Introducing "Badges"
We have just pushed out a new feature this morning — BADGES.
I have to put this disclaimer up first — the idea is pretty much a straight copy of Badges on Stack Overflow (for the software developers amongst us, you know what I am talking about). A "Badge" is something you earned after you performed certain tasks on OzBargain (think "Achievements" for the Xbox crowds). It will be displayed on your popup and user profile page (right underneath your profile image), and the list of badges you've been awarded are also shown in your badges page (/user/<your ID>/badges).
For a list of all badge types, you can go to the Badges page. We have 11 different badges under 3 different classes at launch, but we are welcoming the community to contribute ideas on new badges that we can implement.
So for a start:
Badge Classes
- Gold — Hardest to earn. Currently only "Deal of the Month", which is only awarded once per month, and each user can only be awarded at most once.
- Silver — A bit easier to achieve (and getting easier as the community grows). For example "Popular Deals" and "Popular Comments" that are awarded base on the number of votes you receive on your deals/comments, and you can be awarded multiple times.
- Bronze — The kind of badges that you'll eventually earn when you've been on OzBargain for long enough. For example "Contributor" for posting enough deals and "Commentator" for posting enough comments.
- Black — Currently no badges are under this class. This is the "stinky badge" that will be given to users/merchants with bad behaviour.
Comments
+3 votesSome ideas:
Junior Editor badge — Edit your own deal posting 25 times (bronze)
Senior Editor badge — Edit 50 times (silver)
Redactor Badge — Edit 100 times (gold)
Dob-in badge — Report a scam or a shady deal and get it removed by a moderator. (silver)
Wiki Founder Badge — Be an author of a Ozbargain Wiki article (one of the hardest badges to get, seeing as there are very few users who have contributed to the Wiki) (Gold)
Debug Badge — Awarded for those who help debug Ozbargain (reporting glitches) (Gold)
Freebie Badge — Post a deal with a Freebie Tag and get a minimum of 15 upvotes. (Silver)
Bargain Hunter Badge — Post 50 deals, all of which satisfy a minimum of 15 upvotes. (Silver)
Veteran Badge — Awarded for long-service members. Be a member of Ozbargain for 2 years. (Gold)
Penalty Boxed — Black badge — awarded when user is banned and put into the PB.
+2 votesPostulative on 22/06/2012 - 14:45 ¶The first three of these basically encourage people to be idiots. You don't want to reward bad behaviour.
Other than that, I like some of your thinking. In particular, the idea that badges are awarded based upon contribution to the site (meaning I get nothing).
Posting 50 deals is a lot, isn't it? The 15 upvotes is good - means you're not posting junk.
Posting 50 deals is a lot, isn't it? The 15 upvotes is good - means you're not posting junk.
Perhaps it should be a Gold badge then… looked through my history and it seems 50 posts takes a ridiculously long time to achieve. Unless you're a rep of course and can actually deliver deals.
Veteran badge is probably too easy to get, maybe scratch that and opt for a badge that rewards based on the number of positive votes the user has accumulated through deal postings? (e.g Get total 500 positive votes = gold)
- Postulative on 23/06/2012 - 18:58 ¶
So that's 500 positive votes, not a total vote tally of 500, right? Wouldn't want those negative votes counted;).
Indeed. I am looking for something that's useful and cannot be easily gamed.
Our report system needs some changes so badges can be designed around them. People doing their due diligence reporting problematic deals/comments should definitely be given badges.
Freebie Badge
I'll say a large number of freebies get more than 15 votes, but certainly we can design some badges around the freebies.
Penalty Boxed
Hehe. I think penalty box itself is harsh enough penalty for them. I am more of thinking something fun, like
- Advertiser — store reps posting x number of low-quality deals consecutively.
- Troll — getting x number of comments reported as Trolling and subsequently unpublished (i.e. moderators agree with the reports).
To my mind, 'the Advertiser' is the lurking threat to Ozbargain.
Really, they dilute -all- the bargains (low quality, =wasting time).
Quite often, 'rep'tiles can game any filter or spam net, simply on grounds the published item is attractive. Filter may not catch them (avail.+ an ABN etc).
