Badges and the displaying thereof

die2mrw007

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Re: Badges and the displaying thereof
« Reply #15, on March 17th, 2012, 02:53 PM »
Quote from Arantor on March 17th, 2012, 02:42 PM
That's the thing, I don't know many sites that actually would implement it like that, especially seeing that the implementation would force us to make YOU have badges that are irregular, unusual and hard to make.

Remember: what we implement in the core is not what JUST YOU wants or needs, we have to implement things for everyone to use, and this is too complex for everyone to use as it stands.
yeah, it wasnt actually for me :P
an idea just boomed out reading the replies here.... and I know what I provided is one such foolish thing and hard to make or implement.

But I deny with your view that not many sites use badges... So far I have been registered in forums, there is definitely some or the other badges assigned to special members (Staff, premium, etc)
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Arantor

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Re: Badges and the displaying thereof
« Reply #16, on March 17th, 2012, 02:53 PM »
Quote
But I deny with your view that not many sites use badges... So far I have been registered in forums, there is definitely some or the other badges assigned to special members (Staff, premium, etc)
Well done for misreading what I said. MANY sites use badges. NOT MANY sites use MULTIPLE badges or hybrid badges.
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die2mrw007

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Re: Badges and the displaying thereof
« Reply #17, on March 17th, 2012, 02:56 PM »
Quote from spoogs on March 17th, 2012, 02:47 PM
Ok... So I've always wanted a better way to manage badges and have had many thoughts on what I thought I wanted some seemed logical others panned out to be overly complex. Here is where I am now:

I'd like to see a badge management system more like an award system. I like others do not like the idea of creating a ton load of groups just to display the badges. Being able to create a badge and assign to users (maybe it can be optional to assign to an existing group) with the option to display in addition to or in place of primary membergroup badge. Additional options to display below the info in the user area, above signature, or in user profile might be useful as well. I'd also go for being able to set a badge to expire in x days.

If a member is in more than one group that has a badge, maybe display their primary badge as usual and have secondary badges displayed below the info in user area or in their signature.... maybe a setting that a a max of 3 badges can be displayed above the user avatar and all other subsequently displayed in signature on be the info in the user area.

One setting I would love if no other is to hide the group name/title when a badge is available... ie: There is a badge for Moderator so I wouldn't need/want the name of the group displayed as well.

If any of that makes any sense.
Awesome :)
I completely agree on this !!!
Posted: March 17th, 2012, 02:55 PM
Quote from Arantor on March 17th, 2012, 02:53 PM
Quote
But I deny with your view that not many sites use badges... So far I have been registered in forums, there is definitely some or the other badges assigned to special members (Staff, premium, etc)
Well done for misreading what I said. MANY sites use badges. NOT MANY sites use MULTIPLE badges or hybrid badges.
Ooops...all in hurry, I misread it !!!

Arantor

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Re: Badges and the displaying thereof
« Reply #18, on March 17th, 2012, 02:56 PM »
Quote
I'd like to see a badge management system more like an award system. I like others do not like the idea of creating a ton load of groups just to display the badges.
This is something that's bothered me for years as I'm sure you remember from SimpleDesk; groups are currently used as groups but also as roles, and the two need to be separated in some fashion - and this is part of it.
Quote
Being able to create a badge and assign to users (maybe it can be optional to assign to an existing group) with the option to display in addition to or in place of primary membergroup badge.
Would you actually have a 'primary membergroup badge', though? Wouldn't you do it all as badges through something like this?
Quote
Additional options to display below the info in the user area, above signature, or in user profile might be useful as well. I'd also go for being able to set a badge to expire in x days.
I can see uses for this, sure.
Quote
If a member is in more than one group that has a badge, maybe display their primary badge as usual and have secondary badges displayed below the info in user area or in their signature.... maybe a setting that a a max of 3 badges can be displayed above the user avatar and all other subsequently displayed in signature on be the info in the user area.
This is where it gets complicated, I'm not sure how that would work exactly.
Quote
One setting I would love if no other is to hide the group name/title when a badge is available... ie: There is a badge for Moderator so I wouldn't need/want the name of the group displayed as well.
That works for me.

