[PROPOSAL] Forum Badges

[Ezynell 2,036]

Thanks for the run, guys. I would really like to thank all of you that contributed to this topic as a whole and provided not only insight, but possible issues in management and implementation. I would like to especially thank those who offered feedback regarding different solutions and possible other methods of using forum badges that stayed to the end and responded and reacted to the information I presented. Although this idea did not go through, responding to comments and criticism not only taught me better communication habits, but earned me the respect and friendship of a few kind forum members.

In case you would like to go over and review the topic as a whole, I have it spoiler'd down here.

 

Potential Problems

could cause an increase in forum spam making it "like a game" [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

new members may feel ostracized over veterans [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

mass join of any group that badges were given too, causing drop in quality [1] [2] [3]

Possible Solutions

make a regulation that each created thread has to have 1 brohoof for it to count

group the types of achievements (Ex: get 100 posts and 25 brohoofs)

don't make achievements based off of posts or brohoofs

don't make different levels of badges [1]

badges get made custom uniquely for people that show forum loyalty/ dedication [1]

use quizzes or events as means for distributing badges [1] [2]

A few badges could be implemented short term as a test [1] [2]

Mods of sorts could manually distribute certain assigned badges to assure authentic quality [1]

I know we've had ideas like this in the past, but I think we've grown and developed sense then and decided to rehash this idea into a planned out, thought through proposal. I think that forum badges would be a good thing to have to reward our members who help our community, such as Neikos making the chrome extension, all of our "outside-the-forum" moderators (synchtube, minecraft, etc.), and of course all of the avatar and signature makers that work so hard to keep up with the requests and get them finished in optimum time. Now I have thought this around a bit and I generalized an idea of the functionality and area that these would go, but it's up to Feld0 to make the decision or approve of it at all. Here's some examples of what I thought up:

Click to enlarge if your actually interested in the idea

Click to enlarge if your actually interested in the idea

Another idea I had would be to divide the achievements into three ranks (or three different colored badges) a "newbie" type of badge, a "moderate" of badge, and a "veteran" type of badge, some examples of these might be...

These would not be the actual achievements, they are just the ones I thought might qualify while typing this post

Newbie

• Make your first 50 posts
• Create 10 unique threads [see top for possible problems]
• Get 25 brohoofs
• Get a friend to join MLPForums
• Participate in your first roleplay
• Make your first OC
• Return to MLPForums on 20 unique days
• etc, etc.

Moderate

• Make your first 250 posts
• create 50 threads
• Get a post labeled "popular"
• Join the Signature crew [see top for possible problems]
• Create 25 Signatures [see top for possible problems]
• Join the Avatar Crew [see top for possible problems]
• Create 25 Avatars [see top for possible problems]
• Introduce 5 friends to the forum
• Return to MLPForums on 50 unique days

Veteran

• Achieve the "Brony" status'
• Moderate one of the "out of forum" groups
• Create 100 avatars or signatures
• Create something new and innovative for the forums

Needless to say, they would have catchy titles to them, and it would be nice if they could link back to the post that got them the achievement. It's of course up to the moderators to decide the complete outcome, but this is just what it looked like in my head.

As a final note, I don't know if this is even possible to do on a forum hosted by IP.Board, or how much manual work it would take for the mods to implement this if it is, but it's been tossed around for a while with no definite shutdown, so this is my last pitch.

Thank you for taking your time to read this.

Please post your opinion of this idea, achievements you would like to have added, problems that could occur with current achievements, and solutions for the problems at the top.

To clarify, this is just a general idea, please don't pick at it word for word, but rather comment on how it could be changed, edited, or fixed to fit your liking. If you have a complaint about it, please make it something different then the ones stated at the top, and any posts regarding possible solutions to those issues are greatly appreciated!

Edited April 23, 2012 by €ℨƴηℯłℓ

[Doctor XFizzle 8,651]

Nicely thought out and developed. Not sure how feasible it is with the IPS Board system but it's an amusing idea.

 

As with all "achievement" type things, it could cause some users to spam or post low quality posts/art just to simply obtain badges. If the badges' definitions are well thought out and defined enough where it will not encourage spamming, then it could work.

[Typhoid Libby 1,265]

Let's make it overtly complex so we can walk our nose up in the air because we made it complex.

 

All I ever wanted was the ability to write messages in to a medium that's simple.

All this additional crud just seems... Pointless.

