Posted by vwoolf on July 26, 2010, at 6:38:10
In reply to Re: Rewards, posted by Dr. Bob on July 26, 2010, at 3:57:28
I've been thinking more about the point system, and although I still feel very uncomfortable about it, I am beginning to see that there might be some value in it.
If a board like this can have an educational and socialising (i.e. therapeutic)effect on its members through a system like this, perhaps it would not be a bad idea and we as users should be more open to exploring the possibilities. In other words, if it could be carrying out a kind of low-grade behavioral therapy at no cost to anyone, should we fight it so hard?
There are problems though.
It seems to me that there are at least two different kinds of communication that happen on this board.
The first is the kind of post that is typical of the medication board, where the focus is mostly on an exchange of information. The questions are purposeful and have to do with objects (meds).
I think it would be very easy to implement a points system here, e.g. Is the reply helpful, yes/no? Did I get the right information, yes/no?No one would be hurt at being rated for their ability to convey knowledge - at least, I don't think so.The kind of post that is typical of the psychology board is very different. It is usually about feelings, often quite extreme feelings, where the poster is looking for understanding, empathy and support. To rate this is, to my mind, not possible through the fixed, yes/no questions that would be required for a points system. The psychology board deals much more with the symbolic, which cannot be reduced to simple black and white reasoning. That's one of the wonderful things about the symbolic.
It seems to me that most of the people who are objecting to the points system are people who are normally very active on the psychology board. I don't think that this is because they are any more stubborn than the people on the meds board, but that they feel that they have much more to lose. A points system would flatten the nature of the interactions that take place here.
I would like to suggest that the points system, if it is to be implemented, should be tried out first on the medication board, and only at a later stage, with much consultation with the users, on the psychology board.
poster:vwoolf
thread:952980
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20100714/msgs/955959.html