Talk:Modification Points

ding fries are done -xXWaspXx

But Mommmmmm

This idea does not bode well for future Color Me YTMND's kind of sites. I spent over 3 weeks and 20+ alterations to color the image due to community feedback and development. I guess that you get one chance to express yourself, and let the chips fall where they may. I could petition to moderators like you said, but It may be a hassle if they are unresponsive or not as fast to reciprocate modification points as I am editing my site. Granted this kind of site development was new to me, and I've never done it in the past, and I dont think I ever will again, and maybe sites are not meant to be made this way anyway. Nutnics 5:02 am, December 5, 2006 (PST)

Guees you'll have to do very little updates next time. Maplejet 10:09, December 5, 2006 (CST)

I am just wondering why this process is even necessary? What are we combating here, and for what reasons. For obvious reasons i will use the hiveminded group as an example. Whereas before the system would allow us to update every day with entirely new content, the new system would allow maybe three new sites. Those three sites would be spread along a week to ensure that the creators get their moneys worth (this is in the sponsored section). Then the next week would follow with a new site and the same tactics. SO what we are doing in this example is a few things -

• slowing the rate of new content.
• decreasing the potential for sponsorships from outside (and inside) sources.
• discouraging content makers from forming groups.

So at this point I question the motives and logic behind a decision like this. Would someone care to explain the other side?Klasky 11:10, December 5, 2006 (CST)

"The goal of the modification points system is to keep people from changing the content/title of a site in order to acquire an unnatural amount of views." The sponsorship list itself is a means for people to give their site an unnatural amount of views. The natural course is for a site to go from the Recently Created to the Up and Coming if it receives enough high votes and/or to the top viewed for the day if it is released at a strategical point in time or is extraordinarily popular. The top viewed is a rather unnatural avenue for sites to acquire views, as the most influential factor determining whether or not a site reaches the top viewed is its time of release and not some sort of quality-based factor. Again, an extraordinary site can overcome this factor, but the majority of sites are simply the best of a brief period rather than the best of the day (I am assuming that "natural" refers to some sort of quality based judgment). At any rate, I think what exactly is a "natural" progression is a bit obscure, and if "natural" does refer to some sort of quality based judgment, then the sponsored list is a completely unnatural platform for any and all sites on it. To say that one site is acquiring an unnatural amount of views because it changes its content I think is to miss the point that all sites on the sponsored list are acquiring an unnatural amount of views. Now, there is the separate problem of the content of a site changing. There are two possible problems with this that can arise in relation to sponsorship, and any problems not related to sponsorship are not in any way solved by the new changes (more on that later). The first problem could be that the act of changing the site's content is MORE unnatural relatively than other sites on the sponsored list. This could be the case, but the changes will do nothing to stop this. Given that a site retains its original name, something generic like ][ Hive ][, the site can be changed up to 5 times past the first 3 days for a total of 8 changes if performed daily. This doesn't solve any problems, really. A bit of coordination on the part of sponsors and this is easily overcome. The other problem could be that people sponsor the content that is currently on the site, and when it is changed they have spent their money on something they did not intend to. If someone sponsors another person's site, this is a risk they should consider before and after the changes are implemented... 8 days of changes are still possible after the changes. At any rate, a site that operates like thehive.ytmnd.com or any of the Dr-L337 hubs are, for anyone with any common sense at all, understood to be just that: hubs. There is no conflict of interest in this case. "in some cases causing confusion as comments and votes on a site are for previous content" As votes for sites on the sponsored list are relatively meaningless, the voting problem isn't a problem for these hub sites. On thehive.ytmnd.com, comments sections are, typically, separated by blue comments linking to the original sites. Of course, anyone with common sense would realize that the main site is merely a hub and comments will quickly become somewhat irrelevent, but that sure doesn't stop anyone. A demarcation of when a site is updated in the comments section automatically could solve these problems as well. "This will also possibly alleviate problems stemming from people getting sites on the front page and then modifying them to be a completely different site." For any site that reaches the front page "naturally", this is a problem. Of course, sites only last on the U&C for one day and the top viewed for the day along with the U&C are well within the 72 hour limit. Thus, sites can be changed at no penalty or loss of points to a completely different site. The new rule does nothing at all to discourage this type of action.

