Anyone else notice anything funny about Bravos in the community over the past few weeks?

[pm-smayer97]

A week or two ago I noticed that the number of users that received Bravos suddenly decreased from well over 100 pages to just under 50 now. So I started to pay closer attention. I then noticed that so far I have received over 50 Bravos (rolling 30-day count) but when I have been monitoring the Leaderboard, I see that my count has DECREASED to just over 30 (I can confirm my exact count because I receive email notifcations and have a record of them at the moment).

Hey, don't judge me...I'm just a bit of a geek. I do not care much for the Bravos; after all I do not get much anyway, BUT this does look odd, and wonder if something is going on behind the scenes.

Any one else notice?

[gail709]

Wow, you really are a great Perry Mason (that reference should show my age).  That certainly could have been the issue...I'll watch more closely next time to see if that was it.  Thanks.

[pm-smayer97]

---

@gail709 wrote:

Twice now I have tried to give two different people a Bravo.  It actually took away from their number.  The first person had 3 Bravo's.  I clicked to give a Bravo and it went to 2.  I thought I was wrong and moved on.  Just now I tried to give a Bravo to a person who had 5.  I clicked on Bravo and it went to 4.  This time I clicked again and it went back to 5.  Any thoughts?

---

Not exactly what I was originally describing but in your case, is it possible you had already given a Bravo but forgot? If the number of Bravos is black, it means your Bravo has already been registered and if it is hollow, it has not registered a Bravo from you.

[gail709]

Twice now I have tried to give two different people a Bravo.  It actually took away from their number.  The first person had 3 Bravo's.  I clicked to give a Bravo and it went to 2.  I thought I was wrong and moved on.  Just now I tried to give a Bravo to a person who had 5.  I clicked on Bravo and it went to 4.  This time I clicked again and it went back to 5.  Any thoughts?

[Korth]

---

@pm-smayer97 wrote:

Thanks but not even close to a valid explanation.

---

Then perhaps you could offer us a valid explanation?

[pm-smayer97]

---

@computergeek541 wrote:

---

@Daps wrote:

If I understand correctly, duplicates posted in the amazon giftcard contest are being merged, etc

This one thread alone may be accounting for the majority of the missing bravos

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Announcements/Win-a-100-Amazon-gift-card-with-our-Mor...

---

Bravos in that thread won't count for anything. There has been far too much nonsense going on in long contest and annoucements threads with some members knowing that no one is going to read every message burried in a few hundred page long thread that some members have resorted to posting more than 50 identical messages at a time.

---

Again, I'm not concerned about whether or not the bravo counts count for anything but rather what the implications are of my observations. And I duplicate postings garnering multiple bravos would have NO impact on the NUMBER of customers receiving bravos.

The number of PAGES of bravos = number of CUSTOMERS receiving bravos, not total number of Bravos. So duplicate posting is NOT a factor here.

[pm-smayer97]

---

@computergeek541 wrote:

---

@Daps wrote:

If I understand correctly, duplicates posted in the amazon giftcard contest are being merged, etc

This one thread alone may be accounting for the majority of the missing bravos

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Announcements/Win-a-100-Amazon-gift-card-with-our-Mor...

---

Bravos in that thread won't count for anything. There has been far too much nonsense going on in long contest and annoucements threads with some members knowing that no one is going to read every message burried in a few hundred page long thread that some members have resorted to posting more than 50 identical messages at a time.

---

Like I said before, I have been following this thread quite a bit and that too is not the case...again, if it were so, the page count (and other indicators) would have dropped significantly. It has not budged.

More concrete explanation is needed.

[pm-smayer97]

---

@Korth wrote:

Front-end webpages and back-end servers are always struggling to keep in sync. What you see in your browser might be a mix of nearly-realtime information (from one server) and hours-outdated information (from another server), even when summarized on one page (by yet another server). Bravos counted on the Leaderboards and Profile pages are probably updated from different database counters at different intervals, the numbers always being moved and correlated nonstop 24x365 and some items (like user profile pages) are probably low profile except when Rewards are issued or the Self-Serve servers demand better accuracy on specific billing dates.

Businesses have all sorts of (fairly reasonable) hidden corner cutting implementations in their server rooms. Not to mention bugs, always bugs, when flawless trivialities aren't a cost-effective thing to prioritize. Unless instant updating and reporting (to end-users) is important (like with online banking, etc).

---

Thanks but not even close to a valid explanation.

[Korth]

Contests and giveaways and Rewards also inspire lots of sockpuppet accounts which make lots of fake posts for lots of fake bravos. These tend to look rather dubious and rather obvious to everyone else. So I'm guessing the The Powers That Be routinely ignore them. 

