Lost all the Thanks?

There is no "count" of the new "like", so I don't think it would be the same animal.

"Reputation" could probably be a replacement

I thought the Thanks system was quite a good system. All the systems of "Badges" have their weaknesses, but I think they fullfill two roles:

1. They indicate to a Newbie that someone has given advice before that has been well received
2. They can create a bit of competitveness, which encourages people to work on their advice to improve their ranking. (You will either agree, or not with that!)

If people write good, complete, answers then:

Google ranks the site higher
More people come to the site
More people register
More people Donate and Click on adverts
UTOPIA!

Of course a Point Scoring system is easily "gamed".

"I'll mark up every post of yours, if you mark up every one of mine"

And I may have had 1,000,000 "Thanks" for advice I have given about growing carrots, and that NUMBER is impressing the heck out of someone that I have just given an answer to about Aardvarks ... about which, of course, I know diddly-squat.

(vBulletin got around that, in part, by showing the number of different threads that "Thanks" have been given on, compared with the total number)

On balance ... I think that a points system does help newbies gauge the various answers.

However, I think that the Reputation tool is not immediately obvious as a means of "thanking" someone for their advice (or indicating whether it was helpful, or complete-crapola!)

The suggestion I have made (absolutely no idea if it is doable even) is to separate Reputation into a "+1" and "-1" pair of icons so it was more obvious what it did. Or perhaps a descriptive word (like the other buttons) "Reputation" or "Agree/Disagree" or somesuch.

Anyways, the mechanics are all there. If Old-Thanks can be converted into New-Reputation I'll eat my Walking Stick Cabbage! (in which case please tell me soon before it grows too big ... !)

 

Do you think the existing Reputation thing is enough? (As I said I don't think the ICON is obvious, but other than that it allows for +1 / -1 on a post, and Reputation shows next to each person)

Mind you, if you are keen on the idea, and there is a better plugin that is readily available that would be better. I'll sit down and shut up !

 

Also lost our friends which surely should have been changed to Buddies?

 

Ah John, poor little critters, I missed them!


Nathan, Thanks, I can appreciate there will be some hicoughs when you change a site around. It will get there!