How about a "ladder" of custom user titles ?

[Nova]

Originally Posted by botman

A title shouldn't really be necessary if you can see what someone's post count is. A low post count means they haven't been here long or don't post very often. A high post count means they have been here a long time or like to spam the forum.

Having titles just encourages people to keep posting useless crap so they can "upgrade" to a higher title.

IMHO titles aren't needed.

botman

Exactly my call !

[rob]

convinced me too.

[Pierre-Marie Baty]

Okay, okay, it was a bad idea... (although a funny one )

[stefanhendriks]

The post amount does not actually say how active a user has been in the whole time frame.

This would mean when a poster spams a lot, the post count will be extremely high but that would not mean its such a real active (in the words of "helpfull") user as we want it to.

Perhaps the posts-per-day ratio can show you the activity better. (like shown on User CP).

[Nova]

Originally Posted by stefanhendriks

The post amount does not actually say how active a user has been in the whole time frame.

This would mean when a poster spams a lot, the post count will be extremely high but that would not mean its such a real active (in the words of "helpfull") user as we want it to.

Perhaps the posts-per-day ratio can show you the activity better. (like shown on User CP).

Thats easy.

[Onno Kreuzinger]

Originally Posted by botmeister

Perhaps we should just drop the whole idea. The problem is that a function based only on posts which, will include all the totally useless posts (like a few of the above ), may encourage some people to spam.

My only suggestion, which it seems is not possible, is to base rank only on number of days since registering.

hmm, to be somehow accurate, one would need something like the "Google-dance" i.e. cross references and number of subsequent visits are more important. so the event of reading it is important not writing it.
in the end it's better to let people find out who helps wnd who not ;-)

Cheers

[james_isaac]

I'll tell you what would be a good thing:

This is something that is going to come on with the newest version of phpBB, but you will probably be able to get it as a VB hack:

A Karma level - other people rate your posts, and that will make the bar next to your name go up or down. So people who spam have a negative bar, and people who post useful stuff have a good bar.

Now that's really what you need.

[Pierre-Marie Baty]

There is a "reputation system" in vBulletin that quite resembles what you are talking about. Although I personally greatly prefer the term "Karma level"
It could be turned on, eventually.
However I'm starting to wonder if that whole idea of "ranking people" would not turn to be a sort of discriminative tool.

[TruB]

i think the system works well at other communities.. like i said before.. its always ppl with no life who like to spam.. but with some well pointed warnings of spam and active mods.. well then its shouldnt be prob.. im for the ranking. if that wasnt abvios.. try it for awhile if it does not work.. well then take it away..


btw .. have large steps between the higher ranks.. just a tip.. and small steps between the lower ones..

[botmeister]

We should first ask ourselves what purpose does a rank serve and how will it make Bots United a better community.