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Author Topic: Can we improve the car icons? Post a Reply Back to Topics
jhnri4

Champion Author
Gasbuddy

Posts:2,403
Points:462,380
Joined:Nov 2011
Message Posted: Feb 25, 2012 5:33:27 AM

Can we improve the car icons that members get after they reach 10,000 points?
REPLIES (newest first)
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Gas_Buddy
Champion Author Maryland

Posts:26,197
Points:3,061,500
Joined:Aug 2004
Message Posted: Mar 5, 2012 6:06:27 PM

I think both Scrapheap and kwzh are correct.

I've said similar to Scrapheap in a now long closed topic on more icons/points levels
Closed thread

I responded multiple times in that thread, which was started by the moderator JT, in response to the voting poll question:
"Currently, there are over 100 members with more than 1,000,000 points, and at the top level for car icons. We would like to recognize the contributions of the top point earners. Would you like to see more car icons/point levels on this web site?"

One of my comments in that thread (and in many other threads started by members on the icon/points issue, almost always started by new members), read in part:

"It doesn't appear that the folks "at the top" bother to respond (with only a couple of exceptions over the past several years; it appears that those with the 1,000,000 points - as well as those with 2,000,00 or more, are satisfied with the way it is.

The majority of people saying there needs to be more point levels are the newest members, who, in some cases are making this one of their first message posts, and often before they've done more than a few gas price posts (if that many); it seems that they believe there needs to be more recognition and levels without having made any significant input. And, quite a few of them believe that the newest members should get an icon so they don't feel left out; it doesn't seem that participation to the website is as im
portant as having your anonymous screen name being recognized as... as, I guess, that you're a member."

Scrapheap's correct: "Funny how most of the people with red cars seem less concerned with the icons than those with no icons. I know I cared less and less about them as time went on. They are just fluff."

To use jhnri4, who started this topic, as an example (and I'm not picking on him in any way), he joined in November 2011, has 33 message posts, and 4,555 points, including points for starting this thread February 25. To begin with, why worry about icons, let alone about "after members reach 10,000 points") when you only a couple thousand points in three months? The icon's can't be that important - let alone need to be improved - if you're not, for all intensive purposes, participating.

kwzh's comment "...if you make it to *easy* to get the higher ones, then it's meaningless" merely reiterates what I've been saying.

That said, I admit that I frequently, and probably unnecessarily, chide new members (as well as multi-year members with under 10,000 points, and more often under 5,000 or 2,500 points) for not participating more, and for not posting gas prices. But, in this case, for this thread, if icons are important enough to be commented on, it would help if the member took the time to participate while the discussion was on-going. Especially since the member started the discussion.. I repeatedly noted that except for me and one other regularly posting member in that topic, both of us saying the which

Funny how most of the people with red cars seem less concerned with the icons than those with no icons. I know I cared less and less about them as time went on. They are just fluff.

If anything, I think the icons should go on a logarithmic scale. It would take more point and longer the higher you get to advance to the next icon.Closed thread
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tjc09f
Veteran Author Tallahassee

Posts:477
Points:693,725
Joined:Mar 2011
Message Posted: Mar 5, 2012 4:21:43 PM

animated speed lines would rule!!
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Scrapheap
Champion Author Virginia

Posts:14,692
Points:2,386,530
Joined:Sep 2006
Message Posted: Mar 5, 2012 3:56:31 AM

Funny how most of the people with red cars seem less concerned with the icons than those with no icons. I know I cared less and less about them as time went on. They are just fluff.

If anything, I think the icons should go on a logarithmic scale. It would take more point and longer the higher you get to advance to the next icon.
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kwzh
Champion Author San Jose

Posts:20,790
Points:3,710,915
Joined:Jul 2001
Message Posted: Mar 5, 2012 12:14:39 AM

rayla, if you make it to *easy* to get the higher ones, then it's meaningless.
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Gas_Buddy
Champion Author Maryland

Posts:26,197
Points:3,061,500
Joined:Aug 2004
Message Posted: Mar 4, 2012 8:00:49 PM

rayla36:
Earning the car icons is "fun"?

I would suggest that, rather than being "fun", it's an indication of achievement.
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rayla36
Sophomore Author Columbus

Posts:118
Points:39,410
Joined:Mar 2012
Message Posted: Mar 4, 2012 11:52:10 AM

I remember when I was getting my first stars on ebay and how happy I was to get each. Now that I'm over 1000, it'll take forever to get my next one. If you make it too hard to get the higher ones, it's not as fun.
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RichWLIN
Champion Author Indiana

Posts:4,250
Points:666,565
Joined:Jun 2011
Message Posted: Mar 3, 2012 5:38:06 AM

Whoa! Something wonderful happened when I hit 200K points this morning. I got a brand new car!
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Gas_Buddy
Champion Author Maryland

Posts:26,197
Points:3,061,500
Joined:Aug 2004
Message Posted: Feb 28, 2012 10:26:45 AM

Considering that the original poster hasn't changed points status in the three days since he started the thread (12 posts/1205 points), it adds to the thought that the points and the icons are important to new members, though it seems that it's not important enough for many that they take the initiative to earn them.

I full agree with kwzh's comment below: "The higher you get, the less important it seems." I'm personally more impressed with the number of points accumulated or earned than I am by an icon (for which I have to check the points to understand the relationship).

Improve the icons? Sure. Remove them for all I care, and leave the points number; that I can easily relate to.
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buckeyecountry
Champion Author Ohio

Posts:8,188
Points:727,680
Joined:May 2011
Message Posted: Feb 28, 2012 10:24:14 AM

kwzh

Congratulations by the way. Total committment to the site. Deserving of a much bigger icon.

