I would like to see congratulatory questions treated differently on the weekly Leaderboard. These kinds of questions are often big points getters because the people who are getting the credit are often very popular users. I think they are deserving of the accolades but they block out some of the great questions in other areas from receiving their due.

It is. And never, in my opinion anyway, this is Answerbag, not myspace or wherever, questions usually start with words like how or why and end with a question mark. I've said it before this isn't statementbag.

When someone posts news about their newborn baby, about their wedding, or graduation, or anything else that would call for congratulatory words in the real world; achieving anything here at AB is just a joke!

I think the congratulation question have become somewhat corrupted but who am I to say anything being now somewhat a high level member. A bit much with now so many different types it lost it's glitter for me. I feel I have no real place to say anything as I too have posted a few since I have started. I do choose not to answer those that deal with so and so has reached an X amount of points. To me that is not a legit accomplishment. I think reaching levels 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 etc... Will be the ones I will answer. If I could change how other congratulation such as birthdays, weddings and other life changing events are handled. I would have it where the person mention in the events unanswered questions were placed into a section and you could congratulate them by answering one or more of them instead of having points awarded to the asker or answerers of the question. But then I can not change anything except to choose rather or not I post a question or answer on the ones mentioned.

Personally, I don't see the problem with the questions. People could use even more positive influences in their life. What harm could a few more good words in the world do? However, I do see that many people get lost in the mix along the way and are rarely or never congratulated for their work or achievements. And, I think it would be more beneficial if it were set up somehow to give points to the person being congratulated, in addition to the person who asked the question. Ah well, until then I'll answer them as I see them come along and spread as many congratulations and hugs as I can. :)

It depends on the situation, I think.. In all cases, I think the questions should only be asked by people close to the person being congratulated. Otherwise it's just an obvious attempt to farm points. I don't know about point milestones, though.. I think that's a bit too much.. Unless we reach a point where point milestones like those are reached faster than a new title. As things are currently, I'd say it's okay to congratulate sages. But only because you know them. For example, I congratulated Gabstar when she reached 50 because I know her well, but there's at least one new sage each week.. At some point, I suppose sage will be like brain, something you used to congratulate, but now something noone bothers to do

Personally I have no problem with such questions, because as I always say, if a question isn't "flaggable," it only means it is acceptable. But personally (again), I think congratulating users for accumulating 50,000 points and something close to that is a bit much. I wouldn't post such questions. For me, there are two types of "okay" congratulatory questions: 1. AB-related: * Brain * Sage * Maestro * Guru * Swami * Genius Other levels that end with zero (10, 20, 30) are okay too. * When someone has been named a Community Leader * Anniversaries (1 year on AB, 2 years, 3 years...) 2. Real life achievements: * Marriages * Births (among others)

I have to agree that the congratulatory posts are getting a bit out of hand when point milestones are being congratulated because the points lead to new levels and if we congratulate 50,000 points, then that's essentially congratulating the person twice for their points earned or saying, "So-and-so reached the middle of some level, would you like to congratulate them on their achievements?" Congratulations questions are about celebrating the person, and not about the points you'll earn by asking a question. The general rule of thumb to use with congratulatory questions is if you wouldn't ask it if you couldn't get points for asking it, then don't ask it. Otherwise, we may start getting questions like, "I went potty all by myself, and I wiped my own a**. Who would like to congratulate me?"

Point level congratulatory questions do seem a bit much. I feel now that Sage is too common, reaching Maestro level is an appropriate time to be congratulated or an anniversary of 1 or more years as an active ABer.

Yes, it is a bit much. I completely understand congratulating a user on achieving a new rank, although I do believe that it should start from Sage, not Brain or Professor or anything else. I think we all realize that AB is getting more populated with each passing day, and more users equals more points getting thrown around, which means it's a lot easier to reach Sage. The ranks are experiencing a form of inflation, in a way. Congrats Qs for mid-rank levelups are ridiculous, and luckily I haven't seen it happen TOO often, but when I do, I find it pointless, tacky, and in some cases, having the appearance of thinly-veiled points-farming. We don't have birthday parties for someone's 25th-and-a-half birthday. We don't attend 11-year high-school reunions. Congrats for points in ANY form strike me as wholly unnecessary and really... what are these users being congratulated for? Getting points is nice, but it's not really an achievement. Brings to mind McDonalds' signs advertising the number of "customers served". At some point, it becomes irrelevant. When they had 90 million served, they specifically said so... but you'll notice now it just says "Billions and Billions". Also, it's important to remember that leveling or ranking up is a direct reflection of how many points a user has amassed. So if we're going to congrat people for both, it becomes more than redundant. It's SUPPOSED to be harder and take longer from each rank to the next, congratulating by number of points defeats the purpose of the achievement in the higher levels. The real question is, how to address all this? It's probably not going to change unless there are specific "rules" in place, but that's unreasonable. Congratulatory Qs on AB will probably always be a matter of societal convention, not anything enforcable. After all, in real life, there are no specific laws in place that prevent people from leaving crappy tips, cutting in line, or chewing their popcorn too loudly at the movies. AB is a community, and the conventions will change over time. It will probably annoy a lot of people, but once it becomes frequent enough to be considered "the norm", there will be nothing anyone can do but sit on their AB porch and yell at the newbies to get off their lawn.

