I have a little over 300 credits right now. When they get to 500, I plan on giving them all away to one member. I will do this every time they hit that number. How should I determine who gets them? It will not be the same member each time.
Please be aware that our credit system is just for fun. Credits have no value outside of allowing you to give gifts and they aren't a true reflection of who the most active muggers are, who creates the best content, or anything. Moreover, the "ranks" can be completely manipulated by the admin by simply awarding any given Mugger extra credits at any point in time or by individual Muggers who chose to purchase credits. The number of credits any person may have at any given time is NOT a reflection of a member's output, loyalty, expertise, or anything.
People are always going to be motivated by different things. If you look at any of the trending apps these days, it's all about moving up to the next level, getting the next badge, or earning something for the time you've invested. The old Mug was very altruistic, in the fact that all you got was the interaction. You couldn't even "like" things in a way that was measurable. For many people, this was enough. It was enough for me as well. Heck, I still can't get into the habit of liking stuff here, but I also recognize that something as simple as a "like" is a "Hey. I see you. You contributed. Thank you." And, it's a really easy thing to do. People like that pat on the back, even when they don't set out to get 100 likes.
Credits are kind of along the same line. Coming from AB, there was a point and rank system. I did feel accomplished when I climbed up the ranks, even though that was never my goal. For some, it was the ultimate goal. They craved it because it showed how involved they were. Others, who seemed a whole lot like yourself, had their accounts nuked or restarted because they didn't want to be part of that point system or to have their contributions assessed. They wanted their contributions appreciated for their own merit, not because they were an illuminati.
So, the challenge when creating this site became, "How can I give people the positive feedback they have been asking for in some kind of point system without turning into a war on points?" If all people care about is points, the actual types of content they add diminish. Most people here give really substantive responses because their reward is knowing they've helped someone or build a relationship. If it's all about points, the quality tanks. Plus, it's a feeding frenzy- who can outdo who?
By tying it into the gifts, the real motivation to earn credits, in my hope, is to keep spreading positive juju throughout the site. Top earners, who are likely our most active members, have the opportunity to influence the community in a positive way by sending people gifts. Generally speaking, people do earn credits with their activity. If you never buy or receive credits, it can be a reflection of your activity. You and I both know this doesn't mean a whole lot. You could give 100 crap answers and still be rewarded the same as if you gave 100 solid answers. So, part of leaving it open to buy, gift, or receive credits from an admin kind of helps dissuade the competitive kind of thinking, I hope. It's a shame people are using it to stack themselves up against others, as that's really what I wanted to avoid. I see stuff like what you guys are doing, and I saw Lago offer credits for a substantive answer, WW for the first right answer, Excon betting on the election with Mug credits (lol I kid you not!), and I love all of that. And, if Sharonna wants to look at them as points and see that she's earned a lot through activity, that's ok, too. If it makes her feel good seeing that she has a good stash, more power to her. In this case, they are points, or points with benefits, as she said somewhere.
So, what do credits mean to you? If you're using them in a positive way, any kind of positive way, it's in keeping with their intent. If other people are using them for something negative, well, you and I know better. You can put lipstick on a pig and it's still a pig. And, does it matter if someone else is using them in an unintended way? You know those "points" don't make someone a better Mugger. 99.99% of the people here know that having twice as many points as someone else doesn't really mean someone is more valuable.
Benedict Arnold 