Points system for frontpaging nodes

[grinder]

In a recent node jeroenes offered his guidelines as to when to front-page a node. I just saw a new SoPW get front-paged, and it struck me as not really worthy. I won't point it out, but it's easy enough to find. The question is rather vague, and three replies have been posted, all saying the same thing: that there is a CPAN module that will do the trick.

So for me it's end of story. Nonetheless, it's out there, taking up valuable real estate on the front page.

I'm beginning to feel that we need more than just a boolean (the approve checkbox) to determine whether a node has got what it takes. To scale up gracefully with the number of monks on board these days, I think a points/voting system should be implemented. ObDisclaimer yeah, yeah, I know, more complexity, more work for our tireless leader. Nevertheless.

To get the ball rolling, here is my idea: when you read the node, you aready know how many front-page points a node has acquired to date. You can approve or disapprove as the whether the node is worthy of front page status. The number of points decays at e.g. 2 points a day. The number of points given to a node is equivalent to your level: saints get 10 points, pontiffs get 9 and so on. When a node reaches a threshold (e.g. 25 points), it goes on the front page. This means that it is no longer any single person's decision, and there a richer channel for winnowing out the worthy nodes. This would also solve the problem most recently raised by Masem (although chromatic's suggestion in reply is of course The Right Way to fix that).

Discuss.

--
g r i n d e r

[mpolo]

I think that multiple votes to frontpage an article would be a good thing, though I would tend towards more simplicity in the implementation: the node would be frontpaged only once 5(?) friars+ had clicked the checkbox. This would avoid having positive and negative frontpage votes, etc. I think if five senior-ish monks agree on a node's worthiness, it's probably worthy.

The number five was chosen as the number of votes needed to delete a node. Of course, frontpaging could be made entirely analogous to consideration -- a node gets frontpaged if it has at least 5 front-page votes with no more than 1 "leave it off the front page" votes. This adds another level of complexity, though.

Or frontpaging could be moved up to be a higher-level power so that the bishops would feel important...

[Mission]

grinder, I agree whole heartedly. Although having five people agree, might make for a stagnant front page. That number might have to be adjusted although I don't have suggestions. Even having two people agree that the node is worthy of front page would be a step in the right direction.


I know that I was personally suprised that just one person could send a node to the front page. That kind of scared me (to be honest) so I don't send any to the front page. My fear is that I might send something that other people don't think is worthy of representing our community. I also found it a bit disturbing that I could send my own nodes to the front page. Wow! Talk about potential abuse! I often wondered if that shouldn't have been addressed awhile ago. I don't see people abuse that system, however I think that shouldn't be an option either (then there's no chance for abuse.)


I hope that this node does get consideration. I think that this is a worthy addition to the system. Thanks for brining this up!

- Mission

"Heck I don't know how to do it either, but do you think that's going to stop me?!!"

[Anonymous Monk]

I also found it a bit disturbing that I could send my own nodes to the front page. Wow! Talk about potential abuse! I often wondered if that shouldn't have been addressed awhile ago. I don't see people abuse that system, however...

There is at least one high-level user who regularly abuses this system. He almost always frontpages his own nodes and other root nodes which he makes an early reply to. It happens too often to be a coincidence.

Observant monks know exactly who it is.

Hint: He always complains about downvotes too, imagine that!