Notes from the red book - part 5

User profiles Pretty standard for any community site

- List of pieces List of pieces submitted by a user
- - most recent (added/updated) Organised by most recently submitted or updated, possibly other options available
- Description A general description submitted by the user
- Blog An optional blog that a user can use to talk about their writing, or whatever
- Links Any links the user wishes to add to their profile (like MySpace, Facebook, etc)
- Ratings-at-a-glance A value showing their reputation, either a single value or a ratio of their comments score vs. their number of pieces
- - Links to more detailed stats Click through to a more detailed run-down of their activities on the site
- Most recent comments A selection of their most recent comments (in full or as extracts)
- Picture and/or avatar Used to identify the user quickly. Possibility of using just an avatar, just a picture, or both
- - Large on profile (though not too big)
- - Resized to 50x50 elsewhere Such as on comments or forum posts, etc
- Signature? Possibility of allowing users to include a signature with their comments/posts
- - Text/emoticon only Means no inclusions of large images, etc
- - 1 0r 2 lines Means no long, text-filled, signatures

Emoticons A selection of images for use in comments/forums posts/etc

- Build up database Either create them myself, use free-to-use images, or have them be user-created (should have visual coherence)
- - All graphics open and CC licensed
- Sane selection + some randoms Need all the standards (smile, frown, wink, etc) with a couple of non-standard, try to avoid a massive selection of stupid emoticons
- Sane functions to call them Try to avoid anything that could come up in someone's writing (common ones include "8)" or things like multiple punctuation marks)
- Not available in text submission, only comments Pieces shouldn't be filled with emoticons, they are intended for discussion/conversation/etc

Notes from the red book - part 2

Reputation system A system that will give users a certain "reputation" value that will allow other users to see at-a-glance their standing in the community.

- Writing/commenting ratio Shows how many comments a user has left compared to how many pieces they've written. Good comments are more heavily weighted as they are a user participating in the community and helping others.
- - Initial comments Comments posted on pieces.
- - Follow-up comments Responses to comments. Worth less than initial comments.
- - Stats breakdowns (similar to DeviantArt) A page on a user's profile that shows things like how many comments a user has posted, how many of those have been moderated a certain way, etc.
- Similar rating system to Slashdot on comments Allowing users not only to rate comments as good or bad, but also as things like "helpful", "correction" (grammatical or factual), "interesting", etc. Comments gain and lose weight accordingly.