 

Additional "Achivements" to improve... What exactly? Snobbery rating?

More member groups to make it seem like we a have multiple separate groups here to improve... Uh, what? The ability to make new members feel ostracised over old members?

Badges. Das just snob.

[Swordfishtrombone 384]

I like the idea. It seems like a lot of work though. Provided it can be done, it will be good.

[Ezynell 2,036]

Let's make it overtly complex so we can walk our nose up in the air because we made it complex.

 

All I ever wanted was the ability to write messages in to a medium that's simple.

All this additional crud just seems... Pointless.

 

Additional "Achivements" to improve... What exactly? Snobbery rating?

More member groups to make it seem like we a have multiple separate groups here to improve... Uh, what? The ability to make new members feel ostracised over old members?

Badges. Das just snob.

 

I don't see snobbery rating in this at all. Most of the people who would stay here long enough to get any of these wouldn't be here to brag anyways. I just thought of this as sort of something given as acknowledgement for the work they do for the forums. In the first example, I didn't have Marco23p's profile for no reason at all, he's made over 75 (maybe over 100 now) Signatures for the forums and has even gone on to make avatars. On top of that, most of them are GIF's which take quite a hefty load of time to make, and he doesn't get near the acknowledgement it deserves.

 

Hopefully the newer members will see it as something to motivate them to be more active and helpful in the forums, as I hope for many of them to be based off of helping the forum grow and helping develop things for it rather then just around post count and stuff of similar nature. I've been to a few communities with "badges" in them and not once did I feel belittled by more veteran members with more than I.

[Starshine 16,330]

wait a minute...

 

All members who wants to collect the badges will have to create 50 threads?

 

NOPE.jpg

[Typhoid Libby 1,265]

 

I don't see snobbery rating in this at all. Most of the people who would stay here long enough to get any of these wouldn't be here to brag anyways. I just thought of this as sort of something given as acknowledgement for the work they do for the forums. In the first example, I didn't have Marco23p's profile for no reason at all, he's made over 75 (maybe over 100 now) Signatures for the forums and has even gone on to make avatars. On top of that, most of them are GIF's which take quite a hefty load of time to make, and he doesn't get near the acknowledgement it deserves.

 

Separating members based on immaterial achivements IS snobbery.

Sigs are five minute job. 30mins for a .gif.

It's a freaking picture. <.<

I have made over a thousand, gimmie stamps already.

 

The acknowledgement comes from seeing those spread out and for the "Thanks!"

I doubt anyone does them for having a badge.

That would just spread wrong kinda atmosphere.

To do it for a reward and to do it for the kindness of your heart are two different things.

 

Hopefully the newer members will see it as something to motivate them to be more active and helpful in the forums, as I hope for many of them to be based off of helping the forum grow and helping develop things for it rather then just around post count and stuff of similar nature. I've been to a few communities with "badges" in them and not once did I feel belittled by more veteran members with more than I.

 

To be active is to be active and the secret to being active is being active.

It's circular logic, and you want to reward for people for it?

Theregoestheforum.jaypeg

 

I'm not helpful, nor I never will be. You are saying I must be in order to be a forum member?

I lieks pwnies. That's it.

Post count is not a good measure in any case.

It implies that quality < quantity.

Best is not to have any kind separators beyond what forum requires to function. I.E. Newcomers that might be trolls, members and staff.

 

I never use sites that have badges, members are shit in those.

[Dragonshy 2,305]

I'm going to say no. I really think that Feld0 outdid himself already with giving any badges at all. I don't want the forums to be a sort of "game" where you make a certain amount of threads and earn a badge/achievement. I also don't want to to see all the spam for likes and spam for post count. With the badges we see now, you can see one or two spammy posts every now and then, but the moderators clear it up within a few minutes to hours. So I think were good as it is

 

Just my opinion.

[Arylett Charnoa 4,919]

Sigs are five minute job. 30mins for a .gif.

If you draw out the entire signature, as I did mine, it takes more effort than just "five minutes." Also, if you try really hard on its quality and take it seriously, it also could take more time than that. Sorry to point this out, but I don't like people to belittle any sort of effort that someone may have had on a generalization.

 

 

Anyway, on-topic, I am neutral about this. I don't care either way, and would probably not pay attention to the achievements very much. I think it may overcomplicate things a bit, but if Feld0 agrees to it, he agrees to it. (Though honestly, I don't think he will as he'll probably say that the badges beneath our avatars are enough and wants to prevent clutter.)

