Much Ado About Points

@ Audrey T
Would a user be able to say things like "I'll give five points for comments about characterization, I'm working on that," or "I'd really like feedback on chapter 4, I'll give points for comments about that"?

It seems limiting to only be able to specify a word count. I also don't like the idea of story editors/admins/whatever having final judgement over where the points I earned go to. If I worked to get the points, I think I should be able to set my own standards about giving them away. If we did do this, I think users should have the option of doing an automated point thing or something specific/at their discretion.

If we did go with a system like you're proposing, it would have to be able to distinguish between people who want to give a review for points, and people who are just commenting because they want to. I shouldn't be penalized for using a quote in my comment if reviewing was never my intention in the first place.

Kurtni:

@ Audrey T
Would a user be able to say things like "I'll give five points for comments about characterization, I'm working on that," or "I'd really like feedback on chapter 4, I'll give points for comments about that"

Not through the automatic system, no. Because, like you stated, there wouldn't be a way for a program to determine the content of a comment.

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It seems limiting to only be able to specify a word count. I also don't like the idea of story editors/admins/whatever having final judgement over where the points I earned go to. If I worked to get the points, I think I should be able to set my own standards about giving them away.

If this system is implemented, it wouldn't mean that author's wouldn't also be able to give points freely as they see fit. This wouldn't be something everyone has to use. It would just be something people could use if they wanted.

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If we did go with a system like you're proposing, it would have to be able to distinguish between people who want to give a review for points, and people who are just commenting because they want to. I shouldn't be penalized for using a quote in my comment if reviewing was never my intention in the first place.

The way it would work would be, the author puts in that they will give 50 points for any comment/feedback of at least 200 words. And anyone who leaves a comment on that story - during that time - that fits that criteria (at least 200 words) will receive the 50 points. If someone wanted to opt out of that, then they would be able to do so.

I shouldn't be penalized for using a quote in my comment if reviewing was never my intention in the first place.

I don't understand. Why would you be penalized for using a quote in a comment? There wouldn't be anything against using quotes in your comment - they just wouldn't go towards your overall word count. So if you're not giving a review or comment to receive points, it wouldn't affect you.

@ Audrey T
I think I just misunderstood you. It seemed like you were proposing this system instead of users being able to give points as they see fit to prevent user disputes over points. If it's optional, then I think it's a great idea. I think a lot of users posting in the "two comment swaps" thread would appreciate this too, because they were looking for ways to get reviews/critiques.

@ Kurtni

Oh yeah. It would be a separate system, not instead of.

I don't know if anybody has suggested this, but I feel like points should have to do with however many words somebody has written for a story. For example, somebody could gain 100 points for every 10,000 words. Or something like that.

@ whomping willow.
I definitely didn't mean getting notifications because that would obviously be annoying, but more just having a page somewhere that has a list of points, like Article Points, Story Word Count Points, Story Completion Points, Posts in Forum Points, etc, and you can go and check it whenever you want (or not all).

@ fantail.angel
How would that work when you spend/give away points though? It might not work out to evenly remove points from each category so those numbers would be inaccurate.

@ Kurtni
Maybe there could be two overall categories then? So something like...

Points Gained
Articles - 500
Stories - 400
Forum Posts - 50
...
Total - x

Points Lost
Given Away - 250
...
Total - y

Total Points = x - y = z

@ Lisbeth Salander.
It seems like too little to only have 10points/1000 words.

Besides, I put an intense amount of effort into my drabbles. The same amount as I might put into a 1000 word one-shot. I think it's very potent with stories that quantity =/= effort.

@ The Rumor
I partially agree. I think 10points/1000words is probably okay/best (if you were to average out how much effort per words was put in across all users), but drabbles should definitely be recognised (and not just by a completion amount of points).

@ The Rumor
Well, I didn't actually mean that amount. I was just using it as an example. And, yeah, that could definitely be a problem. It was just a suggestion, I can see the faults. And I do agree with you.

Points aren't necessarily meant to be a judge of quality, but of activity on the site (that's why they replaced post counts). I don't think drabbles or short stories need additional points outside of the completion points and word count points.

I think 10 points per 1000 words was what Dujo and I threw out when we were brainstorming, because you have to take into account not just the very short stories, but the authors who have stories hundreds of thousands of words long. It has to be an amount that balances both ends of the spectrum.

@ Kurtni
Do drabbles still get 10 points for word count, even though they're under the proposed 1000?

@ fantail.angel
I don't know. What do you think?

Maybe, since drabbles are half of what 1000 words would be (or less), they could be 5 points.
Or, a point per 100 words, to simplify.

@ Kurtni
I think if the system is kept 10 points per x amount of words, anything under should get those 10 points.

@ ladyschrei
So everything 1999 words and under is 10 points, and then once you hit 2000, 3000, etc, you get another 10 points? That was what I was originally thinking, but it's a bit unfair to have those first 2000 words worth less than the rest, isn't it?

@ ladyschrei
Wait, I think I misread you.... With what you were saying, at 1000 would you still get another 10 points?

@ fantail.angel
I don't think I'm quite understanding you. How is it that it's worth less?

:EDIT: Yes, at 1,000 you'd get another 10 points, then again at 2,000, etc.

But anything marked as a short story that's under 1,000 words would still get 10 points.

@ ladyschrei
So in a way it's sort of like getting 10 points for having a story, and then 10 further points per 1000 words that you write for it? (And however many more for completing it too)