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.

[1956glyn]

Yes i agree totally ridiculous.    Shame we cannot just delete them.  Who needs a silly badge to boost their ego further lol    

[1956glyn]

I don't need badges so others can see how helpful I am

The above is probably the reason why Ebay put them there....as some stupid sign of recognition   

[katie@ebay]

Hi,

Badges are added to any community to try to encourage new and existing members to get involved.

I appreciate that you all here on this thread have been a part of the community for some time so these badges may not be something you're interested in or need. However, it is beneficial for the growth of the UK Community by showing new users what they can do on the community and encouraging them to get involved and keep going.

We added badges to the UK Community in 2020 so this isn't a new venture for us but we are adding new badges this month to continue to teach others how best to use the boards.

While I understand badges will not be everyone's cup of tea I do ask that you are respectful towards our community team and members who may like them. It's an appreciation and a small gesture of encouragement and thanks. 

Thanks,

Katie 

[Anonymous]

Can we have a badge for the most rude and obnoxious posts and posters please, I am sure it would encourage me to be even more rude and obnoxious than I am already.

[hill-walker]

---

katie@ebay wrote:

However, it is beneficial for the growth of the UK Community

---

The Help from the Community board can only be replied to by Mentors, so hardly a need for badges there, IMHO.

The Discussion board, almost without exception, is about buying/selling PROBLEMS, so hardly something you'd want to grow, surely?

No personal insult towards members of the Community Team is meant or implied, I assure you, but it does seem, to me at least, that treating us as children, and giving us badges that show how nice we are, is somewhat patronising, to put it mildly.

As a 67 year old, maybe I'm completely out of touch with what the younger people here really want?

I dare say that I'll be proved right or wrong, with responses on this thread.

[*devils.advocate*]

….. so these badges may not be something you're interested in or need.

I don’t really think that anyone is, or will be, encouraged by any type of badge because the user will have found, and used, the Board(s) before any badge is awarded.

IMHO, anyone here found these Boards because the link to them was originally at the top of the (selling) page, obvious and in plain sight.

Now, it’s hidden away out of sight at the bottom of only the home page, in tiny print and so unobvious as to be so easily overlooked.

If you really want encourage greater participation, make it more than obvious how people can actually find the Boards.

[kempseykate]

That sounds like a plan 😆

Seriously, there was a question about the badges on the community chat thread yesterday, and it occurred to me that there had been posts last week and this week on there about unregistered business sellers, which only get the stock, 'we can't share what we do' answers, plus posts about the new listing form, which has absolutely no 'instructions for use', and you have to work out by trial and error.

Badges are not needed at all, I don't see any way that they help or encourage anyone to take part on the boards. Seeing action taken on thinks like unreg business sellers, dodgy listings and a tutorial for the new listing form (and any future similar roll outs) would earn ebay loads of plaudits, I am sure - maybe even a badge or two if they are lucky!

[kempseykate]

Incidentally, I see I earned 3 badges this morning - at a time when I was in the dentist having a filling! I think these must have been:

1) I was really brave because I went for my check up

2) I was really, really brave because I asked for a filling for a chipped tooth.

3) I was really good because I didn't run away/cry/kick the dentist * 

* delete as appropriate.

Not sure how ebay knew that though!

[bennotbill]

I suppose this is an American thing. Many of the words and ways of the American nation are a puzzle here. But that doesn't stop eBay implementing them at every opportunity.

I only wish we had a real independent UK site instead of this .com offshoot.

[katie@ebay]

Hi all,

There is some interesting feedback here and @*devils.advocate* I appreciate the feedback about the locations of the community. This is something I'm working on.

We have alot of accounts on the community that are passive. That means they read and log in but don't get involved. Badges have been used to encourage these accounts to become active. 

Communities and badges have gone hand in hand for a very long time and I'm sure you'll see them on other communities or apps you may use. 

Badges are not intended to replace other aspects of the community that will help it grow. For example like what you mentioned @kempseykate we don't intend to not take action and do badges instead. Badges are a nice feature to encourage members and to thank members for being involved, more so a parallel to other things that help the community to grow. 

As I mentioned previously, it won't be everyone's cup of tea but it is a good addition for our newer users.

Thanks,

Katie

[katie@ebay]

In addition, I do want to clarify that this is not a decision made by US teams.

The team, like myself, that you see on the boards are based in Dublin, Ireland with some of our leadership working out of London, UK.

This site works with US and other big eBay sites like Germany to remain on brand for a global company, but decisions like badges would be made by the team that represents the UK Community.

Thanks,

Katie 

[plpmr]

indeed it comes from America just like the league table and both are based on quantity not quality.

Best do as I do and ignore and just keep giving the best help possible.

[therma-tec]

It just shows people will complain about anything!

The badge thing doesn't mean anything to me and I definitely wouldn't make the effort to make a post complaining about it. Is it really that much of an issue??

[kempseykate]

I don't think the badges themselves are an issue - they can easily be ignored - but badges getting priority over things which DO need changing is an issue.

How would you feel if your energy supplier, during this time of worryingly rising energy costs, got in touch with you to say they were 'helping' by making bills prettier with pictures of flowers and brightly coloured text? Would you not feel they were being a little bit patronising?

Edit: I really must apologize for any typos that creep in - my typing this morning has been rubbish. Not sure if it's my eyes, fingers, keyboard or after-dentist-shock!

[*devils.advocate*]

The badge thing doesn't mean anything to me either but it’s like feedback - some (like me) think it’s outdated but there are others who still like their ego massaged.

If, as katie says, the badges have been added to try to encourage new and existing members to get involved, then yes, it’s a relevant thread.

But, as usual, eBay introduce yet another change - important or unimportant - without any (prior) information.

It’s only because of the various threads about this, the real intent has become forthcoming.

[1956glyn]

I apologise if i came across as disrespectful.  I was just voicing my personal opinion.

In my case it would be appropriate for Ebay to remove my badge as a Community Expert/mentor. 

You know why i chose to ditch that title but it is still coming up as one of my badges.

Yes not all may not like them so why not give us the choice not to have them on display?

[1956glyn]

We do not need a badge for that as all regular responders already know who would win lol

[Anonymous]

I still remember the badge war on Q&A about 20 years ago.

[vikkipollardanddafyddthomas]

I'm sure if I was 10 years old I would be thrilled with all my new badges.