Introduction to the Post Rating System

The reputation system is an important feature of Drugs-Forum. It enables members to give positive feedback on posts that are helpful and encourages them to provide reliable information, give helpful advice, and contribute to Drugs-forum. Negative feedback can be given to posts that break the rules or contain advice that is dangerous, irresponsible, or inaccurate. The feedback comments are meant to help the receiving member understand how they can improve their posts, and the system encourages members to put their utmost effort into writing substantive posts. This helps to improve and maintain the quality of the material on Drugs-Forum.

The reputation system is based on reputation points. Receiving positive ratings results in an increase in the overall number of reputation points associated with a member's profile, and receiving negative reputation comments has the opposite effect.

Please note that progressing from a "newbie" to a "silver member" requires a member to have received more than 5 reputation points. This results in an automatic upgrade to a silver membership. When a member reaches -50 reputation points or below, he or she is automatically downgraded to mercury membership.

The reputation system is related to the "trophy spectrum," which is a reflection of a member's contributions to the forums. The trophy spectrum is a reflection of many types of contributions, such as the number of posts made by a member, the number of reviews he or she has submitted, the number of blog posts he or she has contributed, the number of files he or she has uploaded, and more.

Each member begins with 0 reputation points. A positive number of points reflects the accumulation of positive reputation ratings. A negative number of reputation points reflects the opposite.

The reputation system implemented on Drugs-Forum serves many purposes:

• To let members know how other members assess the information in their posts.
• To enable members to anonymously leave comments for other members about how to improve their posts.
• To help staff identify members to upgrade.
• To help staff identify problematic members.
• To encourage members to create better posts.
• To warn members about posts that are problematic or useless.
• To serve as a learning tool for staff and members alike.

With the site's migration to new software in January 2017, the rating system has undergone some major changes:

• The post rating system has changed from the old "red (negative)/yellow (neutral)/green (positive)" system. We switched to a simplified "left-to-right" 5-star system. In other words, values range from -20 (one star) to +20 (five stars). Three stars no longer amount to a moderately positive rating, they now indicate a 0-point neutral rating. This is easier to understand after experimenting with the system.
  
• We no longer use reputation power to determine how many points a user can give or deduct. All members can utilize the system equally, regardless of how many points they have.
• There has been some confusion regarding thread ratings (stars at the top of each thread). These are distinct from the post rating system and are meant to be seen as a general evaluation of the entire thread. This entry refers to ratings for individual posts.

How to Rate a Post

The following is an overview of the process:
(Please note that a couple of aspects of the system have changed since this video was made, namely the location of the "Rate" link, but the general process is still the same.)



In-depth explanation:

To rate a post, locate the "Rate" button located at the bottom of all posts:



In small-screen view, this can be found in the hamburger menu in the bottom-left corner of a post.



A box that looks like this will appear:



Again, please note the change in the number of stars versus their corresponding point values, which was mentioned above.

Follow these guidelines:
1 star = terrible
2 stars = poor (bad, but could be worse)
3 stars = neutral
4 stars = good (good, but could likely be improved)
5 stars = excellent (could not be better)

Although this may be confusing to long-term members who have used the old system, it should greatly simplify the process in the long run. Hovering your cursor over a star will show its value if you're unsure of it.

You are required to provide a reason for the rating you have given a post before submitting it (clicking the "Save" button). Ratings should provide a meaningful evaluation of a post's content. Please note that all ratings are reviewed by staff, and we delete any ratings that do not adhere to this requirement.

Once you have finished writing and submitted your rating, you will receive a confirmation message at the top of your screen and will be returned to the post.

If you feel you have made a mistake or wish to retract a rating you have given for any reason, you now have the option to delete it for up to 5 minutes after you submit it. To do this, locate the "Ratings You've Given" link in the drop-down menu, which can be found by hovering over/clicking your user name in the top-right corner of every page:



*Note: I do not believe that this function is working yet, or at least it did not appear to be when submitting a test rating, but it will be available soon.*

As mentioned previously, the reputation system is extremely helpful in many respects and plays a key role in determining which members deserve status upgrades and which must wait for them. It has greatly aided in improving the quality of posts on this site, increasing the amount of high-quality information and reducing the chatter. The more we participate in the system and use this tool, the more everyone will benefit from it.

Common reasons for reputation ratings not being approved

Reputation ratings and comments must be a constructive evaluation of post content in order to be approved during the moderation process, and therefore appear on the post. Below is a list of the most common reasons that ratings are not approved:

• Agreeing/disagreeing, without explanation - See 'Needs explanation'
• Conflict of opinion - Difference of opinion is not a valid grounds for post ratings. Such conflicts should be addressed through civil discussion in the thread (or if off-topic, via visitor or direct messaging) so that all points of view are fully presented to all readers.
• Countering other rating - Ratings are an evaluation of the post, and should not be a reactionary response to other ratings the post has received. Members that repeatedly attempt to 'counter-rep' in this way to invalidate or overpower previous ratings may be infracted for abuse of the reputation system.
• Flaming / non-constructive feedback - The rules on forum etiquette also apply to rating comments. Even negative ratings have to be framed respectfully and constructively. Bear in mind that the purpose of negative ratings is to encourage members to improve the quality of their posts rather than punish them. Abusive, antagonistic, or inflammatory comments will not be approved.
• Leaving your name or very recognizable writing - The reputation system is intended to be a mechanism for providing anonymous feedback. The comment should not include anything that very obviously identifies the person that left the rating, as this inevitably leads to reputation trade and abuse. If you wish to comment on or thank a member for their post in person, then feel free to leave a visitor message on their profile page. You can also leave them a rating, but it must be anonymous and in no way linked to the personal message.
• Needs explanation - Comments must be explained in order to provide constructive feedback. For example, simply saying 'good post' does not provide any information to inform the poster and other readers. It's important to explain why the post was good, or particular aspects of it that you found useful/interesting.
• Not an evaluation of post content - Ratings must directly evaluate what's written in the post.
• Rating comment is a reply to the post rather than an evaluation of its content - Such comments would be better framed in the form of a post in order to further the discussion.
• Thanking, without explanation - See 'Needs explanation'
• Unintelligible/unreadable comment - Comments must be clearly written and understandable. The occasional typo is acceptable provided the message is still interpretable, but totally garbled or unreadable comments will not be approved.
• Rating for spelling or txt speak is overzealous - Ratings of this kind should be given for posts that are hard to read. Not for trivial mistakes.

