Do Dukes wear Crowns? (dooyoo Crowns)

Member Name: The Duke

Product:	dooyoo Crowns
Date:	25/03/02 (127 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nice reward (Icon), Nice reward (1500 miles), Great opinions

Disadvantages: People expect them, Jealousy, Some inconsistency

There seems to be a lot of talk around the site about Crowns these days, so I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon for a bit of fun.

I've noticed a lot of people say that they feel that Crowns aren't being given out fairly, that some opinions are overlooked and some opinions don't deserve Crowns. I agree with this, but it's all down to individual opinions. What I think deserves Crowned is not necessarily what anyone else thinks should be Crowned. Indeed, what another Guide thinks is crownworthy, I might disagree with totally.

But, I don't blame Dooyoo for the current state of the Crown system. Who do I blame? I blame me. I blame me for the time I emailed a category guide and asked them why my opinion wasn't crowned when half a dozen similar opinions in the same category were crowned. I blame myself for the time I emailed a category guide and pointed out that I'd updated an opinion in their category and would they kindly take another look at it? I blame myself for the times I've spoken to other Dooyoo members in chat or on MSN and complained about a masterpiece of mine that has been cruelly overlooked by Guides/Dooyoo. I blame myself for the time I continually updated an opinion until it was finally crowned.

I am guilty of all those things. I bet I'm not the only one either. Yes, I'm pointing the finger of blame at us, the members. Of course we all write what we consider to be at least VU quality opinions (at least, most of us do). Yes, getting a Crown is a buzz, but at the end of the day, the Crown is a bonus, not a right.

Guides don't give out Crowns. All we can do is nominate what we think is excellent writing, just like normal members. The only difference being that our nominations are looked at when we email Dooyoo, with everyone else, it's when they check the nomination button inbox. It's up to the people at Dooyoo to actually dish out the headgear at the end of the day. <
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There is no secret Masonic Guide's Hall where we all meet and pick people to get Crowns for all their opinions - if people regularly get Crowns, it's because their writing is excellent, not because they're bunging Guides, or Dooyoo a tenner every now and again. It doesn't do any good to accuse people of being in an old boy's network, simply because there isn't one.

What can we do?

My personal feeling is that before we start berating Dooyoo or the Crown system, we might take a look at ourselves. Before roundly criticising the system for only crowning the same old people, or complaining that an opinion was overlooked, why not try using the nomination link? From what I can gather, this option is criminally overlooked and the amount of nominations is not what it should, and could, be. Ignore those "I've nominated this" comments because most of them seem to be fibs.

If more people nominate, then the chances of an opinion getting a crown increase. It only takes one nomination (and having 100 nominations doesn't make an opinion more likely to get crowned) for Dooyoo to have a look at the opinion, so the more people that nominate, the more chance an opinion has of getting one nomination.

I can't speak for the other guides, but I have no qualms about people asking me to look over updated Internet opinions (at least until such time as Dooyoo come up with a scheme to give updated opinions more limelight), or even on the (very) odd occasion, an opinion a member thinks has been overlooked. My experience has taught me that this will rarely yield a crown though. Do not email the guide of a different category asking for a re-read, the guide in question will not want to step on the other guide's toes.

What can they do?

Of course, there are things I think Dooyoo should consider, which would help the current Crown system. First of all, make it quicker to nominate. Currentl
y, you need to make two posts to Dooyoo when you rate and nominate - once for your rating (watch the screen refresh), and secondly when clicking the nominate button (and yet another screen refresh). This takes time. If Dooyoo were to implement either a "VU and Crown Nomination" rating in the drop down menu, or a check box for a crown nomination which you tick before clicking the "Doo It" button, this would mean only one post to Dooyoo, and one screen refresh. Much better, no?

Secondly, a nice email from Dooyoo telling you that an opinion that you have nominated has been crowned. It's not much, I know, but I feel this would add to the community spirit across the site as well as give you a nice warm glow in your tum for being a good member.

So, before we all go getting the boot into Dooyoo or the Crown system, let's adjust our own behaviour regarding Crowns. I'm betting that once more people nominate, and look upon Crowns as a bonus rather than a God given right, and if Dooyoo introduce what I've outlined above, then people will see that the Crown system actually works the way it should and another method of rewarding excellence is not needed.

Summary: