Questions Authors and Points Assignments

[Norman_21]

Hi All,

I wasn't really sure either to post this thread here in the M$ General or !! However, my point is that this thread to be recognized by other forumers in general. I've been realizing that most of the question authors do not bother to assign points or even worse, do not keep us updated of what's going on. I'm assuming that most of the people who post the questions, they actually do not know how to submit the points. This the least appreciation for whoever invest his time and thoughts trying to help.
I'm posting a link here to educate the users about the points, how it works and the importance of assiging them.
http://us-support.external.hp.com/estaff/bin/doc.pl/screen=estaffAssistance/distrib_redir=0+1048034416|*?Page=file0002

This discussion is execpeted to be welcomed by everyone. Please share your thoughts.
Thanks

[Norman_21]

BTW :^) "execpeted" should be expected. Just minor correction.
Thanks again.

[Norman_21]

Hello there,

Any body there.
P I N G...

[Patrick Wallek]

Oh, please, not another one of these.

This has come up so many times it is ridiculous!

I agree that everyone SHOULD assign points. BUT, there is NO WAY you are going to be able to MAKE everyone do it. It just ain't gonna happen.

Assigning points is a voluntary thing. Yes, the points are nice. Yes, they do show who did or did not help (usually).

I do not agree with the "solution" of making it mandatory, or limiting someone who does not assign points to a certain percentage of responses. That is not what this forum is about. It is about sys admins helping other sys admins in need.

Yes, the points are nice and I definitely enjoy getting them. Are points my main goal when I respond to a question? NO! My main goal is to try and help someone and, in my opinion, that should be EVERYONE'S goal.

Just one mans opinion.

[Norman_21]

Patrick,

I totaly agree with your opinion and that's why I'm asking everyone to share here.My mistake is that I didn't do a search before posting this thread. I believe that you I help others I learn too. Isn't that unique.

[John Bolene]

And some forums have way more bunnies showing up than others.

I used to gripe at certain folks who have an assigned point ratio that is really low or non-existant. Then I figured if they did not put out points, then griping at them would not help either.

There are givers and takers in this world, I choose to be a giver.

[John Collier]

Latif,

So you finally went and done it, huh?

OK, so you have already seen that there are some out there that look at this as being a much too often discussed topic on the forums. I must admit that it have seen this type of thread many more times than it probably should have been brought up, but it???s still a valid concern. As long as there are people that don???t assign points, then you will most likely see threads addressing the topic.

Also, I don???t know that I have ever seen it in this category of the forums (maybe I just missed it. That???s always a possibility). I, too, would like to see the response from the M$ community on this issue. At the risk of stepping on some toes here might I suggest, to those of you that think this subject should be done and buried, that you simply click another link on the browser and act like you didn???t see it in the first place. While there are some of us that do regularly go back and forth between many of the different categories in this forum, not all do and I would like to hear from them on this subject.

If you think that this is just the ravings of a point-hungry lunatic and it isn???t a shared thought by many, then allow me to point you attention to the following post by the current Forums Manager:
http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0x356efd3f91d3d5118ff40090279cd0f9,00.html

I would also suggest that you look at this one from a current Olympian (to whom points don???t matter that much any more). This person is still a strong advocate of point assignment.
http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0x3d056049dbb6d611abdb0090277a778c,00.html

I could direct you to many more like it throughout this forum, but this should be enough to get you aquatinted with the subject.

How many of our regular M$ forum attendees can tell us what the benefits of assigning points are? Why do you think that the point system was put in place? In your opinion, is there a valid reason for having them or assigning them? Does it do any good other than to give people hats next to their name?

Come on M$ forumers, tell us what your take on this is???

[Gregory Lee_1]

XMAN,

I share in your frustation.

Although I would consider a thank you just as rewarding as points, it is hard for me to understand why some people would ask a question on these forums and then never return to give info on whether their problem was resolved by a forum member's reply, by a discovery on their own or not at all.

