Ok, we've had a lot of great feedback from you the readers via the comments here at SpoilerTV and to my ever increasing bulging Inbox :)As a result of this feedback and discussions we've had internally here at SpoilerTV we're making the following changes with immediate effect.
Badgeville Points Changes
1) You no longer get extra points for being the first to comment on an article.
2) Each comment you post is now only worth 1 point per comment rather than the 4 points previously.
Comment Policy
Over the course of the last 6 months we've seen an increase in comments such as "OK!", "First!", "Thanks" to a large number of articles here at SpoilerTV.
These comments don't help kick start any meaningful conversation and only serve to clutter up the comments.
Starting Today we're going to delete these types of comments, and if users continue to post them, they will receive a 1 week ban in the comments.
There are times where a simple "Thanks" is OK. These are for posts such as when we release a new feature to the site, or make an announcement etc.
But for when we post things such as a new Promo, Sneak Peek, Photos etc. Just saying thanks is NOT required or permitted.
You can show your thanks by clicking the Facebook Like button, or the Tweet button or the Google+1 button, or you could leave a comment about what you like about the article. Or kick start some discussion about the Promo or Set Photos or whatever the article is about. If you've taken the time previously to type "Thanks" why not spend a little time adding some more to make your comment interesting to others reading it.
We LOVE reading your comments but lets try to make them more meaningful and interesting ;)
And for all the comedians out there, yes you can say "Thanks" to this post :)
Thanks ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks!
ReplyDeleteInteresting changes! I'll try to cut back on my "thanks" and start saying more in posts. (I try my best!)
ReplyDeleteFifth!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea, I'm glad this is place. The consent first posts of just 'thanks' to so many posts (and from, generally, the same few people) was starting to put me off.
ReplyDeleteHa lol
ReplyDelete*slaps you about a bit with a kipper*
ReplyDeleteSome good changes, I've never really understood why people only post the comment 'thanks' it just seems kind of pointless.
ReplyDeleteI like this change. It shows how involved you are with this site and I'm happy about that, because it's a part of our lives in some way. So thanks!
ReplyDelete:O
ReplyDeleteHow COULD YOU!?
He he
ReplyDeleteWow...I didn't realize that this had so much... intense planning behind it. I don't even keep up with my points. :| I'm just here for the discussions. Although now that you mention it, I have noticed a lot of comments like that.
ReplyDeleteeven when i try i don't post anythin meaningful LOL. i think we need extra points for the clever use of "thats what she said"
ReplyDeletelol
ReplyDeleteI can't say that I agree with the reduction in points for posting comments. I don't get why the simple action of clicking a button (for Facebook, Twitter, or Google) receives a larger reward than actual discussion amongst the Spoiler TV community. Isn't discussing the shows one enjoys with other like-minded fans the impetus for Spoiler TV in the first place?
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the "thanks" posts and the removal of extra points earned for being first to comments, I wholeheartedly agree. I can't tell you how much it annoys the hell out of me when I see that someone has commented on a show topic that I'm interested in only to click the topic heading to find out that "thanks" was the only thing they had to say. For someone who likes seeing discussions and opinions about the shows they follow, it's extremely frustrating.
I just wanted to automatically say "thanks" for an update, but it feels kind of weird now, so not sure what to write... Gotta think and go back;)
ReplyDeleteHey Bruce,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your input. The reason we decided to make other forms more "worthy" is that they provide great benefits for SpoilerTV insomuch that it gives us extra exposure potentially to people who may not be aware of SpoilerTV.
We hope that people who want to comment will comment anyway without the incentive of points.
I totally agree with your "Isn't discussing the shows one enjoys with other like-minded fans the impetus for Spoiler TV in the first place?". Hopefully that will not change with a small reduction with points. Looking at the recent poll, only 25% or so of people actually use badgeville.
Like all things we do at SpoilerTV we constantly monitor the effects of any changes we make here and we really do listen to ALL feedback.
"Thanks" for these types of posts is still welcomed :)
ReplyDeleteI think it's kind of automatic thing to do;) To say thanks to sb who actually finds time to make a post. For me, it was always a sign of simple politeness, but when I look at it now, wow, there really was way too many comments like this;)
ReplyDeleteWell, as I mentioned in the feedback topic, the introduction of points and badges doesn't change the manner or the frequency in which I post. I will continue to be the same opinionated blowhard I always am. :)
ReplyDeleteMeh, I'm not here for the points really :D
ReplyDeleteOk, so thanks:) Nice to see people caring about this site so much. It's definitely my favorite site!
