Gurus: Now with Extra Points Inside

As we approach the Memorial Day holiday weekend here in the US, I didn’t want to leave without mentioning some additions to our Guru Points system.

When we started the site, it was clear that there were many untapped opportunities for gaining points on Linux.com that did not have earnable points assigned to them. It was, essentially, a simple case of not wanting to delay the launch of the site–we have such a list of things to implement on Linux.com that if we’d waited to complete them all, we’d still be in beta. Better, it was decided, to get things kicked off early and release changes as we go.¬†

Sound familiar?

The changes we made this week are to the Guru system. We are going to start adding point values to items on the site that deal more with content, as well as the social aspects. To that end, registered users will now gain points for participating in our Answers section.  If you ask a question, you will receive three points. If you can answer a question, you will be rewarded five points. Keep in mind, questions and answers are moderated, so they need to be solid Q&As.

You can also earn points now for adding items to the Directory (3 pts) and reviewing a Directory item (2 pts). Again, the Directory entries are moderated, so check first for the item you want to enter to avoid duplicates.

In keeping with the social side of the Guru Points system, registered users will now receive five points for inviting unique friends to Linux.com.

I’ve updated the points listings throughout the site, but here is the current list, too:

Ask a Question: 3 pts
Answer a Question: 5 pts
Add an Item to the Directory: 3 pts
Review an Item in the Directory: 2 pts
Add New Group: 3 pts
Add New Group Discussion: 2 pts
Leave Group: -3 pts
Invite Friends: 5 pts
Approve Friend Request: 1 pt
Add New Photo Album: 1 pt
Post Group Wall: 1 pt
Join Group: 1 pt
Reply Group’s Discussion: 1 pt
Post Wall: 1 pt
Profile Update: 1 pt
Update group: 1 pt 

I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable weekend!