[computergeek541]

---

@Daps wrote:

If I understand correctly, duplicates posted in the amazon giftcard contest are being merged, etc

This one thread alone may be accounting for the majority of the missing bravos

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Announcements/Win-a-100-Amazon-gift-card-with-our-Mor...

---

Bravos in that thread won't count for anything. There has been far too much nonsense going on in long contest and annoucements threads with some members knowing that no one is going to read every message burried in a few hundred page long thread that some members have resorted to posting more than 50 identical messages at a time.

[Korth]

Front-end webpages and back-end servers are always struggling to keep in sync. What you see in your browser might be a mix of nearly-realtime information (from one server) and hours-outdated information (from another server), even when summarized on one page (by yet another server). Bravos counted on the Leaderboards and Profile pages are probably updated from different database counters at different intervals, the numbers always being moved and correlated nonstop 24x365 and some items (like user profile pages) are probably low profile except when Rewards are issued or the Self-Serve servers demand better accuracy on specific billing dates.

Businesses have all sorts of (fairly reasonable) hidden corner cutting implementations in their server rooms. Not to mention bugs, always bugs, when flawless trivialities aren't a cost-effective thing to prioritize. Unless instant updating and reporting (to end-users) is important (like with online banking, etc).

[pm-smayer97]

---

@Daps wrote:

If I understand correctly, duplicates posted in the amazon giftcard contest are being merged, etc

This one thread alone may be accounting for the majority of the missing bravos

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Announcements/Win-a-100-Amazon-gift-card-with-our-Mor...

---

That certainly could possiby explain it if it were true but I have been following that thread and from what I can tell the page count on that has never decreased, which is what you would expect if what you say is happening. So, I do not see the evidence of that there.

[Daps]

If I understand correctly, duplicates posted in the amazon giftcard contest are being merged, etc

This one thread alone may be accounting for the majority of the missing bravos

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Announcements/Win-a-100-Amazon-gift-card-with-our-Mor...

[pm-smayer97]

---

@Luddite wrote:

---

@pm-smayer97 wrote:

Thanks all BUT I am a IT business process analyst so I have already accounted for roll-off, aligned number of days, clumping, eliminating any duplicates (turns out I have none), etc.

Like I said, I am a bit of a geek, so I posted this thread AFTER an extensive amount of analysis. Most of the new Bravos were actually created in the last few weeks and have NOT had time to roll off with the last 30 days.

AND the count for MY personal Bravos are WAY off...

I have been doing this kind of thing for almost to years here and have NEVER seen anything like this. So, something does NOT add up.

---

If any of your bravos were for threads moved to the Lounge, or otherwise deleted, your count would automatically decrease.

In addition, unless you have been notified, any system glitch will have impacted many people. Anyway,

a) it's likely your relative placement on the bell curve that counts, 

b) just participate as much as you wish for the joy of helping others,

c) referrals are more lucrative than Community rewards for a given effort.

---

Thanks...the deletion behind the scenes or anhy other manipulation is exacly what I am drawing attention to. I am not concerned about relative placement, my level of participation or rewards. You have completely missed the point of my post.

I am an analyst by trade and by nature. When something does not add up, it catches my attention. And when it has deeper implications, I draw attention to it by others.

This has deeper implications.

[Luddite]

---

@pm-smayer97 wrote:

Thanks all BUT I am a IT business process analyst so I have already accounted for roll-off, aligned number of days, clumping, eliminating any duplicates (turns out I have none), etc.

Like I said, I am a bit of a geek, so I posted this thread AFTER an extensive amount of analysis. Most of the new Bravos were actually created in the last few weeks and have NOT had time to roll off with the last 30 days.

AND the count for MY personal Bravos are WAY off...

I have been doing this kind of thing for almost to years here and have NEVER seen anything like this. So, something does NOT add up.

---

If any of your bravos were for threads moved to the Lounge, or otherwise deleted, your count would automatically decrease.

In addition, unless you have been notified, any system glitch will have impacted many people. Anyway,

a) it's likely your relative placement on the bell curve that counts, 

b) just participate as much as you wish for the joy of helping others,

c) referrals are more lucrative than Community rewards for a given effort.

[pm-smayer97]

---

@will13am wrote:

First world problem?  It has already been shown that post count trump bravos.  Back in the day when the high achievers didn't camp here, not all posts even good ones received any recognition. Today is different.  It's feast or famine.  So does it really matter in the bigger picture?