Viewing Your Reputation

To view ratings you have received, go to your profile page and locate the "Received Ratings" tab. Donating members can see other members received ratings as well as their own:



You can see your, or any other member's, total points on each of their posts.

Post Rating System Rules

There are several rules that apply directly to leaving positive, negative, or neutral ratings. Ratings will appear at the bottom of a post, and are viewable by everyone. Moderators will delete reputation left on a post if it does not adhere to our guidelines.

• Post Ratings need to be anonymous. This is to prevent trade, which is not allowed. You cannot leave names, hints, or other information in the rep comment.
• Comments must explain why the rating is being left. You should not leave comments that just say 'lol', 'I agree', or 'thanks', as these will be deleted by staff.
• Do not complain about ratings in a thread or post... This will likely earn you more negative points. From your profile, you can review the ratings you received, and if you disagree with rating, you can report it using the link below each one.
• Countering existing ratings is not allowed. If you disagree with a rating that another member has received, please do not leave an opposing one in an attempt to balance it out. This is abuse of the system. Instead, use the report function and we will look into it.
  
• Be mindful of the amount of points you are giving or taking. In other words, if you give 20 points for a so-so quality post, or conversely take 20 for a relatively minor issue, this will likely be edited by staff.
• Leaving ratings can not be based on opinion or a conflict of opinion. Before leaving the comment, consider if it could be posted in the thread to promote further discussion.
• Ratings must be of the purpose to evaluate the quality of a post. Consider if it should be in a post instead.
• Flaming is not allowed in rating comments just like it is not allowed in the forum.

Repeated abuse of this system is grounds for permanent banning. Leaving your name in the comment is seen as abuse.

So, What Should I Be Rating?

Here are some examples of valid reasons to leave both positive and negative ratings:

Positive Ratings

• Good question
• Supportive Post
• Good advice
• Good news article
• Forum-related contributions
• Highly informative post
• Good experience report
• Good TEK

Negative Ratings (in an approximate order of severity)

• Using SWIM*
  
• Posting in the wrong forum*
  
• Post is very badly formatted and difficult to read* (See Post Formatting section in the Forum posting tips wiki article)
• Typos or txt speak is used to the point that it is difficult to understand.
  
• Indescriptive thread title*
• Not using the search engine* (reposting well-covered topic)
• Off topic post*
• Useless one liners/posts which add nothing
• Not explaining statements
• Using unexplained abbreviations/slang
• Posting in all caps
• Cross posting (posting the same thing in multiple forums)
• Linking to other drug related discussion boards
• Incrimination relating to drug production or cultivation
• Drug price discussion
• Unnecessary harshness towards newbie
• Discussion of suppliers/Source discussion
• Planning of illegal activity
• Dangerous advice/Intentional misinformation
• Inflammatory post
• Personal Attacks
• Requesting, offering or trading sources for illegal substances
• Unnecessary flaming of a newbie
• Requesting or offering illegal substances
• Spamming

*Neutral Ratings should be left if this is a member's first post

Note that giving negative rep to a newbie does not bring them closer to being able to edit their posts and correct their mistakes.

For example:

• A Newbie with just a couple posts should receive a warning for something like self incrimination or off topic posting.
• A Palladium or Gold member should receive a larger deduction of reputation for self incrimination or off topic posting.

Rating VS Posting VS Profile Message

Bearing in mind the above information, it should be pretty clear what should be posted in a post and what should be posted as rating, and what should be posted in a visitor message.
This section is to clarify any further questions.

Post: Every thread has a certain topic, and all posts in that thread should be on topic. All posts should contain additional information, conflict of opinion, clarification, discussion, etc that is relevant. Any comments that are asking for clarification or adding input should also be put in a post.

Rating: Every rep comment should evaluate the content of a post. This means that thanking for information, expressing gratitude for a good post, and complimenting on a good post should be in a rep comment. Also, rep comments should be notifying of dangerous information, or incorrect information, so long as the information is incorrect for sure. It is good to add a post explaining why the other post in incorrect in detail.

Profile message: If there is something you appreciate in a post, because it's funny, humorous, interesting, friendly, or other, please continue this conversation through profile messages. You can go to the users profile and post a Message referring to a post, and take advantage of the social networking aspect of profiles on drugs forum.

What if I Disagree With a Post Rating I Received?

If you receive a post rating that you disagree with or believe is not valid, you can report it from your list of received ratings:



Simply click on the Report link below each one, and explain why you feel the post rating is unjust. Once the report is sent, it will be reviewed by staff. Note that this can take time, so please be patient... We will get back to you eventually. You will receive an alert of the final decision.

Anyway, thanks for reading. If you are unclear about something, or have any questions please do not hesitate to ask!