Mefi Medals

February 28, 2012 9:56 AM

Simple post: Metafilter achievements/badges/Mefi medals would be amusing. Is there any likelihood they'll ever happen/ideas on what people would like?

I'd imagined things like meetup badges and 50 favourite comments and whatnot. Just fun stuff. Maybe a badge for the first time DTMFO was used, or just for a best answer in AskMe. That kinda stuff.

posted by jaduncan to Feature Requests at 9:56 AM (75 comments total)

We can already put whatever we want on our profile pages... I think that'd be a good place for such a thing to remain.

Pony-shooting badge
posted by Zed at 9:59 AM on February 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

Achievement Unlocked: Inspire Nerdrage
posted by Rock Steady at 9:59 AM on February 28, 2012 [5 favorites]

They would be amusing to talk about (we've had at least a couple of jokey threads doing that to some degree or another in the past) because it's a funny idea; I think it's pretty deeply unlikely that they will actually happen, because implementation has a lot of tricky implications that entertaining brainstorming-for-fun does not.
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:00 AM on February 28, 2012

Love the idea, but in practice anything that would create a competitive atmosphere or any sort of arbitrary "You get something and someone else doesn't" indicator would be problematic here. I totally hear you that it would be fun and I wouldn't mind seeing something like this at some sort of external-to-the-site level, but as something we'd implement, I think it's unlikely.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:01 AM on February 28, 2012 [2 favorites]

Badges usually reward good behavior, but they have lots of unintended consequences. It's not likely that we'd ever do something with this, mostly because it's so hard to quantify the best behavior ("you just earned a badge for being really decent in how you responded to that flamebait!").
posted by mathowie (staff) at 10:02 AM on February 28, 2012 [3 favorites]

Matt, I thought we agreed on "unlikely", not "not likely". I don't even know why I write these talking points up if you're not gonna read them.
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:06 AM on February 28, 2012 [21 favorites]

Achievement Unlocked: Old School Mod Smackdown
posted by Rock Steady at 10:08 AM on February 28, 2012 [10 favorites]

Haughey loses one merit badge.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:08 AM on February 28, 2012

Hmm. 4 out of the first 6 six respondants are people with badges telling us we don't need no stinking badges. Interesting.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:09 AM on February 28, 2012 [26 favorites]

Achievement Unlocked: "Triple Play" -- Get three mods to tell you that your idea is bad within 5 minutes.
posted by empath at 10:09 AM on February 28, 2012 [17 favorites]

If we have this, I demand we institute Demerits as well.
posted by griphus at 10:10 AM on February 28, 2012

Achievement Unlocked: "Low Hanging Fruit" Make an obvious joke one minute after someone else beat you to it.
posted by empath at 10:10 AM on February 28, 2012 [2 favorites]

Someone could just make a MeFi badges site, that uses the infodump, and then provide cut-and-paste text for your profile.
posted by smackfu at 10:10 AM on February 28, 2012

Love the idea, but in practice anything that would create a competitive atmosphere or any sort of arbitrary "You get something and someone else doesn't" indicator would be problematic here.

Easy for someone with a GOLD STAR to say.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 10:11 AM on February 28, 2012 [2 favorites]

(Well, a former gold star.)
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 10:11 AM on February 28, 2012

If we have this, I demand we institute Demerits as well.

And you can only comment when holding the conch!
posted by mannequito at 10:13 AM on February 28, 2012

a former gold star

Exactly.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:13 AM on February 28, 2012 [6 favorites]

My star is background colored.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:14 AM on February 28, 2012 [11 favorites]

I used to have a Glenn Gould star, but Colm Feore wouldn't stop making short films about it so I sold it on ebay.
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:22 AM on February 28, 2012 [3 favorites]

DTMFO

Day time moderation flame out?
posted by mattbucher at 10:29 AM on February 28, 2012

I miss Jessamyn's gold star! It made me happy every single time I saw it.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 10:29 AM on February 28, 2012 [7 favorites]

I used to have a Booster Gold star, but Doomsday destroyed it.
posted by Rock Steady at 10:32 AM on February 28, 2012 [2 favorites]

Could be fun for the first week of April, or first day even.
posted by Elmore at 10:34 AM on February 28, 2012

I gave my star to someone less fortunate. I'm saintly like that. Please, no accolades.
posted by Miko at 10:44 AM on February 28, 2012 [2 favorites]

The MrMoonPie medal goes to the coolest guy on Metafilter named MrMoonPie.
posted by MrMoonPie at 10:45 AM on February 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

I sold my star to buy drugs.
posted by jonmc at 10:57 AM on February 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

Because actual achievement badges or whatever are unlikely to ever exist on Metafilter, I have created my own system of achievements that are purely a mental exercise to help me be a better Mefite. Basically, there's a short list of Mefites who inspire me. Their contributions are consistently helpful, respectful, and fantastic. I won't bore you by identifying any of them by name, but they are specific people to whom I look for a sort of benchmark.

