2000 problem manifest

[Former Member]

Hello Community,

I've noticed that community is facing a serious problem with users which have about 2000 points and stopping contribution process. I think that I'm one of them I'm losing a passion. I'm frustrated due to many reasons like

- it looks like there are automates to post the questions

- lack of nice discussions (this week I had only 3 on 100), threads are repeating

- frustration that we are getting points for simple answers and getting zero for solving real issues

- very good people are leaving us. After a few months break I've observed that quality of contributors is decreasing

- lack of culture, many people are not searching before posting a question.

- many guys on forum are asking for a specific solution, like non thinking machines

- most of us are corrupted due to points we are answering on the repeating questions (sorry to say that but I'm one of them) instead of responding RTFM or google it

- I'm starting to thing that we are a free tool in the hands of SAP which is replacing customer support.

- I didn't like that points charity concept. Charity is unconditional and most of us here are SAP specialist who can help without publicity

Please do something with OUR community in my opinion points are the cancer and it's not only my opinion.

Frankly the only thing that is still holding me here is 2000 points barrier and feeling that I've learned so much and managed to create my knowledge database.

Best regards,

Wojciech

^Maybe someone else is also sharing my frustration

[former_member185132]

As a newbie, I've asked quite a few RTFM questions myself. One of the reasons could be the fact that the search in SDN isn't really helpful and is pretty slow besides. I've finally reverted to going to Google and typing "<search string> site:sdn.sap.com" which seems to work much better.

One way to avoid RTFM questions could be to implement what Ubuntu Forums (http://ubuntuforums.org/) are doing. While creating a new thread, once the user types in the Title, the page uses Ajax to search for older threads on the same subject. This reduces the chance of repetition of questions.

Of course, this only works if the search itself is reliable and fast. Maybe SDN could look at ways to Ajaxify a custom-search on Google and spit out the results on the new thread page? Even if Google search omits the premium content, the vanilla content is often sufficient to answer RTFM queries.

[former_member583013]

SDN Team is already working of making the search better -:)

[;

Don't know if they are planning to use Ajax or some Google Algorithm...But sure they are concern about the problem -;)

Greetings,

Blag.

[former_member583013]

Wojciech:

Craig has already give you a good answer...However...I would like to add my 2 cents...

it looks like there are automates to post the questions

Sure, being a Moderator I have to dealt with that everyday...Very annoying but hard to manage at this time...

lack of nice discussions (this week I had only 3 on 100), threads are repeating

It might depend on the forum your browsing...I have found many interesting and challenging questions in the ABAP General forum...Of course, there's a lot of repeated threads...But you can always find some gems in the dirt...

frustration that we are getting points for simple answers and getting zero for solving real issues

That has happend to me a lot of times, but sadly, we can't force people to assign points...They are free to give them to whoever they want...

very good people are leaving us. After a few months break I've observed that quality of contributors is decreasing

True...But that could happen for a lot of reasons...Mostly because people get on hard projects so they don't have enough time to contribute...

lack of culture, many people are not searching before posting a question. 

That happens everywhere, and not only on SCN...Another hard bug to kill...

I'm starting to thing that we are a free tool in the hands of SAP which is replacing customer support.

I had to disagree here...SAP offers us SCN as a tool for share information...We're not tool to SAP, we are contributors helping ourselves and helping others to get better everyday...Can't you imagine not having SCN? I don't...Even when I haven't post many questions...A lot of times browsing the forums had saved me for hard times at work...

I didn't like that points charity concept. Charity is unconditional and most of us here are SAP specialist who can help without publicity

It's not about publicity...It's about helping people who doesn't had money to eat, study or whatever...I we can help by contributing to SCN...Then I think it's a great idea...

Please do something with OUR community in my opinion points are the cancer and it's not only my opinion.

Poins are not the cancer to SCN...Points hunters are cancer to SCN...I'm sure that many people still think that they're going to get some goodies by reaching a milestone...others think that they're going to get a better job...People must understant that we're here to help, and points are just a nice way to feel good with ourselves...I'm about to reach 10K and I feel good...Not because I'm going to get "goodies", but because I'm going to help people to get food...

Greetings,

Blag.

[Former Member]

Thank you Craig, Alvaro and Suhas

It's very valuable that you have read my complains and responded on them.

Alvaro, I really cannot imagine world without sdn and that feeling that we can save so much time of other colleagues that they can spend it with their families.

