New Membership Levels

[james]

I have changed the membership level in the forum, and tried to have a little fun. We have started offering prizes for reaching certain levels (though some are better than others). You have to send me an email when you reach a new level, and we can arrange to send you your goodies.

Here goes:

- 0 postings, Serf. You have to register to join, and you owe us half your crops. You also can't post a URL until your 5th posting (Spam aversion).
- 25 postings, Peasant. You can keep all of your crops, but you owe us half the retained heat in your oven.
- 50 postings, Laborer. You get to mix the concrete.
- 100 postings, Apprentice. You get to cut the bricks.
- 250 postings, Journeyman. You win a Forno Bravo pizza cutter from the Forno Bravo Store. It's a nice one with a removable blade that you can sharpen and replace, and you have to say something nice about it in the forum.
- 500 postings, Master Builder. You win a 5-pack of Caputo pizza flour.
- 1,000 postings, Pizzaiolo. You win a Caputo T-shirt.

You can only claim prizes moving forward from today, no backdating of prizes won (or stock options granted).

James

[james]

There is a concept with the forum system called reputation. I have to admit to not having read about it, but I wil. There may be something there. It's interesting to see that it is getting harder to find what you are looking for, as the community grows -- which is still a good thing.
James

[Chris]

I googled the "reputation" feature, and it looks promising.

Even better would be to encourage users to use the "Rate Thread" feature, if they see an especially helpful or interesting message. Messages in the forum can be sorted by rating.

Unfortunately, the ratings are not displayed when threads are displayed as the result of a search.

[christo]

Not having a very good reputation myself (in certain circles anyways), I not sure that voting on reputation would enhace my experience here.

I worry that it might change the flavor of this very good natured and non flaming group. I am glad to have the oppurtunity to be part of a forum with such a giving, accepting, and easy going nature.

Thanks

Christo

[RTflorida]

Agreed, I have always walked lightly when entering any forum or blog site. I have a tendency to "tell it like it is" in real life, and would certainly be driven away. I know what I've seen elsewhere has effected my participation here, and thats a shame (an a problem for me, which I hope to overcome). To this point, this is the finest forum I've ever read, with none of the chest out, inflated head, "I am the only "expert", attitudes seen so much of the time. To me, things are comfortable here. With that, and my new experiences with oven building and pizza making, my participation will certainly increase without fear of being "flamed" as you mention. This is a unique forum, I hope it does not change, simply for the sake of change.
Thanks again to everyone who've made this what it is.

[jwnorris]

At least for this forum [and credit goes to Jim and to the group as a whole], I feel that a Forum Reputation System is unnecessary. In the time that I have been a member [almost a year now] I can't remember a discouraging word being uttered.

If anything, members are more than helpful and go out of their way to insure the sucess of others, regardless if they are build ing from scratch, using a modular [FB or others], baking bread, cooking, or just lurking. Enough said.

J W

[RTflorida]

well put. agreed, enough said

[RTflorida]

WHOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!
With that last post, I get to keep all of my crops......now the whole family can eat.

[Archena]

Rate Threads might be useful around here but the Reputation feature usually engenders hard feelings more than anything else. As a newbie I can't honestly see the need here for either.

[Acoma]

RT, have you stored the crop? It is going to be winter soon