ReplyDeleteI'm guilty of that sometimes! hahah but I agree with the changes! :P I then just click on the +1 or Like button if I have nothing interesting to say! :D
ReplyDeleteHa, thanks fine ;) Yes clicking those buttons REALLY helps the site.
ReplyDeleteThanks Justine, that's very kind of you.
ReplyDeleteFirst comment:) Thanks for letting us newbies know there was a problem,but I am more of a lurker.
ReplyDeleteI'm also happy about this change.
ReplyDeleteAt least, post a sentence with your thoughts about what was posted. :D
I get it. I moderate a forum where we don't allow one sentence posts. We consider it spam and it clogs up the threads. I've been enjoying the comment section and I'm sure the activity will not decrease among STV users. :)
ReplyDeleteI've always said thanks because it takes time and effort to seek out information and post it, even if the entire post is just the name of an episode, which doesn't usually warrant or generate any discussion. That was always my only way of interacting and thanking people because I'm not going to 'like', +1 or tweet anything as I don't like sites trying to cross platforms that way.
ReplyDeleteIf that's unwanted that's perfectly fine too, I do like the idea of there being more discussion.
THANKS!!!!!! I mean that wholeheartedly and I don't care if I get badge points for it or not. :-) I think this will help SpoilerTV return to its former glory of being the number one site to discuss TV on the internet. Thank you also for being a site that really cares about what the community thinks. It shows in all the improvements you continually make but especially in the fact that you took time to listen to how we feel about those changes. A lot of sites would have just said suck it up. It's a privilege to be part of this community. You rock Andy!
ReplyDeleteHa, thanks ;) I thought you might like this change. Appreciate the feedback and the kind comments.
ReplyDeleteAnd we love you for it. Every time I go to a thread and see that you have posted, I know there's going to be interesting conversation (that I will most likely disagree with). You, I at least know for sure have watched the show you are commenting on.
ReplyDeleteFantastic! I haven't really spent much time on here in the last little while (unrelated to any comments being lame), but it's good to know that this is a thing that is happening :D.
ReplyDeleteSame to you, Dahne. I may not agree with you but I know I'll always have something to talk about when you post.
ReplyDeleteHi Tonya! Welcome to SpoilerTV. I hope you post more comments because the community at SpoilerTV is awesome. Not only do you get all the great late-breaking TV news, but I have made some good friends through this site.
ReplyDeleteUNRELATED, I just noticed that you are in the "Top 1" users on this site :P. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteHuge fan of this!
ReplyDeleteI'm happy with the changes. I really enjoy reading the comments on posts about my favorite shows and it was disappointing when a good amount of them were "thanks" or something similar. Thank you for putting so much effort into caring for the site!
ReplyDeleteHa, yes. It is a constant reminder that I talk too much. Unfortunately, it hasn't seemed to change the copious amount of comments I make. :-P What can I say? I love discussing TV.
ReplyDeleteGreat initiative. And I'd like to say how much I appreciate the continued evolvement of this site. I've been part of other fora that went stale really fast, and this one just feel much more alive. So THANK YOU to all the people on the SpoilerTV Team and all the people who submit scoops and comment and vote.
ReplyDeletegood to know...hopefully it will start interesting conversations
ReplyDeleteI'm so pleased about this. It is nice to be thanked, but I think you know Andy, how grateful we all are for everything you (and your team) do.
ReplyDeleteSpoilerTV has the best community of any site I've come across, mainly because people generally are so respectful of each other's opinion, and I agree, it's hard to discuss a 'thanks'. :)
ha thanks jlllyanne, that's very kind of you.
ReplyDeleteThis made me smile and oddly it made my coffee taste better too! XD
ReplyDeleteShapeshifter!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt has to be. I mean the real Cadence disappears and then returns looking the exact same. I call shapeshifteR!!
*points in accusatory manner well muttering incoherent expletives under my breath*
ReplyDeletelol thanks again ;)
ReplyDeleteThe only time I actually make an effort to make more posts for points is when I get a badge with some TV show character I don;t like!
ReplyDeleteI think I made 10 or 11 random comments in 5 minutes on Vampire Diaries posts to get rid of seeing Bonnie!~ XD
Nice! Should make for some good conversation.
ReplyDeleteJust some feedback ... this doesn't affect me because I'm much too wordy to reply with just a "thanks," but if I were new to the site, and my post was deleted or I was penalized because I wrote "thanks," I might consider this a pretty unfriendly website. I understand not rewarding that kind of post, and maybe even deducting points with Badgeville, but I think deleting the comments or banning users is going too far.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I don't think I've ever been annoyed by "thanks" posts, and I attribute that to the fact that I use the site less often than some other people. My guess is that most occasional users never even think about the "thanks" comments.
