Are you a points hound?

I’m not fussed on points but they accumulate anyway - I certainly don’t engage just to get the points if that makes sense.  Mostly I’m unaware they are even there until something happens such as a “positive acclaim” message when someone bookmarks a post.

Now If you could just like this response and mark it helpful, it may push me into Level 8

Always a good discussion and I'm sure you'll be able to get us some good stats while you are getting better.

To answer your question, I was very keen to gain points when I first joined. Seeing my level go up was very exciting and I admit undertaking a couple of big-point badges with glee! Then the level milestones started to pace out and I stopped watching it - I only know where I am on the points because I sometimes use "reputation and Points" as a way to ensure inbox and activity are up to date i.e. I haven't ignored someones helpful comment. And on that note, just like you, I use the 'like' to indicate I have read something (both for the author and for myself when working out where I got to in a large thread) and the 'helpful'...well for just that. Although the 'like' sometimes seems inapproapriate for the subject, for instance when someone is explaining a serious life issue or if a minor online arguement occurs. I don't ration dishing them out in anyway and I must easily hit that limit you mention.

You are correct though for anyone wanting to build points up in that content and constructive discussion can generate many points. For instance a good roadtest review will attract much discussion. And the more you have the more chance that someone likes those in the future or starts the discussion up again! So years on you still get points for something you wrote if someone links or discusses it. If I were to mention Cyber Chicklet again today that would probably give you another 5 or 10 points

Personally the points and position is fairly trivial to me, not that I would want to see them go as I like being a 'Hertz'. However there are more important things to think about than whether I go up one or down one in the ranking, like getting that online editor to work

I've earned the bulk of my points from doing the quizzes, learning essentials and community participation badges (logging in on Holiday specials, Round up and Review, etc). For things like that I think the points award system is great! If there isn't one already, I wish there was one for attending a seminar when you had marked yourself as attending. But I can see how that would be very difficult to implement in practice. I'd also love to see a badge for when your blog gets shared on social media, maybe a 50 point gold star for excellent content?

Filling up your daily quota of points for liking things is easy and happens almost every day, but I'm less keen on marking comments as helpful just for points. Because I think the helpful comment marker is great for highlighting comments and letting others find them. So for that reason alone I don't think it's very helpful to mark everything as helpful. Although when I'm going through the comments on a learning essential module that's been out for a few months or a couple of years, I usually end up with a lot of points from liking comments and marking them as helpful. Now you could argue either way whether it's a helpful thing to do or just a good way to gain more points, in this case I'd argue it's fair since it does encourage more constructive comments and it's not a help forum.

To get to level 7 I did try to find badges that weren't listed in the missions list, although I think I only found two. In hindsight while it was fun to find them, I don't think that claiming "stale" badges was a very helpful contribution. So I can understand why people are very exited and start hunting points just before the next level, being guilty of doing this myself. But as DAB says: Participation is the key for getting points.

dougw  I like the point system.  I play it - and laugh at myself for indulging my OCD.   There is no way that I max out my points each day.  I grab the low hanging fruit by doing what most have indicated - I used the Like to indicate that I've read a post.  The @mention gives points, but I use that to make it easier for the intended recipient to know the replay is for them.  I also use a persons name in reply emails to make it easier to read through the thread - just in case it gets long.

I subscribe to the belief that points indicate engagement.  I had a log-in for years before I really took any time to explore the Community.  And then one day... I woke up and discovered something very cool.  I don't mourn the lost opportunity because the Community is willing to share their knowledge.  I haven't missed out - only delayed - my learning.

Again, I find great humor in the fact that the person ahead of me in the ranking is thousands of points away and the person above them... tens of thousands.  And yet I can't help but look.  In my little world, I'm the only one in the race.  The others don't know or care - and yet I race. Silly me.  I even wonder, "Will I lighten up once I get to that next level?" - and laugh.  My mental image of myself is Mr. Bean in the remake of Rat Race.  "I'm winning!!" - and then his narcolepsy kicks in.

I guess the point of the points is not to point out your points to other point collectors. Sooner or later your points make a point that could make other point collectors, "point envy". Just don't point your finger at other point collectors to make your point, there is not point to that. I like the point system, it's not pointless. I do like the badges better, they point out what you accomplished.

