Disabling Beer Karma

I would say the karma points were ok and a tad fun initially, though after a while they became meaningless.

There was a quick mention:

I would love to be able (on a dedicated page if easier) to find out which styles, states, and countries I have had a beer from in a centralized location. Even better if a little count function can tell me by category how many I have had (I know if I go style by style I can see this).

I am a bit of a stats geek, so I would enjoy anything additional along these lines. These are the items I would find most useful, and I think would be used by other BAs more than some of my more grand thoughts.

Generally agree with this on the distributing of karma points. If it were to come back in some form, I think I agree maybe more emphasis at the higher level on beer and place reviews than posts and likes. That said, potentially rewarding bad posting might be better than potentially rewarding bad reviews??

 

To be perfectly honest, it bummed me out. I was bored at work and looking at what goals I would accomplish soon literally 2 hours before it was disabled.

It helped implement a sense of respect in my mind, but this may just be my military background talking. You knew who to trust. If someone with a beer karma score of 900 said something, I was much more likely to take it to heart than someone with a score of 90. Obviously this isn't fool proof, as some people are just new to the site, and not the world of beer. There's also issues of people simply farming for likes in WBAYDN (which was my chief issue with the system).

It was a part of the reason that I joined this site. It was fun and classier than the badges on Untapped, but still made you push for the next level. Am I going to stop using the site because of it? No. Am I going to stop adding beers and locations? Maybe. And I promise that isn't just me pouting and taking my ball home. Going "we still value your contributions" while taking away the system that pushes those contributions for some just doesn't sit well with me. It's insincere.

 

Yes - just seems now like something is missing. It used to feel like you were getting credit for your contributions and participation, now it feels like all recognition is gone, because it is.

I do give them credit for allowing, and this case initiating discussions on the recent changes.

 

I really want this back too. I know @Todd has said that it's coming back sometime, but it's been, what, 3+ years since the big site crash, and we've gone through a few changes since then, but it seems like personal stats have been a loooong time in the pipeline.

 

I watched BK and milestones were fun to pass. Without BK I don't think anything will change. I do wish credit had been given for bad jokes.

 

I agree with most of the above, but I always wished the points had some kind of currency. Like, x number of points gave you access to some kind of reward: an enhanced part of the site, a free print subscription, or some nice schwag, like a special t-shirt.

Although I have to say, I really like seeing who the "senior contributors" to the site are; it's almost reward enough to keep the system going.

This would require a little more moderation, but it also seems like karma could be given on a discretionary, qualitative basis for really cool things BAs do, like help someone recoup their loss on a "bad trader" scenario. Or just contributes to the overall good vibe of the community in some subjective way. I think it would encourage more advocacy and steer members from treating the site as a purely transactional experience.

 

Quick, dirty, off-the-top-of-my-head with no thought point proposal:

Posting = 0
Like = .1
Add new beer = 1
Add new place = 2
Add event = .5
Add new beer pic = 1
Add new place pic = 1
Provide beer update = .2
Provide place update = .2
Full beer review = 1
Numerical "Had" = .1
Full Place review = 1
Yearly BA Birthday = 5

 

Yup, I agree with this. Maybe via a "nomination" process; you see a BA do a cool thing (for example, jesskidden supply some history on request) you nominate him, and the mods decide if, and how much, of a bonus to add. Say maybe a 1-5 possible scale.

 

BK certainly indicated trustworthiness, knowledge and seniority a lot better than whether it says "Subscriber" or "Beer Trader" under your username.

 

I guess it didn't mean much to me since I don't know what it was/is.

 

well part of my first post was edited so I would like to point out that it was part of a system everyone enjoyed even if someone like me didn't take it to heart, I agree with @epyon396 it was classier than untappd badges and many of the ways to get them were much more in-depth as 'farming for like in WBAYDN'... seems there are a lot of different opinions but reviewing beers with actual words got you many more karma points than all the likes received from whatever, most of all I'm just here for the community, camaraderie and information, what is going on with beer? what is released and new? how are certain beers holding up over time? In my mind whatever status you are/were wasn't as important to me in a true sense of 'Beer Karma' then looking to see your feedback on trades, I learned right away from @whyteboy003 that a simple bottle for bottle trade where he sent a 36lb. box to me for no real reason than real beer karma helped me want to share and blow up porches, or how a simple funny post in reply to someone spurred @SammyJaxxxx to surprise gift me my first cans of Heady and Sip... yes I suppose my views on this can be said to be focused on trading but for me beer karma is a real life thing, i'll trade or purchase whatever to share with others, tell others of experiences while shopping at the local bottle shop (yes call me the creep that hears you ask the clerk a beer question and their response is more in tuned with working there and not knowing the actual answer, I pipe right up and offer information I never knew before interacting with this great beer community) and those things than imaginary internet points

in summation do we all like recognition of accomplishments? yes
should beer karma come back? sure why not I don't see anything really gained by eliminating it

thanks for listening to my rambles no go out there and get some real life beer karma!

 

Not too bad for a quick and dirty try.

I guess we did get points for adding beers before, so this thought is muted to even me now, but...

I also know I am seeing more duplicate beers nowadays than ever. Probably more related to the rise in good beer than any "reward system" - but I would like to see the beer duplicates cleaned up (I have noticed my requests seem to fall on deaf ears more than it used to - but now I am getting off topic).

 

I'd trust a beer trader with many good reviews over someone who rated 10,000 beers with just numbers any day

subscriber means you help fund this place and make me feel like a freeloader

 

They mentioned that disabling beer karma reduced resource usage, implying an improvement to performance. The question I have is whether that was the reason it was removed, or just a noted benefit? Just wondering if it was seen as a resource hog and they pulled the plug knowing they plan to replace it later? Or had it become a PITA for other reason(s)?

 

while I have to confess that I never really took the time to understand the system - I liked having a reference point for the people with whom I was dealing and reading.

While giving newbies an opportunity to rely on those more experienced, while at the same time giving those with more experience some credibility and bona fides seemed a pretty good system for a site that supposedly is promoting an all around interest in beer. Of course the system is/was not perfect. Of course there were newbies on the site with extreme knowledge and experience and there are those with thousands of posts and points that don't know squat and aren't worthy of credibility. BUT, those are the exceptions. As a general rule it was great to have some starting point, some reference point to decide who you were going to listen to; who had credibility and who may not.

I could go on and on as many have. I'm likely to agree with almost everyone on this thread who has spoken positively of the system. Several good points have been raised and need not be repeated by me. I can say that my use of BA had greater value to me and I used BA more as a tool when the system was in place. It also helped with trading since the system also gave you some guidelines of credibility of a trader's knowledge.

Bottom line: I am hopeful that the system, or a like system, will be re-implemented.

 

That's why I added the partial point for Updating beers. If there's a reward for combining duplicate listings, maybe the Gamers will be more vigilant. And, subtracting a point when your Dupe entry is erased, reduces the folks trying to gain points by adding a beer under a different name intentionally.

 

And maybe get +10 for re-upping on this promise!

 

I never cared about beer karma personally but I do appreciate an easily identifiable measure of how long and how much an individual BA has contributed to this site. It helps me evaluate which opinions to appreciate and which to take with a grain of salt.

 

I also would like to see it continue. As others have noted it was an incentive to contribute to the site and forums.