Best answers reduced

[The Stealthinator]

I had 74 best answers in the old platform, but now I have only 52. It was said this is going to be fixed, but it doesn't look like it now 🙁((

My best answers that are currently listed are all in different categories to what was in the previous platform.

 

[jay2tall]

^
Ok so somehow I found myself on the UK site and the layout is setup a bit better. Here are links for this thread for each, see the difference.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-1628033/answers-reduced.html
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-1628033/answers-reduced.html

I also noticed in the list of threads that the individual cells are shorted, which I like because it compacts them more. I will browse the UK site only now until it's the same.

I still have a gripe about badges. I want my GOLD HAMMER.

 

[inzone]

jay2tall , the avitar is on the left of the post , an avitar is the picture that you choose to put and it's currently directly under your forum name. You may be referring to your signature which is on the right side and you currently don't have one.
The gold hammer your referring to was always next to a users forum name, I know because I had one. They have done away with the hammer which I would also like to see back but that must have been a decision that was made and under the old system it took 5 gold badges to get a gold hammer so it's something that could be included because it's tired to the badges, I think.

 

[jay2tall]

^
I know what an avatar is. I just did a quick test and found out something interesting. The US site through FireFox has this issue. The UK site does not. In IE 8 both sites are fine. I cleared out my cache in Firefox and still the same issue. So it seems the .COM site in firefox (at least 13.0.1) displays the reply starting directly under the Avatar. For example your reply starts directly under "Moderator". Everything to the right of the Avatar is just blank. Maybe someone else could test this.

As far as the badges go... still mad.

 

[inzone]

Also an interesting thing is , since I have both IE10 and Chrome I get totaly different forum displays. On Chrome everything looks as it should with Avitars and sigs and where posts start.
On IE10 it's totaly different and I see no Avitar , just user name and the post and it goes strictly to the uk site and the forums is different with some sections missing.
So this all has to do with what browser your using and since your using IE8 and Firefox 13 there are updates for both , maybe you could try an update to see what you can see is different.

 

[inzone]

Well I have just finished with a test and while I can't answer your badges/hammer/best answer questions I did just delete IE10 and am now using IE9 and it looks completely normal, maybe you can give it a try and upgrade to IE9.

 

[jay2tall]

Interesting. Just updated to FireFox 19.0.2 and the replies are now to the right of the avatars. Interesting that this was the first time I ever had issues with that browser for anything. Guess that solves that problem. Now give me my Hammer!

 

[inzone]

Well good to hear your browser issue is cleared up and as for the Hammer I also would like to see it back.

 

[Brett928S2]

Interesting. Just updated to FireFox 19.0.2 and the replies are now to the right of the avatars. Interesting that this was the first time I ever had issues with that browser for anything. Guess that solves that problem. Now give me my Hammer!

Hi

As a guess, the developers who wrote the new site , were a little ...hmmm how shall I put this... lazy...lol

When you write a site, you are MEANT to test it will all versions of all browsers.... I suspect they only tested it with SOME of the current versions 🙁

So no non current versions of FF tested and by some other complaints, not IE10 or some versions of Chrome either...

I hate to think how many other browsers like Opera etc, were NOT tested as well 🙁

A friend of mine writes BIG websites, much bigger than Toms, whenever I am in his personal design office, he works on a huge bank of 9 screens, with ALL different browsers on them, so as he writes additions to a site, he KNOW whether they work or not....

I think someone didn't do that here.... 🙁

I also think as more users whom use different browsers get various problems, we will have more of this sort of complaint...


All the best Brett

PS. If you get your HAMMER back...can I have my "MASTER" BACK...

 

[jpishgar]

1. Our Best answer count that displays on out Avatar when it pops up does not include legacy badges ?
(if this is correct what is a legacy badge actually worth in B/A count please)

2. Legacy badges are ones that we were awarded medals for in the last forum Gold/Silver/Bronze ?

3. If the above is correct is there no way to add the legacy total to the Best answer count as it appears on out Avatar's

I'm sorry this isn't clear, I'll try to explain in as thoroughly as I can.

