Monthly contest

  • Hi there,

    may I start a discussion on the rules for the monthly contest?

    I think it is no good thing to give 2 points for EACH post in the fora!

    Members might take this to post to each and every topic, no matter how wrong or useless their answers are. Quantity is not quality. I can say so, because the quality of my very own answers is also sometimes very questionable.

    While it is quite normal for me to average +10 posts a day (I averaged +300 posts each month during the last 8 months), it is definitely abnormal high for other members. I think the overall quality of posts on the forum will suffer from this.

    Don't get me wrong I am definitely not interested in getting the first price. That's no motivation to post for me anyway.

    Still I am to think what to do with the price from the last contest. I can't use it anyway.

    All I want to say is that the current policy on giving points should be closely reviewed.

    Curious on the replies!

    --
    Frank Kalis
    Microsoft SQL Server MVP
    Webmaster: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs
    My blog: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs/frankkalis/[/url]

  • I agree with u Frank Kalis

    Even you can get more points by posting same twice.

    Even for the replices like 'Thankx' you will get 2 points.

    There should be process of evaluvation of replies




    My Blog: http://dineshasanka.spaces.live.com/

  • I agree..

    Notice this will also give 2 points

    --
    Frank Kalis
    Microsoft SQL Server MVP
    Webmaster: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs
    My blog: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs/frankkalis/[/url]

  • Posts containing any feedback like 'Thanks' are quite okay as they show a solution to the problem has been found.

    Sorry, for posting this as a separate post, but editing the previous one without a sign of the edit isn't a good thing either.

    --
    Frank Kalis
    Microsoft SQL Server MVP
    Webmaster: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs
    My blog: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs/frankkalis/[/url]

  • Plus it got you another 2 points!!!!!!

     

    BTW- I agree with you Frank. The point system can cause an increase in 'worthless' posts. Maybe I'll start a thread on what the weather is like today.

    -SQLBill

  • ...and how is it over there?

    Another two points

    --
    Frank Kalis
    Microsoft SQL Server MVP
    Webmaster: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs
    My blog: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs/frankkalis/[/url]

  • No, we should not be joking anymore.

    It's pretty serious to me!

    --
    Frank Kalis
    Microsoft SQL Server MVP
    Webmaster: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs
    My blog: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs/frankkalis/[/url]

  • I agree it's a serious matter. But think about it....the SQLServerCentral gurus are working extra hard to fix the problems with this site and make it the best possible. Coming up with a 'weighted' system of points is not a small job, especially when you have to evalute posts. For example, in a 'perfect' world we would get 0 points for posts that have nothing to do with SQL - like:

    It's warm here in Maryland today, supposed to get to 70 degrees (F) with a chance of rain tonight.

    But a post giving simple everyday advice would earn 1 point.

    A post that is really in-depth and gives good explaination might earn 2 points.

    A FAQ might earn 3 points for a simple one, 5 for a harder one.

    A QOD might earn 2 points for a simple one, 4 for a hard one.

    I could write an article showing how to use @@Version. It would be a real simple article to write. Would it be helpful to people, yes. But would it be worth the same amount of points as an article on how to secure SQL Server - no.

    That's in a perfect world. I don't think we are going to see that happen anytime soon. I would like to see informative posts be awarded a point and non-informative posts be awarded 0 points. But that means someone has to review the posts, or there needs to be a method of 'rating' posts. (something like the rating of scripts and articles????).

    Maybe when they fix/update everything else on their list, then we will see this happen.

    -SQLBill

  • Why include posts anyway?

    --
    Frank Kalis
    Microsoft SQL Server MVP
    Webmaster: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs
    My blog: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs/frankkalis/[/url]

  • I think that postings to the forums are definitely a contribution to the community, but there should be a point scale for the posts. The only problem is that it's almost impossible to do in an automated way, and I hate to think of the webmasters reading through each post to determine its subjective value to the topic.

    Anyway, until there's a better system, maybe posts should be lowered to one point each. I hate to see a board spammer get as many points as somebody who consistently solves problems, but there doesn't seem like there's a better system.

    Ryan

  • My major concern is that this handling lead to posts which are aimed to help the original questioner, but were in fact poor advise (me always included!) and did the opposite.

    I agree that it is very difficult to create a truely fair system. Honestly I have no other idea but to cancel the whole contest thing (I guess that won't happen anyway).

    It shouldn't be the goal to post as much as one can in order to get some prizes in return. My major goal in posting is to learn SQL Server with the side effect that I help solving other peoples problems (at least I like to think I do).

    So as I'm writing this I'm thinking of rejecting the prize from February as I don't want to support the contest idea.

    --
    Frank Kalis
    Microsoft SQL Server MVP
    Webmaster: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs
    My blog: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs/frankkalis/[/url]

  • Should there maybe be something along the lines of a point for posting to a thread and a few points for starting the thread? Or maybe an extra point if you start a thread that gets over a certain number of posts? That way, a post that begins a discussion would be rewarded as well, and I think that the questions are often times just as much an enhancement to the community as the answers.

    Ryan

  • like...

    --
    Frank Kalis
    Microsoft SQL Server MVP
    Webmaster: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs
    My blog: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs/frankkalis/[/url]

  • I...

    --
    Frank Kalis
    Microsoft SQL Server MVP
    Webmaster: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs
    My blog: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs/frankkalis/[/url]

  • your avatar

    --
    Frank Kalis
    Microsoft SQL Server MVP
    Webmaster: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs
    My blog: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs/frankkalis/[/url]

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