I have to disagree with you. The PM voting system is far from silly, it is the way people perceive it that is silly. The Voting system is a great way to handle the management of this site, allowing users to be empowered to make the site a better place without having newbies and trolls screwing around with the system. That coupled with the weighing of nodes for that value is a pretty decent system in my opinion.

The real problem is the people thinking of this as a game, as tilly said. I must admit, I kind of play it both ways. For a sense of personal accomplishment, I do like the XP, and have considered starting a new monk out of curiosity (but decided it was a silly idea). But I also like to help people solve their problems, and it is good to be known around the chatterbox.

I mean, going for some personal glory is the human way in most cases. We like affirmation. A little XP whoring in the long run isn't going to hurt anyone. It's when the need for personal glory outweighs the good being done. Such as people who need to have a votebot cuz they need their XP but can't be bothered to vote, or may miss a day on vacation. Or even worse those who get pissed off at someone for downvoting them, and attack them with negative votes.

Now, I won't lie, I never especially liked jcwren, but that doesn't matter. He was an excellent resource of PM, and did a lot for it. I respect him and the good he has done. I think that anyone who doesn't recognize that fact obviously doesn't understand this site.

But then again, through the voting system, chances are they will never be Saints, since people who don't understand PM tend not to advance, and give up after a while. That is the real beauty of the voting system... it's not just up to one or two people... it is up to the community. And though it may get bumpier as more users come in, I think that it will hold together, because those who have taken the time and understand the PM will advance, and keep it together.

Though I am ranked a saint, I'm no real saint... I've done my share of stupid things and still have much to learn. I'm not an editor, and I've not contributed any code to PM. (I did put a whole 5$ in the donation tray :) However, even though I have not done all that, I have learned a lot, and my contributions have improved, and I feel a part of the community... and THAT... that is why it will stick together. Because in order to really BE a perlmonk, you have to grow with PM, and as the community grows, so will its core, and that core is what defines perlmonks... but enough rambling... back to the grind, I am sorry to see jcwren do this, but it his his path to walk...

Sorry, this kind of extended into a response to the whole thread, not just this node :)

                - Ant
                - Some of my best work - Fish Dinner

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