Sandwich Posted April 13, 2011 Report Share Posted April 13, 2011 I think the files section would benefit quite a lot from people actually writing reviews and rating files a bit more actively. I'm not entirely sure how to encourage people to do this except for to remind them, but I was thinking that perhaps you could get reputation points from posting reviews? Or perhaps just from posting reviews that other people vote up. Also it would be nice to have some way of filtering files by reviews, and also to have files automatically ranked within their category by their rating/number of reviews rather than just chronologically/alphabetically/whatever it is at the moment! Not for everything - stuff like syllabi should stay alphabetical, but for things like notes, example essays etc. that way the good stuff would come up to the top and be more helpful for everybody.Yeah, that's about it 1 Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
timtamboy63 Posted April 13, 2011 Report Share Posted April 13, 2011 Or, how about for every review you write, you get to download a file. If a mod deems your review was spam, or crap, or just something put down in order to download a file, these permissions are taken away? Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuka Posted April 13, 2011 Report Share Posted April 13, 2011 i like timtamboy's idea. but one can't download a file just like that unless they're a VIP. so whoever isn't one can't build up their reputation or anything since they won't be able to view anything in the first place. maybe new members should get 3 free downloads or something when they join? and then from there, you can review them, build up your reputation or write more reviews and get more involved with ibsurvival 1 Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dessskris Posted April 13, 2011 Report Share Posted April 13, 2011 nuka made a good point. I totally forgot that members can't write reviews -- they can't even download the file in the first place.I don't 100% agree with giving everybody a number of free downloads though FYI syllabi are free for every user to download. although I don't feel the need for syllabi to be reviewed Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
timtamboy63 Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 I say one free download when they sign up, then from there onwards we can use the review system to do it. Problem is, whose gonna code it? I have no idea how to, and i'm not even sure its possible with the current files system? Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandwich Posted April 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 Well the thing is that we already have VIP membership (paid or earned) to give access to files, so I'm not sure how viable an idea it would be to make people continue to 'earn' files in that way. After all, they've already earned them or paid for them somehow. If it could be made into a method of gaining VIP membership (file reviews), it might make sense, but then you can't really do that without undermining VIP, so yeah. I'm not 100% sure how it would fit with the current system. 1 Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
timtamboy63 Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 I more meant it for the normal users, VIP's still get there file permissions? And maybe just raise requirements for VIP? Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Soiboist Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 I would say the problem could be solved simply by letting everyone, or at least registered members, to be able to download files. Right now you need a post count of 150 in order to do so, and it means that a very low percentage of registered users will be able to. When there isn't people using the files section it is rather obvious that there won't be people commenting and rating. You're just making everything too complicated by requiring a certain post count, and it would be further complicated by giving "rewards" for rating/commenting and thinking that people suddenly would start using the files section because of that. In today's modern world it is not sufficient. If people can't get the information they need from this site they will just be going to another one. Why would people spend huge amount of time on this site when they can just get their needs elsewhere? If you want to stay as the leading IB site and forum changes like this are required. Right now the inaccessibility of files is just undermining the progress of the site. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
timtamboy63 Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Don't think that would work to well, encourages leeching which ultimately kills the community. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Soiboist Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 In what way would it kill the community? Yes, there might be people that just download one single file and never come back, but that's exactly what most people do now when they find out that you need 150 posts for downloading. What I think would happen if a change occurs is that those one-timers would instead come here occasionally for downloading more files, and as that happens more of them would eventually stay and contribute to the forum. It's not valid to say that everyone would just leech if no post count was required, because when people have used a feature it is very likely that they will come back again. I am myself just like that. I always use the same youtube downloading tool for example, even though there are thousands and most likely better ones. Why? Well, because that was the first one I used, and because of that I came back again. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keel Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Writing reviews is just a form of courtesy to both the next user and the creator. If the people who use the files lack the courtesy to give feedback, I personally don't think anything can be done about it. Giving out incentives for people to write reviews is like paying a 'gentleman' to hold open a door for an old lady with shopping. The reviews are likely to be poor in quality anyways, especially if they are merely done for the incentives or if it is a compulsory thing to do. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Soiboist Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Writing reviews is just a form of courtesy to both the next user and the creator. If the people who use the files lack the courtesy to give feedback, I personally don't think anything can be done about it. Giving out incentives for people to write reviews is like paying a 'gentleman' to hold open a door for an old lady with shopping. The reviews are likely to be poor in quality anyways, especially if they are merely done for the incentives or if it is a compulsory thing to do.This hence strengthens my point, because the only thing that might give a larger amount of reviews is a larger amount of people using the files. Out of 1000 users it will be more likely to find more "gentlemen" than in 100, to continue the similies used. