Suggest a Trophy

[campforums]

I would like the Camping Babble trophy system to start playing a more prominent role on the website. I think that in order to do this we need to have more fun and interesting (or pizzazz as one member put it) trophies!! I have already added quite a few however I am always open to suggestions so if you have any ideas for any type of new trophy please post them here.

I've gotten some nice looking rank badges made by a talented graphic designer (not me, haha) which I would like to use as trophies. They are clearly inspired by military decorations but I think they would be suitable here in the same way that Boy/Girl Scouts have their rankings as do other outdoors oriented organizations. Do you guys have any ideas for the ranks to assign for different amounts of posts?

 

[BMWPOWER]

number of posts is usually the case. in my opinion thats too many badges for just posts. it could be like 10 badges in total. 10 posts, 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000, 5000, 10000 etc

 

[campforums]

When you say for just posts are you talking about the "posting" category of the trophies including the likes and posts? I wanted to have some trophies to reward likes also because it promotes making higher quality and relevant posts and not simply just spamming posts to up the post count.

 

[Northern Dancer]

....just thinking out loud...a trophy recognition for an area of skill or expertise? Though I can appreciate that would be hard to measure. What I was really thinking about is that some of our members have sound experience in say - backpacking, or cycling or some other endeavour that is covered in the topics as expressed in Camping Babble. So, if I wanted some quick information or feed back about RVing I would know that Tom Moore has a designation [trophy recognition]. Rather than looking up subject material and reading all the threads or asking a general question [i.e. the thread about what an eight year old might need for his first camp out] I could simply look for the designation. Sort of an immediate resource person(s) that I could communicate with. [All communication would still be posted for the benefit and comments of the overall membership.]

Now, having said that, I haven't figured out the semantics or exactly how that might work. Though I am aware of the danger of becoming sophisticated with a possibility of having a detrimental effect on the forum.

You would have to have some form of rider advising readers that the person may not be an exert and suggestions made are just that.

...but then again - these are just ideas.

As you can see, I really do enjoy your creative genius! in founding/establishing Camping Babble !

Camper Resource Person

Ski Resource Person

 

[campforums]

That is an interesting idea but like you said I don't know how I would handle giving out these types of awards. I see a lot of forums give out user titles based on the number of posts but again that doesn't really guarantee a person's expertise. Some of the awards we have are assigned manually and some are assigned automatically based on certain criteria. Maybe it could work by giving a person an award if they make a certain number of posts in a particular section of the forum?

 

[Northern Dancer]

That is an interesting idea but like you said I don't know how I would handle giving out these types of awards. I see a lot of forums give out user titles based on the number of posts but again that doesn't really guarantee a person's expertise. Some of the awards we have are assigned manually and some are assigned automatically based on certain criteria. Maybe it could work by giving a person an award if they make a certain number of posts in a particular section of the forum?

That's and idea. I'm not really advocating for anything but as a member I think it's a good to share thoughts for what they are worth. Actually - I remain impressed with the site and I have personally enjoyed being a member.

 

[campforums]

Well that is what suggestions section is for essentially--brainstorming ideas for the site. Whether or not the get implemented in the end is another story.

And yeah, I can tell you like it here by your frequent visits

Also, I actually wanted to use some badges with a similar style to the ones you posted originally because I think they really capture the camping theme. However, I found that it was too difficult to get them to look halfway decent at small sizes.

 

[2sweed]

How about some fun and goofy badges that will spread laughter and good humor. Whether your an expert or a just learning camper, getting any badge or trophy, on site is an encouragement to come back.

 

[campforums]

I like the idea of having goofy and fun trophies. What criteria would you suggest we award them for?

There are already quite a few I think (such as the ones for being a member for a certain period of time, sharing photos, and provoking debates) but I would always like to add a few more.

 

[2sweed]

Most good humored comment or worse camping disaster, funny accident or wildlife encounter, very best lost story or hiking tale. Etc.....

 

[Northern Dancer]

Sounds like you are on to something there - it will be interesting to see how it develops. It's a little more personable in-a-way, a recognition of something outside the norm.

 

[campforums]

Hmm, I like that idea quite a lot. Especially since those things are more camping specific compared to most of the ones we have for things like post count, likes, join date, etc.

 

[happyflowerlady]

Do the rating points start over new each year or something ? I am being given awards that I already was awarded a month or two ago, and my overall points has dropped down from where it originally was as well.
The only explanation that I can see for this is if we start over on trophy points at the beginning of each year; so can you please clarify for me how the system works, and why I seem to be starting over on points and awards ?

 

[campforums]

Do the rating points start over new each year or something ? I am being given awards that I already was awarded a month or two ago, and my overall points has dropped down from where it originally was as well.
The only explanation that I can see for this is if we start over on trophy points at the beginning of each year; so can you please clarify for me how the system works, and why I seem to be starting over on points and awards ?

No, they don't start over each year. It is just that I had messed with the trophy system a bit and needed to reset it so that was why you got new notifications for all your old trophies.

 

[Northern Dancer]

...okay...that explains my situation too. Like I said it is a lesson in humility.

 

[2sweed]

Lessons in humility, bring big smiles when all trophies are magically restored.

 

[actadh]

Could we designate a particular point for user "likes" toward a participant? For instance, if I found Northern Dancer's comment on tent purchases the most helpful in a thread about tent purchases, I could give him a "Most Helpful like" and that would get him a point. If he then gets , say, 20 "Most Helpful likes" then he gets a trophy.

I guess what I am asking is if our likes can be put into categories - Most Helpful, Really Funny, Kindest, etc. and that can get then a trophy just like number of posts, or number of new threads. That would make the likes be like a Peoples Choice award.

Since I know absolutely nothing about web design, it may not be feasible. But maybe a nomination of someone in a group of available categories sent to the moderator could do the some thing,

 

[campforums]

Could we designate a particular point for user "likes" toward a participant? For instance, if I found Northern Dancer's comment on tent purchases the most helpful in a thread about tent purchases, I could give him a "Most Helpful like" and that would get him a point. If he then gets , say, 20 "Most Helpful likes" then he gets a trophy.

I guess what I am asking is if our likes can be put into categories - Most Helpful, Really Funny, Kindest, etc. and that can get then a trophy just like number of posts, or number of new threads. That would make the likes be like a Peoples Choice award.

Since I know absolutely nothing about web design, it may not be feasible. But maybe a nomination of someone in a group of available categories sent to the moderator could do the some thing,

An interesting suggestion. Do you mean sort of like what we have now with some of the manually awarded trophies except do it automatically?