spoogs

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Re: Badges and the displaying thereof
« Reply #19, on March 17th, 2012, 03:13 PM »
Quote from Arantor on March 17th, 2012, 02:56 PM
Quote
I'd like to see a badge management system more like an award system. I like others do not like the idea of creating a ton load of groups just to display the badges.
This is something that's bothered me for years as I'm sure you remember from SimpleDesk; groups are currently used as groups but also as roles, and the two need to be separated in some fashion - and this is part of it.
That was definitely taken into consideration, if you remember there was time I went on and on about wanting to display the roles in SD vs membergroups to which you did explain the complexity.
Quote from Arantor on March 17th, 2012, 02:56 PM
Quote
Being able to create a badge and assign to users (maybe it can be optional to assign to an existing group) with the option to display in addition to or in place of primary membergroup badge.
Would you actually have a 'primary membergroup badge', though? Wouldn't you do it all as badges through something like this?
You're right, if such a facility existed it should be able to handle all badges whether assigned to users or groups.
Quote from Arantor on March 17th, 2012, 02:56 PM
Quote
Additional options to display below the info in the user area, above signature, or in user profile might be useful as well. I'd also go for being able to set a badge to expire in x days.
I can see uses for this, sure.
Quote
If a member is in more than one group that has a badge, maybe display their primary badge as usual and have secondary badges displayed below the info in user area or in their signature.... maybe a setting that a a max of 3 badges can be displayed above the user avatar and all other subsequently displayed in signature on be the info in the user area.
This is where it gets complicated, I'm not sure how that would work exactly.
What comes to mind is user preference to order the display of their membergroups and/or badges but sounds expensive to me

 :edit: loving the smart tag closer :cool:
Stick a fork in it SMF

abraamz

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Re: Badges and the displaying thereof
« Reply #20, on March 18th, 2012, 01:14 AM »Last edited on March 18th, 2012, 08:21 AM
Quote from Nao on March 16th, 2012, 10:04 PM
A general with a chest full of medals is generally a moron, btw.
In a forum with hot topics named "diaper cake" or "boy or girl, make a guess" a pack of cute "medals" is a must :lol:
Quote from Arantor on March 16th, 2012, 06:35 PM
-sigh- So how do you want to configure it?
Someone else has described configuration nicely[1]. This page might give a hint http://www.connectedmoms.com/awards.php

Reading the above messages makes me think that badges can just be a way to visualize groups. Just like adding tags to members or members to tags but with images. A legend is required somewhere and maybe a hover description.
 1. at least i revived this topic

Arantor

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Re: Badges and the displaying thereof
« Reply #21, on March 18th, 2012, 12:52 PM »
A side matter to attend to: board moderator badges.

I've been thinking about this and I'm inclined to suggest two avenues of badge for it.

1) If the user has a badge already from their primary group, don't bother showing the board moderator one. (Of course, if they have no badge from their primary group but instead post count, use board mod)
2) Show board moderator as an additional badge instead of replacing whatever badge is there.

Which would you use?

spoogs

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markham

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Re: Badges and the displaying thereof
« Reply #23, on March 20th, 2012, 08:25 AM »
Quote from Arantor on March 18th, 2012, 12:52 PM
A side matter to attend to: board moderator badges.

I've been thinking about this and I'm inclined to suggest two avenues of badge for it.

1) If the user has a badge already from their primary group, don't bother showing the board moderator one. (Of course, if they have no badge from their primary group but instead post count, use board mod)
2) Show board moderator as an additional badge instead of replacing whatever badge is there.

Which would you use?
My suggestion would be to show Moderator badges for Moderators' posts in those Forums/boards they manage but show their primary group badge (and not a Moderator badge) elsewhere.


Mark

Arantor

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Re: Badges and the displaying thereof
« Reply #24, on March 20th, 2012, 12:03 PM »
Quote
My suggestion would be to show Moderator badges for Moderators' posts in those Forums/boards they manage but show their primary group badge (and not a Moderator badge) elsewhere.
That's almost how it is now. The only exception to that is for admins and (the original) global moderator groups being the primary group, in both those cases the admin/global moderator badge will override the moderator badge.

Notice here for example. My primary badge is not the admin group, so I get a moderator badge despite the fact that I have a badge, but having it override any other badge I have is... potentially awkward.

