a new user.

[Philsuma]

The biggest thing is that some people will grouse:

1. Why does Phil get to select who is good ?

2. I didn't get nominated so F' the whole process... it doesn't mean squat.

3. Phil is being partial and backing some people and not others - impartiality.

It would be a "Dart Den" thank you for the effort, that's all. Heck other forums and sites could make their own "attaboy" and then some businesses and websites could display 2 or even 3 different awards.

[RanaVenenosa]

I vote for "Good Guy Gold Stars"
It really does seem like a great idea Phil, especially if the badging is clear (i.e. it is easy to understand that an icon means that this persons is "very helpful" or "has lots of viv-building experience") instead of some icon that won't mean anything to a new user.

No strong opinions from me.

Yeah, might work, maybe have icon glossary or mouse rollover definition so folks can easily understand the purpose of each symbol. Only concern is since there are many situations where there is not a "right answer" but opinions, dont want to discourage anyone from the public forum dynamic. I find myself learning from everyone, new and old alike.

Of course, we have a Feedback section for the biz side already... and it works in so far as folks are willing to share the good bad and ugly. As for specialty tags.. Making info easy to access is prob better long term approach (ie.. organized sticky posts etc) than having someone wait for a post by a "content expert". Or creating an environment where someone might expect it or not take a comment by someone wout w any respect.

I personally find more efficient value creating the virtual platform to share ideas, conduct biz, flag offenders etc.. via the common "thread", but I am easy going, so happy to take this any direction people think can best help the Dart den community and hobby at large.

Def worth a discussion, but those are my thoughts at the moment...

[Philsuma]

The award would be more about "service" than information or "guru-ness".

The touchy-est part would be an award for breeding, as it would be a tacit endorsement of that particular person or company.

VERY tough to remain neutral but still try to help the newbs with where to buy their first frogs and thus have a positive start to their hobby.

[Michael Lawrence]

Sounds like a really bad headache in the works for you but good luck.Its been tried on other boards and when you always have some who are left out. We were working on it by creating another category for the people who help and went above and beyond. The idea was to create another listing for these members like you would have them listed as mods, admin or such. This was its an easy change from that listing back to regular member.

[Stu&Shaz]

sounds good to me Phil ,i agree it might bring you head aches and some folks will feel left out,even wronged but it just helps to know as much as possible as a new guy about whom one is talking too,maybe it should,be that awards are given by site members via polls, a thought
Stu

[fieldsmith]

Maybe an open nomination process that could then be voted upon my members...obviously there should be a time/post qualification to prevent people from creating false usernames to vote for themselves. The classifications would also be open to review if any transgressions are reported. It really does sound like a pita for the admins though.

[Philsuma]

Maybe an open nomination process that could then be voted upon my members...obviously there should be a time/post qualification to prevent people from creating false usernames to vote for themselves. The classifications would also be open to review if any transgressions are reported. It really does sound like a pita for the admins though.

No way could it be done via a poll - that defeats the purpose and skews the effort by allowing either newbs to vote or downright fictitious accounts voting. It is more of an award to direct new people on where to go for supplies, beginner frogs, advanced frogs like obligates - to ensure that they don't fall into the "jobber" or craigslist type person pitfall and have a sucky first experience.

It pretty much has to be "Dart Den admin / website endorses so-and-so as a good breeder/dealer/vendor/business/hobbyist" to make it work, as I see it.

[fieldsmith]

See the time/post qualification I mentioned...someone would have to be a long-time member or regular poster to be allowed to vote at all. Then again I guess what you are saying makes the most sense for a site-specific badge or award. I defer to your wisdom good sir.

[scarloc]

Maybe an open nomination process that could then be voted upon my members...obviously there should be a time/post qualification to prevent people from creating false usernames to vote for themselves. The classifications would also be open to review if any transgressions are reported. It really does sound like a pita for the admins though.

+1 for this idea. I suggest that every 12 or 6 months there is a vote which is open to everyone. There are certain categories (e.g. most contributed, hobby advancement, best vivarium pictures, funniest etc.) and members who are renowned for their contribution in that particular set are nominated. They are then voted on and the winner(s) get a "badge".
Along side this, there are also "lifetime badges". For example, if someone is in the hobby for 10 years, they get a badge. For 15, a new badge etc. If someone hosts a local frog day or similar convention, they get also get a badge etc.
Flaws i can see with this is that it take a lot of time and planning. Also, if one person wins a vote one year, they could easily win the next year and the year after-so restricitions will need to be placed as to when a person can be nominated.

[Philsuma]

See the time/post qualification I mentioned...someone would have to be a long-time member or regular poster to be allowed to vote at all. Then again I guess what you are saying makes the most sense for a site-specific badge or award. I defer to your wisdom good sir.

You make some good points. All posts here have been helpful and have me thinking...

This is just a pipe dream of a project right now anyway. Gotta keep plugging away - trying to advance the hobby and make things better, in any sort of way.

Thanks for the posts/suggestions everyone. As always, keep em' coming.

[Philsuma]

Maybe an open nomination process that could then be voted upon my members...obviously there should be a time/post qualification to prevent people from creating false usernames to vote for themselves. The classifications would also be open to review if any transgressions are reported. It really does sound like a pita for the admins though.

+1 for this idea. I suggest that every 12 or 6 months there is a vote which is open to everyone. There are certain categories (e.g. most contributed, hobby advancement, best vivarium pictures, funniest etc.) and members who are renowned for their contribution in that particular set are nominated. They are then voted on and the winner(s) get a "badge".
Along side this, there are also "lifetime badges". For example, if someone is in the hobby for 10 years, they get a badge. For 15, a new badge etc. If someone hosts a local frog day or similar convention, they get also get a badge etc.
Flaws i can see with this is that it take a lot of time and planning. Also, if one person wins a vote one year, they could easily win the next year and the year after-so restricitions will need to be placed as to when a person can be nominated.

Ok...I'm liking this a lot now.....very interesting.

[scarloc]

Ok...I'm liking this a lot now.....very interesting.

Did you understand what i meant Phil? I'm not good at explaining things like that. Its similar to a voting system such as the Oscars.

[cbreon]

it could be kind of like the medals and ribbons on military uniform, different badges could signify different things, # of posts, # of thanks, # of years, hobbyist of the month, etc....and possibly a big pile of shit emblem for a scammer, or a spring for a recognized flipper, lol

[EntoCraig]

it could be kind of like the medals and ribbons on military uniform, different badges could signify different things, # of posts, # of thanks, # of years, hobbyist of the month, etc....and possibly a big pile of shit emblem for a scammer, or a spring for a recognized flipper, lol

:lol: I like this.