Just like our old Mutual Endeavors proboard, the new Fireboard that all of you are using now also has a ranking system that was once referred to as the
Participation Point System. The old program allowed for an infinite number of ranks with an infinite number of visual baubles awarded to those earning them. You can view this old system if you like through the link provided. Doing so helps to understand our new system a little better.
With the new Joomla! system and the Fireboard program, our options are much more limited than they were before. While I can still arrange for any infinite number of rankings, I'm afraid that our visual baubles are not as numerous as they were before. The colors are pretty much the same, though. Instead of stars, however, we're now using colored squares.
Every registered user who posts to our forums has a mini-profile next to their posts to indicate who is creating or replying to a discussion. That image looks a little something like my own here, pictured on the left hand side of the screen. User name with position in parentheses where applicable. In my case you'll see "Ehzoterik (
Admin). Under that is a thumbnail of my personal avatar picture, uploaded on my profile page. Then, under that, you will see four gray bars, and in those bars four very distinct things.
In the first bar is a word. In my case "Admin." That word is the title of the level of ranking any member has earned or been granted. Underneath that word is a set of five colored squares, and this is what differs, along with the title, from person to person. All administrators have five red squares. All moderators have five blue squares. Anyone deserving of being labeled a forum spammer gets honored with five green squares. Everyone else has yellow squares, anywhere from one to five depending.
To earn a ranking, all you have to do is post! And here I will tell you how many posts you must make, either by creating or responding to any given thread, in order to achieve your goal.
- 0 to 99 posts ranks you in as a Newbie, until I can think of a better and less derogatory word. This ranking starts you off with a single filled in yellow square and four remaining shadows that will be filled in as your participation increases.
- 100 to 249 posts earns you the rank as forum Addict, at which point a second yellow square will be filled in.
- 250 to 499 posts earns you the rank of forum Novice, at which point a third yellow square will be filled in.
- Once you reach 500 posts, and up to 999, you earn the rank of forum Scholar. This fills in a fourth yellow square.
- At 1000 points, you are a veritable posting genius. So we give you five full yellow squares and promote you to the ranking of forum Master! But that's not all.
There is one final ranking that is only achievable after participating with up to 5000 posts. At this point you will receive the rank of forum Deity, and instead of having five yellow squares under your title, you will then have five purple ones.
Underneath those fancy colored squares is bold text that reads
Posts and a number in black. That keeps track of the number of posts you have made, obviously, but underneath that is something I like to call the experience bar. Anyone who has ever played any number of role-playing video games probably understands why I call it that. As you post, that green marker grows until it too fills in. Sort of a way of showing you how close you are to winning that next rank.
This system may or may not change. If it does, I will be certain to keep everyone informed.
nickers::
