Is there not a case for having Forum Ranks by Product or Product Type. It would make more sense to see something like "Product Expert" (or something else in plain English that users can understand and have confidence in) than Phishing Phryer which means nothing to the avarage Symantec user logging in for help and assistance since that designation gives no indication whatever of the actual skills/expertise of the person with that rank.
Do not misinterpret I am saying I am not criticising skills here, I see lots of and lots of great skill and expertise from the ranked members and they are to be highly praised for those skills and their dedication I just think that designations that are more easily understood by Joe and Josephine Average would be useful.
Is there not a case for having Forum Ranks by Product or Product Type. It would make more sense to see something like "Product Expert" (or something else in plain English that users can understand and have confidence in) than Phishing Phryer which means nothing to the avarage Symantec user logging in for help and assistance since that designation gives no indication whatever of the actual skills/expertise of the person with that rank.
Do not misinterpret I am saying I am not criticising skills here, I see lots of and lots of great skill and expertise from the ranked members and they are to be highly praised for those skills and their dedication I just think that designations that are more easily understood by Joe and Josephine Average would be useful.
Is there not a case for having Forum Ranks by Product or Product Type. It would make more sense to see something like "Product Expert" (or something else in plain English that users can understand and have confidence in) than Phishing Phryer which means nothing to the avarage Symantec user logging in for help and assistance since that designation gives no indication whatever of the actual skills/expertise of the person with that rank.
Do not misinterpret I am saying I am not criticising skills here, I see lots of and lots of great skill and expertise from the ranked members and they are to be highly praised for those skills and their dedication I just think that designations that are more easily understood by Joe and Josephine Average would be useful.
<< It would make more sense to see something like "Product Expert" >>
An Expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less until he ends up knowing absolutely everything about nothing while an Amateur is someone who knows less and less about more and more until he ends up knowing absolutely nothing about everything."
Personally I know where I am going .....
I would be embarassed to be labeled an expert whereas a guru I qualify at least on the first grounds ...
[Sanskrit guru elder, teacher.]
Actually when they came in I thought the Forum Rank names were a bit on the daft side but looking at other website forums I see it is pretty common on the technical support side and I still tend to ignore them as others should since I know less than nothing about bot slaying ..... and I hope eveeryone knows that <s>
I think the addition of Guru to someone is a recognition of their expertise and skill and this is widely recognised, I would think, by the vast majority of people coming to the Forums for help and advice and they would attach a fair amount of trust to what was put to them by a Guru.
However, is a Super Spam Squasher better or worse than a Bot Obliterator (rhetorical). Do most of the posters know this, indeed do they care or are they just willing to take advice from anyone whatever their designation be it "Newbie" or "Super Duper three times baked jam sandwich maker".
The forums are there for the posters coming in for help and I think it would help them to better understand us if the Ranks were more meaningful and explanatory and reflected a particular persons skill and expertise on the product in question. For example you may be great at helping with virus/rootkit removal but not so good at how to configure and use Ghost and your "handle" or "Rank" name could and should reflect this to the user.
The forums are there for the posters coming in for help and I think it would help them to better understand us if the Ranks were more meaningful and explanatory and reflected a particular persons skill and expertise on the product in question. For example you may be great at helping with virus/rootkit removal but not so good at how to configure and use Ghost and your "handle" or "Rank" name could and should reflect this to the user.
But if the forum's ranks would work this way, the admins/mods/etc. should give each of us "special ranks" reflecting our skills... And I think this can work only with a little closed group, but here always coming more and more users, and some of them will became of the "core members". Sometimes there are more of them, sometimes somebody leaves, etc.... And what would happen if a Ghost Obligerator (or what is it... :P :D) would like to help in a 360 topic. The user with the 360 Expert rank do not know what to do (sometimes happens....) and the Ghost Ob... knows, but the user will not belive her/him so as (s)he's not the expert of it.
I think these kind a ranks would be great, but only if with these other users would not be confused who is helping them.
Like these ones: Norton Product Master Configuration Manager or something like these... :)
Or, could they not be Listed just below the "Recent Log-In", which is something I have already suggested; this would solve the "Average Person" of knowing how far a User is up the Ranks and how much Trust they can have with a user. I mean, is a Virus Trouncer, for example, the Fifth Rank, or is it Higher than that?
Or, could they not be Listed just below the "Recent Log-In", which is something I have already suggested; this would solve the "Average Person" of knowing how far a User is up the Ranks and how much Trust they can have with a user. I mean, is a Virus Trouncer, for example, the Fifth Rank, or is it Higher than that?
I think that the rank position should be combined with a title (or titles which may differ in each forum area) that reflects the area of skills the individual has.
I don't disagree with what you say but I see the difficulty in determining and applying a valid label especially on line when we do not work together.
Even Symantec Staffers work all round the world but within a group, as in any organization, they have a structure and assessment system worked by people in direct contact with each other and their work.
But we're always looking to the future, and defining a forum member's talents is a great way to build a community. We are working toward a more thorough Rnaking system that includes these same ideas. We're many months away from such a thing, but we are working toward it. Thanks!