Change to "posting incentive" - discuss & vote

[richard@imutual]

A few months ago, we debated changing the shares-for-posts incentive. As you will see, most voting members opted for the status quo, but there was a suggestion to revisit the subject.

Since the, we've introduced an additional incentive: bonus shares for posting offers

So on a daily basis, the shares on offer for posting (regardless of quality) has now increased from 2 to 5. We have also seen posting activity increase over the past 12 months from 525 in April 2011 to a new record of 3345 last month. Personally, I feel that this incentive has now achieved its objective and now risks devaluing imutual shares by giving the perception that we give them away too easily. And from recent comments, I know a number of other members share this view.

So I'd like to resurrect the previous proposal in the light of these developments and take a poll of members. The proposed system, with the emphasis on quality rather than quantity of posts, will utilise the forum "Thanks" system and would work as follows:

Each member can receive a reward of up to 50 shares per month, based on thanks received for posts they have made (this is in addition to "Posts of the month" awards). You get 1 share for every member who thanks you (during the calendar month) BUT can only receive 1 share per post . So to receive the maximum of 50 shares, you need to get thanked by 50 different people for 50 different posts.

Example 1:

Kev (fictitious name, and resemblance to real people is purely coincidental etc etc) makes four posts, A, B, C and D

Post A is thanked by Bruce, Raich and Superman
Post B is thanked by Bruce and Raich
Post C is thanked by Bruce, Raich and Planteria
Post D receives no thanks

He has been thanked by 4 different people but only across 3 different posts. Therefore, he receives 3 shares

Example 2:

Garindan makes one post, which is thanked by 20 different people. He receives 1 share

The above example sounds harsh, but the solution is to make more than one good post a month Note that in the above extreme scenario, his one post must also stand a good chance of winning a prize in "Post of the month"

The idea of capping rewards based on unique posts AND unique thankers is:
- To encourage members to post multiple quality posts, rather than relying on a single 'blockbuster' (already recognised in POTM)
- To minimise abuse of the system, where the same posters keep thanking each other

If people are reasonably happy with the above, I suggest we start using it from 1 June

The only other aspect I wondered about is whether to give some kind of incentive for 'thanking'

Thoughts please

You have until 24th May to cast your vote, and you can change your vote at any time up to this date

[kevinchess1]

Garindan makes one post, which is thanked by 20 different people. He receives 1 share

The above example sounds harsh, but the solution is to make more than one good post a month Note that in the above extreme scenario, his one post must also stand a good chance of winning a prize in "Post of the month"
[/quote]

Probably off topic
But this nisn't true
The POTM is consistenly won by posts with less votes than post that don't get the right calibre of thankers
Bac on topic
I'm in favour of reducin the Shares for postin' but at least it's clear(1 post 1 shares)
This seems more complex?

[richard@imutual]

Feel free to suggest a revised proposal

[magnificent7]

I would agree that the forum activity is artificially high. i would however argue that the status quo will lead to a livelier forum and hence a reason to come here instead of big forum sites. I've seen solicitors who used to "live" on the LandlordsForum migrate to MSE. They have vanished from LF even though it's a specialist forum in their proessional field.

Imagine if we can sacrifice a few shares pull the same off. We will be right up there with the big boys. Just a thought.

[superman]

I would agree that the forum activity is artificially high. i would however argue that the status quo will lead to a livelier forum and hence a reason to come here instead of big forum sites. I've seen solicitors who used to "live" on the LandlordsForum migrate to MSE. They have vanished from LF even though it's a specialist forum in their proessional field.

Imagine if we can sacrifice a few shares pull the same off. We will be right up there with the big boys. Just a thought.

As if that's not enough the Arabs and their mega petrodollars have gotten wiff and are on our tail. Etihad (Arab airline) have launched a "airmilesback" site to compete with our cashback site. We pay money and they pay airmiles. I know what you are thinking so what people will go for the money. Well they have millions to spend on marketing and we don't. Guess who will get the numbers faster than we you can imu......?

http://www.earnmiles.etihadguest.com/ey ... rnmallhome

I've started a separate discussion about our latest competition here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11687

[BeautifulSunshine]

It's worth remembering that if you get 1 share per days the total in a year = 365. When we do finally float on the stock market that will likely be only 36 shares (a tenth). There's a term for this but I just can't think of it right now. That means that logically in relation to total shares this share incentive is negligible at best.

[Oggy]

I think it's called Consolidation.

[kevinchess1]

Feel free to suggest a revised proposal

I voted 'Yes' to this propasal because it reduces the amount of Share given away
At the moment it would be possible to earn 155 Shares in May by simply posting
This will reduce it to 140 in June, though it doubtful if anyone would get close to that figure
I'd like to see an eventual reduction in shares for postin to 1-a-day

[rayf]

This will reduce it to 140 in June,

Hi Kevin

just wondering how you get to the 140 figure.

[kevinchess1]

3o days in June. 3 shares a day for postin offers + 5o shares under the new scheme.