It's ease to complain but here my brief proposal:

Moderator role:

- increase number of volunteer moderators

- moderators should remove non valuable posts from forum (I have notice that it depends on the forum)

- moderators should be able to block giving points

- try to figure out ip numbers which are using automates and block them

- if there is a bat there should be a carrot moderators should be able to reward points for valuable answers. I have seen so many pearls bringing more value than many blogs but they were without points .

Community role:

- community shouldn't be polite for stupid content pasting

- we should scoff at point hunters

- we should teach people who post a question to spend a little bit more time

SDN technical feature:

-show how many threads of that user was removed e.g. 10 and the user is blocked

I truly believe that hard moderating of the forum and pressure of the community will discourage point hunters.

Maybe something of it is already implemented and some of them are to hard from technical point of view.

Best regards,

Wojciech

[jurjen_heeck]

>

> I truly believe that hard moderating of the forum and pressure of the community will discourage point hunters. 

I think hard moderating may scare away a lot of beginners, and weren't we all a beginner at some point? You could easily turn a lively forum into a 'grumpy old bunch' by moderating too hard. Especially with the high risk of misunderstandings as a lot of forum participants are not native English speakers.

Jurjen

[former_member583013]

Moderator role:
increase number of volunteer moderators
moderators should remove non valuable posts from forum (I have notice that it depends on the forum)
moderators should be able to block giving points
try to figure out ip numbers which are using automates and block them
if there is a bat there should be a carrot moderators should be able to reward points for valuable answers. I have seen so many pearls bringing more value than many blogs but they were without points .

Sure, increase the number of volunteer moderator should be great...But it's a hard job that no so many are willing to take...

I remove some posts myself, but mostly when they are duplicated or asking for copyright material...

Block giving points? Why? I should be like taking out the freedom of speach...

About IP's...I'm not sure...Sure SDN had delete a lot of user accounts...Also, IP's change from time to time, so one poster can get his IP banned...but the next day that IP could be assigned to me...And I should be banned not him...

Sure, we had the rights to assign points...But...At least myself...I'm not an expert in every ABAP module...So how can I be sure what answer deserves points? Also, how much time do we need to give users to give points? A couple of days? A week? I should be too hard for us to keep track of every post...Also, let's say that someone ask a question...and can't access the net in a week...I assume that he/she doesn't want to give points so I assigned them myself...when he/she reach the post...realized that points had been already given...Maybe he/she going to feel that we had no trust in users and get away from SDN...

Community role:
community shouldn't be polite for stupid content pasting
we should scoff at point hunters
we should teach people who post a question to spend a little bit more time

Ok...Copy & Paste it's a nasty bug on SDN...A lot of people are doing that, but again....it's really kind of hard to keep track of all of them...I don't think we have get to an agreement concerning that theme....But I going to issue it to the Moderators Team...

Points Hunters are really a pain...And we try hard to deal with them...By deleting them "Please Reward"...Deleting accounts...Sending personnal mails...But again...People just doesn't want to collaborate...

The problem is that people are lazy, so they don't search before posting...We have a Rules of Engagement...But it seems that no one reads it...Or no one cares...

SDN technical feature:
-show how many threads of that user was removed e.g. 10 and the user is blocked

Should be nice, but I don't think it should be implemented...I proposed something like that some time ago...But it's not a valid option...At least not for me...

I truly believe that hard moderating of the forum and pressure of the community will discourage point hunters. 

Sure, but it could also scare newbies...And we don't that...We need to find a middle point...

Maybe something of it is already implemented and some of them are to hard from technical point of view.

Of course, Moderators Team, Mentors Team and SDN Team are aware of all the problems, so actions are being taken, so other are being developed...and some other are in the fridge...But you know, sometimes big changes, takes big time -;)

Greetings,

Blag.

[Former Member]

We've been listening and looking for ways of moving the focus away from points, the idea is quality of content and we've made major strides in many areas however the forums still seem to be the major pain point for many of the reasons you listed.

We are open to suggestions but the points run across multiple areas not just the forums and therefore it's not an option of removing at this time.

We've also begun a project which we hope will help to eliminate alot of the false posting, negative areas and in some areas we've also eliminated the ability to abuse the points system. There are still a lot of us who were here when the points began and we remember the fun and value they brought and many of us still do not see them as "cancer" just yet.

So other than "remove the points" we are open to suggestions please PLEASE FIRST review the multiple ones already given!!!