Hello folks,
We have been thinking about making some changes to the good egg award. Under the current system, Good Eggs are only recognised once, but we'd like to create a new system to recognise those of you who consistently contribute really good stuff to the Forum.
One of the ideas we've been throwing around is that of a monthly rolling award. If anyone has any thoughts on this or other ideas regarding improvements to the good egg award we would welcome constructive comments.Claire(on behalf of all of the Moderators)
I am relatively new this forum (or any forum for that matter) but have seen all sorts of things written on other bird sites. I know nothing about good eggs, bad eggs or whatever. The principle to me is a simple one - Birding is fun and the day it stops being fun and becomes too serious is the day I might find another hobby. This hobby has kept me going for over 50 years and at the moment I can see no reason to give it up.
The Cotswold Water park sightings website
My Flicker page
Just one final comment, i noticed a few queries asking for a few guidelines on the use of the star rating function, i will endeavour to post this in the hints and tips section later today!
Best wishes
Warden Intern at Otmoor.
Wendy S said: There must be many other members out there who have opinions too but are worried about standing up and saying something for fear of being shot down. I find that thought very sad Chloe,I too find this very sad ,as long as we do not get too personal and go out of the way to intentionally hurt peoples feelings we should be free to offer up our opinions and if we do accidentally upset someone we should be able to apologize. [/quote] I personally think you should always stand up for what you believe in on here. Yes if you upset someone, apologise, but don't apologise for holding a particular view. Proper adults will realise you meant them personally no harm. I've had run ins with people on here because our views clashed, but that happens in all walks of life, not just community forums. Once was the time I would not say boo to a goose ... that time passed a couple of years ago when I went thru a huge personal upheaval, and I had to stick up for myself. I bear no one on here a grudge, or any form of malice .. in fact, I admire people who fight back if you like. Remember, the RSPB is an organisation that has to tread on toes sometimes too .. the trick is to do it with reasoned debate and rational argument. By and large that's what happens on here, the name calling sessions are very few and far between by and large. ant "IT IS SAID THAT LIFE FLASHES BEFORE YOUR EYES BEFORE YOU DIE. THAT IS TRUE, IT'S CALLED LIVING."Death - Terry Pratchett (The Last Continent).
There must be many other members out there who have opinions too but are worried about standing up and saying something for fear of being shot down. I find that thought very sad
Chloe,I too find this very sad ,as long as we do not get too personal and go out of the way to intentionally hurt peoples feelings we should be free to offer up our opinions and if we do accidentally upset someone we should be able to apologize.
[/quote]
I personally think you should always stand up for what you believe in on here. Yes if you upset someone, apologise, but don't apologise for holding a particular view. Proper adults will realise you meant them personally no harm.
I've had run ins with people on here because our views clashed, but that happens in all walks of life, not just community forums. Once was the time I would not say boo to a goose ... that time passed a couple of years ago when I went thru a huge personal upheaval, and I had to stick up for myself.
I bear no one on here a grudge, or any form of malice .. in fact, I admire people who fight back if you like.
Remember, the RSPB is an organisation that has to tread on toes sometimes too .. the trick is to do it with reasoned debate and rational argument. By and large that's what happens on here, the name calling sessions are very few and far between by and large.
ant
"IT IS SAID THAT LIFE FLASHES BEFORE YOUR EYES BEFORE YOU DIE. THAT IS TRUE, IT'S CALLED LIVING."Death - Terry Pratchett (The Last Continent).
Tweet said: Many forums have a simple 'thanks' button - you can click on it if you found the post helpful, or ignore it and carry on. That way, you can certainly have someone with 10,000 posts, but if there's only 30 that are thanked and acknowledged as being useful and helpful - well that kinda says alot about the post count. On the other hand, you could have someone with 300 posts over the same time period with 250 thanks.....Post count isn't everything by any means. Good egg awards will always be subjective - as there's always someone else on the forum you feel contributes just as much in their own way, as anybody else. I don't know of any other forums that award an 'award' - ie poster of the month.
Many forums have a simple 'thanks' button - you can click on it if you found the post helpful, or ignore it and carry on. That way, you can certainly have someone with 10,000 posts, but if there's only 30 that are thanked and acknowledged as being useful and helpful - well that kinda says alot about the post count. On the other hand, you could have someone with 300 posts over the same time period with 250 thanks.....Post count isn't everything by any means. Good egg awards will always be subjective - as there's always someone else on the forum you feel contributes just as much in their own way, as anybody else. I don't know of any other forums that award an 'award' - ie poster of the month.
Being one of those unfortunate people who are enslaved to a computer and desk all day, and a dilapidated house, high-maintenance garden and demanding avian family members during the evenings and weekends I've only just had a chance to read through this thread. I think Tweet's idea is a good one, and one I've seen work on another forum. Members can acknowledge particularly helpful posts with a "thank you". If those thanks triggered notifications to the moderators, perhaps they could act as guidelines to who the membership finds most helpful.
When I'm on a forum I tend to subconsciously equate a high post count with a level of expertness or respectedness on the forum, although I've known enough cases where the member has mostly posted mindless chatter or contentious views to know it's not an infallible measure! So I do see a point to having a form of recognition other than just post count to reward good contributors as well as informing new members whose opinion is worth listening to. The downside of course is that there's the potential for the accolade not to be appropriate forever. Mind you, if it was based on the opinions of the wider membership via something like the thanks facility, it would hopefully be a more accurate measure of worthiness than when decided on by the smaller number of moderators who can't be everywhere at once.
I would go for an award that would stay with the member (but would be removable in exceptional circumstances) and that could be bronze/silver/gold if the moderators wanted to extend the scheme to give members something to aspire to. Having the award permanent would mean that anyone searching the forums and finding an old thread would still know that the information could be trusted, even if the "good egg" member was no longer around.
Having posted that ramble, I'll get back to keeping some avians company :)
Maisie
A closed mouth gathers no foot.
Hi-
I think I'll just wear my GEA around Titchwell and Lesvos
:)
S
For advice about Birding, Identification,field guides, binoculars, scopes, tripods, etc - put 'Birding Tips' into the search box
seymouraves said: Hi- I think I'll just wear my GEA around Titchwell and Lesvos :) S
Ah there you are Seymour. I don't suppose you could put on your expert hat and help with this one could you? :-))
http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/forums/t/41855.aspx
Best wishes Chris
Click Here to see my photos
seymouraves said:Titchwell and Lesvos
Is that like Trinidad and Tobago?
I had no idea Norfolk was so Mediterranean. We'll have to get you a badge saying "kalo augo."
BB
Can we have a Good Egg and Spoon Race?
That way, we all get a laugh when you drop your Egg
:-)
Seriously thinking about trying harder!
Haha LOL with Jackdow
Now everyone has made me laugh a lot here {big smile}
It is getting close to Easter time so another egg issue coming up and all those extra pounds that we will all be putting on
Regards
Kathy and Dave
This made me smile;
Seymouraves posted a suggestion on this thread back in February which I'd like to resurrect, because I think it's a good one (though it is very annoying how often he is right about things - Mrs. S. has my deepest sympathies...).
Actually I listen to Mrs S a lot- it gets me through most of the time :)
When I'm birding I don't argue - I let my scope do the talking :)