Believe it or not, contributing wonderful nodes that nobody reads contributes very little value to the users of the site.

I think you need to take it one step further.

Just as unmined gold contributes to the potential value of land, so does an unread post to the potential value of the site. The problem here is not the post, but the moderation system and its inability to recognize and promote it. This is no easy task, and I could easily write a book on it (probably 10 of them if I were smarter ;) but due to the length, and the fact nobody would see it, I won't get into moderation system design here.

It is important, however, to realize that these "experience points" are not rewarded on the basis of site contribution, but on the basis on site contribution after processing by the moderation system. Or perhaps as Werner Heisenberg would say "What we observe as experience points is not site contribution, but site contribution exposed to our method of moderation."

Suppose that we are wise enough to learn and know and yet not wise enough to control our learning and knoweldge, so that we use it to destroy ourselves? Even if that is so, knowledge remains better than ignorance. It is better to know even if the knowledge endures only for the moment that comes before destruction than to gain eternal life at the price of a dull and swinish lack of comprehension of a universe that swirls unseen before us in all its wonder. That was the choice of Achilles, and it is mine, too.

- Isaac Asimov

A good point. I for one was disapointed not to see you delve into the subject of moderation system design.

Part of the reason I don't elaborate more is that I'm just putting some finishing touches on a system now and plan to test how effective it is in September. At that point I should have a bit better idea of what works and what doesn't. I'll try to remember to get back to you then.

I think that this periodic discussion might be more fruitful if eXPerience were named something like Site Contribution. Because that is pretty much what it measures, and what it is intended to increase.

I think this is a very good idea. Perhaps it's a good idea for a poll. .oO(A serious poll, is that possible here?)

Juerd # { site => 'juerd.nl', plp_site => 'plp.juerd.nl', do_not_use => 'spamtrap' }