I also agree with Patrick that no one should be told to assign points, it would be like telling someone to say thank you. It would have very little meaning.

So, with that being said, I would like to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU! to all of the forum members who continue in the sometime thankless task of helping others in need.

Regards,
Greg

PS: Give me my points!

[Roger Faucher]

Latif:

Part of the problem is many people don't understand how to award points and/or there continue to be problems with the software. There is an example right now on this (Microsoft) forum. Mike, the author of this thread (http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0xc74e28c64656d71190080090279cd0f9,00.html) has now attempted twice to award points unsuccessfully. Why not make it a little more straightforward?

Roger

[John Collier]

Roger,

I tried to follow your link to that thread and keep getting a ???404 Page cannot be found??? error.

As for the issue with assigning points and the problems with it, there is also a thread from Dan (our friendly, neighborhood Forums Manager) on that particular issue:

http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0xbe4a9c196a4bd71190080090279cd0f9,00.html

As for making it easier, why not post your thoughts and suggestions on that matter to that thread or to the one for the issues that he starts every month? Here is the latest example of that one:

http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0x69569c196a4bd71190080090279cd0f9,00.html

I???ve noticed that they are usually pretty good at addressing each person???s thoughts and ideas even if they don???t implement them.

So Roger, what about you? Besides that nice, pretty little hat you have on your head, what other reasons do you see for the point system? Are the hats the only things that the point system provides us or do you think there might be more?

[John Jones_2]

I'm fairly new to the forum but I have contributed on a number of occasions. Some of my answers I have felt to be very helpful and I have even recieved a "thank you" from one individual. I have NO points. I wear hats to keep the sun off my head. This forum was a great help to me after the initial purchase of an HP product and now I peruse the forums looking for any info that may help me and any one I might help as well. A solution might be to present the question author with an email every time an answer gets posted, they check out the answer and are then directed to assign points right then to the value of the answer. Solutions are simple, keeping people willing to participate for the sole benefit of having helped others,....isn't. A very large "thank you" to all who have helped me and a modest "you're welcome" to those I may have helped. Let's leave it at that.

[Norman_21]

I totaly agree that life is a give and take coz otherwise we wouldn't be here! I really hate to say that most of the peers around here, they don't care about the points anymore because they have enough. How about when they first started contributing! did they havethe same feeling. I bet no, it wasn't! However, its good to know how others think. Moreover, I believe the issue of the users being unable to assign points is being taking care of and followed up by DAN( The ITRC Forums Manager).

[Roger Faucher]

John C:

The link probably failed because I parenthesized it. Sorry!

I guess I started out in the ITRC to share my knowledge (such as it is). The points made it more appealing to me (having grown up with four brothers, I can be quite competitive). After two years+, I confess to still being motivated (secondarily) by the points. As to whether I "think there might be more", I have a concept I'd like to share (since you asked).

My idea is that these forums provide a very valuable service not only to the correspondents but to HP as well, by providing their users/customers with technical support at a relatively low cost to HP. So I think HP should expand the 'points' program so people could 'trade' their points for training, software, hardware, etc. Pretty RAD, eh!

Oh, BTW XMAN, I don't think I'll ever have 'enough' points. ;^)

Roger

[Jon Finley]

Well... I agree with several of the opinions here.

I attempt to answer questions because:
1. The challange of finding an answer to something I may or may not have ever seen before.

2. I've helped someone learn something they didn't know before, and maybe they go help someone... and so on...

3. And of course the game of points. Which is truely a game. I probably won't get a Olympian wreath for primarily working the MS side of the forums, But being the first to get to 2500 with a pure MS crown might be fun!

