A Beginner's Guide to the Karma System

[Gorzo]

One of the features of the iMtG forums is the Karma System.

So what is it?

The karma system is where users are able to like or dislike another user's post. This reflects in a cumulative number that shows up below the user's Gravatar in their posts. Take a look!

What do these words and numbers under the Gravatars mean?

• the first thing you see is a word. Usually this word is "Member," "User," "Patron," or "Boss." This word is the user's title. "Member" is the default title given to all posters. "User" is the title given to users who access the forum thought the iMtG app. A "Patron" is a user who has purchased special features for a small monthly fee (More information about Patronage and it's benefits can be found here). A "Boss" is a member who has "bought it all" and purchased all of the in-app additional content.

• the number next to the title is the user's Karma Total. It represents the total number of posts that the user has had "liked" or "disliked" by other users.

• you may notice that some users' title and karma number appear in green and others appear in gray. These colors simply indicate if the user is currently active online. Users whose information appears in green have been active on the forum within the last 15 minutes. Users with names in gray have not been online for 15 minutes or longer.


What does Karma and it's number on this forum really mean? What's the point?


To tell the truth, Your karma is just a number. It represents how many posts have been "liked," and that's about all that number means. It's not meant to rule your life, alter your experiences on the forum, or stroke your ego. The karma purpose is intended to help guide users towards having a good experience here.

If someone posts things that are widely appreciated, from helpful tips or advice, to witty jokes and big funnies, to just being someone whose input you like to see, that person tends to get +karma (likes). If someone posts things that are highly disruptive, such as being overly insulting, making obnoxious or irritating comments, or being an all-around jerk, that person tends to get -karma (dislikes).


How do I give/take Karma?

Karma becomes available to give and take once you have 100 posts on the forum. You won't be able to give karma below 100, but you can still recieve it. This is simply a precaution to prevent users from creating bogus accounts to influence the karma system.

If you press the "..." button below a user's title and karma number, or press on a user's post (app only), some options will appear at the bottom of their post. Once you have 100 posts, the buttons "Like" and "Don't" will appear with them. Pressing "Like" gives that user +1 to their karmic total, and pressing "Don't" gives them -1. It's that simple!


Is there a record kept of karma interactions? How do I see it?

Yes! The Karma log can be found right here! The same log can also be found in the Announcements section of the forum.

You also have access to the personal Karma Log, which displays only the karma adjustments towards a certain user's number. This special log can be found on every user's personal profile (press the user's gravatar), then pressing "Karma # (%)" in that profile. This works for your own profile, too, to see your own karma patterns!

You'll notice that the karma logs are anonymous. This is to protect you. By not being able to see who gives/takes your karma publicly, it prevents circular inflation and backlash, and keeps a lot of people from being upset with each other.

It is worth remembering, however, that moderators are able to see who gives karma. Moderators keep an eye on the logs to ensure no one is abusing the system or harassing other members through repeated karma hits. A moderator is not allowed to use this information to retaliate, so don't be afraid to like or dislike a mod's karma just because they can see.



What kind of rules or restrictions are there with Karma?

• Karma is yours to give and take for whatever reason you deem appropriate.

• You may only alter each user's karma once every 24 hours. You can try, but it won't let you

• Do not "stalk" a particular user or thread and hit their karma repeatedly, please. Start a Trial instead.



My Karma has been reduced for a post and I don't understand why. Did I do something wrong? What should I do?

This just happens. Sometimes users take away karma for the strangest reasons, and it can't be helped. If you see that you've lost karma, and you don't see any reason why your post may have warranted a negative response from anyone, the best thing to do is to just ignore it! Making a fuss has always proven to bring about more negative reactions, and often when people see unjustified minuses to karma, someone eventually fixes it just out of kindness! What goes around comes around.

If you believe that you are the victim of harassment, wether or not karma is involved, PM a moderator and ask. We will check things out for you. We want your experience here to be a positive one!


Happy posting!