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keel Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Writing reviews is just a form of courtesy to both the next user and the creator. If the people who use the files lack the courtesy to give feedback, I personally don't think anything can be done about it. Giving out incentives for people to write reviews is like paying a 'gentleman' to hold open a door for an old lady with shopping. The reviews are likely to be poor in quality anyways, especially if they are merely done for the incentives or if it is a compulsory thing to do.This hence strengthens my point, because the only thing that might give a larger amount of reviews is a larger amount of people using the files. Out of 1000 users it will be more likely to find more "gentlemen" than in 100, to continue the similies used.The assumption you have made is that the 'gentleman' has not already gained a VIP status due to his contributions to other parts of the forum. It is highly likely that a person with such activity will gain a VIP status easily. I don't see why IBS should try to increase the reviews of files on the basis of a random variable: the occurrence of 'the gentleman'. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Soiboist Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Writing reviews is just a form of courtesy to both the next user and the creator. If the people who use the files lack the courtesy to give feedback, I personally don't think anything can be done about it. Giving out incentives for people to write reviews is like paying a 'gentleman' to hold open a door for an old lady with shopping. The reviews are likely to be poor in quality anyways, especially if they are merely done for the incentives or if it is a compulsory thing to do.This hence strengthens my point, because the only thing that might give a larger amount of reviews is a larger amount of people using the files. Out of 1000 users it will be more likely to find more "gentlemen" than in 100, to continue the similies used.The assumption you have made is that the 'gentleman' has not already gained a VIP status due to his contributions to other parts of the forum. It is highly likely that a person with such activity will gain a VIP status easily. I don't see why IBS should try to increase the reviews of files on the basis of a random variable: the occurrence of 'the gentleman'.Yes, I guess that is my assumption. What you seem to assume however, is that "gentlemen" will use and contribute to the site from the first time that they encounter it. At least I do not register and start to post actively in a forum from the first time, unless that I am actually given something back. Thus, if we want people that may contribute to stay we must give them something back, something that actually catches their interest towards using the site. The term "gentlemen" is perhaps not the best either, as it seems to say that some are better than others, and only those will contribute valuable reviews. If everyone is given the opportunity to download files the occurence of people that contribute and help will be greater because of that the site is helping them, and giving them something back. More people interacting with the files will give more people reviewing files, it is just that simple. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keel Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Or you could simply purchase our VIP status for £20.00 and gain access to all our files for a period of 2 years or for £10.00 for a period of 1 year. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Soiboist Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Or you could simply purchase our VIP status for £20.00 and gain access to all our files for a period of 2 years or for £10.00 for a period of 1 year.Is it really likely that people will do that for a newly encountered site they know nothing yet about? I would say it is just as unlikely as that people will stay for months in order to get the required post count. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keel Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Or you could simply purchase our VIP status for £20.00 and gain access to all our files for a period of 2 years or for £10.00 for a period of 1 year.Is it really likely that people will do that for a newly encountered site they know nothing yet about? I would say it is just as unlikely as that people will stay for months in order to get the required post count.Why would a person stay for months if they didn't find the forum useful? Besides: "Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country."I think you are missing the point. People have put their sweat and blood into creating the notes, guides and essays we have on IBS. Why should we give it to people who have made no contributions what so ever to the forum? The aim of the VIP privilege is to protect the owners of these files. It is to ensure that what they have put in will be paid back equally to the body of notes we have here on IBS. The files are not to be used by people who are fans of last minute revision and who are trying to cut corners in life. Of course if they are despreate they can purchase our VIP status for £20.00 and gain access to all our files for a period of 2 years or for £10.00 for a period of 1 year.To people in need of files: You can see our collection of files, if you don't like them, think they are useless, a waste of space or that IBS is a scam website, then go away, you are not welcome here.Edited in response to the post below: I will contribute no further to this discussion. IBS does not rely on its files to attract users. If users are not useful to the forum, they will not be given a VIP status. IBS is not concerned about a member shortage. We do not need a new marketing scheme. Thank you. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Soiboist Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 (edited) Yes, but now we are talking about how the file system affects the forum, not the forum in itself. If people come here to download files only they will most likely not stay when they realise that they are not able to. On the other hand if they download files it is much more likely that they will appreciate the site, come back, and perhaps eventually contribute to the forum.*edit due to reply to new informationWe just think of the issue in different ways. I believe that the file system is a great opportunity for attracting conctributing people, whereas you think it is more important to keep the files to the right members. Edited April 17, 2011 by Soiboist Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandwich Posted April 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 The way to attract contributing members is by rewarding people for contributing, not to remove incentives for contribution. People who can download without contributing aren't going to contribute (I mean, I wouldn't have done!) and the site has no current problem with member numbers so it's not necessary on that front. IBS is a place for advice, not a free file depot. There's no current issue with the Files system and in my opinion it shouldn't be changed. It's less important to have reviews than it is to have people contributing - importantly, monetarily. I don't think it's realistic to suggest that everybody be given access to Files as it's extremely unlikely to happen. 2 Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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