If the aim of the new system is to stop sites on the sponsored list from changing, this is counterproductive in at least 2 different ways. First of all, a site suffers drastic diminishing returns on its donation after the first day, and all donations are recorded for 7 days. Thus, if someone wants to make the top sponsorships for the week, they will be paying a price that is either much more than they should rationally want to pay or the amount that they will pay will be much lower than it is currently. Which brings me to my next point: The sites on the sponsored list that change content daily are also typically the highest sponsored, which keeps the average sponsorship elevated, they also maximize the individual sponsor's bang for his buck (avoiding massive diminishing returns), and they themselves bring in a good deal of money. It just doesn't make sense from a financial standpoint.

Now, if the problem is not that a site acquires an inordinate amount of views but that it statwhores these views, then I can see the complaint, and the solution to this problem on the sponsorship list would also solve the non-sponsorship problem: Resetting views and votes after a SHORT (as in 1 hour or less) period after submission unless, by some option while editing, a mod can be requested to review a site and choose whether or not to reset the views. This would, as nutnics mentioned, lack some efficiency in terms of updating speed, but it would solve the other two problems in one swoop and I don't see any other way without severely harming your wallet. Just a thought. Korf41 2:31PM, December 5, 2006 (PST)

Minor changes to titles

I like the idea for the most part and I think such a system should be implemented, as it sometimes gets confusing as to which YTMND I am looking at. However, I think that minor but important changes to a title should somehow be exempt from the points being taken off.

For example, say you have a YTMND called "This is a funny YTMND", and everyone tells you your graphic was good, but you need a better sound, as often happens. The way the system sounds right now, changing the sound and updating the title to "This is a funny YTMND (Better Sound!)" will cost you two points. Since the spirit of this system is to reduce confusion over what YTMND you're looking at, points being taken off for this sort of a title change would be somewhat counterproductive, since the "(Better Sound)" tells users that what they are seeing is an already existing YTMND that has been updated, rather than one that is stealing an image and text and using a different sound.

One solution I can think of is to compare the changed title with the original, and if enough of it is the same, exempt it from a point change.

Or a version/update 'tag' system could be implemented. When you make changes to a YTMND, it gives you an option of incrementing a version number (like "This is a funny YTMND" to "This is a funny YTMND 1.1"), and/or an option of adding 'update tags' based on what you updated ("This is funny YTMND Sound"). Based on User Options, the update tags may disappear after the update is viewed.

Another thing I can think of is a Subtitle option for YTMNDs. You'd probably get fewer characters for these, just enough for something like "Updated!" "Updated Sounds!" etc.

Perhaps while on the YTMND homepage, these 'update tags' and/or subtitles remain hidden and appear when you roll over the title with your mouse.

The ideas of the 'update tags' and the subtitles have the bonus of being ideas that allow people to announce updates while not making any direct changes to the point system. They also have the least chance of users finding ways to confuse the system into letting them make what are in reality major changes to a title which just seem to be mostly the same (for example, anagrams) without losing points.

I'm sure after doing all that work coding the most recent update and finding this little post of suggestions for more updates will cause poor max to desire to drive some kind of large, cumbersome object, such as a lamp (plugged in) deep into my eye socket. I apologize deeply if such is the case, and will now stop typing, save to mash out four tildes to associate this half-baked babbling with myself.

Koncur 07:28, December 5, 2006 (CST)

You forgot "Captainobvious 09:50, December 5, 2006 (CST)". -CO

Also, I think the idea of HOF will work out quite well, preventing anyone from ever modifying the site so we don't end up with another hack like with the Picard Song. And the new modifcation points will put an end to those site-changing trio of Dr. 1337, the hive, and lazytown4's first Stephanie site. Maplejet 10:09, December 5, 2006 (CST)