Thanks Chris, don't worry, we'll be sure to let new users know before we go around deleting/banning. It's more for the people who keep doing it after being told not to. But I appreciate the concern ;)
ReplyDeleteGood to know
ReplyDeleteWhat about : "applauds", "best show ever!", "yayyyy!" and "agreed!"?? :-p
ReplyDeleteSometimes even just a "thank you" can help starting a great discussion. You can ask my husband, that's how we met! :-D
Anyway I got your point of view and I noted!
I tha... well I appreciate your idea to push people to add meaningfull comments and to debate. :-D
I agree about the respectful reaction of "Thanks" - but if one was posted I just choose to 'like' that, rather than repeat someone else's statement.
ReplyDeletei am agree about the thanks thing but eliminate all the point please instead only 1 points add one more a 2.
ReplyDeleteLOL! Thanks for the post, I'm sure we'll all try harder in the future to make our comments more exciting XD
ReplyDeleteThought this policy may drop by for an indefinite visit at some point. Great stuff, they did start to wind me up a little...
ReplyDeleteWith my TV teasers I like to say an introductory hello and thanks for reading, any questions etc etc for people new to the site, and often find myself rushing to type something just so it's at the top of the comments section!
This is a concern for me too: although I disliked the proliferation of throw-away comments, and I know that most of the time the intent will be fairly obvious, often some of the information posted here can elicit gob-smacked elation or incoherent wailing, which is not conducive to communication. I love it (SO MUCH!! :D ), but sometimes all I can stutter out is OMG.
ReplyDeleteI am also sure that the common sense and intelligence portrayed by our gracious hosts will continue when applied to this new, timely rule, I just want to be sure that I don't accidentally do anything to cut myself off from this river of revelations! ;-)
Don't worry, we're a fair bunch here at SpoilerTV :)
ReplyDeleteWhat we're looking to do is to stop the people saying "thanks" or "first" etc to every post. We realise at times things like"WTF" or OMG etc are fine.
We won't ban anyone unless we feel they are excessively abusing the comments systems ;)
Any I'm only ever 1 email away ;)
Awesome, i love it, thanks a lot for this change. :D But mostly i just love that you take the time to listen and to make your own choices. I love it that you made this choice, but wouldn't have respected it if you hadn't too. :)
ReplyDeleteI got to the point that if I wanted to explain a poll or something else I posted, I would type out my comment in Blogger. Then I would cut and paste it in as soon as I uploaded the thread just to make sure there wouldn't be a ton of thanks before I could finish typing. It usually worked.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting a referral to this post on one of the other pages. I wouldn't have seen it otherwise. And, kudos on the policy change.
ReplyDeleteHow can there be any real discussions with one word posts such as "thanks" "okay" etc
ReplyDelete:P
Laughing on the inside.
ReplyDeleteI don't see the drama. Most sites encourage comments and interaction with their users, but here you have to put stipulations on what they can and can't say. Doesn't really promote a nice atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
ReplyDeleteWhile I respectfully understand the idea behind this change, I have finally come to a sort of opinion on this issue:
ReplyDeleteI kinda feel like Pavlov's dog... I already senselessly +1 and tweet to the maybe 20 people that actually see that stuff, and I'm not going to like everything or share everything on facebook that I come across here because over the course of the day it would be around a dozen links and likes,etc... Even if I only liked 1 link a day, I've personally been annoyed by a similar situation where a friend constantly posted from a website he or she liked, and all it did was make me want to unsubscribe to them.
In short: this doesn't affect my behavior on this site for you to receive more hits, which I would suppose is the outlying objective.
Now, I get that I'm probably not a representative of the majority of the people that visit here but all this effectively does for me as a commentator and hopefully one you see as a contributor, is take me out of the running for the "prize" which is the objective you set for people to achieve every month... I comment frequently and as you pointed out, that's not likely to change due to the badgeville incentive. You're not trying to lure my attention, but the attention of those I am able to share with.
However, outside of the projected lower rates of "thanks" and "first" comments, (which--in my humble and not professional opinion--could've been handled the same way: banning through repetition after warning, SANS the point reduction on posts) seems to be the main thing that would change in this scenario. Obviously your main goal in the long-term is to have more shares, more +1s, more mentions on tweets...and I suppose that's what will happen. But I would expect with the way this site's been expanding that it would happen either way with or without the reduction in points on an individual's posts.
