How do YOU feel about Ranks?

[Mike Roque]

I'd like to get some feedback on your feeling about ranks. Please tell me whether you like post-based ranks as well as what you think good rank titles would be.

[keeper1616]

How about some railroad-employee themed titles

ie Stationmaster, Engineer, Conductor, Railroad Cop :D

just my .02

[Otto Vondrak]

The ranks I think are helpful to some degree... I think it helps let people know who's been around a while and who is new to the board. Although I tell ya, there are a lot of people who like to post "me too" posts and dont really have anything to say... those people can rack up the ranks pretty quick! So the rank is not so much a mark of quality, just lets people know you've been around a while.


I have an idea for railroad themed ranks (from lowest to highest)

- Railfan
- Coach Cleaner (hehe... ok... how about "Track Gang")
- Brakeman
- Conductor
- Engineer
- Trainmaster
- Superintendent
- Rail Baron

-otto-

[Mike Roque]

The reason I'm asking is that concerns have been brought to my attention about the Railfan rank being applied to railroad professionals that post here.

Here are the current ranks that I arbitrarily composed (Title, Posts):

Railfan, 50
Contributor, 100
Veteran, 500
Guru, 1000

I'd like to see ranks like these that clearly indicate a level of contribution to the community, not just arbitrary railroad titles like Conductor and Engineer.

So, I guess the immediate question is about the Railfan rank.

[Reddy Rocker]

How about "In Training" for less than 50?

[keeper1616]

Otto - I have to disagree with you on one point, and you too Mike... I can see the concern that some people have about being titled 'railfan', but I think they should be whimsical names. The number of posts (how much they contribute) is visible right under the avatar, as is the experience (the date they joined). With these two stats, adding another one would just be redundant, and we are here to have fun as well as learn something, right?

[MEC407]

I think the rank of "Veteran" might cause some confusion. People will see that under somebody's name and think the person was in the armed forces.

[David Benton]

one trading site i use uses stars , for every 50 or so fair trades you do , you get a star after your name . it actually works on feedback from traders , a negative feedback takes one point off your tally . perhaps you could make it minus one point if you have a post deleted .
When i first saw the railfan title , i thought those individual members had put it there to describe them selves . i think whatevr term you use is going to casue confusion , stars or some other symbol has no connotations , so no confusion . perhaps little choo choos ??

[Otto Vondrak]

Good points all...

Maybe we need something more descriptive than "railfan" to describe a newcomer to the site... I guess giving people railroad titles would be even more confusing (or even demeaning to the people who actually work in the profession). How about "Tenderfoot?"

Ideas, please?

-otto-

[Franklin Gowen]

Possible titles for sub-50 and for 50-100 post marks...

In Training? (thx, Reddy Rocker)
Hobo? (ok, a bit silly)
Novice?
Enthusiast?
Trainspotter?
Rivet-Counter?

Sadly, there aren't too many synonyms for "railfan" which have a positive coonotation. As such, "railfan" is revealed to be quite a broad umbrella title.

I am strongly in favor of keeping the "Contributor" rank. It connotes a member who is an asset to the site by sharing information. I like that.

[Otto Vondrak]

I think we need arbitrary names without railroad connection... that way we dont accidentally mislabel someone.

-otto-

[Ken V]

No matter what label is used there will always be someone who complains. I agree that using railroad trades (as is used on other sites) is not appropriate. Also, while the terms "railfan" or "foamer" don't bother me, I do know that there are some that take offense. This is the problem.

Mike's idea of a 50-100-500-1000 is along the right lines. I think there needs to be more levels thereby making the naming problem more difficult. To encourage new members, it should be easier to move up the ranks early on at maybe about 20-30 posts for the first move and bigger increments to make the next level. My suggestion for posting levels is 1-20-50-100-200-500-1000-2000-5000-10000+ making a total of ten levels. Since I lack enough imagination to come up with a complete series (such as iron-tin-bronze-silver-gold-platinum), especially railroad related, this many ranks may make it impractical. Maybe someone with more imagination will suggest something that makes sense.

By the way, I really like Reddy Rocker's suggestion of "In Training" (or "In TRAINing" to be totally obvious) for the initial level.

[MEC407]

I don't really see the point. You can see when the person first became a member and you can see how many posts they've made. The "rank" just becomes redundant.

The railroaders will be pissed off if their rank is "railfan," and they'll be pissed off if railfans have ranks such as "engineer" or "conductor." No matter what, somebody is going to take offense, apparently.

Why bother?

[Engineer]

As long as it doesn't result in someone making posts just for the sake of making posts to get "promoted" to know there new "rank". Look at the OGR forum, people post things just to brag they have or will have XXXX posts.

[Otto Vondrak]

Maybe just assign a "Contributor" rank after 1000 posts.

-otto-