Suggestion: Perks. Not just for supporters/staff?

[The Red Chain]

Subjective, anyone can do that. I do it, but it doesn't mean I'm right. There needs to be a more hard and fast approach.

Right but in a decision like that wouldn't there be more than one head in the mixture?
I do agree though, something like this may be pressing time a bit.. I should have given it a little more thought.
But I think it may ruin the purpose of getting to know members of your community on a closer level if you have say.. a set requirement for the perks to be obtained.. like 5,000 posts for an auto-blog.

Though if you believe it's the only way to really make this work for everyone if this idea does go through, then right on.
I guess what I wanna see through this idea is a better sense of equality here on PC, and for members to not feel so left out.
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[Nick]

...We're not looking into moderator candidates here. We're discussing perks. There really doesn't need to be any test or serious requisites that make or break someone getting able to get some extra PMs. :|The way blog works seems to work absolutely fine so I don't see why it won't work with everything else suggested.

 

[Fushigidane-Chan]

One question: what's wrong with enjoying what the forum was created for in the first place?

 

[Abnegation]

I think your intetions are good, to be honest, however I'm not sure this could work very well, not on paper nor in practice. It's just a little vauge, and perks as it stands, aren't at all that inaccessible. Sure, it's hard to become a staff member in many respects, but the perks we have aren't much different to those of supporters, and becoming a supporter is as easy as chips if you really want to be one. Members are rewarded with emblems and the likes too however.

In saying this, I'd like to see more suggestions as to how we can add a new system, one more thought out and practicle. Something fresh and new, something like emblems or along those lines at least.

One question: what's wrong with enjoying what the forum was created for in the first place?

Nothing, but PC strives for more than just minimilism, no harm in introducing extras.

 

[Aurafire]

Smogon has a good system of doing this, they give members "badges" based on their contributions to the forum as a whole or specific sections. Badged members have access to a private forum (kind of like supporters), however it's a bit more meaningful in that they now have a say in forum policy and stuff like that. Kind of like emblems, but much more meaningful and the badges show up in your posts.

I'm not saying this system would work at PC, since we have a very different forum, but personally I would love to see an awards system that rewards hard-working members with a few perks. As others have said, it's not possible for all members to donate money, but that doesn't mean they don't contribute in other ways.

Anyway, just throwing this out there, but maybe we could have two types of supporters: those who donate and those who would be eligible for perks by contributing in a meaningful way to the forums. Same perks, same levels, and the levels could be awarded to the "meaningful contribution" members for their continued work. I'm not sure if we'd want to do different colors, but I think both ways of contribution have their own special merits, so it probably wouldn't be the worst thing to distinguish between the two.

Something like this would have to be up to staff discretion, and it shouldn't be spammed like emblems since the perks associated with the contribution would be unique and special. Not saying that emblems aren't, but there should obviously be some difference between getting and emblem and getting rewarded with perks. Staff members are pretty free to give out emblems to anyone they wish, but I would imagine this would require a bit more discussion.

Anyway, I support this general idea regardless of how we want to approach it.

 

[countryemo]

Adding on to what he said about the badges ^^
And the two types. I been on many forums where they have supporters and lets say "V.I.Ps" The difference is the Supports pay and get perks. And the V.I.Ps. are like supports but get perks but little limited

 

[Poster]

A completely new system? Well, that's something else. That could work! Still, the perks included should be something inferior to supporter ones, or if equal, they might require an equal contribution to the site, though I can't really tell what that could be aside of donations right now. Because, if not, whom would the Supporters be distinguished from?

Something below the usertitle could also cover the proof of someone being qualified. Something among the lines of 'EOs' who have the green bar, but maybe a purple bar, or something. Geh, I guess the hardest part will be to invent qualification requirements and automatic surveys on qualified members, though (well, manually having someone qualify means exactly what Abnegation said). :/

 

[Melody]

I'm against this idea fully. We already have it so that blogs can be given to a member after 5k posts.

Now I wouldn't oppose a PM box increase for the members, but I honestly don't believe they need any more perks anyways. That being said, there is already a system in place for staff to award blogs to people who make valuable contributions to the community, even if they don't have 5k posts!

It's one thing for the supporters to want a certain perk. Members wanting perks is just...counter to the way things are now.

 

[Vrai]

Anyway, just throwing this out there, but maybe we could have two types of supporters: those who donate and those who would be eligible for perks by contributing in a meaningful way to the forums. Same perks, same levels, and the levels could be awarded to the "meaningful contribution" members for their continued work. I'm not sure if we'd want to do different colors, but I think both ways of contribution have their own special merits, so it probably wouldn't be the worst thing to distinguish between the two.

Something like this would have to be up to staff discretion, and it shouldn't be spammed like emblems since the perks associated with the contribution would be unique and special. Not saying that emblems aren't, but there should obviously be some difference between getting and emblem and getting rewarded with perks. Staff members are pretty free to give out emblems to anyone they wish, but I would imagine this would require a bit more discussion.

I'm really interested in this idea in particular. While we probably can't do it the same way as Smogon, having a way for people to recognize other members who have "meaningful contributions" to PC sounds like a cool idea, imo. And I think that a member who participates and contributes to PC insofar as to be recognized by staff should be allowed to have perks.

 

[Nick]

I'm really interested in this idea in particular. While we probably can't do it the same way as Smogon, having a way for people to recognize other members who have "meaningful contributions" to PC sounds like a cool idea, imo. And I think that a member who participates and contributes to PC insofar as to be recognized by staff should be allowed to have perks.