Whenever I make a comment that I think captures a little bit of reflected awesome from one of those people, I mentally make a note that I got the [username] achievement.
posted by The World Famous at 11:04 AM on February 28, 2012

Cool idea. I could hand out the IRFH Achievment Award for Excellence in Bullshit.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:11 AM on February 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

Not to you, I mean. Just in general.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:12 AM on February 28, 2012

My bullshit is rarely excellent.
posted by The World Famous at 11:17 AM on February 28, 2012

My bullshit is sometimes so excellent, the bulls actually want it back.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:20 AM on February 28, 2012 [7 favorites]

We should have an annual Swimsuit issue.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:27 AM on February 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

Someone give me a badge, I want attention.
posted by Wolfdog at 11:31 AM on February 28, 2012

Obligatory
posted by Mister Fabulous at 11:32 AM on February 28, 2012 [2 favorites]

Basically, there's a short list of Mefites who inspire me.

Some of you might be pleased to learn that there's a short list of Mefites that I regard as touchstones. Of course, you might be less pleased if you remember that Touchstone was a clown.

If medals are awarded, they should be little metal belt loops. Like the Webelos.
posted by octobersurprise at 11:39 AM on February 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

If we get achievements I would like to create an achievement that new members get the first time they log in called 'Congratulations on being the xxth visitor to the site! You get a unique achievement to commemorate this forever'.
So existing members couldn't have it.
posted by jacalata at 11:49 AM on February 28, 2012

If medals are awarded, they should be little metal belt loops.

I was thinking pogs.
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:54 AM on February 28, 2012 [2 favorites]

"I was a backtagging superstar."
posted by crunchland at 12:13 PM on February 28, 2012 [3 favorites]

Someone give me a badge, I want attention.

Fine, whatever!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:16 PM on February 28, 2012 [5 favorites]

"I'm a backtstabbing superstar."
posted by mazola at 12:18 PM on February 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

"We don't need no steenkeeng badges...."
posted by Lynsey at 12:31 PM on February 28, 2012

I've shagged the most users.
posted by Burhanistan at 12:32 PM on February 28, 2012

Thank you. That was surprisingly gratifying.
posted by Wolfdog at 12:33 PM on February 28, 2012

10 points from Slytherin!
posted by DreamerFi at 12:34 PM on February 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

Whatever. If you all wanted stars, you had your chance.
posted by psoas at 12:35 PM on February 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

> Thank you. That was surprisingly gratifying.

I'm sure you were thanking Brandon and not me, because I don't recall bedding you.
posted by Burhanistan at 12:35 PM on February 28, 2012

Burhanistan: I'm sure you were thanking Brandon and not me, because I don't recall bedding you.

What are you talking about? Take a look at Wolfdog's profile picture and tell me you don't remember that.
posted by gman at 12:37 PM on February 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

That actually resembles the badge I was thinking of issuing...
posted by Burhanistan at 12:39 PM on February 28, 2012

Yes, that is what we programmed you to think.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:48 PM on February 28, 2012

At last, something to strive for.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 12:50 PM on February 28, 2012 [2 favorites]

I swim through my favorites daily like Scrooge McDuck in his vault so I probably don't also need achievements to hunt.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 1:04 PM on February 28, 2012

I'm sure you were thanking Brandon and not me, because I don't recall bedding you.

Thats another badge you've earned.
posted by karathrace at 1:14 PM on February 28, 2012

IT'S DANGEROUS TO GO 
  ALONE! TAKE THIS.

         ★

posted by mendel at 1:39 PM on February 28, 2012 [4 favorites]

Love the idea, but in practice anything that would create a competitive atmosphere or any sort of arbitrary "You get something and someone else doesn't" indicator would be problematic here.

That's easy to avoid. Just create a "You don't have any achievements" achievement.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 1:56 PM on February 28, 2012

I think favorites are already doing enough in the perverse incentives department.

