What does the number under the poster's name mean?

IQ

Reply to Olivier5

The numbers of likes the user's posts have, I think.

Quoting frank

IQ

That must be it! :-)

How many people have reported them to the mods. :scream:

It used to be post count. When it reset to zero I assumed it was an error but now I don't know.

Quoting Amalac

The numbers of likes the user's posts have, I think.

So my fan base here is composed of three (3) people?

Why, I love you too, 3 people ! :-)

Reply to Olivier5
I think that it is such a miserable new feature of the site, because when I switch on the site it shows me a list of the likes, with the most popular showing up before anything else, or the discussions. It creates a popularity hierarchy, and it is visible on every single post, but at least you have achieved 1 more like than me. When for several days I still had 0 it made me feel that I wished to stop writing here at all.

Also, I am not sure how accurate it is because when one person has loads of likes it could be one person giving scores to someone they like for many posts. Also, I thought that it was more helpful to be able to see the number of posts which a person has written because that was a way of seeing if the person was new or an established member. I believe that the idea is to try to encourage better posts, but as far as I can see it will probably just bolster certain egos, who are able to have a higher figure next to their name. Some of the really high numbers are, I believe based on being on the old site, so they had high numbers showing up straight away.

Reply to Jack Cummins There you go.

P.S. I also agree with you, so it's not just a pity like.

Reply to Jack Cummins I voted you up too. :love:

Reply to Kenosha Kid Reply to Olivier5
I am sure that I will find posts to give you each a point because to simply give it to you for giving me one would just show how silly it is. It reminds me of being given sticky stars for good work in primary school and how there was a record on the wall to show who had the most.

But, maybe we just need to start becoming generous in giving people points. I have to admit that when I am busy reading and writing a discussion I forget about giving people points. And, it is likely that many on the site don't give points at all, especially as the feature is new.

I think that people must be playing around because my figure is rising so much. But, please be careful or the mods may decide to revert me back to zero. But, when I read good posts I am going to try to remember to give them a point!

Edit: I see that I have reached a score of 50. People may start to think that is my age, and even Banno is only in his teens!

Reply to Jack Cummins If they are genuine likes they might be of some use, because then they might indicate how much in tune with the herd you are.

Jack is currently in the Top 10. You go Jack!

Reply to Jack Cummins Don't you worry about it. My guess is that among the 50+ poster's who pumped you up, quite a few -- like myself -- did it just to show how easy to manipulate and hence meaningless that feature is...

Quoting Jack Cummins

please be careful or the mods may decide to revert me back to zero.

Now that would be interesting. Likes removed because they're not 'real' likes. I would be solidly in favour of the whole enterprise if, in addition to seeing what groups people form, we get to see meta-judgements about how 'real' those groups are.

Quoting Jack Cummins

I believe that the idea is to try to encourage better posts, but as far as I can see it will probably just bolster certain egos

I'm with you on this. It's fine to have a button to like a post, but when you gamify discussion sites, they go downhill.

@frank We're in the same boat! I hope you're in first class. You'll find me smoking on the deck! :lol:

I didn't even notice you could like posts. But if the goal is to encourage better posts maybe showing the number of followers is better? That way it's a bit more annoying to manipulate and the "factions" that form become clearer. I think it's better if you just show nothing though. People will start conflating the numbers with authority and validity.

Is this where we can come to get liked? Maybe the incels would benefit from something like this. A zero on your forehead might look pretty good to some people.

I expect to have a negative number any time soon. As my best friend, Paul A. Spenser said it, "My parents now think I should be lucky to amount to nothing."

I wish I can keep «zero» as my number in the name. Zero means infinite or metaphysics for some philosophers. Absence perception and the philosophy of zero

Quoting Olivier5

What does it indicate?

That we have all been returned to High School.
Dammit, I have acne again.

Quoting god must be atheist

As my best friend, Paul A. Spenser said it, "My parents now think I should be lucky to amount to nothing."

I gave you a boost, gmba. You deserve it for this gem.

How do I find out where my likes are?

Quoting Metaphysician Undercover

How do I find out where my likes are?

You can only observe their effects, like black holes.

Did anyone else see the "answer" in gray on the first accurate response?
Is there a way for that to be moderated or is there some automatic response.... Hmmm.....
I think it's gotta be manual
@Test Mod

Reply to ArguingWAristotleTiff
I am not going to look at the answer. I am in High School again. The information won't help me.

It means nothing. It has no meaning. It does not compute.

"... and the mome raths outgrabe."

Reply to jamalrob
Reply to Isaac

Quoting khaled

People will start conflating the numbers with authority and validity.

It would be interesting to see what effect random changing numbers under a poster's name would have. Ie. so that the same poster one day has, say, 5 as the number under their name, then the next day 106, then 88, and so on.

It's your new social credit score.

Don't let it go negative or you won't be allowed passports, inter-domestic transport, loans and use of other public/private services. Big brother is watching you.

Reply to jgill Thanks, JG. Paul was an absolute genius with the language. I miss him so much.

There's a problem with the implementation of the new system, which is that you no longer get the total post count. So you can't distinguish newcomers from grizzled veterans. It's helpful to know that. So it's not just a question of whether one likes the new system. It's that an important piece of contextual information was deleted to make room for the new system. I'd like to see the old overall post count returned, in addition to the new upvote count.

Quoting Olivier5

I'm only now noticing that a number appears under the poster's name in each and every post. What does it indicate?

You take the number under my name and you subtract the number under @Baden's from it, and from that you arrive at the Baden sadness score.

Quoting fishfry

There's a problem with the implementation of the new system, which is that you no longer get the total post count

I agree. I would prefer to see the total post count and then, possibly, only the "likes" for that specific post, not cumulative - which seems meaningless. Unless the forum is a kind of popularity contest.

Quoting Hanover

You take the number under my name and you subtract the number under Baden's from it, and from that you arrive at the Baden sadness score.

Beauty contests and their queens...