Yes, yes I should be.

Custom titles would be cool, but in a way there has already been rewards in Average Joe and Community Joe interviews. At this point anything that will make this place more interesting would be nice.

I think it really depends, how will these people be chosen above the rest of the community? Who will make the final decision on who is "better" than everyone else and for what reasons? Just because someone posts some nice artwork should they be considered role models for others? Maybe recognition like this would give people some incentive to post more or try to be more creative and helpful but do you really want role models to be in it just for the reward or to actually want to help people?

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] dazarobbo By "better" I refer to members (or groups of members) who make contributions to the community. For instance, by the way they post, sharing their artwork, stories, organising game nights, etc... Why not have a way of identifying the role models in this community?[/quote] The only way to find these people would either be for the ninjas to choose or have some type of nomination election process. Neither would be easy, if the ninjas chose then the public would just say that they chose their favorites, and if we voted or something similar it would take massive organization and a whole lot of time.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] a rascal cat The way I see it, one person cannot be better than another. Regardless of whether or not they have dedicated more time and effort, and are seemingly more diligent, that does not mean that they are a notch above anyone else.[/quote]A new member would easily know who to trust or ask questions to if a "recognized" member had something to wear on their profile. You wouldn't gain these "ribbons" dedicating time to the site, you would earn them from doing something noteworthy according to a Ninja or employee.

The colors would vary.

As long as I can get negative recognition.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] jyrine Jyrine, you'd so be in my Top 8. Somewhere between Izak and Burrito.[/quote] Is that list a good list, a bad list....[i]or a naughty list?[/i][/quote][url=http://api.ning.com/files/BO3cgrWV*ckQbref66MuSVlorjj5MtGpJgEeaBlSQidT6QNL2oRHkIzH4-RRKhbgIXrOJdRFRw1UhowhTaUR6Obz94mRf4dR/myspacetop8.jpg]The myspace Top 8[/url] is always a list for your BEST of friends. But, seeing as you took it in that direction, we will go with the GOOD list because we are talking about BETTER members. Good is the adjective, better being the comparative :) ...and oh yes, BEST is the superlative! [Edited on 09.13.2012 5:10 PM PDT]

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Lobster Fish 2 [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] jyrine [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] talon2000 [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] CheckedBRUTES [quote][b]I would have to say custom titles and choose there own title bar color, that they want.[/quote][/b][/quote]That would make the forums look horrible... There would be weird titles and rainbows everywhere. [/quote] As said before (by another). It'd be like myspace... Remember how great that used to be? [i]Me neither.[/i][/quote]Jyrine, you'd so be in my Top 8. Somewhere between Izak and Burrito.[/quote] Is that list a good list, a bad list....[i]or a naughty list?[/i]

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] jyrine [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] talon2000 [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] CheckedBRUTES [quote][b]I would have to say custom titles and choose there own title bar color, that they want.[/quote][/b][/quote]That would make the forums look horrible... There would be weird titles and rainbows everywhere. [/quote] As said before (by another). It'd be like myspace... Remember how great that used to be? [i]Me neither.[/i][/quote]Jyrine, you'd so be in my Top 8. Somewhere between Izak and Burrito.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] talon2000 [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] CheckedBRUTES [quote][b]I would have to say custom titles and choose there own title bar color, that they want.[/quote][/b][/quote]That would make the forums look horrible... There would be weird titles and rainbows everywhere. [/quote] As said before (by another). It'd be like myspace... Remember how great that used to be? [i]Me neither.[/i] [Edited on 09.13.2012 5:02 PM PDT]

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] CheckedBRUTES [quote][b]I would have to say custom titles and choose there own title bar color, that they want.[/quote][/b][/quote]That would make the forums look horrible... There would be weird titles and rainbows everywhere.

[quote][b]I would have to say custom titles and choose there own title bar color, that they want.[/quote][/b]

I have cool stuff on the way! ~Delta [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] dazarobbo By "better" I refer to members (or groups of members) who make contributions to the community. For instance, by the way they post, sharing their artwork, stories, organising game nights, etc... Why not have a way of identifying the role models in this community?[/quote]

The way I see it, one person cannot be better than another. Regardless of whether or not they have dedicated more time and effort, and are seemingly more diligent, that does not mean that they are a notch above anyone else. However, there are certain people who are-obviously-more single-minded than others, but I don't believe such a quality as suggestive as that is worthy of anything. Who is to say someone is more dedicated than another? What may be obvious to several may be imperceptible to other. If Bungie were to denote particular members for their commitment to this website, so be it, but I could see them leaving out a handful of members; and that could forge a more profound sense of elitism throughout the community.

I agree and disagree. I see a few people believing a "reward system" would be good, and frankly it'd be funny for like two weeks watching people praise and curse the system say that (much like titles) its unfair. I do agree however something needs to be done for those who have a track record of good posts. But how do you rate good posts? How do you say "yeah, this member did good here..." Well I say vote. Not members, but employee's and moderators. That way the system is not based on a calculation of how often they post or something, and actually the way people view them. Would prevent [i]some[/i] fanatics from trying to crack the system. Also would allow those who are quite honestly annoying and unhelpful to be downvoted, so people realize how little they mean.

I help people by being a release for their anger. Does that count?

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] dazarobbo [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] edableshoe Honestly, I just don't get the point of rewarding someone for wanting to make everyone else happy. Every time I set up a Flood Game Night, I did it because it would be fun, not to be recognized. Hardly a user knows me, and I truly believe that anyone that contributes enough to be recognized will have gotten all they really deserved out of the final product.[/quote]Nor should you do it specifically for the recognition, but if there were a way to indicate to everyone that you've been doing this, then maybe more people would know you.[/quote]That would be a tempting bonus to agree to, but I feel like it would quickly become a matter of "what's the lowest thing I can do and still get the recognition." For someone to win, it would need to be as mysterious and hard to understand a system as the title system, because then you'll get all these crappy projects being spammed all over the place. There would have to be a way to deter lazy wannabes, and still entice those that would produce quality products without them wanting to do it for the fame or rewards, and still doing it for the fun. This could be solved in HOW the recognition is done. Something that is short lived, but will last a while for the individual. Something meaningful to them, and maybe them alone, and let the recognition be vast and large, but short lived and nothing permanent. Hmmm....

"Better" members are recognised already (don't even utter the question how, you know, I know, she knows), the only thing identifying systems, such as those you're proposing, have on a social group is disruption - of the negative kind. Will someone who has the intellect to make great posts be persuaded to make more if he's offered a reward? Unlikely. Will the average Joe try and make a post where he wouldn't normally for the sake of a reward? Absolutely. The result is you have more -blam!- to trudge through before you find anything worthwhile, and the whole environment is baked in an overlay of competition. "Oh, but it's not a competition" you wail. Then why are you discussing it in terms you'd use to discuss a reward mechanic? Because it is that, and the user sees it as a game. A game that always leads to petty behaviour, and no matter what forum I go to I notice people being players. "How will members know the good posts from the bad, Cheesy? HOW?!" It's a magical thing we do, and it's called critical thinking. A new member who wants a question answered will know when a member's answer is genuine and helpful when it answers the god damned question correctly. A label that labels a member as "Master of answering questions extraordinariness!" only serves to dilute the importance of other members who don't have that label, regardless of it being warranted. Like another user pointed out, it's a system designed to make users ignore certain posts. A place of discussion shouldn't have such a system. If you want new members to find answers to common questions highlight the bloody search feature. Better yet, tell the people at Bungie to make a forum search that bloody works! Cool fact: I didn't know the forum section of B.net had a search feature until "Use the search bar!" (and all its lovely incarnations) became a meme on the Flud. Another idea is to do more prompting upon creating a new thread. Ask him questions, such as "Is this thread's purpose to answer a question or is it for discussion?" If the thread's purpose is to be used as a tool to answer a question then give the OP new tools to work with. If a post answers his question accurately then give him the power to press a button that reads, "This post best answered my question." Have that post then appear underneath the thread's original post, so other members can find the answer to the thread's question effortlessly - with a search function that is highlighted (and works) it can help kill unnecessarily repeated questions. Since such a thread's purpose is to ask and find an answer to a one-way question (e.g. "How do I connect my Xbox to Xbox Live?") it's okay if users will get ignored and discussion is kept to a minimal. Look at Waypoint and other forums with rewards - what positives and what negatives exist? In my experience the negatives outweigh positives, which are practically non-existent.

If there were perks for artists I'd probably post more of my stuff here.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] ARBITOR 5 [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] dmg04 [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] dazarobbo [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Energy Raptor I think they become more known by everyone and that is good enough itself. If people remember them then they will remember them as helpful.[/quote]Works if you've been here a while, but not so much if you're a new member asking a quick question.[/quote] Maybe when we have a new game, Group Spotlights and Average Joes will do some justice to "good" members.[/quote]So you want to give the community joes the sack eh? Thanks.[/quote]Maybe community joes could be given spotlight, thus giving more good members credit for doing awesome things [like interviewing peeps]

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] dmg04 [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] dazarobbo [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Energy Raptor I think they become more known by everyone and that is good enough itself. If people remember them then they will remember them as helpful.[/quote]Works if you've been here a while, but not so much if you're a new member asking a quick question.[/quote] Maybe when we have a new game, Group Spotlights and Average Joes will do some justice to "good" members.[/quote]So you want to give the community joes the sack eh? Thanks.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] dazarobbo [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Energy Raptor I think they become more known by everyone and that is good enough itself. If people remember them then they will remember them as helpful.[/quote]Works if you've been here a while, but not so much if you're a new member asking a quick question.[/quote] Maybe when we have a new game, Group Spotlights and Average Joes will do some justice to "good" members.

I think they become more known by everyone and that is good enough itself. If people remember them then they will remember them as helpful.

If Ninjas can ban people it would make sense if they can reward them too. So if they notice a member that is being helpful or a good role model they give them a point towards leveling up. However if they are banned they lose all progress. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] dazarobbo [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] GrinnialVex Who or what would determine who is "better" though, and how would you go about keeping it from simply becoming a popularity contest or blatant favoritism?[/quote]Probably some kind of internal nomination/vote between the Community guys, Webteam, Ninjas, etc... What I'm imagining is a way to label a member's profile with something like a badge which others can view. These "badges" could have details of why a specific user has been recognised as an outstanding member. Other members will look to these people as potential role-models. The Icons section in the link Cryptic posted is basically what I'm talking about.[/quote]