The reason I say that is because if you imagine someone posts here now, they'll probably assume that I'm just a local moderator - unless they look around elsewhere. The same thing happens on sm.org actually, if you go to simplemachines.org, and start from http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?board=33.0 - you'll see Kindred making some posts in that board itself and he has a Marketing badge. But if you look at any post he's made in the Mambo or Joomla bridge boards, you'll see he has a local moderator badge. Doing so is potentially very misleading - hence the suggestion to display both together.

PantsManUK

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Re: Badges and the displaying thereof
« Reply #25, on March 20th, 2012, 02:02 PM »
Here's a little bit of blue-sky wishfulness...

My (our) forum is part of our virtual airline (Flight Simulation... visit EuroHarmony VA if you want to learn more), and all pilots have Avatar images that are made automatically for them. They show rank, management level, and awards:-



We use a PHP script to construct these from sub images.

Now, if we could do that sort of a thing (core or plugin) automatically as a badge, I'd be a pig in sh*t...

 :eheh:
Re: Badges and the displaying thereof
« Reply #26, on March 20th, 2012, 02:22 PM »
FYI, I'm *not* suggesting the above gets added to any feature lists or anything. Once there's a way for me to play with the code (and especially plugins), I'll look into this for myself.

While I can envision this being useful to other people in general (heck, to a far lesser extent, it's what the whole thread is about), the specifics of what I'd like to achieve make it far from practical.

 :eheheh:
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markham

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Re: Badges and the displaying thereof
« Reply #27, on March 21st, 2012, 05:06 PM »
Quote from Arantor on March 20th, 2012, 12:03 PM
Quote
My suggestion would be to show Moderator badges for Moderators' posts in those Forums/boards they manage but show their primary group badge (and not a Moderator badge) elsewhere.
That's almost how it is now. The only exception to that is for admins and (the original) global moderator groups being the primary group, in both those cases the admin/global moderator badge will override the moderator badge.

Notice here for example. My primary badge is not the admin group, so I get a moderator badge despite the fact that I have a badge, but having it override any other badge I have is... potentially awkward.

The reason I say that is because if you imagine someone posts here now, they'll probably assume that I'm just a local moderator - unless they look around elsewhere. The same thing happens on sm.org actually, if you go to simplemachines.org, and start from [url]http://www.simplemachines…nity/index.php?board=33.0[/url] - you'll see Kindred making some posts in that board itself and he has a Marketing badge. But if you look at any post he's made in the Mambo or Joomla bridge boards, you'll see he has a local moderator badge. Doing so is potentially very misleading - hence the suggestion to display both together.
I take your point and agree that where someone has two distinct roles, it might be wise to show badges for both. But I would prefer that provision be a decision the site's admin makes as he may have a very good reason for not wishing both to be constantly visible.

Arantor

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Re: Badges and the displaying thereof
« Reply #28, on March 21st, 2012, 05:12 PM »
Quote
But I would prefer that provision be a decision the site's admin makes as he may have a very good reason for not wishing both to be constantly visible.
Oh, yes, I'd come to that conclusion a long time ago. Which means we're left then with the question that's been burning this entire thread: how should you configure it? How exactly do you indicate what badge(s) should be visible for a user?

I'm not talking technical-side, I'll figure that out in due course. I'm speaking specifically about the user interface. It's already complicated enough, and this is a whole level of complexity on top that I'd like to solve definitively rather than vaguely. What SMF had in the past was vague and unprofessional, though certainly workable and no more unexpected than most mods end up with, but I certainly can't use that approach in the core.

(I cannot justify having a facility in the core whereby a single textbox is used by the admin to indicate what badges should be shown in what order. i.e. if a user is in groups 1, 4 and 10, which each have their own badges, and the admin puts in "1,10", it would show badges 1 and 10 for that user in 1/4/10. If I put that interface in, I'd get lynched.)

spoogs

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Re: Badges and the displaying thereof
« Reply #29, on March 21st, 2012, 05:22 PM »
As far as the interface:

Add New Badge - Apply to Member/Group - Display/Hide (check-boxes)
Provide a field to enter the member's name and select boxes to select the groups to apply to.

Options to view/edit/remove the Badge.