Dont know if this has been suggested before so apologises if it was.

In one sentence: Can you remove the ranking system?

I always thought that the ranking system always added a hierarchy to the forums, like, people with a 'Toruk Makto' rank indirectly makes them a "higher-level of user" to people with lower ranks.

Right now, Im a 'Sky Person'. That doesnt make me feel all that important to ToS in comparison to higher-ranked users.

If making people feel high and mighty with their Toruk Makto rank isnt the purpose of the ranking system then what is?

Sure, there's quite a bit of bias from me since my post count doesnt even step into double-digits but if you want to get more users to stay here, they should be equal in ranking (nobody's a more special poster than another).

I know it's not your intention to create (a sort of) hierarchy in the forums, but the ranking system inadvertently has that effect.

Please take that into consideration.

Thanks

But I liek mine. D:

Did you donate?

Yes I did.

Oh well now that's a completely different basket of eggs right there lol

Im talking about general ranks but custom ranks should be available to everyone too (at the very least) if the admins dont want to take the system away.

Well, they're trying to recreate AF from long ago, so keeping the ranking systems and donation systems keeps with that theme.

Not to mention that I'm not sure if Zong has the same amount of resources to keep the forum afloat while its not self sufficient...

booooo... what rank am I?

edit: what is a seeker? Harry Potter seeker? lol

Of course there is no intention to create a hierarchy. Since coming to ToS, I have not concentrated one bit on the ranking system. I have just posted as much as I have felt comfortable doing because I already know that people do not see the post count or ranking system as any indicator of status on this forum.
In fact, it could be viewed as a positive drive for users to post. You may want to shed the rank of Skyperson, and you do that by posting. Thus by posting you become more a part of the ToS family. Thus contributing and keeping it alive
Those two paragraphs may seem hypocritical but there is a subtle but notable difference.

I also have to say that aswell as being a supermoderator, I am a donator and only got my custom title after I had donated.

Yeah but it can push posters to a point where they're just spamming threads to up their rank.

I only post if I think Im contributing (except forum games or random threads, pure BS posts from me there)

Im gonna use Palulukan_Taronyu as an example (with no offence intended). He became a super-poster to a point of spamming AF just to get his Toruk Makto status. Sure he had contributed mostly to the forums but it was still spamming.

People should be posting because they have something to say, not because they have to get rid of a crappy status as soon as possible.

Oh BTW...Yay Seeker! lol

again... what is a seeker? ;p

Indeed it can lead to that. But I, at least, am of the opinion that the users of this forum are more mature than most and will not start spamming to get their rank up. You can use that as an example, if you wish, but could it not be the case that he was posting a lot because he enjoyed it? Who's to say what is contribution and what is spam? (I don't know if his posts were obvious spam or if he explicitly said that he was trying to achieve a higher rank, tell me if it was the case).
As I have said, I am of the opinion that the ranking system may urge users to post more and that that outweighs any feelings of a hierarchical system that some may feel but is not significant enough to make people spam just to have a better rank.

To be entirely honest, I don't even know what my rank is... I guess i'll find out after this post.

I never look at other people's post count or rank as a heirarchichal symbol, i'd much rather just read the content of their posts. I don't personally see a need for their removal.

Personally, back when I joined AF, I really wanted to contribute to be One Of The People, and I was really happy when I did it.
I don't know about any of you, but I always think of a person based on what they're saying, not really how long they've been there. It's not like it really matters so much, it's not something everyone reads all the time (look at the 'I'm not sure what mine is, but I'll probably see when I post this' posts)

PS. I'm not sure who ever created the ranks in the first place, we can certainly adjust them if people want.

Sacred, with Palulukan Taronyu, he did contribute, but a lot (maybe half) of his posts were in forum games, although generally not actual spam, he just spent about 18 hours a day on.

I think referring to the participation measurement as a "ranking" system is a misnomer. True, it seems that there are rewards for nicer and nicer descriptions of one's level of experience. And with the ranks that have been defined, we all get to mirror Jake's trip from being a sky person to being a full fledged Na'vi. I have no idea what the gates are for each level, but it doesn't appear to me to be too challenging. It's more of an inspiration and motivation. It's all in how you look at it....

i wish we could carry over our AF post count