Introducing "Badges"

scotty on 22/06/2012 - 09:19

We have just pushed out a new feature this morning — BADGES.

I have to put this disclaimer up first — the idea is pretty much a straight copy of Badges on Stack Overflow (for the software developers amongst us, you know what I am talking about). A "Badge" is something you earned after you performed certain tasks on OzBargain (think "Achievements" for the Xbox crowds). It will be displayed on your popup and user profile page (right underneath your profile image), and the list of badges you've been awarded are also shown in your badges page (/user/<your ID>/badges).

For a list of all badge types, you can go to the Badges page. We have 11 different badges under 3 different classes at launch, but we are welcoming the community to contribute ideas on new badges that we can implement.

So for a start:

Badge Classes

  • Gold — Hardest to earn. Currently only "Deal of the Month", which is only awarded once per month, and each user can only be awarded at most once.
  • Silver — A bit easier to achieve (and getting easier as the community grows). For example "Popular Deals" and "Popular Comments" that are awarded base on the number of votes you receive on your deals/comments, and you can be awarded multiple times.
  • Bronze — The kind of badges that you'll eventually earn when you've been on OzBargain for long enough. For example "Contributor" for posting enough deals and "Commentator" for posting enough comments.
  • Black — Currently no badges are under this class. This is the "stinky badge" that will be given to users/merchants with bad behaviour.
Site Discussion

Comments

  • number5 on 22/06/2012 - 09:24

    cool, love this :)

  • pembajak_sejati on 22/06/2012 - 10:00

    http://www.ozbargain.com.au/badges link seems to be broken

  • scrimshaw on 22/06/2012 - 10:11
    +3

    Some ideas:

    Junior Editor badge — Edit your own deal posting 25 times (bronze)

    Senior Editor badge — Edit 50 times (silver)

    Redactor Badge — Edit 100 times (gold)

    Dob-in badge — Report a scam or a shady deal and get it removed by a moderator. (silver)

    Wiki Founder Badge — Be an author of a Ozbargain Wiki article (one of the hardest badges to get, seeing as there are very few users who have contributed to the Wiki) (Gold)

    Debug Badge — Awarded for those who help debug Ozbargain (reporting glitches) (Gold)

    Freebie Badge — Post a deal with a Freebie Tag and get a minimum of 15 upvotes. (Silver)

    Bargain Hunter Badge — Post 50 deals, all of which satisfy a minimum of 15 upvotes. (Silver)

    Veteran Badge — Awarded for long-service members. Be a member of Ozbargain for 2 years. (Gold)

    Penalty Boxed — Black badge — awarded when user is banned and put into the PB.

    • Postulative on 22/06/2012 - 14:45
      +2

      The first three of these basically encourage people to be idiots. You don't want to reward bad behaviour.

      Other than that, I like some of your thinking. In particular, the idea that badges are awarded based upon contribution to the site (meaning I get nothing).

      Posting 50 deals is a lot, isn't it? The 15 upvotes is good - means you're not posting junk.

      • scrimshaw on 22/06/2012 - 18:05

        Posting 50 deals is a lot, isn't it? The 15 upvotes is good - means you're not posting junk.

        Perhaps it should be a Gold badge then… looked through my history and it seems 50 posts takes a ridiculously long time to achieve. Unless you're a rep of course and can actually deliver deals.

        Veteran badge is probably too easy to get, maybe scratch that and opt for a badge that rewards based on the number of positive votes the user has accumulated through deal postings? (e.g Get total 500 positive votes = gold)

        • Postulative on 23/06/2012 - 18:58

          So that's 500 positive votes, not a total vote tally of 500, right? Wouldn't want those negative votes counted;).

    • StewBalls on 22/06/2012 - 15:26

      Penalty Boxed — Black badge — awarded when user is banned and put into the PB.

      I'm told that I look good in black! :)

    • Moderatorscotty on 22/06/2012 - 15:30

      Indeed. I am looking for something that's useful and cannot be easily gamed.

      Our report system needs some changes so badges can be designed around them. People doing their due diligence reporting problematic deals/comments should definitely be given badges.

      Freebie Badge

      I'll say a large number of freebies get more than 15 votes, but certainly we can design some badges around the freebies.

