Write good comments & earn your karma!
After the introduction of identicon, here comes another new signing of BlueChampions blog – Comment Karma. It is important to have a comments section that promotes and appreciates arguments and discussions that are healthy, intellectual and insightful. That’s where Comment Karma can help a bit. You must have figured it out by now. You can now earn or lose karma depending on the quality of your comments. Interesting? Read on. Even otherwise, read on.
What is comment karma? This is a way appreciating or condemning the various comments that are posted in this blog. You can always drop a line that you liked or frowned at someone’s comments but with comment karma, you can literally vote on others’ comments. You can give them either a ‘thumbs up’ or a ‘thumbs down’. You cannot vote on your own comments and you cannot vote on a comment for more than once.
In blogs, there is something called ‘comments to views’ ratio. If there are 10 comments for a certain post and the post has been viewed or read about 50 times, then the ratio is 5. The ratio for BlueChampions ranges from 5 to 10. Generally a majority of the viewers do not comment, for various reasons. That’s how, in some posts, you’d see about 100 votes in the opinion poll but only 20 comments under the post.
Though we interact only with the commenters, there are many other people who read our comments and form opinions and take stances. I hope everyone including the non-commenters, starts using the comment karma option so that the commenter know about the quality of their contribution.
The process is very simple. In the comments section, in the commenters’ panel on the left hand side, do you see a blue thumbs up and red thumbs down? All you got to do is to click one of those. The page won’t refresh or reload. You’d stay where you are but the karma count would have changed. If you find a black thumbs up/down icon, that means either it’s your own comment or you have already voted on this comment.
You read a comment and vote a ‘thumbs up’ when you think that the comments is:
(i) it is well thought-out
(ii) it is well presented
(iii) the tone of the comment is polite and courteous and
(iv) it contains the substance
Remember, you’re voting on the comment and not on the commenter. It is perfectly logical to vote ‘thumbs up’ to someone who has an opposite view to mine. It’s just like telling your rival ‘you played well mate’.
Similarly, you give a comment ‘thumbs down’ when you find a comment that is
(i) in bad taste
(ii) abusive in nature
(iii) just to flame arguments
(iv) annoyingly off-topic
In short, you’re not voting on the opinion of the commenter or how much your views align with the comment. You’re voting only on the usefulness of the comment to the discussion, the quality of the comment, how well it has been constructed and presented. Alternatively, you can even not vote on a comment, if you don’t have a strong opinion on the comment. If someone says “Yeah, I think so too. Anelka will do well” or something like that, you can just leave it alone.
How does this comment karma thingy help? Commenters would realise the value of the comments to the community that we’ve formed here. When you read a comment that impresses you, give them a ‘thumbs up’. It’s certainly makes you feel good, when you realise that for a certain comment of yours, you have about 25 karmas. It’s a nice recognition within this community. It’s quite possible to have 100 comments under an article of which 70 are among just three commenters. The rest of the population might enjoy their banter or can get sick of it. Comment karma is a way of letting them know without really poking your nose in a heated debate or without disclosing your identity.
If we find commenters with consistently good karma values, probably they could get a pleasant surprise! Hope you give a ‘thumbs up’ to this idea!
this karma thing really sucks. u are making this blog a joke. it was good before. now every indian is going to be a member of this blog because they want good karma and not to talk about chelsea. this shit is crayzie.
Fantastic idea BC! This karma along with the identicons should improve the comments area a lot. I love the improvements that you bring here.
BlueFan Nr.1: Why is this a bad idea, I don’t understand! You’d feel bothered only when you make bad comments. In fact, your comment above fits the bill for a thumbs down! No reasoning for your opinion. Above that you show your discrimination towards Indians.That’s bad.
Just in case you had missed it :-)
I’m looking forward to it BC! I’ll sift through the subjects and try and get something this week. Did anyone else enjoy watching Liverpool scrape a draw tonight. It’s a shame Villa didn’t win because for me that would be the nail in 2 very deserving coffins – their hopes of The Premiership and Tubby Benitez’s career in England.