In the Old Version, you had Best Answers, which got you Badges of differing levels at Bronze, Silver and Gold.

The moment the new platform went live, these badges were transformed into Legacy Badges of differing levels at Legacy (Bronze), Legacy+(Silver) and Legacy++(Gold). You retain these badges today. There is no other way to get these badges, apart from having been a very active member of the community before the transition.

Upon the switch to the new platform, most threads were tagged, if not all of them. The tags are how we award badges in the new platform. If you had previously answered a question that now has a tag, and received a Best Answer there, that counts as progress towards a NEW, Latest Platform badge which you previously did not have and would not have beyond your already awarded Legacy badge.

Example, Brett, you have not only the CPU Legacy++ badge, indicating you acquired a large number of Best Answers in the previous platform, but also are now considered a CPU Authority, which is the highest level of badge obtainable in the new platform for the CPU tag. And, after 100, a small number will start showing up next to the badge to indicate by how far past the upper threshold you've exceeded. We already have some of these users in the new platform due to Best Answers on threads previously tagged for a given subject.

I hope this clarifies things a bit. You've lost nothing, and have a head start on the new stuff, to boot.

-JP

 

[Brett928S2]

1. Our Best answer count that displays on out Avatar when it pops up does not include legacy badges ?
(if this is correct what is a legacy badge actually worth in B/A count please)

2. Legacy badges are ones that we were awarded medals for in the last forum Gold/Silver/Bronze ?

3. If the above is correct is there no way to add the legacy total to the Best answer count as it appears on out Avatar's

I'm sorry this isn't clear, I'll try to explain in as thoroughly as I can.

In the Old Version, you had Best Answers, which got you Badges of differing levels at Bronze, Silver and Gold.

The moment the new platform went live, these badges were transformed into Legacy Badges of differing levels at Legacy (Bronze), Legacy+(Silver) and Legacy++(Gold). You retain these badges today. There is no other way to get these badges, apart from having been a very active member of the community before the transition.

Upon the switch to the new platform, most threads were tagged, if not all of them. The tags are how we award badges in the new platform. If you had previously answered a question that now has a tag, and received a Best Answer there, that counts as progress towards a NEW, Latest Platform badge which you previously did not have and would not have beyond your already awarded Legacy badge.

Example, Brett, you have not only the CPU Legacy++ badge, indicating you acquired a large number of Best Answers in the previous platform, but also are now considered a CPU Authority, which is the highest level of badge obtainable in the new platform for the CPU tag. And, after 100, a small number will start showing up next to the badge to indicate by how far past the upper threshold you've exceeded. We already have some of these users in the new platform due to Best Answers on threads previously tagged for a given subject.

I hope this clarifies things a bit. You've lost nothing, and have a head start on the new stuff, to boot.

-JP

Hi Joe

I understand all that perfectly...and always did...

Forget CPU`s...

I had MOST BA`s in LAPTOPS... I had a gold badge and way way over 150 BA`s....

NOW i have 101 BA`s ...so WHERE did my other 50 plus BA`s vanish to and WHY am I NOT A LAPTOP MASTER ?

Like a LOT of other veteran users here, this is starting to get REALLY ANNOYING...

Whomever did the conversion from the old system to the new one MADE SOME MISTAKES.... (that's putting it mildly)

The worst thing about these mistakes is that the veteran users with the highest number of BA`s and Badges from the old system are feeling the worst of the effects....

We all know it...can you just not fix it....??

It is no longer any good talking about how the new system/conversion is SUPPOSED to work...the Veterans are ALL bright enough to know it doesn't and that they have been royally screwed as we say in England...

Most of these people are or WERE either Masters, or Gold badge holders....

You really CANNOT want to lose them....and going by my emails, you are well on the way to doing that....

