Forum "Tech Badge"?

[Matt]

**Not sure how this would work with forum programming...

I've been on a lot of different forums for quite some time... For those who have worked as techs, or just have a significant amount of hands-on knowledge with vehicles or mechanical systems, it becomes evident who does or doesn't have experience.

A lot of people come to forums for technical discussion or to solve technical issues. For a novice, or someone who isn't experienced, it's often hard to decipher the good suggestions from the not so good ones.

So I thought it might be a good idea to institute a "Forum Tech" rating that members earn. Having the rating will help other (or new) members feel a bit more confident about your suggestions. Here's how I would think it would work:

1) Start with a few members who clearly have a mechanical background, like El Cid/ Doc/ etc. (Anyone who has experience, works as a tech, has ASE certs, etc can always request the rating).
2) As a general rule, having the "Tech Rating" gives you the responsibility to give a member "tech points" when they make a solid technical post.
3) After a member reaches a certain number of "tech points", they earn a "Tech Rating" badge (and have the same responsibility to give out "tech points")
4) The "Tech badge" listed under/near a username should link a member to a quick summary of what the badge means... obviously it should be stated clearly that the badge is in no way, shape or form counts an "official" tech for any manufacturer and that's its basically just a forum gage of a members hands on experience or technical expertise.

The Positive:
1) Members get a good sense for who the technically inclined members are... especially since the "badge" must be earned from others who have knowledge/experience. It's not based on # of posts (like I see on some forums).
2) It promotes members to make good technical posts to earn the badge.

The Negatives:
1) It could make members feel like the "must" earn the badge or be looked at as "non technical".
2) We all know that you don't have to be technically inclined to make a good suggestion... so it could potentially make a member ignore a good suggestion because that person isn't "tech rated". (But if someone makes a good post, they should get a tech thumbs up for it anyway... so maybe that won't be much of an issue?)

Figured I'd throw it out there for thoughts/discussion. Trying to come up with ways to make our site a bit different than others and keep up the technical discussions.

[Sal-XK]

We kinda have that already. We have a reputation point system. You're suppose to give a member rep points when he does something worth while and or makes good tech points in a thread. It's a little frustrating to use because for a member that makes several rep worth posts\thread I can't give them the points the system tells me to make rep points on someone else before I can assign anymore to the user I ran into that with Matt and Huey I gave the max the system would let me even though they had several threads and posts that deserved the point.

[Sal-XK]

Here is exactly what it says to me

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Matt_ again.

I still can't give Matt anymore points.

[Matt]

Kind of like taking the Rep points to the next level. Having it lead up to something.....

Also thought it might be good to have a vetted system... so you know the title was earned by thumbs up from other "techs".

I wonder if there's a way to solve sals issue with the Rep power limits?

[IamJEEP]

This is exactly what I was leaning to in the other thread. YOU STOLE MY IDEA, MATTTTTTTT!!!!!!! To the plank you go!

O.k. seriously, the rep points are for this idea, but maybe it can be refined or changed a bit to what Matt has stated. I have also run into the same issue that Sal just mentioned, therefor forgetting about the rep points thing. There has been plenty of times that I could of givin said points to someone and just bypassed it, I am guilty of not using it.

I really like this idea and believe it'll help everyone when there is a tech question you can not find on your own.

[Tymac]

This is a great thread, but I to ran into the same issue today trying to give rep points. So I passed them out to anyone that didn't say to the plank. Just kidding I got you guys to. The limits from one person to another should be raised if possible.

On a side note can change the word "Rep" to "Tech"?

[LWM]

I will look at the Rep Power part of the software to see what changes can be made. I think I can change the title to anything you want and I should be able to lif tthe limits but I do not think I can limit who uses it but I will play around in there and see what all it can do.

[LWM]

Okay...

I did find that I can add "Ranks", did anyone notice the rank I added for all memebrs with more than 10 posts?

I can add many ranks but the only qualifier that I saw was that it changes when the number of posts by a member increases.

[Sal-XK]

Change the name to tech points if you think that's better. I viewed the rep points as a thumbs up kinda thing pretty much only gave rep points to cool mods or good advice that kind of thing. Being able to give the points when there deserved would be nice.

[Sal-XK]

Okay...

I did find that I can add "Ranks", did anyone notice the rank I added for all memebrs with more than 10 posts?

I can add many ranks but the only qualifier that I saw was that it changes when the number of posts by a member increases.

I thought we had a thread with name suggestions on what to call members at a certain post count.