New Most Active User Algorithm!

Amber's on top of all of us now. hehe

Amber's on top of me. ;)

Goulnik: Climbing up there is only half the way. Getting down again is the real challenge. After you started some vivid discussion you can stop posting for weeks without losing that status.

@goulniky: Come on now, you don't want to ruin everyone's fun, do you? :)

@Bazza: Feel free to start up a new one...

I'm a bit bored by the current conversations. :P

As it turns out, I just overtook bazza, now I can go to sleep ：-） I don't know, something must be wrong with bazza today?

Come on goulniky, keep on going, you'll soon overtake bazza ;-)

as I often see my name up the list of most active users nowadays, I've started to wonder why we have it in the first place. There's something pleasant to my name on the list though I wouldn't want to be on the top spot, but there a sense of competition which I'm not into (I'm also not sure I'd want my boss or my wife to see it!), it also fluctuates amazingly fast.

On the other hand, there's something frustrating to not being on the list, when you make regular contributions!

So I guess I'd rather have no list at all...

henning,

Yup, we do have a few anti-troll weapons now, and Eileen is the appointed troll-hunter.

italiana,

please note the smiley - that comment was just emphasizing the role of those hard-working (yet only answering) Ambers and Connies out there.

There are indeed no dumb questions. We need the questions. For me especially the "Dumb questions" (those that *should* be easy) often revealed secret doors to the next level.

John,

Eileen revoked posting rights? And I thought those Trolls just all went into a troll summer holiday. :)

"No question" is a dumb question, right?

Italiana:

Of course we all value your posts and comments and I'm glad your showing the initiative not to be shy and come directly ask those who are more experienced than you. That's the best way to learn.

關於 RE: new Algorithm： obviously not every Algorithm is perfect even Google is faulty from time to time. It seems to me the basic theory behind this new Algorithm is to reward those who post thoughtful posts and not to reward garbage posts. I don't think it rewards trolling, if it did, then I could name a few users who would be constantly be listed at the top of the most active users list, and yet who aren't even a blip on the radar!

We learn a lot from those questions and from discussing possible answers.

Often they expose fundamental weaknesses I need to tackle and help gaining deep language insight. Because the seemingly easiest questions are the toughest.

Italiana - keep asking your "stupid" questions... I think that's excactly what the comments are for. Sometimes little things can get you blocked and talking with somebody else makes you understand it in a new way.

John - Yes, I get it now. Thanks for the clarification. I should get more sleep myself. That was probably really obvious to everyone else. :-)

danjo,

Maybe I'm in the list because I'm active in the Conversations section. :P

Now that you remind me of it, I really should sleep more...

Frank,

You subtract your comments on your own new posts because they were already getting counted once (in the first group in parentheses). So really, you get one point for every comment/post you make, and you get one point for each comment on your own new posts, but you don't get double points by commenting on your own new posts.

Get it?

So John implements an algorithm which immediately puts him near the top of the list. Hmmm....

Actually I sometimes wonder if John ever sleeps. If I have it straight he works at ChinesePod, runs Sinosplice, has recently married, attends graduate school in Chinese... I might be missing a few.

Henning~

Yea, I guess I post stupid questions but how else would I learn???

You know, thinking about this (and excuse me for double posting), but subtracting from our totals for commenting on our own posts seems counterproductive to community-building. When I make a post, either here or on the blog, I want to engage people. Most importantly, I want them to know that I read every comment and do my best to respond to everyone. I think that helps foster the community we're building here. If the "top posters" number is supposed to encourage people to post more, then wouldn't this aspect of the algorithm be discouraging them from doing just that? Or maybe there's a logic I just don't see. I am here to be educated. :-)

I love how I'm now seeing other people call you John The Man in other posts. That rocks like Amadeus. :-D

henning,

Ah, but trolls' comments may be deleted, and enough troll comments can lead to one's comment privileges being revoked! (Beware of Eileen!)

