Another question about badges

[wonko]

Do our badges in a given category change over time, for the better or for the worse, depending on our posting?  

If this info is available elsewhere, please just point me to it.

[Emily_MHManager]

No, that's random and the names are rotated to make sure everyone who is a top answerer in that community will be listed at some points.

Emily

[cwatt1]

Not to beat a dead horse, but does "positioning", as well as number of stars assigned to you, have any meaning?  I've noticed that in the Eye Care forum sometimes I'm fifth from the top, drop to ninth from the top, back to sixth, etc. etc. in the "Top Eye Care Answerer" list.  I'm confused.

[Emily_MHManager]

I checked it, and while some might not like to talk about sex, this thread is fine.  It's women (only women at this point) who are discussing the frustrations of certain aspects of their relationships.

There can be great comfort in knowing you are not alone with a frustration.

Emily

[Emily_MHManager]

We do group some things, and some are based on things like keywords/symptoms.  If someone answers questions in addiction, they may get a question from Pain Management if someone is concerned about addiction there.

I'll check that thread.

Emily

[LindaTX]

And Emily, would you mind looking at  "Is sex a huge Issue?" on the relationship forum, mainly the last 3 or 4 posts.  I think there are around 40 now. I was one who got this "Suggested Question" and I'm sure there were others.  Is this what MH had in mind? You be the judge, Emily and let the stars fall where they may.  I'm sure a lot of them were issued on this fun "romp" :)

[LindaTX]

Emily....I'd like to know, are you all combining forums in "suggested questions" and "tallying stars?"  I noticed I'm getting a lot of dysautonomia questions under the guise of heart arrythmias.  I did answer a question that I assumed, since it said arrythmia forum, that it was the arrythmia forum. When I went to the corresponding forum I found that people from the dysautonomia forum had already posted answers because it WAS the dysautonomia forum...so what gives on that?  I also have gotten abuse forum questions that say they are from the relationship forum, which, incidentally, I just excluded from my "area of expertise."  I also got a neurology question...I have no idea why.  ed, how about you...are you getting rogue questions from forums you don't frequent?

[ed34]

Right, Im off to the sex chat rooms now then :)

[LindaTX]

Ok, case in point.....I got a suggested question..."Is sex a huge Issue?"  from the Relationship forum.  I am not participating in this new "questions for you" thing.  I did look at the forum and that question was there and already answered.  I  thought it was a joke because I know the person who posted the question, so I offered a somewhat glib answer.  The next time I checked, there were probably 10 additional answers and today I checked and there were something like 34!  If you will check it out you will see that it has turned into a chat forum among friends.  God only knows how many stars or badges were issued.  It made me feel like the question was written just to generate "answers for stars."  lol :)

[ed34]

Maybe when we earn enough stars or best answers we will be promoted to the title of Doctor :D

I want to reserve the name Dr Killdare.

[RadioAstronomyObserver]

Hate to just repeat what others have said but I need to know how many posts I need in order to gain another badge/star? Reading posts in one forum, the symptoms given can be many different things so all I do is give the same answer with each post which happens to make me right with those posts.  I don't believe I have added a star in quite some time and yet it's only my self and one other that answers posts.  I.E. my answers are complete, accurate, and supportive, for a "volunteer oriented medical support forum" which by definition suggests it's filled with people who do not have any medical education behind them beside the information they pick up from the other non-medically educated volunteers.  But yet, I was addressed as a Dr prier to the implementation of the badges system, I believe because I gave a very well worded answer.  I corrected the poster but "I didn't have to".  Since the implementation of the badges I have heard of at least one other being called a Dr, when they are clearly not. So, I can only assume this happens quite often and the badges can only serve to the legitimacy of the assumed medically educated answerer.

  I can easily see a law suit in the making with a small group of members "with a number of stars" telling me not to follow my Dr.s advise of stopping a medication that is doing me harm.  If I haven't educated my self on my situation I might be tempted to listen to them literally because they have the stars which tell me they've been around a while.  The moderator agrees with those members but I also believe the moderator understands the politics involved and is making it's best judgment based on the information involved.

  From what I have picked up, and I'd like some clarification on the topic, is the badges have been implemented in order to spur participation among under supported forums(?).  It is my belief that volunteers should be appreciated for anything they do no mater how small the task.  However, to give a status that suggests explicit medical knowledge to the volunteers is the wrong way to achieve the above stated goal.  I am not sure what the best solution is but there are answers out there somewhere.

[zouzi]

That's another way to look at it LOL....
Of course I wouldn't do that...I care for the posters and their problems..If I can help in any way I will respond to the best of my knowledge... that's all.
But as far as "Badges" and "best answers" are concerned, I don't even bother to look at them any more...because I really don't care.
I disliked them from the very first time I saw them,even though I had 5 of them,and thought that I didn't even deserve!.