Brett

 

[inzone]

Brett , I just looked at your badges and I did see that you have two Laptops badgaes , one being the Legacy++ which means it's the old Gold badge that required 150 B.A. and then there's the Laptop Authority which is the new badge and requires 50 B.A. so that adds up to 200 B.A. Don't forget that what Joe said about the tags and some of those B.A. that you had answered in the Laptops section may have been tagged with a Power supply , Cpu , Drivers, Security, Windows 7 or even Monitor tags so those answers would go towards the new badges that I also see you have , Power supply (20 BA) , Monitor (5BA) , Drivers (10BA), Security (10BA) and another Windows 7 (50BA) .
With the new system having tags be a determining factor as to where best answers are applied you do have to consider the possability that your extra best answers were used in these new badges.
I have read all the posts that people are making complaining about the change over and the thing I notice is that nobody is complaiming about missing badhes , it's all about best answers and post totals and if they added up the best answers that it took for the badges to be awarded they would see that they do have their best answers it's just that it doesn't show the right total in the pop up window and in the profile page but they are there just add them up. I did that for mactronix when he said that his best answer count was wrong and I showed him that by counting the best answers in the bades he had it would show his actual count and while it didn't match what the total said it did show him that they were there. So it's just a matter of fixing the total to match what the badges say.

 

[The Stealthinator]

I lost 20 BA's during the switchover.

 

[The Stealthinator]

What questions do you have outstanding, Stealthinator?

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-1622760/question-forum.html

 

[inzone]

"What is the "Ask the Community" tick box when creating a new thread?"

You used to have the option of posting a question or a discussion. Now it defaults to discussion unless you check the box "ask the community" which will make it a question.

"How do you delete a post or thread? So far I haven't seen any option to do so"

You can delete your own post but not your own thread, you can send an alert to the Moderators to have them delete your thread if you chose to do that.

"-(This one I always had) What is a spoiler?"

In a gaming or movie forum, a spoiler is discussion about content that a reader might not have seen yet. You as the reader might not want to have the ending spoiled for you. So, the poster can HIDE the content discussion until someone clicks on it. Or, in the title, they may warn about spoilers in the post.
It has no real use on this forum, but sometimes people use it to be cute.

Where are the legacy badges?

You do now have them.

How do you see your "rank"?

Currently there is no rank and because it is now a badge system you can show one of your badges as your status.

-Threads which are stickied or solved aren't as noticeable as before

They may not be as noticeable but you can see them in a few ways and they have gone for a more subtle look, threads that are solved and/or closed now have a small box stating that. Stickies are always at the top of the forums and selected best answers now have a green boarder around them.

-What is the difference between following and tracking a thread?

Following a thread means you get the email notification when something new is posted and tracking a thread means that it shows up in that box on the right side so you can see if new answers are posted. you can do one or the other or both or neither one it's your choice and you can make that selection at the bottom of the post.

Most of these questions were previously answered by Proximon and myself when you posted that 10 days ago surely you can't still have all those questions.

 

[mactronix]

Brett , I just looked at your badges and I did see that you have two Laptops badgaes , one being the Legacy++ which means it's the old Gold badge that required 150 B.A. and then there's the Laptop Authority which is the new badge and requires 50 B.A. so that adds up to 200 B.A. Don't forget that what Joe said about the tags and some of those B.A. that you had answered in the Laptops section may have been tagged with a Power supply , Cpu , Drivers, Security, Windows 7 or even Monitor tags so those answers would go towards the new badges that I also see you have , Power supply (20 BA) , Monitor (5BA) , Drivers (10BA), Security (10BA) and another Windows 7 (50BA) .
With the new system having tags be a determining factor as to where best answers are applied you do have to consider the possability that your extra best answers were used in these new badges.
I have read all the posts that people are making complaining about the change over and the thing I notice is that nobody is complaiming about missing badhes , it's all about best answers and post totals and if they added up the best answers that it took for the badges to be awarded they would see that they do have their best answers it's just that it doesn't show the right total in the pop up window and in the profile page but they are there just add them up. I did that for mactronix when he said that his best answer count was wrong and I showed him that by counting the best answers in the bades he had it would show his actual count and while it didn't match what the total said it did show him that they were there. So it's just a matter of fixing the total to match what the badges say.