Should we make it manditory? - No!
Should HP use an initial (but short) form outlining the point award system prior to posting questions? - Might work.. kind of like a nag screen, until maybe the 5th or 6th question has been posted and points have been awarded. More like training wheels. :-)

Jon

[John Jones_2]

I'm in good company. A correction to my last post...I have 15 points! It feels so good. I hadn't thought about the advantages for HP in this situation. Good point! That makes the points worth a little more and should put a little more responsibility on HP to prod people into awarding them. I'm glad there are people out there that will help for the sake of helping. I'll leave it to you Pharohs, wizzards and Roman Emporers to work out the details.

[Norman_21]

Roger,

I wasn't pointing out to you about forumers who don't care about the points anymore coz they think they have enough.

I strongly believe that most of us hanging around here for the sake of help and competition to give the solution before the others do, as I do know that if the questioners really care about assigning points, you, JON FINLEY and RON KINNER would be Olympians by now.

In regard of HP awarding the peers around here. I would suggest that they should send some kind of Aknowledgement and Recognition Certification for being a member of the ITRC Forums after acheiving a certain level. Moreover, perhaps some free Technical Courses as Roger mentioned.

Hope somebody will hear out there!!

[rob bergin]

HP should give away free classes for every 10,000 points like frequent flier miles or allow users to redeem 1,000 points for $10 off or something.

I am in a NNM class with 5 students, we have 12 empty seats - surely HP could give the class away to an ITRC power user for the cost of the class in exchange for redemption of points.

The big thing would be if someone redeemed their points would they be able to keep their hats?!?!?!?!

Thanks.

Rob

[Paul R. Dittrich]

Here's my $.02 on a piece of this discussion that I have not seen in the numerous threads:

I get an extra thrill, over and above any possible points, in providing an answer to someone who already has a fair number of points to their credit. To me, being able to help someone who has so convincingly demonstrated their ability and willingness to help others is better than getting a bunny from someone with few or no points. Someday I hope to be able to provide even a partial answer for one of the Olympians......

Paul

[V. Nyga]

Hi XMAN,

you have given a bunny, so your thread is closed? ;-)
Assigning points is a never ending story...
And there are very much threads from blaming members because of giving never points to global discussions about it.
You shouldn't ask Dan - you can find enough answers from him as well in his threads as well in others.
I participate to the forum since half a year and I came from the side reading problems and giving answers. So I read about the problem soon.
Yes, points are a motivation and they are a guide line.
When I see a question with a bunny then the author is 'happy' now, his problem is solved (most times), the thread is closed.
I can focus to threads without bunny.
And it is nice to have a hat - and with every new hat it is less disappointing to get no points for an answer.

So keep on foruming
Volkmar

[John Collier · Accepted solution]

Come on people, we haven???t gotten near enough input from the M$ community to let this die just yet.

Come on. Don???t be shy. Put your $.02 into this.

[Norman_21]

You got it John. Glad to see you back again.This might get me to the Wizard because alota people owe me points. Come on over guys, share your frustrations.

Thanks again John Collier.
BTW:how old are you?

[John Collier]

Latif,

I never actually left. My job situation has just changed recently (no, not for the better, unfortunately) and I don???t get the chances to get out on the forums like I would prefer.

Instead of answering your ???BTW??? question directly, let me point you at this post:

http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0xa18485079106d71190050090279cd0f9,00.html

the only thing is that I just reread my answer on that and I have to admit that I screwed it up. You will have to subtract one from that answer to get the correct answer. I guess my gray matter was just a little ahead of me when I posted that. Oh well???

[Ron Cornwell]

I stay mainly in the hpux forum and there are many times when I contributed without receiving points. Some people don't realize the value of points, and other are too lazy to give them out. It is just a fact of life. About 20 - 30% of your contributions will go unrated.

[Norman_21]

Hey John,

You are about the same age of mine. I'm 1 year less than you. I wouldn't worry about gray matter thing, some people get it in their earlier ages.
You made me sad about your job situation, I almost feel the same cuz I'm under utilitzed and under paid too.
But just patience and faith in our heart, that's all what we need.

I agree that it is not the papers that you have but it's what you know. But I have to study anyway so why not taking the exam.