Monthly Top Posters Contest - August

[TGCA]

Hey Everyone!

Starting in August, we would like to rekindle the monthly top posters report where we spotlight the top 10 contributors each month. To kick things off, we will offer a special prize for the top 3 in August!

You can look back at previous "Forum stats" topics to see the format.

Also, please welcome @Warelin as a new moderator on the forum!

[TGCA]

Here is the unofficial ranking for July(as July isn't over yet), but this one doesn't count anyway ;)....

1) @Adelaide9216
2) @Sigaba
3) @indecisivepoet
4) @Warelin
5) @isma93
6) @mcamp
7) @historygeek
8 @E-P
9) @Psygeek
10) @Bodhicaryavatara

For the August contest I will award the Top 3 Posters $25 Amazon gift cards. This is a slow time of year on the forum, so it won't take much to rise to the top. I will be posting weekly updates to keep everyone in the loop on how well they are doing.

Good luck!

[E-P]

Time to start the Hunger Games!  @historygeek, I have my eye on you. ?

[historygeek]

1 hour ago, E-P said:

Time to start the Hunger Games!  @historygeek, I have my eye on you. ?

Let the games begin!

[TGCA]

August Top Posters Week 1 Update:

1) @Adelaide9216

2) @Sigaba

3) @BabyScientist

4) @Warelin

5) @ResilientDreams

6) @JDtoPhDmaybe

7) @Hk328

8 @bayessays

9) @E-P

10) @kgras13

Great to see a few new members on this list! Remember, top 3 receive a $25 Amazon gift card. The difference between 10th place and 3rd is still quite slim.

Announcement:

I'd like to introduce @telkanuru and @punctilious as new moderators on the forum! Very excited to have them on the team.

[ResilientDreams]

Whoa, I didn't realize that I was in the running for an Amazon gift card...better keep posting.

[Indecisive Poet]

If only I hadn't decided I would post all of my questions in July! ?

[AP]

How does amount of posts speak to the quality of what is being discussed?

[Adelaide9216]

3 hours ago, AP said:

How does amount of posts speak to the quality of what is being discussed?

I agree with you on this.

[TGCA]

On 8/12/2018 at 9:26 AM, AP said:

How does amount of posts speak to the quality of what is being discussed?

It doesn't. This contest is a way to kick off an old Top Posters report that used to be posted monthly for fun. Perhaps in the future we can have a contest based on reputation(https://forum.thegradcafe.com/leaderboard/).

[TGCA]

August Top Posters Week 2 Update:

1) @BabyScientist 

2) @Sigaba

3) @Adelaide9216

4) @Warelin

5) @indecisivepoet

6) @ResilientDreams

7) @historygeek

8  @kgras13

9) @bayessays

10) @FishNerd

[Sigaba]

MOO, the emphasis on number of posts is ill considered given the nature of this BB.

A member could drive up one's post count in a number of existing pass the time threads. Another member could easily confuse the post count as an indication of knowledge and credibility and, in his haste, accept uncritically guidance that does not reflect "best practices" for securing admission to graduate school.

I understand that the new ownership purchased TGC to make money. I think that the ownership team should invest more time developing an understanding of this BB and the needs of its members and, from there, develop a sustainable plan that squares the circle of increasing traffic without diluting the overall quality of the posts.

My $0.02.

[Warelin]

39 minutes ago, Sigaba said:

A member could drive up one's post count in a number of existing pass the time threads. Another member could easily confuse the post count as an indication of knowledge and credibility and, in his haste, accept uncritically guidance that does not reflect "best practices" for securing admission to graduate school.

 

I think this is a very real danger to consider. There's been a recent upsurge in very short posts from some users as well as some advice being offered that could potentially be hurtful to the applicant if followed. If the trend continues, these forums have the potential of losing out on a lot of what makes this community. I also think it could risk losing a lot of people who might otherwise have signed up if they don't believe people are getting quality answers to their questions.

[Adelaide9216]

I agree. I also feel uncomfortable being a top poster because I use this forum a lot to ask questions. I don't feel qualified to answer most of the questions that are on this forum. When I do answer questions and help people out, but it's mostly when they contact me in private message to ask question about my field of study or a specific scholarship that I got and they'd like to get. But otherwise, I don't think I should win something for my posts.

 

 

[TGCA]

1 hour ago, Sigaba said:

MOO, the emphasis on number of posts is ill considered given the nature of this BB.

This contest is a way to spur engagement during downtime. If members inflate their post count in a month to win a contest, they risk losing credibility. The Top Poster report has been around for years as a measure of involvement. Adding in a prize certainly leads to some quality concerns, but it is short term and meant to get people talking.

Thank you for voicing your concern, it is valid and will be considered for future contests.

 

2 hours ago, Sigaba said:

I think that the ownership team should invest more time developing an understanding of this BB and the needs of its members and, from there, develop a sustainable plan that squares the circle of increasing traffic without diluting the overall quality of the posts.

I can assure you we have. I am very thankful for the current mods/senior members who have voiced their opinions/suggestions for improvement. We are doing what we can to improve, but it takes time.

 

1 hour ago, Warelin said:

There's been a recent upsurge in very short posts from some users as well as some advice being offered that could potentially be hurtful to the applicant if followed.

Noted. The point of the contest is to spur engagement. Less experienced users may feel motivated to post when they didn't before. It is possible these users are giving advice they believe is true. I hope if this is happening, regardless of contest or not, more knowledgeable members would also add their opinion.

 

37 minutes ago, Adelaide9216 said:

I also feel uncomfortable being a top poster because I use this forum a lot to ask questions. I don't feel qualified to answer most of the questions that are on this forum.

Asking questions is a valuable part of this community! Many lurkers don't feel comfortable asking questions and prefer to rely on others to do it. This contest/report is simply about getting involved!

-----------------------

Thank you all for the feedback, it is appreciated.

[AP]

On 8/15/2018 at 9:38 AM, TGCA said:

It doesn't. This contest is a way to kick off an old Top Posters report that used to be posted monthly for fun. Perhaps in the future we can have a contest based on reputation(https://forum.thegradcafe.com/leaderboard/).

I still think this misses the whole point of a community forum. 

[ExponentialDecay]

1. I'm not sure why it's a good idea to incentivize superfluous posting? The point of this forum is to provide and retain information. Would anyone find it helpful to wade through dozens of "what's your favorite cat color?"-type postings in order to find what they're looking for?

2. I am likewise sure that ~no one is intentionally giving bad advice that they know is wrong just to watch the world burn, but as in legal parlance, ignorance of the law excuses not: whether they're giving bad advice intentionally or not, they're still doing harm. And it's not realistic to expect experienced members to monitor this BB for n00b answers. We have full time jobs and real lives and stuff. 

[TGCA]

Final results for the August Top Posters Contest. Congratulations to the winners(1-3)! This will wrap up our contest, but we will still post this report as a monthly highlight of active users.

FYI - You can also view the Leaderboard to find top members with the highest reputation during a certain period of time. https://forum.thegradcafe.com/leaderboard/

1) @Sigaba

2) @BabyScientist 

3) @ResilientDreams

3) @Adelaide9216

@Warelin

@historygeek

@juilletmercredi

@Bodhicaryavatara

@Hk328

@bayessays