I know that if you go on vacation and do not zap or create new content for a day you lose the hat, that is a bit harsh, I wish that it was at least two day of no activity before losing it, but at the moment that is the way and in my opinion is a great motivator for many...
If it weren't difficult to maintain the hat, it wouldn't be as fun to have one.
I maintain my hat over 90% of the time, but I do have a family, so there are days I don't get to stacker news. Unfortunately, that makes my number pretty low.
I don't want the hat to change, but if it did, I liked the idea of the hat becoming colorful over time and fading from lack of use.
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Nice! I like the idea
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I like that variation. We generally want to add more games like this.
One we were thinking of is that they top spender for the day becomes The Sheriff and gets a sheriff badge.
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That's awesome! You can have a similar "Days in office" count for that.
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Days in office is keeper. We are definitely going to use that.
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Ha! amusing :)
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I don't think that is a good long term strategy. I get that you're trying to increase engagement. But by playing these games, you are diluting the meaning of your own ranking system. Incentivizing/gamifying votes will seed distrust in scores, and that will cause people to stop zapping.
If I see a highly zapped post, I should never have to think "hm maybe this one happened because someone tried to become 'the sheriff'".
Imo you should be doing the opposite of these games. You should do everything in your power to ensure that "all zaps are created equal". Then, if a post has, say, 2144 sats, users KNOW EXACTLY how that post compares to all others. Incredibly valuable!
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I respect your hypothesis but you assume wannabe sheriffs will zap without concern for what they're zapping. I can imagine them reducing concern but I find this less probable than them just spending more on stuff that they like (or simply donating the sats to rewards).
I think you also underestimate the disincentive to spend at all. These kinds of games are designed to counteract a very strong disincentive. The disincentive creates the signal, sure, but if it's too high content creators/sourcers don't have incentive to create/source.
There's a balance to strike and we are experimenting to get there.
I get that you're trying to increase engagement.
We are trying to increase spending. Engagement is likely both a cause and effect of spending though.
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Nice, thanks for the response. I've been looking at your code and see I greatly underestimated the lengths you go to prevent what I was talking about. I'll try to think of some ideas to help out. Great site!
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Tell me the rules and I'll do anything to keep this fucking cowboy hat
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Part of the fun is supposed to be discovering it. I don't want to ruin that for you but you can probably get someone else to tell you.
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I'll post and upvote everydamn day if I need to
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You've had one for 8 days already. So you're doing something right.
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In the dim glow of neon screens, Where crypto trades are made unseen, My cowboy hat, it gleams, it gleens, Invoking thoughts, some rather obscene.
On stacker news, they know my name, Not just for Bitcoin, but the game, That cowboy look, it lights the flame, A sexy secret, no one can tame.
Cypherpunks whisper in hushed tones, While in the shadows, the market moans, By steak-lit dinners, secret loans, And heated glances, passion dethrones.
Laser eyes, piercing, intent, Lingering where desires are spent, Yearning for that wild ascent, To climactic highs, pure and unbent.
Lightning bolts, electric touch, This crypto world can be too much, But with every sizzle, every clutch, My cowboy hat's the final crutch.
So when you see me, heart rate spikes, For beneath this hat, are naughty likes, In the Bitcoin realm of lusty hikes, I ride the waves and all its likes.
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Nice! you have been zapped! ;)
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