I wonder how many members - both new and current - are unclear as to what is considered a contribution that earn points as opposed to "gaming" the Active Rain system?
So - I put on my thinking cap back several years ago and started a list of what would be a "contribution" and what would the equivalent "gaming" activity and I invite you all to contribute many more examples as food for thought.
The list has been updated as actions that used to earn points "back in the day", such as building communities and uploading photos for Localism have gone by the wayside.
The very first example pre-dated a "scandal" in the 'Rain by 
several years which resulted from someone doing just that...
Contributing: Inviting new members to join Active Rain
Gaming: Inviting "ghost" members to join Active Rain by creating multiple profiles controlled by the Inviting member to artifically inflate your total points
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Contributing: Commenting on a Blog Post in a manner that shows the Post (and perhaps the comments) have actually been read by the Commenter
Gaming: Commenting on a Blog Post in a manner that shows that neither the Post nor the Comments have been read - and that the 12 or more words are strictly for the points
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Contributing: Writing a Blog Post that is your own creation - doesn't have to be Pulitzer prize material - but needs to be your own work
Gaming: Copying and publishing the work of others - whether attributed or not - just to get the blog post points
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Contributing: Posting content that attracts the interest of readers, who then Follow You because they have a genuine interest in what you have to say. The more followers, the more visibility, and therefore incrementally more followers.
Gaming: Soliciting other members behind the scenes to follow you to artificially inflate the perceived value of what you have to say, thereby skewing the true popularity rankings.
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Contributing: Responding to comments left on your posts in a meaningful way - not just to bump up the number of comments
Gaming: Soliciting other members behind the scenes to comment on your blog and to "like" your posts to artificially inflate the perceived value of what you have to say, thereby increasing the number of points you receive for the post, regardless of the "real" value
This post is one of the 14 required entries in the "2016 Blog JUMPSTART Challenge-Grow Your Personal Best for YOUR Success" contest.
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