Listen, if you want to have something on your profile, write it up and put it in there. We've been trained to value our contributions through how many "likes" or favorites something's had, or how many headshots we've done, or how many cupcakes we've made in CupCakeVille.
We're no longer creators, we're consumers being tricked into thinking we're creating. Metafilter has been a holdout against this- let's express ourselves through our words, not through gamified gimmicks.
posted by dunkadunc at 1:59 PM on February 28, 2012 [2 favorites]

No matches found for "pastel suited jackal"

Wasn't this an award at some point? For something? maybe a decade ago? Am I old? AM I WEARING PANTS? ARE THEY YOURN?
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 2:04 PM on February 28, 2012

I'd prefer badgers.
posted by Splunge at 2:14 PM on February 28, 2012

jessamyn still has a star.
posted by deborah at 3:14 PM on February 28, 2012 [2 favorites]

How about instead of medals we get Pogs
posted by Sticherbeast at 3:28 PM on February 28, 2012

There are incentives for being perverse?

Count me in.
posted by philipy at 3:29 PM on February 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

I think if we ever do decide to have these, they definitely need to be called "gamified gimmicks."
posted by crunchland at 3:47 PM on February 28, 2012

I thought this was what spousing was for.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 3:51 PM on February 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

I'd prefer tittification over gamification anyway.
posted by Burhanistan at 4:11 PM on February 28, 2012

And that was kind of stupid, sorry.
posted by Burhanistan at 4:14 PM on February 28, 2012

Fine, whatever!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:14 PM on February 28, 2012

Oh, my.
posted by Burhanistan at 4:16 PM on February 28, 2012

Fine, whatever!
Better than the bare from the other day.
posted by arcticseal at 5:12 PM on February 28, 2012

One of the things I actually implemented over on Gamefilter (because it seemed like a Fun Thing To Do) was Achievements.

Gamefilter hasn't gone over as gangbusters as I might have hoped (which is the usual fate of X-filter offshoot sites -- why post there when there's a much larger audience and community here is the perfectly understandable feeling, I think), but there was a pretty big flurry of friendly achievement-seeking competition in the early days of the site.

One of the things that I noticed was that the juice-goose that people get from unlocking an achievement comes fast and furious in its early stages -- posting your first (10th, 50th) comment or thread, thanking your first (10th, 50th) contribution from someone else, but after a while, it slows down, because the 'levels' come less frequently.

For example, it's not that long from your first comment to your tenth, then a little longer to your 100th, then longer still to your 500th and so on (all of which unlock achievements at Gamefilter).

So achievements work, if they work at all, to incentivize participation for newer users, and not so much for long-time users. I'm not sure Metafilter needs a mechanic like that, even if achievements were a thing Matt and company wanted to do. Let alone how you'd deal with the massive existing userbase and their cheevo-lust for participation past.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:25 PM on February 28, 2012

Achievements list is here, if anyone wants a look. If you're logged-in, the ones you've gotten are lit up.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:34 PM on February 28, 2012

Can we give our own achievements? I think I'm just going to MefiMail badge links when I think someone deserves an achievement.

*"Keep Calm and Carry On" achievement badge for people who continue to tirelessly, patiently, rationally engage others in a contentious thread.

*"The Drink's on Me(fi)" badge for earning a spot on the sidebar.

*"Sally Fields" badge (you like me, you really, really like me!) for an FPP that particularly impressed me.
posted by misha at 7:05 PM on February 28, 2012

I would like to have the ability to put small images on profile pages, so we could all make and award badges for one another. I dibs the Sloth badge. Or mnayeb Ba dTyepening.
posted by theora55 at 7:27 PM on February 28, 2012 [4 favorites]

I suppose the ultimate answer will be for some enterprsing MeFite to write up a service to do this by mining the infodump and provide a suitable API for it to be included in the profile page the way twitter and flickr are.
posted by Ad hominem at 8:00 PM on February 28, 2012 [2 favorites]

Sir! Sir! Can I be milk monitor? Me, sir!
posted by Decani at 9:43 AM on February 29, 2012

Official MeFi Big Fucking Medal
posted by homunculus at 12:32 PM on February 29, 2012

Heh. Anyone who moans about the quality of the site falling off should read the thread linked in that post.
posted by Burhanistan at 12:35 PM on February 29, 2012