Poll

Should we keep the karma system?

Keep it as is
4 (14.8%)
Keep, but restrict it to mods & top posters
2 (7.4%)
Allow positive karma only
8 (29.6%)
Drop it altogether
13 (48.1%)
Other: Explain below
0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 26

Author Topic: Call Board Karma: Keep or drop?  (Read 22743 times)

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PSMKay

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Call Board Karma: Keep or drop?
« on: Oct 01, 2006, 07:20 pm »
I received a request from an SMNetwork member to reconsider the handling of Karma.  Their comment addressed the professional leanings of the board and how karma seems to be somewhat juvenile by comparison to overall flavor of the site.  I've come up with a few ways to address the matter, but was interested to see how folks felt about the karma system.  Let me know, please!

nmno

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Re: Call Board Karma: Keep or drop?
« Reply #1 on: Oct 02, 2006, 01:45 am »
I'm between keep it positive and cut it all together. 
If you have issue with something someone says you should be wo/man enough to step up and own your opinion, keep it to yourself or if necessary, go thru a moderator.  The numbers are so skewed that you can't really take them seriously.  My 2cents.

Mac Calder

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Re: Call Board Karma: Keep or drop?
« Reply #2 on: Oct 02, 2006, 03:38 am »
Personally, I don't care either way, however I do agree that there is the prospect for jouvinile behaviour with regard to it. I just take it with a grain of salt.

loebtmc

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Re: Call Board Karma: Keep or drop?
« Reply #3 on: Oct 02, 2006, 07:49 pm »
The karma listing seems very arbitrary - I am in favor of either eliminating it altogether, or not allowing negative karma points without a reasonable explanation.

fuzzy_7

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Re: Call Board Karma: Keep or drop?
« Reply #4 on: Oct 03, 2006, 12:50 am »
I think it's a horrible feature, personally. I think it is a very immature thing to have on such a professional forum.
Derek A. Fuzzell

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Re: Call Board Karma: Keep or drop?
« Reply #5 on: Oct 03, 2006, 02:05 am »
Quote
Posted by fuzzy_7:  I think it is a very immature thing to have on such a professional forum.

Says the person whose username includes the word "fuzzy".  Hee. 

Sorry, couldn't help myself from commenting....

Erin

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Re: Call Board Karma: Keep or drop?
« Reply #6 on: Oct 03, 2006, 03:33 am »
(And Hooray for beer, along with a beer stein)... Although, I do whole heartedly agree - Hooray for beer. And curry.

And so this post is not really off topic - I don't think it is really a professionalism issue - more that there is a tendancy to abuse the feature...

philimbesi

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Re: Call Board Karma: Keep or drop?
« Reply #7 on: Oct 03, 2006, 11:06 am »
Says the person whose username includes the word "fuzzy".  Hee.

Smite her... Smite her... oh wait I'm just proving the whole argument... nevermind  ;D

fuzzy_7

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Re: Call Board Karma: Keep or drop?
« Reply #8 on: Oct 03, 2006, 12:06 pm »
Okay, point taken (or maybe I should say pint taken). I won't smite you this time, smejs!
Derek A. Fuzzell

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Re: Call Board Karma: Keep or drop?
« Reply #9 on: Oct 04, 2006, 09:33 am »
AH! I've been wondering what those numbers meant! I finally figured it out!

So- if say I post something that someone doesn't like they get to SMITE me. Really? SMITE?

Isn't that a bit extreme...? Smite-ing seems a bit I don't know-  biblical? jeepers. 

I say dump the feature!

Balletdork

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Re: Call Board Karma: Keep or drop?
« Reply #10 on: Oct 04, 2006, 04:28 pm »
HEY! Since I posted this I've been SMITED like 3 more times! ACK ACK!

I take it back- please, I beg you by all that is decent & holy- stop SMITE-ing me!

smejs

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Re: Call Board Karma: Keep or drop?
« Reply #11 on: Oct 06, 2006, 10:46 am »
While at first I was somewhat intrigued by the karma thing...lately it doesn't seem to be that useful.  I had virtually no karma rating for a while because I was very busy and not on the callboard much, though a year ago or so I was a very active poster - and thus not much karma rating.  I get that.  However, I've "woken up" in the SMNetwork community in the last few weeks, but other than teasing Fuzzy about his/her username can't think really of what I've said that might deserve a "smite"...and lo and behold, today I have one. 

Having been burnt in the past for what I've posted online (not here, but another theatre forum) and having it come back to bite me in the butt professionally, I usually try to truly think about what I type - oh, I'm sure I slip up from time to time, but everyone on this board should really think about whether someone could figure out who you are in real life and whether it might tick someone else off.  (Said previous experience was me venting during a past show that involved a famous person in it...someone did a Google search for that person's name, found my post, cut-and-pasted it out of text onto a fan website for that person, and then co-workers of mine saw it.  It was me venting about 1 stressful day of tech, but what was taken out of context seriously jeopardized my career at that theatre.)

Having just positive karma points could be interesting, but from what I've seen, I don't think it would make statistics that "accurate" or fair either.

Of course, this smiting event could be my friend Balletdork who just feels that I am left out of the smiting for now....love ya!

Erin

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Re: Call Board Karma: Keep or drop?
« Reply #12 on: Oct 06, 2006, 02:53 pm »
I agree with smejs. I have been smited without posting anything that someone should be smited for. I posted my introduction and had a smite the very next day!!! I don't think it is that useful.
Derek A. Fuzzell

scoot

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Re: Call Board Karma: Keep or drop?
« Reply #13 on: Oct 07, 2006, 12:24 pm »
A few thoughts....

Take it all with a grain of salt.   Either keep it as is or don't keep it.  I think restricting it to "mods" or "top posters" is just creating barriers we don't need.  Makes it more of a "club" than a forum for all of us.

And as it's an anonymous feature, how can one tell who is "abusing" it or not?   

And speaking of "professionalism"...Hold on a minute there, we AREN'T all technically professional stage managers here are we?  Last time I checked, we range from high school students to Broadway PSMs.... let's keep it that way and not get hung up on one specific definition of professionalism.    Some reasonable comments here have come from high school students and I've heard some immature observations from some road veterans out there.  And in the end, it's just an online computer board, folks.  If the online "karma" is keeping you up at night, you need a hobby (aside from smnetwork.org!)


MarcieA

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Re: Call Board Karma: Keep or drop?
« Reply #14 on: Oct 07, 2006, 03:50 pm »
I'm so lost...

How are people able to give karma points in the first place?

And frankly, I don't care if you do or don't, it's not going to stop me from saying what I want to. If I don't personally attack someone's beliefs or ideas, why shouldn't I be able to express my opinion? Isn't that what the point of the board is for? To act as a forum for all of us to learn and discuss???
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