Let me reiterate that overall I've never been that involved with keeping up with my badgeville points. If anything, the only thing that I'd relatively worry about is my placement in the top 100 posters, and whether or not people are liking what I am posting, but even though this issue I feel is kinda moot (we're talking about reduction on points on posting on an online website comments section, after all) I just believe that it feels to me like the overall reduction in comment points just reduces, in a way, the value of that comment to the user... You're implementing a plan that will detract people from posting "bad" or "unwanted" quickie messages, yet you're not implementing a counterplan, one that would compliment people who take the time to post well-thought-out explanations or opinions that DO contribute to a good conversation. It just sort've feels like you're taking away the "cherry on top" from my ice cream sundae.
This post has become ridiculously convoluted and I've gotten very serious over a minor change, and for that I apologize, because I really haven't paid any attention to the Badgeville level before, but unfortunately I'm probably going to pay even less attention to it now.
I just think that the devaluing of comments doesn't actually work for positively reinforcing the need to click those like buttons at all. I think (much like this whole post of mine) this is much adieu about nothing at all.
gah! i was about to type "thanks" as my comment but then i saw the last line.
ReplyDeletenow it's not as fun
changes are all good :) i love this site but i'm going away for half the year so i probably won't be able to comment or even go on the site until i get home in july
i'm gonna miss ya spoilertv and the whole community here. these last 2 years i've spent here has been so much fun thanks to all the hard work put in by everyone on the site.
Thanks for the feedback Wilson, always appreciated. It's always very helpful to get to understand how people use and interact with site.
ReplyDeleteBeing a site that gets some 6 Million visits a month from over 150+ different countries it's actually impossible to get it right for everyone :) It's a constant juggling act that we have to do to try and find the best common ground for the our users to ensure we get the functionality and content right. It's an ever moving target and as you know we constantly refine things, tweak things, add things, remove things and then constantly monitor how those changes impact people.
Our badgeville license is up for renewal in June/July and we'll have a think about what will happen at that point etc.
love the title.. well, sometimes it's pretty hard to find a response to post so Thanks looks like the best to 'thank' :)
ReplyDeleteanyways, no thanks from me anymore :P
I agree with what you have done here and I personally don't comment a lot unless I have something to say, but I think what you have done should work both ways. I like reading the comments but hate when someone leaves a book to read in the comment section. There should be a limit to how long your comment can be as well as how short too. I love this site and I have nothing against anyone so please no one take it that way but just wanted to give my opinion.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rick. Yep, we'll be constantly monitoring things to make sure things work properly and that people don't abuse the comments ;)
ReplyDeleteThis change has come about due to a discussion with users who wanted something done about a problem. I fail to see how that doesn't promote a nice atmosphere myself, a lot of sites aren't half as friendly and remain aloof when members complain about something.
ReplyDeleteHi Evelyn Winchester ,
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, there is no "drama". We're just tweaking our already awesome community of commentators.
A lot of people were getting a little frustrated with seeing an article with a lot of comments but when reading the comments they were all "Thanks" etc.
So all we've done is simply ask people to refrain from those sorts of comments. If they want to thank the person who posted the article etc a simple click on one of the many social buttons is thanks enough.
IMHO, the atmosphere here at SpoilerTV is the best I've ever come across online. People are intelligent, friendly, funny, helpful and most important respectful to other peoples thoughts and opinions.
We hope that this change actually improves our community further.
Hope that helps explain the changes.
IMO the best way to show your appreciation for a site like this is just by continuing use it, everytime you come back you're basically showing your thanks and appeciation.
ReplyDeleteI've been coming to this site on a daily basis for 2 years now I think, its my go to place for pretty much all things TV. Thats how I show my appreciation just by coming back.
Oh no!! 1 point per comment? climbing up the ranks is gonna take aaaaagess! :p hahha!
ReplyDeleteI'm actually pretty happy about this. I always try to come up with something more to say than thanks. And if I can'tn actually think of anything else to say, I usually decide not to comment!
ReplyDeleteAlso, does this mean you're getting rid of the Trendsetter Badge altogether or just reworking how you advance in it?
Thanks Julia. The trendsetter still works if your the first person to Facebook like a post :)
ReplyDeletethanks. ;P
ReplyDeleteit will be a lot more work for you guys, moderating the comments more comprehensively now....are you up for it? :P
ReplyDeleteHaha, I'm the same way, and did the same thing with Miss Bonnie. When I have a character I like, and know the next one is one that I hate, I actually start posting less too.
ReplyDeleteOh yes ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm totally good with these changes. I lurked this site for around two or three years before I finally registered and everything. I earned no points at all that way, and still absolutely loved this site.
ReplyDeleteWell, thank you!