My new posts will probably be ignored now to stop me getting even higher.

The way of the Troll:

Design really provocative posts and act as if you really mean it. Do not write much, 2-3 lines are enough to start go beyond the hate ignition point.

Never react to others replies. Have fun seeing good hearted users defending you. Never waste time with thinking. Focus on writing new provocative posts.

Collect your bonus.

So you lost points for joining in on your own discussions? ;)

And because Amber always provides insightful answers rather than posing stupid questions she will forever stay below the water line ;)

xiaohu says: My guess is, the amount of posts by an individual after going to the new version of the site, amount of new posts, amound of others responses to your posts (whether posts initiated by you, or others posting responses to the posts made by you on others threads and / or lesson theads) and MOST IMPORTANTLY the ammount of B's A's ZZ's and a's in your username. Smart man. I can neither confirm nor deny the B/A/Z bonus theory, but the other part is pretty much spot on. The formula goes something like this: (your total lesson comments + your total new posts) + (total responses to your new posts - your own responses to your new posts) The funny thing is that your guesses about the new algorithm were racking up points for me under the new algorithm! MUAHAHAHAHA! (The point, obviously, is to reward people that start good discussions.)

I may be showing my age here, Man2Toe. LOL It's a joke phrase. Back in the (gulp) late 60's and early 70's, there was a common perception among some radical ethnic groups that The Man (i.e. white folks) were trying to oppress people of other races, creeds and colors. (That perception wasn't always unfounded.)

Amber and Eileen both post a lot, but their totals don't show on the board. I was making a joke that John (The Man) Pasden was deliberately skewing the ratings to make himself look better. :-)

That phrase wasn't always seen as a humorous statement, but we've kind of relaxed our view of it in recent years. In fact, it plays a prominent role in such films as "Undercover Brother," a film which lampoons the blacksploitation (sp?) films of the 70's (think Shaft).

Hope that clears it up. The comment was made with tongue firmly planted in cheek!

"This is just another prime example of The Man trying to keep people down! ;-)" ?

Please explain for us Frank.

Thank you.

I'll get you 我的漂亮... and your little algorithm, too!

My guess is, the amount of posts by an individual after going to the new version of the site, amount of new posts, amound of others responses to your posts (whether posts initiated by you, or others posting responses to the posts made by you on others threads and / or lesson theads) and MOST IMPORTANTLY the ammount of B's A's ZZ's and a's in your username.

Yeah, Lantian! And where's Eileen! This is just another prime example of The Man trying to keep people down! ;-)

How can John be there and not Amber? A little academic team boss manipulation me thinks!

Hmm, that guess might not work with John's name being in there, but I would be interested in a tally like the aforementioned.

My guess is the algorithm tallies the actual lessons that user has studied. Maybe the user has to use the discussion, vocab, expansion, and exercise to get a tally.

Close?

Length of posts? Your user name being referenced in others' posts? I imagine Aric might have created one based on attractiveness in profile picture.

User-generated posts, not just replies? BTW, you may also want to indicate the number of posts of others, not just the top ones.

I noticed yesterday night, mine was at 52 and when I woke up it had changed to 104!!!

Does it include blog posts as well? I note Frank is quite high up now.

@johnb: Wrong!

@Rich: No, actually, the tweak to the algorithm is designed to not reward "meaningless" posts as much.

@Henning: Wrong! The algorithm has no registration biases (but it would take a week before a brand new user is on equal footing with everyone else).

And one refresh later up to 81???

Ups, now I am down to 46 again.

Maybe the additional factor is a random number?

You definately calculated in the registration date.

That is why I am in there with those 1 or 2 posts I have written over the course of the time.

As you can easily read on my profile page I registered November 30, 1999 - using a secret time warping device I am not allowed to talk about!

I thought about just posting that over and over again to make a point.... but naaaa. :P

Oh great, now watch people start posting meaningless posts just to get on the list.... like this one...

Judging by your entry into the most active user list, I surmise the something else is height.