Home : Blogs : Keith Gill : Arizona Mortgage Expert

Active Rain Points System....Just Feeding the Monkey?

Is it just me, or am I the only one that does NOT quite get the "real" purpose of "how" points are awarded in the Active Rain Points system?.....

I post a question to a forum, and then decide to post and ask the same question to 2 other forums and I am accused of trying to rack up "cheap points"....Huh?...What?...I don't get it...For what purpose?.....Points?...To what end?

What do the amount of points I have here on Active rain really mean in the grand scheme of things and how does it "really" benefit me or anyone for that matter?...

To those who have thousands of points is there some tangible net benefit you receive for having thousands of points?...Is there something you tangibly measure either in your life or your business that you can absolutely say corrrelates to the amount of points you have?...If so what are those correlations?

There seems those that have racked up thousand of point and take great "pride" in the amount of points they have and then somehow seem to think it is fair game to criticize those that they "feel" are posting things to "just rack up points"....My first thought is that it is a BIG presupposition to think that I may post anything just to rack up points....I don't come here for points...Do you?

The whole points system seems VERY convoluted in my opinion...If there is a real tangible NET benefit to the amount of points one has then why would it be so easy to rack up points?....

If points are a "Sacred Cow" then it should definitely be harder to just "rack up points"....Maybe I am missing something?

Well I have no intention of "feeding the Monkey"...I need to see some purpose to why I would do so....

Anyone else ever think about this or is it just me?

Posted by Keith Gill on 02/09/2007 11:45 AM

Comments (7)

active rain points

7 Comments on Active Rain Points System....Just Feeding the Monkey?

FEB

2007

Keith - I would suggest subscribing to the ActiveRain Newbies Group. Blanca (I won't even try to spell her last name) has a great post HANDBOOK that offers some great help to new members.

You are a new member to ActiveRain and since you've been on this platform such a short time, you don't understand how things work and why. I would spend time reading other posts, contribute some comments, learn your way around.

Points are a way to breed competition on this network. The designers implemented point scoring to encourage and motivate people to actively participate. One of the benefits of points is the more you have, the greater your visibility is in your particular market area, both here on ActiveRain and on www.Localism.com

Let me know if you have any additional questions.

Keith, Thanks for the feedback. We need to do something different around here to correct for things like that.

Thank you.

Points are fun. You can compete with others or with yourself. They are a way of giving me a certain discipline.

For new members, obviously they aren't going to compete with folks who joined back in the early days of Active Rain. But, if you care to, you can compete with others who joined about the time you did. Or, as I do, compete with myself.

As I said. It's fun.

Lenn

FEB

2007

points dont get you referrals

points dont get you hits to your website

content does all of that.

focus on content, not points

Heaven only knows it is visibility and like Tom said above content...

I think the points system is just designed to make this website even more addictive than it would be otherwise. We really need a 12-step program. =) Seriously though-if you're focused on the benefits the site offers in allowing you to build your online presence and reputation as a market leader, by adding content and writing and commenting, the points will follow. It helps to have a little positive boost in points when you write a darn good post that maybe gets no comments!

MAR

2007

Hi Keith, sorry you've had some bad experiences, but Rich's advice is right on. Since I joined AR and started commenting and blogging, something I never thought I would do, I've learned so much. I make comments if I think they'll add something to the discussion, but some people are here to get more points than someone else in the office. If you want to raise your point score, write about your community, (localism.com), let others know why you like living there, what it has to offer. Interacting with other Active Rain members and learning is the reason I'm here, points are just a bonus.

Leave a response…

Name:

Email:
(optional)

Comment:

What does the graphic say?