[Ezynell 2,036]

Separating members based on immaterial achivements IS snobbery.

Sigs are five minute job. 30mins for a .gif.

It's a freaking picture. <.<

I have made over a thousand, gimmie stamps already.

 

The acknowledgement comes from seeing those spread out and for the "Thanks!"

I doubt anyone does them for having a badge.

That would just spread wrong kinda atmosphere.

To do it for a reward and to do it for the kindness of your heart are two different things.

 

There's a difference between getting a reward for doing things from the bottom of your heart, and doing things in order to get a reward. As I said, Marco23p has created 75-100 signatures for forum members without expecting anything in return. Plus frame by frame GIF's take a little more time then even 30 minutes to find pictures to go in the background, find vectors to go in the foreground, create them, frame by frame them, then upload them, and go back through the thread to quote the original poster. Even if they did, 100x30 is 3,000 minutes, and I doubt anyone would spend that much effort and time into getting an achievement on a forum.

 

 

 

To be active is to be active and the secret to being active is being active.

It's circular logic, and you want to reward for people for it?

Theregoestheforum.jaypeg

 

 

 

I fail to see how the forum would be reduced to worthlessness if people received icons for being active. I would honestly take what you said into consideration, but your being vary vague with it and frankly, quite rude and sarcastic. I really am not trying to start up anything here, but if you disagree with this idea it's fine to state so but please do it in a way that's either understandable or not offensive.

 

 

I'm not helpful, nor I never will be. You are saying I must be in order to be a forum member?

I lieks pwnies. That's it.

Post count is not a good measure in any case.

It implies that quality < quantity.

Best is not to have any kind separators beyond what forum requires to function. I.E. Newcomers that might be trolls, members and staff.

 

I never use sites that have badges, members are shit in those.

 

Saying you would need to be helpful on the forum to be a forum member is like saying you would need to be a moderator to be a forum member, they hold almost no relation. I don't think these achievements would provide advantages, tolerance with the mods, or hidden awards for the ones who got them.

 

I can see what your saying about the awards favoring quantity over quality, and that is true for what I sketched out. But that was just a quickly done rough outline. If this was possible and got through with Feld0, i'm sure it would be ironed over as many times possible to try to encourage beneficial forum use.

 

I also don't see these as separators between members although I can see how others could. Seeing them as separating units would already make the forum an extremely visible hierarchy at the moment with all of the badges representing post count.

 

As for your last line, it seems like you avoid them without the personal experience of actually being on one. Some of the members can be quite nice and I think one of the top 3 largest pony forums is one with an excess of badges. I'll try to get the link if I can find it.

 

Once more, if you want to explain to me in detail some of the reasons why this might negatively effect the forums I'm completely open to that, please don't throw in small insults along the way. This is just an idea that's been talked about before here and I just wanted a clarifying response.

 

I'm going to say no. I really think that Feld0 outdid himself already with giving any badges at all. I don't want the forums to be a sort of "game" where you make a certain amount of threads and earn a badge/achievement. I also don't want to to see all the spam for likes and spam for post count. With the badges we see now, you can see one or two spammy posts every now and then, but the moderators clear it up within a few minutes to hours. So I think were good as it is

Just my opinion.

 

Yes, I agree the badges were an amazing addition and I also see how this could quickly become the cause for allot of spammy behavior the same way that the chat room did when a "post count admission fee" was put on it. Thanks for your response!

 

Anyway, on-topic, I am neutral about this. I don't care either way, and would probably not pay attention to the achievements very much. I think it may overcomplicate things a bit, but if Feld0 agrees to it, he agrees to it. (Though honestly, I don't think he will as he'll probably say that the badges beneath our avatars are enough and wants to prevent clutter.)

 

Personally, I don't think he will agree to it either, he's been rather on the negative side about this topic in the past, but not in an extremist way. I wouldn't think they would appear under the avatar along side the badges though, rather a thing on your profile and maybe an optional addition to be able to embed them into someones signature if they so desired.

Edited April 19, 2012 by €ℨƴηℯłℓ

[Luurilka 325]

If this forums has badges based solely on post count, I don't see why not make badges more meaningful and give people recognition for things like signature making.

Not a bad idea, bro.

 

(Though honestly, I don't think he will as he'll probably say that the badges beneath our avatars are enough and wants to prevent clutter.)

 

Yeah...