Hi there Tony! I thought the coffin was already ten feet below the ground! Villa should have held on for a win. All four goals were from set pieces if I’m right. Would Rafa be gone tomorrow morning? If Fat Sam can get the sack, Rafa should not have seen the new year in the premier league. From a Chelsea point of view, I hope he stays. By the time he knows his best eleven and realises that his kind of rotation won’t help, it would be 2010.
Just saw Kalou’s goal against Nigeria. It was a stunner!!! See it here!
BC – Kalou’s goal was amazing! Great little run and great finish. He should do that more week in week out for Chelsea.
This karma thing I don’t know , I ususally write what I want and from my own perspective of things , but then I guess it’s OK tho I’m not one to go for a win in the popularity stakes….
Most post’s I have read don’t really require a rating, as they are just general comment’s. Neither good or bad.
good attempt , but it won’t be effective for sure .
@BC
Nice move mate……………just hope that people won’t give me thumbs down if i support avram….lol
@Tony Glover
welcome mate……………i read your post on chelsea blog………..though never comment
@BC
Kalou scored a goal which reminded me of henry…………………..henk ten kate……..please convert him to henry………..it’s not difficult
oe Cole is still playing despite picking up a muscle injury in recent weeks and he could be ready to play through the pain in midweek too.
“I didn’t train all week,” he said. “I’ve been carrying a little bit of a niggle but we haven’t got many players at the moment so we all need to be there.”
Chelsea are also without Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou, Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel, who are all appearing in the Africa Cup of Nations.
@BC
This reward system is a good system. but i think there is an underlying flaw in here. i feel that JM die hard fans will get a lot of thumbs up and AG fans might be at a disadvantage. I am neither so there is no prob for me….but the point i wanted to make is that whether u have a control of who is awarding the points? and can i be eligible to award a point even if my thumbs up is in the -ve.
@Tony Glover
hi frnd . u will see a whole lot of new bloggers here….a few emotional ones and a few rational ones …so it will be an great experience to u and for us as ur views add a different dimension…anyways welcome to bluechampions….
@1 bluefan nr:1
whats wrong in indians being a part of this blog u should apprecaite it. people are coming into football from a country where cricket is a religion worshiped day and night indicating that football is spreading thick and fast to all parts of the subcontinent .BC i dont know much about him but he knows what cricket is to the people of india and how difficult it is to find football fans. i am a football fan first then a chelsea fan. i hate that part “now every indian is going to be a member of this blog because they want good karma and not to talk about chelsea”. i would give it a million thumbs down
@Tony Glover
Welcome you will see this a much better blog
Welcome Tony, I do read your post on chelseablog.
BC
This ‘Karma’ thing is the most foolish idea of yours. What makes you to think that people are so rational and level headed to identify a good comment that is totally against the line of thinking and the subject of their argument.
Ok,you say that most of the non-commenters are those who will alter the karma ratings(by appreciating or whatever ).Aren’t you missing a basic thing? most of the non commenters are mostly fans of other clubs who just browse through your page for a little fun not deep throat analysis.maybe most of the non-commenters simply don’t have the time to comment.then how could you possibly think that they spend their time on this.
A blog survives with more and more new members getting involved into discussion.Don’t you think that you are baising the new reader that a particular id will post nonsense. After all that poor fellow would have got all his bad karma for one rubbish comment and got the wrath of every other commenter or even every viewer.
I don’t think think this will do any good to your blog.
Finally greetings to ‘bestboyvijay’ who shares some similar ideas as i have.
Dear BlueFan nr:1 , if sorting out one’s Karmas was so easy as writing a popular comment then no one will be a sinner in this creation….and Indians know this so don’t worry abt Indians thronging this blog….
To the Bridge on foot or by bus
Not need to spend much for gas
Nobody can mess with us
cause we got ‘Avram’s Arse’
lol@BB
Gun The Blues
Here are my responses.