      Penalty Boxed

      Hehe. I think penalty box itself is harsh enough penalty for them. I am more of thinking something fun, like

      • Advertiser — store reps posting x number of low-quality deals consecutively.
      • Troll — getting x number of comments reported as Trolling and subsequently unpublished (i.e. moderators agree with the reports).
      • Alzori on 22/06/2012 - 17:22
        +3

        Careful though, negative achievements are still achievements. Don't want to encourage trolling :)

        • StewBalls on 22/06/2012 - 17:30

          That's a very good point!

        • Postulative on 23/06/2012 - 18:59

          I figured that was the achievement StewBalls had his eye on.

        • StewBalls on 24/06/2012 - 09:31

          Judging by that comment it's no surprise why you'd be my troll-model Postulative! :p

        • AntMan76 on 24/06/2012 - 10:33
          +2

          I would have picked jv for that.

        • altomic on 25/06/2012 - 22:26

          good idea my friend, perhaps you can give gooder ideas using this wonderful tablet notepad I am selling for a special price to my ozbargain friends.

      • daver on 23/06/2012 - 17:15

        To my mind, 'the Advertiser' is the lurking threat to Ozbargain.

        Really, they dilute -all- the bargains (low quality, =wasting time).

        Quite often, 'rep'tiles can game any filter or spam net, simply on grounds the published item is attractive. Filter may not catch them (avail.+ an ABN etc).

        Therefore, proposition I submit. we consider being more explicit with the Advertiser. Utilise data in badge to:

        Bring in a health-metre graphic (similar to ebay's store-reputation% concept, but fun) either on, or below, the headline of the "Deal" they are allowed to publicise. (It should at least in the description space area.)

        Pretty much like on a shooter game, you would expect…

        [(Red)Advertiser] ============x=== [Bargainer....]

        That slider coming down into "red" just when a (rogue)marketer become too clever by half. Could be a concept to shield the gullible (ebay-style) whilst sharpen the bargain(hunting) deals.

        • andy19363 on 23/06/2012 - 20:20

          Really, they dilute -all- the bargains (low quality, =wasting time).

          At least they post deals……

        • daver on 23/06/2012 - 21:41

          my point is that there exist 'advertisements' - flogged, typically excessively - and which are not distinguished as they could be by an illustrative visual.

          Since we have rep-tags some form of bargainhealth-metre..may prove beneficial?
          There are dual perspectives, clearly -bargainer & seller-: but more focus on the latter, please. if it means raising the profile of a dud group of exploiters.

          Point taken I could submit a deal, but I note finding these is not all frequent.

          I'll admit there are some fantastic posters here, but all I'm advocating is to emphasize 'quality over quantity', rather than to dilute. Thats simply what ads do.

  • m0nkeycheese on 22/06/2012 - 14:28

    Question.. Will they be awarded retrospectively or from now on?

    Edit: I see its already in motion..

    Only one thing.. They are kinda ugly but I like the idea. Maybe jazz them up a bit and make them a bit more prominent on the popup profile?

  • Postulative on 22/06/2012 - 14:49

    Now I've seen how the badges appear. I like it, but they seem to be somewhat plentiful - for instance I already have one silver and three bronze.

    Maybe after this has been in place a while it's something that can be reviewed to find where the appropriate badge award levels should be?

    • Moderatorscotty on 22/06/2012 - 15:34

      They have already been awarded retrospectively. Just take a look at the Badges page:

      http://www.ozbargain.com.au/badge

      It lists out the types of badges there are, how many times have they been awarded, and when you click on the badge itself, it shows the history of that badge being awarded.

  • StewBalls on 22/06/2012 - 15:15
    +5

    Badges? We don't need no stinking badges. ;)

    • StewBalls on 23/06/2012 - 10:30

      LOL, no Blazing Saddles fans around here I see! :p

      • leonheart1 on 23/06/2012 - 14:26

        Despite it being on my 'to watch' list for years, I just realised that I still haven't seen the whole movie… guess what I'm watching tonight!?

        • StewBalls on 23/06/2012 - 14:50
          +1

          No prize for guessing what you'll be watching…Gigli! :p

      • Tal_Shiar on 26/06/2012 - 02:34
        +2

        Oh it's twue, it's twue!!