Therefore, proposition I submit. we consider being more explicit with the Advertiser. Utilise data in badge to:
Bring in a health-metre graphic (similar to ebay's store-reputation% concept, but fun) either on, or below, the headline of the "Deal" they are allowed to publicise. (It should at least in the description space area.)
Pretty much like on a shooter game, you would expect…
[(Red)Advertiser] ============x=== [Bargainer....]That slider coming down into "red" just when a (rogue)marketer become too clever by half. Could be a concept to shield the gullible (ebay-style) whilst sharpen the bargain(hunting) deals.
my point is that there exist 'advertisements' - flogged, typically excessively - and which are not distinguished as they could be by an illustrative visual.
Since we have rep-tags some form of bargainhealth-metre..may prove beneficial?
There are dual perspectives, clearly -bargainer & seller-: but more focus on the latter, please. if it means raising the profile of a dud group of exploiters.Point taken I could submit a deal, but I note finding these is not all frequent.
I'll admit there are some fantastic posters here, but all I'm advocating is to emphasize 'quality over quantity', rather than to dilute. Thats simply what ads do.
m0nkeycheese on 22/06/2012 - 14:28 ¶Question.. Will they be awarded retrospectively or from now on?
Edit: I see its already in motion..
Only one thing.. They are kinda ugly but I like the idea. Maybe jazz them up a bit and make them a bit more prominent on the popup profile?
- Postulative on 22/06/2012 - 14:49 ¶
Now I've seen how the badges appear. I like it, but they seem to be somewhat plentiful - for instance I already have one silver and three bronze.
Maybe after this has been in place a while it's something that can be reviewed to find where the appropriate badge award levels should be?
They have already been awarded retrospectively. Just take a look at the Badges page:
http://www.ozbargain.com.au/badge
It lists out the types of badges there are, how many times have they been awarded, and when you click on the badge itself, it shows the history of that badge being awarded.
leonheart1 on 23/06/2012 - 14:26 ¶Despite it being on my 'to watch' list for years, I just realised that I still haven't seen the whole movie… guess what I'm watching tonight!?
maldrat on 24/06/2012 - 08:42 Comment score below threshold (-11).
spawnpoint on 24/06/2012 - 10:21 ¶I just like to say that the colours of the badge should be more contrasting as well. How about a blue and a red badge. Could be a veteran badge for the blue (Bargrin would surely get one) and an awesome reporting deals badge.
Also just like comments and deals, number of likes could be used for a productive member of community badge?
LOVE it, had to do a search to find more out about the badge system… great idea, makes a good forum even better! more badges would be great.. would start to see the biggest positive contributers…
should be more badges for stuff like amount of comments (eg one per 1000, and 1 per year member etc)
Two new badges have been introduced this morning:
Chatty — silver badge awarded to people who have posted at least 1 comment every single day for the whole month. This is awarded for the month so you can earn multiple of this. For example @greenpossum got Chatty badges for August 2012, June 2012, December 2011, June 2011 and May 2011.
Store Fan — bronze badge awarded to people who have posted 5 or more deals from a specific store. Only deals with +5 or more votes are counted, and store representatives cannot be a fan. Again, you'll be awarded a badge for each store you are a fan of. For example @shaw got Store Fan badges for BuySKU, Amazon and Meritline.
Trance N Dance on 10/09/2012 - 10:43 ¶I don't think the chatty badge is a good idea, might induce people to comment more just for the sake of commenting and boosting their badges count. (That and I think JV might just take the cake with the most chatty badges on pure trolls…)
- Trance N Dance on 11/09/2012 - 12:36 ¶
Just voicing a concern.
If it was me I'd remove it completely, but I don't mind either way.
Keep it and see if there's any increase in commenting activity? If there isn't then keep it (it is a nice and fun novelty to have) but if there's a mass increase in commenting/trolling/spamming then take it down.
- easternculture on 04/04/2013 - 12:24 ¶
I myself, do feel privileged, i have already earned the badge :)
1
cool, love this :)