Meh, they don't really bother me either way. I think sometimes it is a bit excessive though, but still, it doesn't really bother me.

A congratulatory post is made by someone who knows or cares about a fellow AB member...I hope AB never limits these messages... :)

I think when you reach a high level, most members thought reaching Sage was about right, a good time to for an announcement, usually by a Friend, someone who cares about you and is truly happy for your accomplishment. It's really not fair now to say because we have so many Sages that it's not meaningful, as it still takes quite a bit of time to reach and shows that they person has decided to stay and participate. I really am happy for them. They just didn't come, play, leave, or worse, play and complain, whine and leave. I have no problem congratulating them. But I would like to see these questions in a different place, like a category that doesn't allow giving point, just good wishes. Maybe by clicking on the "category" It would bring up a special question box that will post the question only in that category and there is no point thingy. So we all just say congrats. And that question would still be eligible for "Question with most answers" but it wouldn't be possible for it to make it into "Question with most Points. Celebrating how many points is a little much unless it's extraordinary, like never been done before, like reaching 400,000 points would be AWESOME!!!! for the first person to do it.

celebrating points is tacky celebrating levels below maestro is tacky announcing births, deaths and marriages is OK I would like to see a ticker on the side of the site that lists new level gains above maestro

This new congratulating people for getting 100000 points or whatever... I don't like it. I think it's just a total excuse to ask a congratulatory question. And it sort of makes me wonder what kind of person watches somebody else's points total. I mean, who does that? I think it's just weird. I'm absolutely okay with the other ones. Unless it's like 'I've reached level 45, what do you think?'. That's when it get ridiculous. Birthdays, real life stuff...even one year anniversaries and that, none of it bothers me. And when is it truly appropriate to post a congratulatory question, that's a brilliant erm...question :) It irritates the hell out of me when I see people who don't know the other person congratulating them. I would never in a million years do that. Ever. And if somebody like that asks a question for me the next time I deserve one, which might just be in twenty years at the rate my points are going, I'll go mental.

Yes , personally I think it is gilding the lily. It is also quite embarrassing when people that you do not know at all, decide to congratulate you at inappropriate times.It is very kind but over the top. The major levels are fine for congratulations and of course good wishes for major events in a persons life. I would like a notice board used just for congratulating and wishing people well in moments of triumph or sadness. With no points involved it would make the feelings seem so much more genuine. JMO. If this happened nobody could accuse or be accused of point farming when they were trying to be kind.

Yes, I do, I got one the yesterday, I was in shock, when I saw it, I didnt know they did that. I do wish people would let the friends ask the congratulation questions.

Adding a newbie perspective here - so take it for what it's worth ... (1) For newer users, it takes a little bit to even understand what's going on with congratulatory messages of any kind .. AB levels .. or personal. When I saw my first AB level messages here? I was so confused! If person ABC had just acheived "guru level" or some such .. then why were points being given to someone else? Didn't make sense to me. Still doesn't. :) (2) I probably missed a whole bunch of announcements anyway since at first, didn't have a clue they existed or where to look for them. (more on that in a second) (3) Congrats for numbers of points? Seems redundant. (4) Congrats for RL events? Seems like that too could get out of hand real quick! Yet, this is a community. (more on this too ..) so all that said .. here's my two cents worth: a) Separate area (and category - and software mechanism) for CONGRATS posts b) Either .. no points for any of them .. AB type or personal type .. OR .. no matter who posts .. points go to the person being congratulated .. and no, the poster doesn't wind up with congrats msgs having anything to do with site stats, etc. In other words - keep it all about "people" & genuine well wishes. c) AB level congrats: sage and up d) No congrats posts needed for "number points" e) AB related "major events" like 1,2, etc. year anniversaries at AB and such - all nice - again, go into side congrats section Meanwhile, just happy to be here. Thanks for listening. :)

I think the whole concept it a little silly for a question and answer site, I mean, isn't reaching the level and acquiring the new title congratulations enough? It's harmless and seems to make some happy, so I don't really mind, except that it's a bummer sometimes when they clog up the front page from the real questions.

Hove you noticed the new one? "Congrats to XYZ for place #X on the leaderboard!" Will the grubbing for points never stop!??!

Some folks really hate ALL Congrats questions...no matter what. They consider those people to be "point whores" and I've seen such questions where everyone got DRd. I think it's fine for someone to congratulate someone else for reaching a new level. Hey, that's what friends do! I find it nice! But, those who congratulate themselves I find to be tacky. They are usually much lower level users and are most definately looking for points. Just once, while in a silly mood, I asked when I made Maestro if I could now conduct an orchestra. But that was all in fun.

I think congratulating people for point levels that have already been reached by others is overdoing it but I think congratulating Firebrand for reaching 400K would be historically appropriate. I think it's appropriate for a user's friend to post a congratulatory question for Sage and above. Otherwise with 500,000 users I guess there would be a plethora of such threads. I wouldn't mind seeing someone getting a congrats in the Adult section for reaching level 69. :p I think I would have laughed if I'd received a "congrats on Maestro" thread just as I attained Guru. :p

I'm okay with Sage and beyond and birthday questions and that's about it. I'm a grump.