  • Alzori on 22/06/2012 - 17:16

    Naww, my dropbox post missed out on deal of the month by 10 votes :P

    Better go and find something amazing…

    • Shaw on 22/06/2012 - 22:09

      I'm glad I got one so I don't have your dilemma :P

      Not even Scotty has a gold badge!

      • AntMan76 on 23/06/2012 - 10:39

        I think the Sheriff's badge outranks the Gold.

        • Shaw on 23/06/2012 - 14:21

          No way, you can get them for $2 from most cheap shops! But this…

          Gold — Hardest to earn.

        • StewBalls on 23/06/2012 - 14:55

          Hey, for $2 you get the badge, the gun AND the plastic handcuffs…all of which you'll need to corral those rowdy varmints in the Sheriff's Penalty Box! ;)

  • A Banana4scale on 24/06/2012 - 10:21

    I just like to say that the colours of the badge should be more contrasting as well. How about a blue and a red badge. Could be a veteran badge for the blue (Bargrin would surely get one) and an awesome reporting deals badge.

    Also just like comments and deals, number of likes could be used for a productive member of community badge?

  • finance on 25/06/2012 - 17:16
    +1

    this is cool, have always been a bit disappointed when the best deal prize disappearred due to red tape!!!
    This is a bit of fun and recognition for posting a rare but great deals!

  • Davo1111 on 26/06/2012 - 10:29

    retired mod badge ;)

    • StewBalls on 26/06/2012 - 10:31

      Aren't they called 'scars'? :)

  • Davo1111 on 26/06/2012 - 10:30

    IF people are offended by the "black badge", there's always "red" - like a red card

  • wisc on 26/06/2012 - 14:21

    LOVE it, had to do a search to find more out about the badge system… great idea, makes a good forum even better! more badges would be great.. would start to see the biggest positive contributers…

    should be more badges for stuff like amount of comments (eg one per 1000, and 1 per year member etc)

  • Moderatorscotty on 07/09/2012 - 11:24

    Two new badges have been introduced this morning:

    • Chatty — silver badge awarded to people who have posted at least 1 comment every single day for the whole month. This is awarded for the month so you can earn multiple of this. For example @greenpossum got Chatty badges for August 2012, June 2012, December 2011, June 2011 and May 2011.

    • Store Fan — bronze badge awarded to people who have posted 5 or more deals from a specific store. Only deals with +5 or more votes are counted, and store representatives cannot be a fan. Again, you'll be awarded a badge for each store you are a fan of. For example @shaw got Store Fan badges for BuySKU, Amazon and Meritline.

    • Trance N Dance on 10/09/2012 - 10:43

      I don't think the chatty badge is a good idea, might induce people to comment more just for the sake of commenting and boosting their badges count. (That and I think JV might just take the cake with the most chatty badges on pure trolls…)

      • Moderatorscotty on 11/09/2012 - 07:32

        And we can't deny that he is "chatty", isn't it? Maybe devalue it to bronze badge, ie something as result of participating on ozbargain rather than of any merit.

        • Trance N Dance on 11/09/2012 - 12:36

          Just voicing a concern.
          If it was me I'd remove it completely, but I don't mind either way.
          Keep it and see if there's any increase in commenting activity? If there isn't then keep it (it is a nice and fun novelty to have) but if there's a mass increase in commenting/trolling/spamming then take it down.

  • Commonwealth Pig on 02/11/2012 - 22:38

    Has anyone been given a black badge yet?

    • Moderatorscotty on 02/11/2012 - 23:53

      Not yet. Just that we haven't implemented any…

        • scotty on 04/04/2013 - 13:19

          Those 9 must feel very privileged. I just checked and I'm also not too far to score that Black badge :)

        • easternculture on 04/04/2013 - 13:24

          I myself, do feel privileged, i have already earned the badge :)

        • Mikinoz on 04/04/2013 - 13:35

          Hahaha how ironic, least it shows it can happen by mistake.

  • brisdaz on 13/08/2019 - 09:45

    Would you or anyone else like to see this? Data Visualization of Badges Growth over Time - OzBargain Forums

    I'm posting it around because I know I miss posts in the site discussion forum but don't miss notifications from interesting posts. Is there a better way of getting views?

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