vb.org Archive - End-User Options - Let user choose how many reputation points to give (up to their limit).

A few problems...

(1) First problem... weak negative repping

Code:

$neg_score = intval($score / 2);

This code assumes that your negative reputation power is half of your positive rep power. On my forum this is not the case. In fact I have installed other mods like this one so I can change the multiplication factor for positive and negative rep (say, making negative rep twice as powerful as positive rep).

I have solved this for myself by changing the line above from :

Code:

$neg_score = intval($score / 2);

to :

Code:

$neg_score = intval($score * 1);

However, I think it might be nice if this mod worked with the other mod and used the multiplication factor it set. If the other mod isn't installed, it should use the vbulletin default.

(2) Second problem - users are confused by two things to click.

With stock vbulletin, you only have to choose one of two radio buttons for rep (good, or bad). It then does all the calculations for you as to how much rep to give. So the user only has to click twice at most (once to submit the form, another time if they want to change the type of rep given from good to bad before they submit the form).

It occurred to me that you could put ALL of the reputation options in one drop-down menu, and update choices accordingly.

For example, instead of getting this menu for giving good rep :

Code:

(X) Good - VBPHRASE : i_approve

( ) Bad - VBPHRASE : i_disapprove



[drop-down-menu from 0 to positive rep power]

and this menu for negative rep :

Code:

( ) Good - VBPHRASE : i_approve

(X) Bad - VBPHRASE : i_disapprove



[drop-down-menu from 0 to negative rep power]

You could instead eliminate the 'good' / 'bad' radio buttons, and have a system where anyone loading the page is shown one customisable phrase, and then presented with a drop-down menu listing all their rep choices from their max negative power to their max positive power.
Once they choose how much rep to give, they are then shown some descriptive text asking them to confirm their choice, and a 'Do it' button appears (or is activated).

Example of how the window could work :

1) When loaded, the user is shown an (editable) phrase like :
"You are about to give or take reputation from this person. This will affect their standing in the forum. Give reputation for things which in your opinion, make the forum a better place to visit, and take away reputation for things you feel detract from the forum.
Please select the number of points to give or take away : [drop_down_menu_here]"

2) Once they pick a number from the drop-down menu, text appears below the drop-down-menu. Say they selected +5 on the drop-down menu :
"You have selected to GIVE 5 points. This should be done only if you are happy with what was posted, thinking it was good for the forum and want to see more posts like it. [confirm_button_here]"

If they selected "-5" on the menu, they would get :
"You have selected to [B]REMOVE [/5] reputation points. This should be done only if you think what was posted will have a negative effect on the forum. [confirm_button_here]".

The benefits of this approach are :
1) No need to bother with good/bad radio buttons.
2) The text which appears can give people some sense of why they are giving the reputation, and confirm that it is for the right reasons.
3) With some modding, you could generate different phrases depending on how much reputation was given/taken. E.g. a -1 could generate a different message than a -5... so the forum owner could have a system that encouraged people to give -1s for off-topic posts, and -5s for flaming, spam, etc.

Just a thought.

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