You want to know what makes me think people are rational and level headed? That’s the very point, that’s the fundamental of the whole idea. I want to believe that people are sensible and can be rational enough to admit when they are incorrect or to evaluate an opposite line of thought. There are many readers in this blog who have changed their point of view in due course and have been pretty frank about it. There are many many people who say, when someone with an opposite point of view, puts in their comments very nicely, sensibly, with respect, without abuse, “good argument mate but I beg to disagree” and that’s when they can vote thumbs up. Voting someone thumbs up does not only mean you support someone’s argument, it also means that you appreciate the way they have commented. So, basically what I’m saying is, I don’t think I’m dealing with irrational people. No. I’m proud to say that I deal with a much better crowd here than most other bloggers have to. Of course there is this occasional glitch and that’s what brings in additional controls, like the identicons.
With regard to non-commenters, you got the math wrong here. I’ve done enough background analysis of non-commenters, thanks to my site host. My analysis says that only a small percentage of non-commenters happen to be clubs of other fans. Mostly, they are Chelsea fans who are visit the blog regularly. Just for argument sake, let’s assume they are all non-Chelsea fans who want to play around. Please realise that even sabotage can be boring and cannot be sustained. This blog has always been open for comments by unregistered users, which includes ‘mischievous’ non-Chelsea fans too. Of course, there is occasional trouble but on the whole, it is all Chelsea fans – 99% of them. All opinion polls in this blog are open for anyone to vote. Non-Chelsea fans can vote mischievously to skew the results. Do we ever bother? no. The reason is their involvement could be there but negligible when compared to the genuine voters.
I strongly believe that even the non-commenters (I said they don’t comment for various reasons, one of which is time) do spend a lot of time on the blog reading others’ comments. While it would take them time to comment, it only takes a one-second-click to hit the karma button. And I strongly believe I’m not biasing the new reader. Everyone has a brain of their own and think for themselves. What you say boils down to this. If there have been 30 votes on an opinion poll for options A and B and all 30 votes are for option A only, someone who comes in to vote will also vote for option A because that’s what the previous 30 voters have done? No. If he thinks option B is correct, he will be the first voter for option B. The way I see it, this works exactly like the opinion polls – they are free, anyone can vote, you can stay without voting too, you can see the results.
You seem to have a very wrong understanding of the whole idea. This is NOT a report card on the commenters or you cannot encash the points earned. It is simply a vote on specific comments. it is a simple and uncomplicated way of applauding (a ‘well said mate’) a commenter on his specific comment. The future ideas around this also includes an ability to filter comments based on karma points. I don’t expect to see each and every comment being voted on. In a post with say 70 comments, if 4 or 5 posts that have good positive karma ratings, then this thing has paid off. The karma system is prevalent on various popular forums and it has been working fine. I hope that it works here. It would be a shame it doesn’t.
Thanks for your feedback.
This Karma think it is worth a trial
But BC:
You wrote:”I’m proud to say that I deal with a much better crowd here than most other bloggers have to. Of course there is this occasional glitch and that’s what brings in additional controls, like the identicons. ”
But if you start importing people from other blogs, particularly ChelseaBlog, frequented by a pub type bloggers, ( I should know, I have read it but never wrote ) youn soon will diminish the value of the bloggers in here.
I cannot see whats so special in inviting someone else from that blog.
bluefan
ChelseaBlog is a blog that I respect very much. I admire those article writers and the way they write. Basically, I wanted to give you more variety and stuff to read. You know me already, what I like and what I don’t. What my allegiances and preferences are. I thought of bringing in more writers so that there is some variety of views on this blog instead of just mine. It should make it more vibrant, if not anything else.
Interesting that you’ve brought in Tony.
ChelseaBlog and BlueChampions have been my favorite internet-based Chelsea resources for the past few months. I enjoy reading and commenting at both, and have been a BlueChampions reader for probably more than two years now.
Let me just say that the improvements you’ve so imperiously set about, BC, have been utterly fantastic. This identicon thing will be especially good at encouraging intelligence and accountability in the comments section.
Keep up the good work. This is also the most professional and solid theme you’ve had yet. Don’t change it!
spends,regroup quaking burped FORTH abdomens!mysteriously,
I am a fan to Mikel, and want to use this opportunity to praise his wonderful commitment on his game between Chelsea & Cardiff. He was really a man to watch with his contribution to their victory. We your fans are happy for you and will love to see more wonderful display from you!
Danpola