Noob - points system and GPS coords

T

TheOoz

New Member
Hi all,

I was looking at the tracks section of the site and trying to get GPS coorindates for the zig zag to lithgow route that is shown. When I tried to access the info, I received some message about not having enough points.

So then I was searching around to see what I had to do to earn points.

Please help.

TheOoz
 
H

hazza

New Member
A site takes content freely provided by it's users then requires other users to "earn" the ability to use that content... count me out.

I will share my GPS tracks elsewhere.
 
apsilon

apsilon

New Member
When did this happen?

I've never tried to download GPS data so may not have noticed it but now it says:

5 points gives you 2 track downloads per week
50 points gives you 5 track downloads per week

To earn points:

1 x Forum Post = 1 Point
1 x Track Log = 2 Points
1 x Accepted Track Submitted = 10 Points
1 x Accepted Track Submitted with GPS file = 20 Points
 
knot_gillty

knot_gillty

Active Member
The point system was introduced to stop spammers and encourage people to use the forums. Points cost nothing, only the time it takes to write a post. Get in the "new members" section, introduce yourself, go to the "off topic" and post whatever you like. Get up enough posts and you get the points. Simple!!

Again, its ALL FREE!
 
apsilon

apsilon

New Member
I'm sorry but I don't see how it stops spammers? You don't need points to post, only to access the GPS data so spammers can still post. What am I mssing?
 
Walkabout

Walkabout

Moderator
Looks fair enough to me, you would not join up just to take the contributions of other members would you? without making some contribution yourself? as knot_gillty points out there is bucket loads of content and info free to all users all of which you can add to IE: help someone with a question, comment on a discussion, tell a joke, tell us about your 4by ,camps and tracks.
We welcome newcomers and are interested in their imput into the forum.. get involved and you will have heaps of points in no time at all.... ok getting off the soap box now;)
 
H

hazza

New Member
When I share stuff on forums and web sites I do it for the benefit of the other members. It does not matter to me if that member just wants to suck down the tracks I share and not contribute a single word. Who cares, it is zero cost to me, there are more ways to provide value to the site than typing on a keyboard.

The owners of this web site seem to think the tracks and forum is for their benefit so that they can have a more active web site with more posts. You can create 2 situations:

1. "hey look at all the tracks I got from 4x4earth, you should get on there too and check it out"
2.

That's right the second situation is nothing, no posts, no tracks, no word of mouth, zip, zilch, nadda. Forcing people to participate with something you can measure is short sighted. What is more beneficial, an introduction and 4 jokes or spreading the word?

Despite the common perception most people will not just take and take and take of something that is given freely, they will end up giving back in one form or another. If they are forced to "pay" in some way they will try to "win" against the system and that is enough justification for them.
 
bmurray2250

bmurray2250

4x4 Earth Contributer
The point system is fair, it basically is asking for members to participant and the rewards are free downloads. It would like joining a survey company for free and expecting to get the MP3 player without doing a survey and a points balance of zero. If you have a few GPS tracks, add them to site and you will be able to download tracks in a few days.

James's plan was to have a free site that members added value and so far he has a done so. Sites like ExplorOz is free to look but cost you money if you want the benefits.
 
Grumpy

Grumpy

Moderator
Hazza for someone with only three posts it seems your very judgmental of the site without finding out why something is the way it is, post a question in the off topic section or pm Patriot for an explaination as it is his site.
 
havok011101

havok011101

New Member
I'm busy trying to work out Ozi so I can upload tracks instead of the start of tracks!

I agree that encouraging us to contribute would gear a better community than if everything was free, and really it's not hard to talk s**t in off topic or simply be friendly and welcome newbies to get some posts up.

Just need more people in North Queensland to upload their tracks and I'm laughing :p
 
H

hazza

New Member
I understand why they have done it and I will probably (and reluctantly) participate but I find it a touch ironic that they are running the site using Apache on a Linux host, using vBuletin with a MySQL backend for the forum and have modified Moodle for their track sharing.

All of these are open source systems that do not require you participate at all. Sure they will accept and resources that are freely available but force you to earn the content freely provided.

I plan on taking my GPS logger and doing some of the tracks that just have a starting point.... well once I get back from 5 weeks overseas anyway.
 
bmurray2250

bmurray2250

4x4 Earth Contributer
havok011101 said:
I'm busy trying to work out Ozi so I can upload tracks instead of the start of tracks!

I agree that encouraging us to contribute would gear a better community than if everything was free, and really it's not hard to talk s**t in off topic or simply be friendly and welcome newbies to get some posts up.

Just need more people in North Queensland to upload their tracks and I'm laughing :p
Click to expand...

If club members and people like yourself adds track info with or without GPS tracks there will be a great database of tracks. It is taking time but shows like 4wd TV is helping to get the work around.

all the best and hope to get up into your region in the future.
 
havok011101

havok011101

New Member
I'm happy to find and log them, and get more people involved, and hopefully the forum sticker on my truck gets a few more people interested.

You're right, even if there is a start.... that's a.... good start! Ozi is more complicated to work out so far, but I am a nerd and should get there :)

As with most things in Townsville, you must be patient!
 
Grumpy

Grumpy

Moderator
Hazza I am guilty of just putting on a starting point for a track and that's because I haven't been able to work out the programme on the GPS so have now changed to Ozi explorer and am relearning once again, I would have thought any information about a track would have been better than none at all.
CHEERS good to see your still posting too.
 
H

hazza

New Member
Grumpy said:
Hazza I am guilty of just putting on a starting point for a track and that's because I haven't been able to work out the programme on the GPS so have now changed to Ozi explorer and am relearning once again, I would have thought any information about a track would have been better than none at all.
CHEERS good to see your still posting too.
Click to expand...
I won't have a GPS display while I am out and about 4WDing, I will have the "Dirty Weekends in SE Queensland" guide and an i-gotU GPS logger. It just records your location, later on you download the GPS track from it.

I tried it out when I drove from Brissy to Rocky, you can see it here.
 
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