Although I'm thinking it may be a good idea to replace the badges with Ezynell's idea. Or for the badges to only be shown in the profile content and not in posting.

[Typhoid Libby 1,265]

 

...and I doubt anyone would spend that much effort and time into getting an achievement on a forum.

 

You underestimate humans stupidity and need for recognition, no matter how small.

 

I happen to be rude and sarcastic.

You can ignore me and not quote if it's that hard for you NOT to mention your emotions over my responses.

If I was trying to insult you, I was ban'd already.

 

Let's make it simple.

Tl:DR version:

"It's bad because it leads to spam."

[Pinkazoid 3,493]

 

That's a pretty long post ya'h got there...

but it seems kinda simpleminded (sorry if it sounds like an insult) this is mlpforums we're talking about, and by what you said I feel that you're saying that were not mature to handle badges, maybe we are maybe were not, but honestly I think that more badges wouldn't be bad, they're fun, I think it'd be an awesome idea, it might encourage some to try and make something creative, also not all sigs take only 5 minutes to make.....

Edited April 19, 2012 by Pinkazoid

[Ezynell 2,036]

Yeah...

Although I'm thinking it may be a good idea to replace the badges with Ezynell's idea. Or for the badges to only be shown in the profile content and not in posting.

 

I do really like the badges we currently have in place and wouldn't want them to be replaced by any that this led into because first of all, these ones are nice, efficient, welly designed, and not taken to seriously, and second, my idea would use multiple badges, and depending on how many became used, it could lead up to clutter. My original idea was for it to only be on the forum and an optional embed in the signature area.

 

You underestimate humans stupidity and need for recognition, no matter how small.

 

Although I see where your going with this, even is someone wanted forum recognition so bad that bad, I don't see how putting their desire for attention into helping out the community could possibly be a bad thing. Also, you kinda crossed exactly what you said a few minutes ago.

I doubt anyone does them for having a badge.

 

 

I happen to be rude and sarcastic.

You can ignore me and not quote if it's that hard for you NOT to mention your emotions over my responses.

If I was trying to insult you, I was ban'd already.

 

I'm trying to asses and respond to every opinion shown on this topic and it's difficult not to notice...

"Sigs are five minute job. 30mins for a .gif.

It's a freaking picture. <.<" - belittlement of work done by other members

"I have made over a thousand, gimmie stamps already." - exaggerated bragging

"Theregoestheforum.jaypeg" - sarcasm

"I never use sites that have badges, members are shit in those." - belittlement of other communities

and ironically more sarcasm and personal insults in the post I'm quoting you in right now. I sincerely apologize if your having an off day or something of the likes, but I would appreciate it if you took it out somewhere else.

 

Let's make it simple.

Tl:DR version:

"It's bad because it leads to spam."

 

Yes, I already addressed that in my response to Dragonshy:

 

"Yes, I agree the badges were an amazing addition and I also see how this could quickly become the cause for allot of spammy behavior the same way that the chat room did when a "post count admission fee" was put on it."

 

That's a pretty long post ya'h got there...

but it seems kinda simpleminded (sorry if it sounds like an insult) this is mlpforums we're talking about, and by what you said I feel that you're saying that were not mature to handle badges, maybe we are maybe were not, but honestly I think that more badges wouldn't be bad, they're fun, I think it'd be an awesome idea, it might encourage some to try and make something creative, also not all sigs take only 5 minutes to make.....

 

Thanks for your feedback, but she does have a few relevant points that should be considered. This could cause forum spam if the kinks weren't worked out. Also, responding with another insult is never a nice thing, but I can see it wasn't intentionally that way.

Edited April 19, 2012 by €ℨƴηℯłℓ

[---------------------- 1,645]

I dont care if I am acknowledged , but thanks for the complement anyway

 

I dont make them to get noticed, I make them to help me get better and not to mention, its something can do for the community

 

As for the badges Idea, I think it would be cool, but as stated, I dont know how possible that is, not to mention it would require allot of work, but I really like the idea En....what ever your name is now

[Starshine 16,330]

Moderate

• Make your first 250 posts
• create 50 threads

Are you honestly sure newly joined peeps will not spammed the hell out of this world just to get this badge?

I've seen it in other forums with the same kind of stuff (Post at least xxx times! Creates lots of threads! You will get fancy pictures under your username!), lots of people absolutely forget that quality > quantity, and went their way as a living spambot.

