most user classes are outdated and lame
1) The bw levels for user classes are outdated when seedboxes are used so often. A TB is the highest class on most sites and that takes less than a month if you really want it. And if you are stuck with under 100kb/s upload, get with it.
2) The privileges are nothing special. OMGZ an NFO file! Maybe a forum!
3) 15/18/20 weeks? Ok that's not really even that long a time commitment. Why not go by months or years to distinguish real users of the site?
Maybe it should be either time or upload/ratio. Otherwise the whole thing just doesn't really make sense for either seedbox users or slow speed home users.
But actually I think there should be no classes, because there is no real extra benefit for using the site. Check the top 10 uploaders on many sites and most of them have under 10 comments and forum posts. What are they contributing to the site really? A Gbit connection is all.
Re: most user classes are outdated and lame
Spoken like a true horseman.
Frankly I think the classes are only there for title/userbar-boasting.
The "benefits" are usually superficial.
I think the time-bomb idea (implemented in FTN) is perfect. Because if it were just up to speed, people can get 1TB in a week if they work hard at it.
IMO I like TL in that it has no other class than PU. Over 1.0 and that's that. And you get all those "privileges" in one package.
-Sherman
Re: most user classes are outdated and lame
User classes were obviously intended to reward good members but like you said this isn't always the case.
Stoi said that on BCG they were trying to think up another system besides how much a person is able to upload because it excludes committed people who just don't have the speed.I'm all for that.
If anyone has a good idea this would be a perfect opportunity to post it.
Re: most user classes are outdated and lame
Obviously tracker coding will become outdated, the bittorrent world moves incredibly fast. I remember only months ago I was told by TDC admin on IRC that a freeleech tracker would have no hope of survival. Now every new tracker is at www.freeleech4urmum.net or similar :blink:
Re: most user classes are outdated and lame
What.cd has decent userclasses
Highest is Torrentmaster - 500gb of up(a lot for what.cd) and 500 torrents uploaded
Re: most user classes are outdated and lame
well not every tracker have the same userclasses,many have different one..
Big sites like RevTT,TL,Bitsoup are to lazy to change something abouth that
well there was some talk(RevTT) abouth adding new class but nothing
ScT,SCA(SCC),FTN,FSC ect ect have more classes
but at the end i dont really care about that as long i can download torrent :P
Re: most user classes are outdated and lame
I agree, user classes are a bit outdated. The most common "innovation" concerning user classes I've seen lately are just new classes with 1TB+ upload requirements. At the least I think these types of user classes should be determined by a mix of upload and download count, since I think it'll lessen the buffering phenomenon.
However, with most trackers being very basic and having little variation from each other coding-wise, I think implementing more creative user classes with worthy privileges and perks is kind of tough.
Re: most user classes are outdated and lame
SweDVDR has a new ultimate class, the Almighty User or something along those lines. This new class requires I think something like 2 or 4TB uploaded, and a certain downloaded amount with is also in those high spheres.
Interestingly it also requires you to browse the page at least 20 or 30 minutes a day, to override script kiddies and automatons.
That is certainly a more well-thought-out class IMO.
-Sherman
Re: most user classes are outdated and lame
The ideal place for me would have no user classes. A X months probation for new users, and then only uploaders and staff would have a different rank.
The goodies or special privileges for some users would be determined by many factors like overall participation, activity in tracker and forums, helping aptitude, etc. Never cold numbers per se.
Re: most user classes are outdated and lame
Promotion should always be dependant on equal download as well as upload for that class, you can upload more of course, but if the amount is 500GB for promotion, then it has to be 500GB downed as well.
The highest promotion should be available only after 1 year membership, with proper benefits even if it's just upload rights.
And any tracker that requires a ratio of 2 or more needs their head checking, I saw one this week that required a ratio of 4+ for a certain high class promotion - that is just plain crazy, that means you have to steal mega BW from those less fortunate to be able to seed well in order just to get a promotion, not the best way to run a tracker for ALL its members.
As for levelling the field between seedbox users & non-seedbox users, I'll have to think about that, maybe bronze, silver & gold members for seeding habits, and stars for forum habits?