Yes quite so that's my only gripe, I would like my best answer total to read the same as all my badges added
up.
I'm not 100% sure but I get the feeling that the transfer of the legacy badges kind of forgot or did away with the fact that they were earned with best answers and are awarded as just legacy badges and no longer count towards best answer counts.

This conversion is confusing to some and unwelcome to others myself included. however it seems that this is the system we have now and we need to learn to live with it.

Its a pity as it seems such a simple thing to fix, but then there may be issues I am unaware of. the loss of the hammers was a shock as well, Toms is all about hammers, its like Nike doing away with the tick.

Anyway thanks to all for the assistance with this, if we can get it so that the totals match that would be great, if not then so be it.

Mac

 

[The Stealthinator]

Most of these questions were previously answered by Proximon and myself when you posted that 10 days ago surely you can't still have all those questions.

Thanks! Joe cleared it up!

 

[Brett928S2]

Brett , I just looked at your badges and I did see that you have two Laptops badgaes , one being the Legacy++ which means it's the old Gold badge that required 150 B.A. and then there's the Laptop Authority which is the new badge and requires 50 B.A. so that adds up to 200 B.A. Don't forget that what Joe said about the tags and some of those B.A. that you had answered in the Laptops section may have been tagged with a Power supply , Cpu , Drivers, Security, Windows 7 or even Monitor tags so those answers would go towards the new badges that I also see you have , Power supply (20 BA) , Monitor (5BA) , Drivers (10BA), Security (10BA) and another Windows 7 (50BA) .
With the new system having tags be a determining factor as to where best answers are applied you do have to consider the possability that your extra best answers were used in these new badges.
I have read all the posts that people are making complaining about the change over and the thing I notice is that nobody is complaiming about missing badhes , it's all about best answers and post totals and if they added up the best answers that it took for the badges to be awarded they would see that they do have their best answers it's just that it doesn't show the right total in the pop up window and in the profile page but they are there just add them up. I did that for mactronix when he said that his best answer count was wrong and I showed him that by counting the best answers in the bades he had it would show his actual count and while it didn't match what the total said it did show him that they were there. So it's just a matter of fixing the total to match what the badges say.

Yes quite so that's my only gripe, I would like my best answer total to read the same as all my badges added
up.
I'm not 100% sure but I get the feeling that the transfer of the legacy badges kind of forgot or did away with the fact that they were earned with best answers and are awarded as just legacy badges and no longer count towards best answer counts.

This conversion is confusing to some and unwelcome to others myself included. however it seems that this is the system we have now and we need to learn to live with it.

Its a pity as it seems such a simple thing to fix, but then there may be issues I am unaware of. the loss of the hammers was a shock as well, Toms is all about hammers, its like Nike doing away with the tick.

Anyway thanks to all for the assistance with this, if we can get it so that the totals match that would be great, if not then so be it.

Mac

Hi Mac

I think I need to clear my head , so I am going climbing for a couple of days this weekend with some old Army friends...

When I get back, I will see if its fixed, if not will make my decision then to stay or go....

The funny thing is I absolutely hate the new badge system and would never use it anyway, but I hate dishonesty even more, and I feel like I have been stolen from...

Maybe sitting on top of a mountain will cheer me up

All the best Brett

 

[The Stealthinator]

Can we have the old system of reputation back, which involved points and status? I don't see why that had to go. Anyone agree?

 

[mactronix]

Yes I agree however I really think we are going to have to learn to live with it. We have been asking a really simple question and the way its being worked around tells me its just not going to happen.

If you look at it from a detached point of view who seriously thinks that people used to look up what Addict or Master etc that appeared under your name actually meant ?

Its the same with these Badges. Anyone that cares can find out what they mean but the vast majority of people wont even know they mean anything.

Yes I liked to be able to see what a persons status was at a glance, Yes I cant understand why on earth the hammers had to go and Yes I really want the best answers to add up properly.

