Hi guys,
After lengthy discussions on this OpaQue and myself have come to a conclusion that we should try and install some sort of Credit Transfer/Rewards system - with which members (with more than 30 credits in store) can announce a certain amount of credits as reward for helping him out in some technical problem. He'll be able to allot any amounts of credits he has in excess of thrity credits - no maximum limit fixed yet.

The purpose of this system is to encourage other members to come up with more complete (rock solid) & quicker responses to these problems. This way it'll be double motivation for them - they get credits for their own post as well as those extra bonus points. Now as to who gets the credits will be decided by the reward announcer himself - whoever he deems best fit. But the amount he announces as reward will be immediately deducted from his account so that he cannot fool around later and say that he wont pay up. This safeguards the responders' interests too.... And if no one is able to help this guy out, the alloted credits will be returned to him later on, albeit with certain transfer charges... call it the Astahost Taxation System... lol..

This is a mighty complex system - and we've just discussed the initial blueprint for it - just ideas so far.. OpaQue will soon start designing it.. If anybody has any other brilliant touches to add to this - pour it all out here and we'll see which all can be feasibly incorporated into it.

The original idea came from the Sun Java forums - where they employ a similar concept named "Duke Dollars".

Regards,
m^e

Sounds like and interesting concept but I was wondering about a couple of things.

How will problems be dealt with for this system. How will user be able to determine who should be awarded the credtis. For example lets say I help vizskywalker with a problem he is having and moonwitch also helps him with the problem. Vizskywalker awards me the credits but in reality moonwitch's answer was more helpful for the question posted while my reply was helpful for a related problem. Can vizskywalker split the credits like 30/70 or 50/50?

Another problem is will this make some users uncomfortable posting their problems because they have to offer credits for assistance. Good questions tend to lead to very good discussions in the forum so we should avoid making our member unfortable to ask for help. Additioanally, new members or guests may chose to go somewhere else to get help because either they don't have enogh credits to offer for help or don't want to give their credits away. That could lead to fewer new members. Also if few questions are asked, there may be less overall posts made. Questions lead to discussions. Discussions lead to more information. More information leads to more interest , member, and revenue.

The upside of the idea is that members will be more likely to post more complete answers if there are credits awarded for help. Additionally, if users need help and don't have enough credits to get help, they may post more topics or replies that will benefit everyone in an effort to get enough credits to offer for help. Currently many members maintain their credits around 10 in order to keep ther hosting. If they had higher credit goals set for them, then they may rise to the challenge.

I guess we need a little more input and discussion on these issues before we can provide furture suggestions on the idea.

Has a lot of potential for success.

vujsa

Yup you're right

I hadn't thought of the credit's splitting system - so have to rethink it over a bit, but as for rewarding the credits, user's might or might not announce rewards - it's completely on them. It's not mandatory at all. Only thing is if credits are rewarded, that provides additional motivation for the topic to be solved real quick.

Now about the splitting up part - that needs some serious consideration. Have to figure out a way to do this. But it shouldn't be split of more than 2 ways I think..

Also another problem me and opaque discussed was, that when your credit count is BELOW 30, it's much more easier to score credits in bulk - many users might try and abuse this privilege by creating multiple accounts and pouring all credits into one.
So we figured, if don't allow users with less than 30 credits to transfer, this solves the problem. User's can only transfer whatever they have in excess of 30 credits.

Besides, supposing that someone tries to play a trick by creating multple accounts - all those accounts will have to have quality posts + above 30 credits to be transferred to one of them. Plus member has to create fake problem scenarios (which obviously will be weeded out by us, if worthless junk) - and he has to post valid replies too from the other accounts - once again junk not permitted. All these posts+replies have to meet our standards.. or they get thrown out and credits cut.
1. Even if someone's desperate enough to try something as foolish as this - he'll have to make really good posts - which ACTS TO OUR ADVANTAGE
2. He'll have to make plenty of Good Posts to get so many transfarrable credits - and doing so from one account is tough job for many.. doing so from multiple accounts will kill any normal human.. lol.. that's enough to discourage most.

Any other idea's & suggestions most welcome - before we assimilate all of them and try design this system.

Regards,
m^e

I've seen some forums with something like this, but of course, they don't do it with hosting credits. I think it's a great idea. A good way to do this, I think, is for the user asking the question to say something like "I really need help, so whoever takes part in helping me will receive about <insert amount here> hosting credits from me, depending how good the answer is.", then after the problem is resolved, he can think about how to distribute his available credits to his helpers. This would give the repliers an idea of how much they will be rewarded by giving a good answer. But we should check these discussions to make sure that the ask-er doesn't cheat and not give points even though others helped him.

That exactly is the reason why we're planning on designing some sort of a central bank - a credit store. When you announce a reward, that amount get's deducted from you straight out and stored in the bank. This is to avoid situations where ppl act like real bastards and refuse to give out the well-deserved credits. This way - even the ppl who are helping - KNOW FOR A FACT that their reward credits are in safe hands...

Also consider the situation where person X offers 10 credits - and by the time his problem is solved, his own credits are exhausted.. How can he transfer then... So a central credit bank will solve all this.

Now in the end - if no one can solve his problems - his credits might go waste.. In such a case he has to contact us, and those credits will be transferred back to him - albeit with some transfer charges... lol.. a little 3% interest... hehehehehehe

How does this sound ?

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