/Rant

---

Only insomuch as it raises questions about what actually goes on behind the scenes with posts on this forum, as I have seen other related stuff that raises questions too. It is a matter of transparency and trust. After all, this forum is the ONLY venue and interaction that customers have with PM.

[will13am]

First world problem?  It has already been shown that post count trump bravos.  Back in the day when the high achievers didn't camp here, not all posts even good ones received any recognition. Today is different.  It's feast or famine.  So does it really matter in the bigger picture?

/Rant

[pm-smayer97]

---

@ChuckYeah wrote:

@pm-smayer97 

I'm just going to put this out there. Is it possible that someone who is giving you alot of bravos up front, hoping to get yours in return, is going back and UN-Bravoing your posts?

Again, I know you and I don't really care, but there maybe someone out there who cares way too much. I would assume those un-bravoed posts are impossible to track.

FYI, it's not me! I, like you, just don't take the world at face value.

---

Nope...already checked. Plus this is NOT just about MY Bravos...this is about 50+ pages of users that DID receive Bravos but are no longer listed (that would be over 1200 posts)...so though not beyond possible, it is highly unlikely....

[ChuckYeah]

@pm-smayer97 

I'm just going to put this out there. Is it possible that someone who is giving you alot of bravos up front, hoping to get yours in return, is going back and UN-Bravoing your posts?

Again, I know you and I don't really care, but there maybe someone out there who cares way too much. I would assume those un-bravoed posts are impossible to track.

FYI, it's not me! I, like you, just don't take the world at face value.

[pm-smayer97]

Thanks all BUT I am a IT business process analyst so I have already accounted for roll-off, aligned number of days, clumping, eliminating any duplicates (turns out I have none), etc.

Like I said, I am a bit of a geek, so I posted this thread AFTER an extensive amount of analysis. Most of the new Bravos were actually created in the last few weeks and have NOT had time to roll off with the last 30 days.

AND the count for MY personal Bravos are WAY off...

I have been doing this kind of thing for almost to years here and have NEVER seen anything like this. So, something does NOT add up.

[buiya]

---

@computergeek541 wrote:

---

@buiya wrote:

---

@computergeek541 wrote:

@pm-smayer97 I can only speculate that the Community is far less active compared to a few weeks ago. During holidays, it usually is like that. I'm noticing less messages posted, likely due to people spending less time online. When people aren't logged in as often, they're not posting messages as often, and are giving bravos less often.

---

but how does that corelate with the ops observations? the number of bravo notifications isn't aligning to the leaderboards?

---

Sure, I missed that part.

It could be a glitch, or that the old days in the last 30 days only fall off at certain intervals (ie. at the end of a day, etc.). I'm only speculating though, and if there's a day when someone hasn't received any bravos, the 30 day count for that person should be constantly changing because of bravos being received possibiliy multiple times during a day, but that doesn't seem to happen.

---

Thank you for the clarification.  Yeah there might be a glitch with the notifications, I received 2 email notifications for 1 bravo.  Oh well.  Happy holidays!

[computergeek541]

---

@buiya wrote:

---

@computergeek541 wrote:

@pm-smayer97 I can only speculate that the Community is far less active compared to a few weeks ago. During holidays, it usually is like that. I'm noticing less messages posted, likely due to people spending less time online. When people aren't logged in as often, they're not posting messages as often, and are giving bravos less often.

---

but how does that corelate with the ops observations? the number of bravo notifications isn't aligning to the leaderboards?

---

Sure, I missed that part.

It could be a glitch, or that the old days in the last 30 days only fall off at certain intervals (ie. at the end of a day, etc.). I'm only speculating though, and if there's a day when someone hasn't received any bravos, the 30 day count for that person should be constantly changing because of bravos being received possibiliy multiple times during a day, but that doesn't seem to happen.

[Daps]

Nothing really strange about it.

If I understand. You look today, you will see the bravos received between nov 22 and dec 21.

When you looked last week, you saw the bravos received between nov 15 and dec 14.

[buiya]

---

@computergeek541 wrote:

@pm-smayer97 I can only speculate that the Community is far less active compared to a few weeks ago. During holidays, it usually is like that. I'm noticing less messages posted, likely due to people spending less time online. When people aren't logged in as often, they're not posting messages as often, and are giving bravos less often.

---

but how does that corelate with the ops observations? the number of bravo notifications isn't aligning to the leaderboards?

[computergeek541]

@pm-smayer97 I can only speculate that the Community is far less active compared to a few weeks ago. During holidays, it usually is like that. I'm noticing less messages posted, likely due to people spending less time online. When people aren't logged in as often, they're not posting messages as often, and are giving bravos less often.