However considering that Toms never actually kept a correct count of anything even from the last forum change is it really worth getting so wound up about a status that certainly speaking for myself was so far from correct that it stopped being relevant long ago.

We complained then and was told nothing could be done. My post count/score was about 25% light just going by the simple 4 points for posting without best answers etc and my Best answers well lets just say when I said over 500 I was shooting low.

Like Brett I'm never going to use the badges, I'm not a Oh look at how good I am kind of guy. And Yes putting a status up yourself and having it happen automatically is a different thing .

So the long and the short of it is Toms didn't do anything last time and they wont change anything this time so just chill and get on with things.

Mac

 

[The Stealthinator]

So what happened "last time"?

 

[mactronix]

So what happened "last time"?

Same as this time really things got changed people didn't like it. The stand out easy fix that just got left was that everyone had their joining year changed to 1970. If even that is beyond changing what hope now.

I'm not trying to be critical of Toms here I'm just trying to use the history to point out that in all probability we are banging our heads against a brick wall.

Its a cascade thing as far as I can tell. Someone gets the nod to design the new forum, Joe and the guys spend plenty more time than usual trying to sort out all the gripes we are feeding their way from Beta to now and kudos to them for it I say.
The thing is as I understand it they have no direct control ? They can ask even send strong Emails if something seems to get overlooked but they cant work miracles. If the guys that push the buttons don't want to or cant act on a request for what ever reason there's not a lot anyone can really do about it.

Mac

 

[lourson]

Hi guys,

I'm glad to say that all these will be fixed but please bear with us while we are fixing some other issues before.

Let me try to sum up how it worked during the migration process and why the number of best answers is not exactly the same:

Before: All "Best Answers" in a category were added so that you can have an expertise badge on this category
Now: All "Best Answers" on a tag are added so that you can have an expertise badge on this tag

The tagging process was automatic and millions of tags were added to threads. However we haven't forced the system to add specific tags in each category. For instance not all threads in the "Laptops & Notebooks" category have the "laptop" tag. Which explains why the Expertise Badge on "Laptops" can have a different count than the old "Laptops & Notebooks" badge. It explains as well why you have new badges, such as "Power supply Authority" while there is no "Power Supply" category => All threads with the tag "Power supply" can count towards this badge.
Look at this thread for instance, this topic might be in the "Laptops" category but it doesn't have a "laptop" tag. It's understandable considering the thread content.

What we are going to do now: For each category where it's relevant to do so, we are going to select a main tag and add it automatically to all topics, whatever their content. This will increase the number of "best answer" on these tags and you'll get then a closer number to the old platform. We expect to release by the end of April.

Regarding the joining year in 1970, fixing this old bug was not considered a major issue and as such was discarded for the launch, sorry. Based on your feedback, a script will be run in order to find out the date of first post for all users in such a case, and use this as the join date. I don't have yet a release date for this fix.

I hope this helps,
Thanks

 

[jpishgar]

Thanks for the kudos, mactronix! And please, all, let us know if you still don't understand how the badges update took place, or why you have the number of Best Answers you currently do.

 

[mactronix]

Thanks lourson,

Most helpful

Mac

 

[inzone]

I have a question. Under the old system when you got 150 best answers in a section like say Graphics Cards and you received the gold badge , the best answer count stopped at showing 150. Now I continued to receive best answers in that section, were the bset answers continued to be counted even though it didn't show it.

Now because of this limit a person that recieved the gold badge and could only see 150 best answers could tend to not want to hang around that section because there was no further advancement to be had. There are members that come here and go only to specific sections because they know that section and could be considered experts in that field and those are the people that you want to encourage to stay there to assist with the quetions posted because they will provide expert advice and/or solutions. Under both systems the badges were in three steps Bronze, Silver and Gold , and now it's Expert , Authority and Master , has anyone considered not having a limit of three and that maybe it should be more. That way a person that wants to stay in a section and earn the recognition of being the one to get advice from. For myself I saw that once I got the Gold badge in a section I felt like that was it and I moved to the next and then the next and so on , where I would have stayed in my favoite section and just advanced to each new level.