[ed34]

To increase your number of replies, you would simply have to put "sorry to hear about your condition, lets hope someone can give some insight".
I have to ask though, what if you post it twice? do you double up your takings?

[zouzi]

I fully agree with both of you...
It doesn't make sense to me at all !!  I truly hope, that this so called "Med Help improvement", will be eliminated ( "Badges" and "best answerer") from our Forums!
It has brought nothing else except disappointment and confusion to so many members.!

[kenkeith]

Badge representation is a fraud and I mean in the true sense of the word (an act of deceiving or misrepresentation for a gain...more accurately in this instance the expectation of a gain).

The fraud is the misrepresentation of highest volume, etc. or the gradation represented with stars is now not truely represented in an authentic consideration (highest to lowest in descending order for an achiever). For a definition of stars, it states as I remember the badges go the individuals that make the best contribution, etc.  When I saw my badge position go from top to fourth and I asked why, and I was told there was going to be a rotation of badge achievers.  For a little over a month a did a thousand responses and have 17 best answers that has been reduced from 19 so where is the recognition? Frankly I feel used!

I would like to know the shot caller on this one. I have a business degree and management experience and it has never been taught nor have I experienced anywhere a policy that uses disincentives to achieve a goal.  I don't mind competition, but it should be on a level playing field, and tell like it is. The badge is an attempt to stir competition, but in my opinion it is counterproductive because it is phony.

[ed34]

So the best answers are vetted as being accurate for new people to see? Is that medical professional yourself? or someone else?
With non professionals actually playing bingo and selecting which answer they think is best, is not accurate and never will be. If I came in with a chest pain, and someone said I very likely have heart disease, I should have an angiogram, an echo scan, a nuclear scan and an ECG, I will go back to my Doctor really complaining, even if my Doctor (a professional) is trying to tell me it's a pulled muscle. If I select it as the best answer, then how many others are going to waste their Doctors time. Didn't the forum actually work without this?

[Emily_MHManager]

Well, there is a chance that can happen, but we hope that far more often, the best answer will be accurate as well as supportive.

The program is designed to help make sure the best answers are seen and recognized.  It's still new, and we are sure that in time, any kinks and concerns will be worked through.

Emily

[ed34]

But what I'm saying is that the answer seen as the best by a poster is not necessarily an accurate one. It could just be the only one they can understand. Again, this is misleading. If I was coming to the forum for the first time, I would of course 'assume' the person/s with the highest best answers must know their stuff.
Can you just say why they are there, for what benefit? It must have been decided by someone for a good reason.

[Emily_MHManager]

The only person that chooses "best answer" is the person who posted it.  It's not a survey or anything, they just get a reminder email to choose.  Then they go to the post, and choose one.  They don't order the others or rank the others.  Hopefully, it wouldn't be based on WHO answered, but on WHAT they said in that answer.

Anyone can ask a question, and they will get the same option to choose a "best answer".

Emily

[LindaTX]

So the member is sent a private survey to rate the answers given them?  Does this include the answers on any given forum of non-participating members?  Can we ( all of us older members) also submit new questions?  And I assume when we get the survey we won't know who suggested what...even though we know their writing styles?

[Emily_MHManager]

Hi Ed -

The "Best Answer" is determined by the member on what works best for them.  It may not be your favorite answer, but it's the one that the member either got the most info from, what they related to the most, etc.

Emily

[ed34]

And whats with the 'best answer' nonsense? When people come here for information it's usually because they have no knowledge of that topic. How can they possibly judge a best answer? The best answer could be right below it, but they simply haven't understood it very well. This then makes some people look quite the expert when they may not be at all. Whats next? medals? badges thru the post? how about a nice medhelp t-shirt that we can wear while at the keyboard :)

[LindaTX]

I have to agree with ed, I'm turned off by this new system and I still don't intend to participate.  The one time I did, when I actually went to the forum, 2 other members had offered advice which was basically what Il had spent my time saying.  I guess I could have checked ahead to see what was already posted but What is REALLY the point.  The old way was waaaaay better :)

[ed34]

I think the star thing is daft. It could be misleading. If I was new to a forum, and see someone stands out from the crowd with lots of stars, I could be silly enough to assume they know what they are talking about. Of course this could be far from the truth. If such a scheme is deemed necessary, and god knows why it would, then it should be based on accuracy. However, you would need a medical expert to then evaluate all posts and I don't think you could afford that.

[wonko]

I see, I thought a badge could be 1-5 stars, but I understand your description.  And I'm now mystified by the existence of the complex scoring algorithm.  But you've answered my question, and I feel less confused about the new system.  Thanks!