[Edited by: buckeyecountry at 2/28/2012 1:25:13 PM EST]
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scoutmaster
Champion Author Pittsburgh

Posts:82,171
Points:3,281,170
Joined:Mar 2003
Message Posted: Feb 28, 2012 3:43:16 AM

As of now, you are maxed out regarding the car icons, kwzh.
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kwzh
Champion Author San Jose

Posts:20,790
Points:3,710,915
Joined:Jul 2001
Message Posted: Feb 27, 2012 9:05:24 PM

The higher you get, the less important it seems. I hit a new level yesterday and didn't realize it until it was pointed out to me.

If I were in charge of redoing it, I'd make it logarithmic. If we keep 10k and 35k as-is, then continue with 60k, 100k, 175k, 320k, 560k, 1m, 1.75m, 3.2m, 5.6m, 10m, then we wouldn't need so many vehicle icons; I'd also redo the colors to start from purple and progress towards the more visible red, in spectrum order.
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scoutmaster
Champion Author Pittsburgh

Posts:82,171
Points:3,281,170
Joined:Mar 2003
Message Posted: Feb 27, 2012 7:41:25 PM

Less than 50% of the vegetable plan is green.
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Gas_Buddy
Champion Author Maryland

Posts:26,197
Points:3,061,500
Joined:Aug 2004
Message Posted: Feb 27, 2012 12:46:44 PM

Peopl complain now of too much red with the suggested vegetable plan there's too much green. How about using presidents or dollar bill denominations. Or classical music composers such as Bach, Motzartand Chopin. Or, better yet, instead of cars you get the name of a Hank Williams song. Makes about as much sense as most of the suggestions.
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scoutmaster
Champion Author Pittsburgh

Posts:82,171
Points:3,281,170
Joined:Mar 2003
Message Posted: Feb 27, 2012 11:31:44 AM

I know, instead of car icons, we get vegetables!

10,000 - Beet
35,000 - Carrot
100,000 - Acorn Squash
200,000 - Okra
350,000 - Crimini Mushroom
500,000 - Celery
750,000 - Snow Pea
1,000,000 - Avocado
1,250,000 - Green Bean
1,500,000 - Cauliflower
1,750,000 - Endive
2,000,000 - Wax Bean
2,250,000 - Broccoli
2,500,000 - Red Onion
2,750,000 - Eggplant
3,000,000 - Brussels Sprout
3,250,000 - Cabbage
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Gas_Buddy
Champion Author Maryland

Posts:26,197
Points:3,061,500
Joined:Aug 2004
Message Posted: Feb 27, 2012 8:43:55 AM

LakemontPark:
You wrote: "I like the idea esp after you hit a certain point all the cars become red and similar I would love to see the cars change maybe every 50,000 that way you want to post some when you have to get over 100,000 points to move after you get upo there it seems your stuck on the same car forever."

First, if you changed icons every 50,000 points, that would mean changing icons for many members, perhaps for most members, more often than every two months. Icons would lose all sense of value (if there is any value to begin with), and would be virtually no different than changing "points numbers". If you're simply going to change the icon every few weeks, then why not eliminate the icon and simply indicate the number of points "earned"?

As for "it seems your stuck on the same car forever", if you participate in the points activities regularly (not even frequently, but simply an earn several or more thousand points weekly. As a point of reference, for whatever reasons you elected to take six months to achieve your points level (63,990); other members have achieved that amount of points in approximately two months. It's simply a matter of participation.
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LakemontPark
Veteran Author Pennsylvania

Posts:279
Points:153,195
Joined:Aug 2011
Message Posted: Feb 26, 2012 6:32:50 PM

I like the idea esp after you hit a certain point all the cars become red and similar I would love to see the cars change maybe every 50,000 that way you want to post some when you have to get over 100,000 points to move after you get upo there it seems your stuck on the same car forever
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unclesnipe
Champion Author Cincinnati

Posts:21,906
Points:1,314,300
Joined:Oct 2009
Message Posted: Feb 25, 2012 6:05:35 PM

maybe we could go monopoly on em. new members start out with the old shoe? sorry if that joke's been done before... but at 5 mil I say you should get a space shuttle :D
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scoutmaster
Champion Author Pittsburgh

Posts:82,171
Points:3,281,170
Joined:Mar 2003
Message Posted: Feb 25, 2012 5:25:17 PM

I want a unicycle!
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Gas_Buddy
Champion Author Maryland

Posts:26,197
Points:3,061,500
Joined:Aug 2004
Message Posted: Feb 25, 2012 1:23:51 PM

With 2,105 points after three months of membership, it doesn't appear this is a suggestion that needs a time-sensitive response. If the icon's were "improved", whatever "improved" is supposed to mean, in the next year, there'd still be plenty of time before the icon was awarded.
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CampKohler
Champion Author Sacramento

Posts:9,681
Points:1,584,410
Joined:May 2007
Message Posted: Feb 25, 2012 10:52:02 AM

I want a wheel barrow.
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buckeyecountry
Champion Author Ohio

Posts:8,188
Points:727,680
Joined:May 2011
Message Posted: Feb 25, 2012 9:57:43 AM

Not sure I have seen anybody with home site just "Gasbuddy"? Ya would think it would be at least listed as a state....like mine "Ohio"

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CelticHeart
Champion Author Detroit

Posts:138,761
Points:3,193,125
Joined:Aug 2004
Message Posted: Feb 25, 2012 9:20:18 AM

This has been discussed many times.

Why are you taking so long to get your first car?
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