Actually, it really does. Your post showed complete ignorance of the entire purpose of this forum. This is a forum for a video game, we have sub forums for other topics, but the primary purpose of this forum is final fantasy XI. You wanted people to write and essay giving a social critique, and use that as the basis for reputation on this forum. It's ludicrous, do you expect to get graded on your math homework by how much you drive your car or what you eat during the day? That's about as relevant as your basis for reputation.
My critique would have been "people are fucking idiots, starting with the guy who proposed this idea in the first place." Your "idea" has absolutely no merit for this setting, the current reputation system is far superior because people are getting rated up for things that are relevant to the purpose of the boards.
Edit: A perfect example would be peregrine. He's a medical student in real life, obviously he had to be smart(or at least has a good memory, but let's go with smart); but in the game and on the forums, he's a completely pompous(totally underserved too) dumbass. He was actually trying to do what you're proposing we do; completely ignore how stupid he was just because of his real-life job. It's a horrible idea, people are judged based on how they act here, no one gives a shit if they are the smartest person in the world outside of the game; because outside of the game has absolutely no relevance at all. Peregrine was too stupid to understand it, and if you really think that what your proposing would offer any worth at all, so are you.
Given the opportunity to read your elaboration, I am assured that your comprehension is off base. You make me feel as though I should have implemented a
Nietzsche esque introduction to my trivial post. Allow me break what I said down for you.
Ryuhei said:
The system is rather petty. In regards to that, I don't care if the ring leaders get more or less pixels to represent themselves with.
The syntax of the first statement clearly demonstrates my attitude towards the existing system. We can say this sets the
tone of my post - That tone being one of disdain and disinterest towards the matter at hand. Given this, one of Lilliputian insight would refrain from taking what I continue to say as literally as you do.
The diction I chose, in regards to the callous statement of the 'ring leaders' and their desire for pixel representation, further states that those of high social esteem here deserve absolutely no pre-merited respect. The reason, if not obvious, I satirically elaborate:
What there should be, is a system implemented where each user must write an essay of social critique. From this essay, a council would derive a hierarchy of insight on the user, gauging intelligence on various levels and the capacity for self actualization. Each subsequent post from the user would then be held against what is deemed that person's epitome of acumen, and rated accordingly.
I hate to reiterate, but it astounds me how anyone could take this seriously. It even appears you swayed poor Exodusamphi, who initially grasped at least the tone of my post. Might this be due to the sanctimonious aura stemming from the green beneath your online screen name?
Before I explain the nature and significance of what I proposed, I’ll tell you why I said it to begin with. For this, please continue to assume what I said was literal and austere. You tell me that intelligence and insight have no relevance to this forum. You even try to purport evidence against an intelligence based rating system in the form of someone we obviously acknowledge as an idiot. No amount of reiteration, the skills for which I’m not convinced you possess, can make this a valid point.
Anybody can become a doctor. To be book smart and insightful are two opposite sides of the mental spectrum. I want you to take a look at the Flameboard before we continue. How many of the issues presented there require extensive knowledge of the game? Do they more so than common sense, or the ability to perceive logical progression and responsibility? As you consider this, please, don’t kid yourself. The only board wherein such information would be predominantly pertinent is FFXI Discussion, or the minority of locations of that nature. The scope of who is subject to the existing rating system is
far larger than that.
How many people do you think have gotten rate ups because of the sheep like behavior of their ingame friends, the likes of which grow exponentially due to this forum? Or because they are consistently hostile and willing to duplicitously paint a pious image of their own knowledge, or 'hard-edge' attitude? How many less experienced players, or less intelligent individuals do you think have cursoriously given 'props' in hopes of recieving the mutual, shallow respect that they give those they rate up? Do you think that any of these traits, which if you look closely can define the vast majority of posts from those of this site's highest esteem,
really deserve respect?
Now let's take a step back and look at the implication of my satire. What many here lack is exactly what my metaphorical rating system would gauge for: insight and common sense. The existing system rewards these absent abilities to absolutely no extent. As a result, it is trivial, and hardly justifies the time I've wasted debating it with you.
In spite of this, please, don't misread me. I sincerely respect some of the people on this forum. One that comes to mind, is Audino. Personally, I think he's a great guy, is rather smart, and is a good leader. At the same time, I acknowledge that no one can know for sure that his green dots merit the pious esteem that a full green bar
should represent. A good number of his rate-ups, though surely not all, probably came from the 'NSFW QCDN Rap' he contributed in, or any number of humorous responses.
If a full rate up bar can't possibly portray anything pure or valuable, I don't see why it exists. It is subject to too much bias. In any case, as many have said, the ability to turn it off renders it asanine. Maybe we should just be able to rate down, and identify the most inane among us? Or maybe those who would suffer this exorcism should just be banned immedietly and all together?
Ultimately, I guess I apologize for my verbosity, but you left me no choice. You don't have to respond, and I don't plan to continue, at least tonight. Half way through writing this, my room mate presented me with a considerable amount of alcohol, and I became very drunk. I could have worded this better, were I not subject to my circumstances. Anyway, I suppose this is it. I was never one for conclusions, but ultimately let my stance on the system stand. I don't have anything else to say about it.