 

A non post-counts badges are fine, but the quoted kind of badges will do nothing but encourages more spamfest

 

Hell. Even now with the "bird&parasprite" badges, we've seen a slight increase in spam activity

[Ezynell 2,036]

wait a minute...

 

All members who wants to collect the badges will have to create 50 threads?

 

NOPE.jpg

 

These were just thrown together examples. If this idea passed, I can assure you that it would turn out much different from what I offered

 

Are you honestly sure newly joined peeps will not spammed the hell out of this world just to get this badge?

I've seen it in other forums with the same kind of stuff (Post at least xxx times! Creates lots of threads! You will get fancy pictures under your username!), lots of people absolutely forget that quality > quantity, and went their way as a living spambot.

 

A non post-counts badges are fine, but the quoted kind of badges will do nothing but encourages more spamfest

 

Hell. Even now with the "bird&parasprite" badges, we've seen a slight increase in spam activity

 

Point taken and taken of the example list, but as stated above, those were just some off of the top of my head things.

[Typhoid Libby 1,265]

 

Although I see where your going with this, even is someone wanted forum recognition so bad that bad, I don't see how putting their desire for attention into helping out the community could possibly be a bad thing.

 

$p4m is bad, M'kay?

I'm trying to asses and respond to every opinion shown on this topic and it's difficult not to notice...

It's a freaking picture. <.<" - belittlement of work done by other members -No, it is a freaking picture for me and it always will be. Immaterial content is not worth an air molecule.

"I have made over a thousand, gimmie stamps already." - exaggerated bragging - Actually not. I have made over 1000 Sigs/avvies for myself.

"Theregoestheforum.jaypeg" - sarcasm -I know it was sarcasm, what of it?

"I never use sites that have badges, members are shit in those." - belittlement of other communities -Yes, yes it is. Most "communities"/forums are bad.

 

Lé red.

and ironically more sarcasm and personal insults in the post I'm quoting you in right now. I sincerely apologize if your having an off day or something of the likes, but I would appreciate it if you took it out somewhere else.

 

I never insulted you. You are free to read them as such however. Just report and forget.

You wanted input, you got input.

 

Stop quoting then. No-one is preventing you from doing that.

[Power Ten 213]

Meh, I feel like the badges we have now are good enough. Having achievements would pressure me to do stuff I wouldn't otherwise want to do, like joining the signature team just to get a badge. There would be an overall drop in quality of avatars and signatures an account of incompetent, uncaring artists who just want to one up their forum chums.

[Starshine 16,330]

Participate in your first roleplay

 

We'll see lots of people registered to a RP threads, make one post, get the badges, and simply forget that the RP thread even exist

 

 

Join the Signature crew

Join the Avatar Crew

 

I assure you, many of those completionist will beg their way to be added as the Sig/Ava crew, and then spam-post their hastily made signatures and avatars

 

Moderate one of the "out of forum" groups

This one is rather unclear, but the result is crystal-clear. Many members will try to get their way inside the moderation team. All hell broke loose

 

---

 

I know, with our current community, all of above examples are very very unlikely to happen. But this forum grows in an exponential rate. What we thought impossible right now, could happen in the next four months

 

For an "achievement" I highly recommend something that doesn't have any relation to post counts or participation in moderation or any creative teams, for it will destroy their purposes

[Ezynell 2,036]

$p4m is bad, M'kay?

 

Lé red.

 

I never insulted you. You are free to read them as such however. Just report and forget.

You wanted input, you got input.

 

Stop quoting then. No-one is preventing you from doing that.

 

It looks like were both pretty finished here then, I've included some of the points you mentioned in the OP in case one of the mods want's a summary of possible problems that this could cause and possible solutions. If you would like me to add anything to it, feel free to ask.

 

Meh, I feel like the badges we have now are good enough. Having achievements would pressure me to do stuff I wouldn't otherwise want to do, like joining the signature team just to get a badge. There would be an overall drop in quality of avatars and signatures an account of incompetent, uncaring artists who just want to one up their forum chums.

 

Thanks for the input, added to the top. Not anyone can just join the Avatar team or Signature team if they wanted to though, you have to at least know how to use the tools you need to use. And that doesn't include MS paint.

