Rank changes are coming today!

[smercurio_fc]

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Ravens Fan wrote:

You're right the differences between the oranges are a bit subtle.  It looks like there are essentially 4 shades.

I got into compiling a list of badges to get a comparison.  Then it really got me looking for them all.  This may not be a complete list.  But I bet it is most of them.  And I'm not even touching the blue bars.

  Member                 (Member)

  Member                 (Regular)

  Member                 (Veteran)

  Member                 (Active Member)

  Member                 (Active Regular)

  Member                 (Active Veteran) 

  Member??              (Enthusiastic Member)

  Member??              (Enthusiastic Regular)

  Member??              (Zealous Member)

  Member??              (Zealous Regular)

  Member                 (Trusted Member)

  Member                 (Trusted Regular)

  Active Participant    (Trusted Active Member)

  Active Participant    (Trusted Active Regular)

  Active Participant    (Trusted Active Veteran)

  Active Participant    (Trusted Enthusiastic Member) 

  Active Participant    (Trusted Enthusiastic Regular) 

  Active Participant?? (Trusted Zealous Member) 

  Active Participant?? (Trusted Zealous Regular)

  Active Participant?? (Trusted Zealous Veteran)

  Active Participant    (Proven Active Member)

  Active Participant    (Proven Active Regular)

  Active Participant    (Proven Active Veteran)

  ??                          (Proven Enthusiastic Member) 

  ??                          (Proven Enthusiastic Regular) 

  ??                          (Proven Zealous Member)

  Active Participant    (New deeper first bar?)

  Active Participant    (New deeper first bar?)

  Active Participant    (New deeper first & third bar?)

  Trusted Enthusiast  (New deeper first bar?)

  Trusted Enthusiast  (New deeper first bar?)

  Trusted Enthusiast  (Proven Enthusiastic Veteran used to look like this )

  Proven Zealot        (Proven Zealous Regular)

  Proven Zealot        (Proven Zealous Veteran used to look like this )

           Knights of NI

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And this is the simplified system?  I didn't follow the thread discussing the rank changes. Did I misunderstand something? Gee whiz, wouldn't it have been simpler to just have the post count underneath the name and leave it at that? Most forums I've seen just do that. It's simple, it's effective, and it doesn't require somebody to have to explain what the different colors mean to someone new every few months. But, since I didn't participate in the discussion, it's what it is. Moving along now ...

[jyang72211]

I think it is pretty complex as well.  However, it seems like I am getting more color on my bar with the new system, so I don't mind it too much ;).

Yik

[RavensFan]

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smercurio_fc wrote:

And this is the simplified system?  I didn't follow the thread discussing the rank changes. Did I misunderstand something? Gee whiz, wouldn't it have been simpler to just have the post count underneath the name and leave it at that? Most forums I've seen just do that. It's simple, it's effective, and it doesn't require somebody to have to explain what the different colors mean to someone new every few months. But, since I didn't participate in the discussion, it's what it is. Moving along now ...

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Just to clarify, the new names are the ones in the first column.  As I got searching, I found all the color bars and starting equating them with the names that were under the old system which are shown in parentheses).  Some of the new names have question marks because I couldn't always find a user who had bars that matched that to confirm the new name.

It does seem to be simplified now down to about 5 different titles as opposed to the dozens of combinations that existed before.

I think this new system is going to work just fine as the 5 names seem to clearly distinguish between the capabilities of the different users.  (Before, who was the more experienced user and who's message would you trust more, a trusted enthusiastic regular, or a proven active veteran?) And the metrics that make up the first and third bars give additional weight to the person by way of color without confusing it with words.

I kind of went overboard from what I first intended when I started creating that list.  But as I got going, I just liked the way all the different color variations all looked on one page, so I kept looking for more.

You made a comment about advertising number of posts as other boards do.  One thing I hope this board doesn't do is start advertising the join date of the user within the message thread.  I don't spend much time at Lava, but I know they do.  And I've seen it on other discussion forums of miscellaneous topics when I've done some googling for information.  With the layouts of those boards, I want to see how old a particular message is (especially when researching Windows problems).  And instead of seeing the date of the post, invariably it is the user's join date that catches my eye first making me think the post is much older than it actually is.

I think details like join date and number of posts are interesting to look at at times, but you can get to that by clicking on their user info.  Having that kind of information show up in the message thread just leads to unnecessary confusion.

Laura, thanks for updating the system.  I think it is going to work well.  It will just take a few days to get used to the new bar appearance.  But I think the names and the bars will strike the right balance at reflecting the user's experience level without creating any unnecessary confusion.

[Ray.R]

I just saw the rank name change..  Feels funny. 

Wow, Ravens Fan..  You must have a lot of free time on you hand to compile such a list.  Well done nonetheless.

[RavensFan]

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Ray.R wrote:

Wow, Ravens Fan..  You must have a lot of free time on you hand to compile such a list.  Well done nonetheless.

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Thanks.  My daughter was having a party for her and 6 of her 1st grade friends.  It gave me something to do while I hid in the computer room away from all those squealing 7 year old girls.

[JÞB]

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Ravens Fan wrote:

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Ray.R wrote:

Wow, Ravens Fan..  You must have a lot of free time on you hand to compile such a list.  Well done nonetheless.

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Thanks.  My daughter was having a party for her and 6 of her 1st grade friends.  It gave me something to do while I hid in the computer room away from all those squealing 7 year old girls.

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Glad you found an excuse to help us understand!

And Thanks! (now I have to deal with the collegate's Spring break party with no excuse  ):smileyvery-happy:

[menchar]

I went from "trusted active veteran" bar colors to being an "Active Participant" with new colors that correspond to the previous "Proven Active Veteran" so the metrics must have changed for the first part of the bar, unless I just happened to be on the edge of a classification.

It all works to NI's advantage since we spend hours and hours on the forum answering questions for users at no expense to NI 😉

It's amazing what we'll do for an icon on a discussion forum ...

Menchar

[smercurio_fc]

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menchar wrote: 

It's amazing what we'll do for an icon on a discussion forum ...

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Some of us do it for the sheer pleasure we get out fostering a positive outlook on programming. Or the sheer joy we get out of helping a fellow human being. Or the satisfaction of having solved another problem and making this world just a little bit better. Or for the comraderie that is developed from sharing knowledge with your peers. Or the chuckles we get when our own foibles are pointed out to us. Or the great feeling we get when our commitment is rewarded in a small, but oh so meaningful way. Or for reveling in the glory of creating a community that aspires to be pinnacle of support for those less knowledgeable in the black art of programming. Or ...

Bah! Who am I kidding? Have I embodied the true nature of a programmer and ripped to shreds someone else's program today yet?

[JÞB]

Ask fr a bit of assistance "Demoting" a license----- Tech support will go way out of the way if you say its "....To duplicate an issue described on the forums..."  Just too bad it Didn't work 

Sometimes you want a hammer...... sometimes its not a nail