ReplyDeleteEven though I am not completely sure that I have never done it, it often annoyed me a lot when I had to scroll down the entire comment section, maybe even hit next, before getting anything real.
The like button is awesome!
I like comments! they make me think about things from different angles.
This should help a lot, I stopped reading after the 2nd or third thanks and I probably missed a great one more than once.
ReplyDeleteVery good decision
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU for changing this. I was so annoyed with all those "thanks!" posts. I'd much rather even get only 1 point for ten comments or so, if that means we can actually really talk again about the spoilers that are posted.
ReplyDeleteHe he , yep, we've already seen an improved level of comments already today :)
ReplyDeleteExcellent! I've despised that silly THANKS! stuff since my first day on the site. I'm interested in back-and-forth conversation, and those THANKS! posts don't contribute to the dialogue at all.
ReplyDelete:) Great news for the ''thanks'' from some people just to get points...and the ',first comment'', it was getting annoying to see some 5 pages long article that get posted and someone post 15 seconds later to said he read it all just to get the first comment point
ReplyDeleteObviously :P. Maybe I should have changed my profile picture JUST TO THROW YOU OFF THE TRAIL OF MY NEFARIOUS PLAN to blog about television under the guise of the original Cadence in an attempt to... continue to be... sporadically insightful?
ReplyDeleteThis plan is obviously a work in progress and the Cylons may have been involved in its creation. I'll get back to you in a season or two.
Well rest up for the next 60 or so days since you do not want to sleep through Season 2 starting April 1!
ReplyDeleteHope all is as well as can be and being tired is more of the same and n ot some new taxing situation adding yet more stress!
Lol that was more of a MY JOKE WAS FUNNY, but maybe not, and in case it wasn't, here is my excuse. Naw, it's all last year of degree related :). Almost done though!
ReplyDeleteI did laugh! I oath it!
ReplyDeleteI just wondered if there was truth mixed in with the joke
I guess... I figured the reason. You mentioned before that the workload is killing you, or at least aging you...
I´m glad for this change. I personally don´t comment too much, and I´ve been focusing on writing lately so I´ve been trying to stay away. That´s probably why I haven´t noticed that the "thanks" had gotten this bad, but still on the posts I have seen they seemed to be present, so I understand why it was necessary.
ReplyDeleteThis is by far the best online community I know. People can usually discuss TV here without it ending in taunts, name calling, or trolling. It's not easy to find other sites that can say the same thing. Keep up the excellent job!
ReplyDeleteHa, I don't like Bonnie either, or Matt for that matter.
ReplyDeleteWhen I subscribe to several articles and my inbox has lots of just Thanks, first etc it does not make me happy. I love reading comments that mean something, so yes thanks for this change. I don't use Twitter or Facebook and so don't click on the like buttons...sorry.
ReplyDeleteNow a problem..I just brought home a new computer and my avatar is not showing, plus it keeps asking me to login to earn points which I have done, but the "welcome, guest" sign is right on top of the stations. Is it just me that always has problems?? lol
Quite happy with these new policy on comments that are simple "first", "thanks" etc. I have noticed they do show up a lot and trying to navigate through comments like that to find something of substance can get a little bit annoying. Of course it's great to thank people for posting stuff but it is true that the amount of comments like that have increased recently.
ReplyDeleteI always thought it was one point per comment anyway - clearly I go that wrong :/
Me too!
ReplyDeleteonly just read this...I've done it several times but now know not too. So thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteWhen i first read this i a was a little annoyed,and i guess i still am. There are posts that do require more than a thank you and discussions usually abound,,that being said there are certain people that has a tendency to monopalize
ReplyDeleteSD
Dse
I am glad that the thanks comments will be curbed. Got so tired of seeing them.
ReplyDeleteGracias.
ReplyDeleteI was going to say thanks but I didn't want to get banned.
ReplyDeleteBeing serious, though, I like this policy! Lots less scrolling time for me :)
Good idea. It's a little bit annoying when you see want to read comments to find out what the people think about this or that, but all you can find is "OK" and "Thanks".
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I let a comment a while ago about that. I was finding stupid and rather pointless that so many people where letting thanks everywhere just to get a point.
ReplyDeleteI loved your spoiler. I really don,t want Daryl to die he seems to be more than he was in the begining. I'd depend on him before Rick.I think his decisions are more level headed. Sort of a cool handed Luke
ReplyDeleteI'm very curious about the no "acrophobia" in the NOTE section...
ReplyDeleteWhat's wrong with being afraid of heights?
It's a joke
ReplyDeleteAhahaha, i never noticed that! Lol. :P
ReplyDelete:)
ReplyDeleteFred
ReplyDelete