 

We'll see lots of people registered to a RP threads, make one post, get the badges, and simply forget that the RP thread even exist

 

 

 

 

I assure you, many of those completionist will beg their way to be added as the Sig/Ava crew, and then spam-post their hastily made signatures and avatars

 

 

 

This one is rather unclear, but the result is crystal-clear. Many members will try to get their way inside the moderation team. All hell broke loose

 

---

 

I know, with our current community, all of above examples are very very unlikely to happen. But this forum grows in an exponential rate. What we thought impossible right now, could happen in the next four months

 

For an "achievement" I highly recommend something that doesn't have any relation to post counts or participation in moderation or any creative teams, for it will destroy their purposes

 

Like I said in the earlier posts, these were not thought through and would be if this ever got through the moderating team. Your mention of the sig and avatar crew issue was also mentioned by Power Ten, but will be added to the OP with his. Thanks again for considering the idea.

 

When I put in "moderate out of forum groups" I was thinking of our TF2 server mods, minecraft mods, and synchtube party mods.

Edited April 19, 2012 by €ℨƴηℯłℓ

[Key Gear 6,662]

Sigs are five minute job. 30mins for a .gif.

It's a freaking picture. <.<

 

I am actually completely neutral on this subject, but I just wanted to chime in here and say one thing.

 

I have watched the livestreams of both Marco23p and Dragonshy. I have observed that both members would easily spend more than 5 minutes on a static-image signature. I have also seen them spend longer than 30 minutes on an animated gif. As a matter of fact, I recently had the opportunity to watch Marco23p make an absolutely fabulous animated gif that took him at least over 1 hour.

 

Really though, the time that all creative members spend making signatures, avatars, and other requests for other members should not be disparaged. Time is valuable and limited commodity. When a member makes something for another member, then the exact amount of time that they spent is not important. What is important is that they willingly gifted their time to someone else.

[Typhoid Libby 1,265]

It looks like were both pretty finished here then, I've included some of the points you mentioned in the OP in case one of the mods want's a summary of possible problems that this could cause and possible solutions. If you would like me to add anything to it, feel free to ask.

 

Nope, Chuck Testa.

 

 

Problems Acknowledged

Will cause an increase in forum spam.

Will cause new members to feel ostracised over veterans.

Will cause old members to act snobby.

Will cause people to leave as forum becomes a metagame instead of an MLP-forum.

Will cause problems in implementing it and confusion as it is implemented.

Is pointless in it's premises.

I have watched the livestreams of both Marco23p and Dragonshy. I have observed that both members would easily spend more than 5 minutes on a static-image signature. I have also seen them spend longer than 30 minutes on an animated gif. As a matter of fact, I recently had the opportunity to watch Marco23p make an absolutely fabulous animated gif that took him at least over 1 hour.

 

Really though, the time that all creative members spend making signatures, avatars, and other requests for other members should not be disparaged. Time is valuable and limited commodity. When a member makes something for another member, then the exact amount of time that they spent is not important. What is important is that they willingly gifted their time to someone else.

 

I linked one response to this in to Chat as I felt it was off-topic.Seems you won't stop pestering me about it.

 

For me, it is and always will be, a 100x600(or less)px picture that I will change on a whim.

I have no interest in placing hours upon hours on something that changes weekly.

It's my opinion.

[Starshine 16,330]

@€ℨƴηℯłℓ Whoops. Sorry if that point already mentioned before

 

Sigs are five minute job. 30mins for a .gif.

What Libertina referred here is not the high-quality sigs or avatars, but the hastily made pieces. Instead of actually creating a good eye-catching piece, one can easily cropped something out of blue, adding a few shade, and viola, one step closer to the honorable badge.

It's rather unfair when someone dedicated an hour of their time to create a good piece, but others could easily get the badge by spamming crappy sigs

Edited April 19, 2012 by Shefira

[Page.Turner 940]

I agree that it wouldn't be the best idea to add to the forum but I do like the idea of badges on the basis of tiny pictures make me happy.

 

Anyway, I do agree with Libertina Kohr-Ah that it would cause a certain status to be given to older members over newer ones that might make people uncomfortable. You intention for these badges is pure, but I can honestly say that as someone who suffers from "social awkwardness" (BPD) I would not like it... On all forums I have been on where badges (or things akin to achievement badges) were dominant and prominent, I felt out of place. Why? I felt like a noob. I felt like I didn't have what everyone else had and it made it even harder for me to feel like I even fit in or ever would.

 

Sad facts: elitism would happen even if you didn't want it to.

 

I think it would just be better for the community if we kept an open, un-biased community C: