But you do remember those 250 answers, don't you? And are willing to pass them on to the next person who asks?

No need for that... just search before you ask. With our current database of questions and answers, chances are high that whatever question you have, it's been asked and answered here before. All you have to do is look for it, and our Search function makes that very easy.

In order to "level" this playing field, since you hand assign sponsor titles and don't want to lose them, why not make all of the post based titles the same title ( i.e. Board Member or something like that ). That way, we can still look at the post numbers to get level of participation and wranglers and company reps are still delineated.

Dear Chris,

When I first joined this site, I thought that the titles had some meaning.

Later, after I started working with PHP, I learned that they were derived from the number of posts.

So, if you want to remove the titles, I understand.

However, the titles have meant something to new users. Members with the largest numbers of post have been around for some time and have shown some dedication to this site.

If you choose to remove the titles, please consider adding a special title, or "Star", to denote special contributors.

By this, I mean that there are contributors that post very well thought out, carefully worded, and most informative posts. While no contributor can or will be 100% correct all of the time, these contributors strive to be very accurate and diplomatic.

So, if you eliminate the titles based on the number of posts, you could give titles to highly respected contributors as you see fit. This would be an "earned" award.

Dan, I would hope and assume that everyone is trying to post accurate and diplomatic answers/questions/comments/etc... That's what sets this board apart from many others.

I don't mean to single you out here, but I think there's an inherent flaw to your plan. The "starring" of key contributors would seem to go directly against the leveling of the playing field here, JMO.

I really believe the join date is indicative enough of members' involvement without being as quantitave a means to measure what some seem think of as post worthiness.

I agree completely that DVInfo is "Best in Class"! I truely want it to stay that way.

I am trying to word this diplomatically: I put more trust in the information posted by true experts in their fields than others.

I read all of the posts in the areas that I am most interested in and there is a difference of opinions and quality of information, as one would reasonally expect.

Also, there are members who devote a lot of time researching and then posting information for others. Examples in the audio area would be Steve House and Douglas Spotted Eagle.

In other areas, I find the posts by A. J deLange and Boyd Ostroff highly informative.

I fully trust many others, but the list is too long to list here. I just wanted to point out some examples, no slight is intended to other experts that I have not mentioned.

I also sometimes learn from new users; everyone was a new user at sometime in their life.

Me too. Trouble is, neither post counts, nor titles automatically assigned by post counts, nor even join dates are an accurate reflection of this. We're not going to do a "reputation" points system, either. So I'm not sure what the best method is. We've had some excellent, very helpful replies from brand new members with only a handful of posts...

In any community, reputation is something people come to know and rely on. Seems to me that no reputation can be earned by assigning a "label". That's guilding the lily, ya know? Like it or not, reputation is earned, not given.

Hard to disagree with Bill's thoughts. Over the past several years, Chris, you've consistently made good decisions regarding this board -- I'm confident that whatever you come up with will further that pattern. (Having said that, though, I'm gonna go quaff a 6-pack of Coors to drown my sorrows over being kicked out of the Inner Circle...!)

:-)

This makes me not care what it says under my name:

from:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=70712

I certainly don't consider myself to be anywhere in the same class as Mr. Papert...but that quote speaks volumes...folks who strive to give good information will earn the respect of the community. Do what you will, I have that quote bookmarked to keep me warm in the cold MN winters ;)

Chris, I liked your idea of putting the location under the name. It's the only bit of information that is of any real use (other than the sponsers), quite often i see people with no location and that makes it harder to answer their questions when it comes to regions etc. It's also nice to immediately identify folks in your area.

I'm not bothered about what happens to post counts or join dates, they don't really tell you anythin.........I hear scientists have dolphins pushin buttons on computers to get fish.

Andy.

As a newbie
 

I've found titles to be both helpful and frustrating. The few times I've posted I've had helpful advice given to me by professionals Teutsch and Spotted Eagle, who were thankfully dumbing themselves down to answer simple questions, and any system that encourages these professionals to post I'm all for. But then there are people like me right now who are just posting to attain a higher rank without adding anything helpful.
Sorry, couldn't resist.
I say keep the titles. No system is perfect but I think yours does provide a little extra incentive for the big guys, and by no means am I saying it's the main reason they post, to encourage the small guy.

Matt,

See Matt, you are only strenghtening Chris's position of removing the names, because you put my name in the same sentence with Douglas Spotted Eagle's. The only way I even come close to him, it that I have a brother named Douglas! And, he writes books and I struggle to read and understand them!

I am far from a professional, but I too try to learn each and everyday. And, I do try to help others whenever I can. I have learned so very much in the two plus years I have been a member here and because of that it has opened doors for me.

I am writing this at 2:00 am because I have been shooting all day long helping others. Up at 4:30am to shoot part of a short until 4:00pm, and I just got home from shooting 6 hours of tape at the Burt Reynolds Museum in Jupiter, Florida for some classes given by Mr. Reynolds. Dead bone tired, but it was a fun day!

You know that Chris will make the right decision, whatever it is. He too is out of my league.

Listen to what Chris, Douglas, Greg, Pete, Boyd, Dylan, Rob, and many others tell you and with them you can take the info as gospel. Take mine with a grain of salt, but I'll do my best.

Mike

I like the titles.... I was hoping it if I stayed around long enough, I get could a personalized one...something catchy like, The minister of media.....or The Bishop of Broadcast..or Frank. You know...something cool.

My 2 cents : I like the titles. And "Frank" is a cooltastic title...

So there!

:)

john
evilgeniusentertainment.com