What's with all these ridiculous new "badges"?

[hill-walker]

Is it just me, or are others insulted by the infantilisation of this board, and being awarded badges, for "being helpful", or whatever?

I'm a grown up, not a child. I don't need badges so others can see how helpful I am.

My 3 year old granddaughter get awarded badges at nursery school, for acheiving things like washing her hands, brushing her teeth, being nice to her little sister etc., and quite honestly, it feels like I'm seen by ebay, as having about the same mental age as her!

We're all adults here; I just wish eBay would treat us as such.

[katie@ebay]

Hi all,

You can see more on the ranks here.

It gives an idea of what factors are taken into account when an account is ranked up.

A lot of these are based on actions like helpful kudos, replies, topics started etc.

Again, I do want to stress this change has no relation to our US community. They use a different ranking structure. 

We will remain as the Community Team so we are easier for less frequent members to find. This also links to the decision that eBay employees are not included in any ranking system or leadership board on the UK community.

Thanks,

Katie 

[1956glyn]

I am back to Champion the wonder horse............

[kempseykate]

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katie@ebay wrote:

Hi all,

You can see more on the ranks here.

It gives an idea of what factors are taken into account when an account is ranked up.

A lot of these are b,ased on actions like helpful kudos, replies, topics started etc.

So if I want to rise up the ranks, I simply kudo anything and everyting, open lots of threads - like 'who leaves feedback first' & 'why do ebay charge fees on postage' - reply to everything in sight, whether my response is factual or not.

So ranks are based on quantity, not quality?

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katie@ebay wrote:

Again, I do want to stress this change has no relation to our US community. They use a different ranking structure. 

If it were me, given the response, I would have left the blame at the US's door!

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[1956glyn]

and yet again the system is once again open to abuse just to rise up to the top ranks.

IF anything certain responders should be downgraded dramatically for abuse of the kudos system.

[hill-walker]

The point that still eludes me though, is that these boards, apart from the silly stuff in the Cafe, are almost entirely concerned with sorting out peoples PROBLEMS with eBay, so why on earth would you want to encourage even more posts?

Surely, the very best result for these boards, would be if no one had any problems, and the boards weren't even needed?

Tinkering around the edges, giving us all shiny new badges, and now, 19 nonsensical new "ranks" is just so utterly pointless.

Is this really what eBay considers a good way to spend the fees we pay?

(BTW, this is not a personal dig at the Team, who, I feel sure, are just following orders)

[guru-banana]

What a load of pointless nonsense............................

Cripes, just spotted I'm a specialist, though I haven't got a clue what in...............

[thesmokingrunner]

Don't knock it old-cricketer - you're only one step away from being a Guru...

Not sure I'd want to be a Pro Mentor though. I always thought they were called pimps...

🤣

[1956glyn]

Come on keep up 😂   2 steps away from a guru.      One has to be Champion the Wonder Horse before becoming a Guru!

[hill-walker]

Re the US system, it seems we have way more ranks than even they do!

I did find this interesting comment from one of their "Community Managers", (equivalent to Katie I presume?), re the US ranks...

"It's on my list to improve or maybe even remove them all together. "

[thesmokingrunner]

Don't start making up your own ranks, glyn. You'll only confuse people... 😂

[1956glyn]

I want to change my avatar to Champion the wonder horse.   Unfortunately my pc broke and this is the new one.  I like that pic of my hubby and i and do not want to risk losing it.

[the_book_seekers]

Like the badges these ranks are another attempt to get the watchers and readers to engage more, but still isn't addressing the reasons why they don't. 

[1956glyn]

I have my own theory about why they do not engage more.   Probably reading the boards terrifies them and is enough to put most people off from using Ebay !    If anything if i were Ebay i would try and disuade them from coming here 🙂

[guru-banana]

Sorry Smokey, I've just promoted myself.... I'm now the top banana....

[the_book_seekers]

This can sometimes be an intimidating place especially for newbies. 

[bennotbill]

It's pretty friendly and easy going compared to how it was a couple of decades ago.

[hill-walker]

Keep it simple, stupid (KISS) is a design principle which states that designs and/or systems should be as simple as possible. Wherever possible, complexity should be avoided in a system—as simplicity guarantees the greatest levels of user acceptance and interaction.  (My bold).

Isn't this what is trying to be achieved? If so, it's being approached from totally the wrong direction.

[johnwash1]

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katie@ebay wrote:

Hi all,

You can see more on the ranks here.

It gives an idea of what factors are taken into account when an account is ranked up.

A lot of these are based on actions like helpful kudos, replies, topics started etc.

Again, I do want to stress this change has no relation to our US community. They use a different ranking structure. 

We will remain as the Community Team so we are easier for less frequent members to find. This also links to the decision that eBay employees are not included in any ranking system or leadership board on the UK community.

Thanks,

Katie 

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Heavens.  I was at least giving the UK team the benefit of the doubt, assuming that it was just a daft US-centric idea rolled out worldwide without local input.  Considering the British cynical sense of humour, how could this idea ever have been thought to be a plus?  Are the community team members from other countries?  Or another planet?

(And lest that be thought xenophobic, I voted Remain, and some of my best friends are... etc etc)

So what's next?  Is there an ebay company song?  Are we going to have to sing "My Ebay website, 'tis of thee" to get past the login prompt?  And wear hats with "Make Ebay Great Again"?

[hill-walker]

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@johnwash1 wrote:So what's next?  Is there an ebay company song? 

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What? You mean you haven't heard it?

Well I suppose it was from the "golden days", so for those that may have missed it, here's Weird Al Yancovic:

https://youtu.be/YKtlK7sn0JQ

[johnwash1]

OMG!  🙂

Hitting the '>' several times on Youtube is a useful tip!  🙂