My sentiments exactly. Bringing it up in HQ for discussion and voting rn.

 

[Melody]

I like that idea, and we wouldn't necessarily have to assign them a color, just italicize their name. Anything we can do to give people who OBVIOUSLY and SERIOUSLY contribute to the community isn't off limits...and there are far fewer of those than people who can plop down a $5 donation.

 

[Ho-Oh]

As I said in my blog entry on this as well as MSN, I'm all for this idea, because some normal members really do deserve recognition.

Pachy: You can't decide a good member by 5000 posts - some make 5000 posts and are terrible members (I know I was), so actually having a system to appreciate them is a lot better.

I like Aurafire's idea too, I think it'd work well. :)

Hopefully those perks TRC mentioned (did she mention profile pics? idk) would be added to that special group too.

 

[Kura]

I agree to a large extent to the ideas mentioned in the first post.
Most importantly being the one regarding PM space. 150 PMs in my opinion, are too less. I remember when I was a non-supporter, I had to constantly delete PMs; so many of them contained old memories of mine; something I would have liked to keep with myself. Deserving members definitely should be awarded with higher PM space.

This is what I basically made mention to in the other thread AND what sorta sparked Nica's train of thought..
@_@ A little bit of extra room is basically all I want..

I mean.. you gotta set apart the people who pay money because they deserve perks for the money they're paying.. and you know.. bigger avatars and stuff isn't really a huge deal to me.. @_@ Since when I joined we didn't really even have profile pictures or visitor messages and stuff so I think that's.. "perks-y" enough for a lot of member who come here..

But yeah.. a little extra PM space would be wonderful..

I think maybe the only other suggestion I could make is for blogs to be open for everyone to COMMENT on. But supporters, staff, and 5000+post-members should be the ones who deserve to create their own blog, IMO <3


Yeah that's about all I can think of :3

so actually having a system to appreciate them is a lot better.

@_@ Please don't bring back rep.. it was so abused.. any other way of doing this would be great, though!

 

[Vrai]

I think maybe the only other suggestion I could make is for blogs to be open for everyone to COMMENT on. But supporters, staff, and 5000+post-members should be the ones who deserve to create their own blog, IMO <3

I thought that every member could post on blogs anyway? I mean, I swear I could remember commenting on a blog before I myself could make them...

 

[Ho-Oh]

@_@ Please don't bring back rep.. it was so abused.. any other way of doing this would be great, though!

Rep? Nono, by system I meant this entire suggestion, defs no rep.

Vrai: Well, iirc, you can't edit your comments on others blogs if you don't own one.

 

[Abnegation]

I agree that we should have a system to show that we value certain members. In more than one way perhaps, emblems seem more like collectibles, members deserve something they can feel individual with, an award, handed out scarcely. But very structured, but at the same time, not something someone can simply work up to getting purposfully by filling out the criteria like emblems, something more natural, yet not subjective. Any ideas?

 

[Kura]

I agree that we should have a system to show that we value certain members. In more than one way perhaps, emblems seem more like collectibles, members deserve something they can feel individual with, an award, handed out scarcely. But very structured, but at the same time, not something someone can simply work up to getting purposfully by filling out the criteria like emblems, something more natural, yet not subjective. Any ideas?

I dunno.. a nomination thing does seem like it'd be favouritism.. and also if mods pick and choose for themselves, they might skip out on some members that are perhaps not as active but have very good things to say and contribute to the community, so it's a tough one. (For example, I always seem to write TL;DRs.. and it's become sorta like a joke around here.. yet I haven't really ever recieved the TL;DR emblem.. so.. haha.. Mods are around to do their job but they don't go out of their way ALL the time.. cause it's impossible to think of so much for so many members..)

If you'd like, I wrote an opinion on the other thread that this thread sorta takes a turn off from if you would like to read it here:
https://www.pokecommunity.com/showpost.php?p=6400915&postcount=48

But I will copy/paste something I think is very important that sorta gives my view on the main subject of this particular thread:

Because if all members [now will] get [new perks] from the get-go.. it then becomes standard.. and not a "perk" @_@ Just like VMs are now standard and not a "wow look what PC got" sorta thing anymore.

I hope this helps, though~

 

[Abnegation]

It'd still be a perk if we handed the awards out to very few people. It wouldn't become as common as supportership, at all.

 

[Kura]

It'd still be a perk if we handed the awards out to very few people. It wouldn't become as common as supportership, at all.

I know that, but I think Nica's blog was implying more PM space for EVERYONE.. which would be nice, but then it wouldn't necessarily be a "perk" and more of just a "change" haha

 

[Ho-Oh]

I dunno.. a nomination thing does seem like it'd be favouritism.. and also if mods pick and choose for themselves, they might skip out on some members that are perhaps not as active but have very good things to say and contribute to the community, so it's a tough one. (For example, I always seem to write TL;DRs.. and it's become sorta like a joke around here.. yet I haven't really ever recieved the TL;DR emblem.. so.. haha.. Mods are around to do their job but they don't go out of their way ALL the time.. cause it's impossible to think of so much for so many members..)

Wait you don't? Most of the time it's assumed people have really obvious ones, so we don't... bother. XD As for nominating members, I can think of two right off the bat that would be worthy of this perks idea, anyway.

As for PM space for everyone, that is true. They do need an increase, because in these days, even for newer members, 150 is too low, though the ones considered worthy for these perks would have a higher PM inbox, such as 300, as opposed to normal members getting an increase to 200, for example (since apparently tier 3's have an inbox of 500, so...)