Stars???

[Poet-dude-ig]

What do the stars under people's names mean?
I tried looking at like post quantity and seniority, but I fear I'm overthinking this.

[CRNDLSM]

I think it had something to do with post count but I've been at 5 for years now, maybe I dont post as often as I think, huh

[Quixilated]

It's related to poems posted, but I think it matters which forum.  I don't know exactly which add stars and which don't.  And I suspect each star represents a certain number of poems, but I don't know what that number is? 3? 5? I am relatively sure that posting poems in the critique forums will add stars.  I don't know if other forums will or discussion forums etc.

I've also been curious about the exact parameters of the star system. If someone wants to experiment, you could make a few test posts to see if you can affect your star count.  Within reason, please don't spam the site. Also, if you do it, please do label the posts as "test" so I can easily find them to delete when the experiment is over. (I cannot conduct the test because I'm not permitted to have stars.)

Or does someone already know the answer? Todd? Addy? 

I have memory of reading an explanation about the stars in an older post but cannot find it.

[armadillosarecool]

I've posted two poems in the critique channels and have two stars. I'm not sure if that correlation stays consistent the more poems one posts. I can't imagine there would be room for seventy-five stars.

[Quixilated]

It seems to stop at 10. Even our most prolific poets don't have more than ten stars.

[addy]

Upon checking, the Pig Pen has a built in title system where the number of posts a member makes earns them a certain user status, with corresponding stars. Basically the more posts you make the more stars you eventually get (unless you mod a forum, then it works different/ gets limited? I'm fuzzy on that part of it.)

A newbie that's made around 5 posts will  earn their first star. Then they have to make an exponential number of posts to earn more. And yep, it seems to top out at 10.

[Quixilated]

[addy]

Sure thing 

[dukealien]

Wondered about fat stars vs. thin stars, too.  It appears numbers of stars greater than eight are (always?) fat, but I seem to recall having counted five fat stars at some time in the past.

All hail the algorithm!  

[Quixilated]

I noticed that too.  After a perusal of the member list, it looks like fat stars are assigned to users who have maxed out on stars and can no longer add more. So, ten-star members (perhaps to imply that the posts are still accumulating even if the stars aren't?) and purple mods (whose stars are limited to five or however many it is).  Fat stars means you have collected all possible stars ... probably.

This thread is reminding me of the Dr. Seuss book about the Sneeches on beaches.

[busker]

I was happy with all my stars but now they suck. I want fat stars.

[Quixilated]

After more research, it looks like 500 posts is the key to fat stars.  Rayheinrich at 444 and Philatone at 478 both have thin stars.  Cidermaid at 522 and Achebe at 558 both have fat stars.  Also, the mods who have over 500 posts have fat stars, but the ones who have under 500 do not.  (However, sewer posts don't increase your post count.)

Busker, you're only 113 posts away from fat stars. I feel confident you can reach fat-star status before the year is out.

[addy]

(I took off my stars. I shouldnt have been displaying them but turns out my user settings had been set wrong. D'oh)

Thanks Quixi   You're right, reaching 500 posts gets you the chonky stars. I'm just assuming billy intentionally did it that way for meritocracy reasons  

Also re: mods - digging around the backend i found the setting that artificially pegs their # of stars at 5 .... I suppose this was from the time when most volunteer mods didnt have a lot of posts under their belt and 5 stars was considered an upgrade, not a demotion   So should I just get rid of that limit altogether? Or upgrade mods to 10 fat stars?

[dukealien]

(I took off my stars. I shouldnt have been displaying them but turns out my user settings had been set wrong. D'oh)

Thanks Quixi   You're right, reaching 500 posts gets you the chonky stars. I'm just assuming billy intentionally did it that way for meritocracy reasons  

Also re: mods - digging around the backend i found the setting that artificially pegs their # of stars at 5 .... I suppose this was from the time when most volunteer mods didnt have a lot of posts under their belt and 5 stars was considered an upgrade, not a demotion   So should I just get rid of that limit altogether? Or upgrade mods to 10 fat stars?

Mods certainly do deserve marks of distinction.  It seems to me that only *even* numbers of stars are displayed for numbers over four, for line users... making five a suitably odd "gong" for our long-suffering mods.  For those who know, anyway.  (It seemed to me that the five fat stars were a little chubbier than ordinary fat stars, individually.  Could be an optical illusion, though.)

[addy]

(I took off my stars. I shouldnt have been displaying them but turns out my user settings had been set wrong. D'oh)

Thanks Quixi   You're right, reaching 500 posts gets you the chonky stars. I'm just assuming billy intentionally did it that way for meritocracy reasons  

Also re: mods - digging around the backend i found the setting that artificially pegs their # of stars at 5 .... I suppose this was from the time when most volunteer mods didnt have a lot of posts under their belt and 5 stars was considered an upgrade, not a demotion   So should I just get rid of that limit altogether? Or upgrade mods to 10 fat stars?

Mods certainly do deserve marks of distinction.  It seems to me that only *even* numbers of stars are displayed for numbers over four, for line users... making five a suitably odd "gong" for our long-suffering mods.  For those who know, anyway.  (It seemed to me that the five fat stars were a little chubbier than ordinary fat stars, individually.  Could be an optical illusion, though.)

Good observation Duke. Yes the 5 stars are unique to mods, so they do look distinguishing.

On a sentimental note, when billy created this user title system, he'd dubbed someone getting to 250 posts as a "posting freak". Someone getting to 500 posts was even harder to envision, a 10 star worthy pinnacle. And now years later folks are still reaching and exceeding those hopes. Thank you all.

[Tiger the Lion]

[busker]

After more research, it looks like 500 posts is the key to fat stars.  Rayheinrich at 444 and Philatone at 478 both have thin stars.  Cidermaid at 522 and Achebe at 558 both have fat stars.  Also, the mods who have over 500 posts have fat stars, but the ones who have under 500 do not.  (However, sewer posts don't increase your post count.)

Busker, you're only 113 posts away from fat stars. I feel confident you can reach fat-star status before the year is out.

Take a bow, Achebe...
All right, now I shall post with a vengeance...

[Poet-dude-ig]

Only 495 posts away from fat stars! Ty all for the info <3