I made my point (I think),

Dale

6 years of likes and tags

Getting old and at times a bit forgetful I use the "Like" to mark that I have read and reviewed a particular post. Sometimes an interesting post will come up and I will immediately click the "Like" If the counter goes up I know I haven't seen it before. If the counter goes down I know I have already passed this way.

John

I admit to peeking at my points from time to time, but not as much anymore. Most rewarding to me are the comments that others make on my posts, even more so than likes.  That is where I find out if my efforts are interesting or useful to others and why, as well as ideas on how to improve my projects. I give likes anytime I enjoy or learn something new on someone’s post or when I feel they made a good effort although sometimes I might forget.  I think the points do give a rough idea of engagement and can be useful as John says when looking to see whether I’ve seen something before or not. I’m getting forgetful too :-)

Reading this thread I've already said I use plenty of likes and helpfuls.....I don't often use "Helpful - No". I think mainly because nearly everyone is helpful or trying to be. However I sometimes post advice which I think would help a member but a much more knowledgeable member later posts better advice or overrules what I've said....others do the same. I think mostly in the comments following that is picked up on and so anyone reading that thread would be guided.

Perhaps we are mainly too polite to click the Helpful-No. I know I'd be reluctant to as I don't know the mechanism behind it and would not want to upset another member needlessly - in the IT world such a issue could be drawn out. Obviously if you spoke to that person face-to-face the issue is so much easier e.g. in passing "Hi Pete, I read your report the other day and I think you may have misinterpreted the data you mention. I suggest looking it over and if you want I'll pop into your office this afternoon and help".....usually means Pete later thanks you for picking up the issue, end of issue.

If anyone want's feel free to mark this as Not Helpful and I'll report back on the effect e.g. if I got notified or if all my points get hoovered up and transfered to your account instead

I think the point system works well. I must admit that in the very early stages of my membership I thought "Ooh - clicking a few more likes and I'll get to level 2". I'm sure many people do. The almost exponential gaps between levels as you go up means that after a while this would be tedious and pointless. That's about when you realise that just creating worthwhile content is the gift that keeps giving back. When I take a peek at my point now, I'll often find that the activity bit is filled with recent likes and helpfuls - often from content I created a while ago. In this sense, it seems the points system works to engage users whether they're in the early stages of point hunting or have grown into the site and using it properly.

165 points to go

I have never been a point hound.

I believe in providing positive feedback to encourage people to do more.

DAB

In my opinion the point system gives you an idea of user's participation. But there are no real benefits in having high score, so the pure point collectors loose interest anyway. You don't get a better job, more skills without work, free components etc. The point system could get misused easily in case it would provide something in return - free stuff, access to some restricted areas etc.

The first few levels might be fun, but if you see a top member with a million points, you get the idea it would take you years to get there. This has also been proven in psychology that you loose interest in "chasing" someone being miles away.

Anyway the element14 community is a friendly place where people stay when they want to ask something, help the others or share something they built or find useful. This makes the point system pointless. The "post something and make as many people as possible like it" system doesn't apply here and doesn't work generally - Facebook and Instagram recently realized that constant comparing to other members just creates depression and this leads to more comparing in an endless spiral. That is why they experiment with hiding likes - the users than tend to share only what they find useful, not what they want to be liked.

I'm all about the badges.

I should probably create some more.

Interesting discussion.

I'm not a points hound myself, they wont help me in daily life to impress people, make me a better person, make more money, measure my technical growth, promote my self esteem, win more Road Tests, etc.

The points total do somewhat show me who is active in Element14 in a long haul, and who works for E14 ( the highest scores of all).

It's kinda of a fun thing to me, and I'm self motivated.  I dont get bummed if my project has 12000 views and 2 likes.

I do appreciate if there is a volley of discussion comments, points or not, where I can learn from other E14 members.

Beings I'm an old scouter and a ham, I will admit I collect some patches and baseball cap/lapel pins.

It would be kinda cool to be awarded with a patch or pin for some of the achievement points levels.

I may have answered something similar before.

Yes, and no.

Before I reached yellow, I was working harder to get to yellow(level 7).

Then, after getting 7, I'm at peace and relax again.