About the Top Contributor Announcement for Sep 2021

[pm-smayer97]

WOW! So it looks like not only will shout-outs of top contributors no longer be truly shouted out but now it seems that PM is taking another turn on this and we can no longer give congratulations to those that have made significant contributions?

That REALLY will help this community feel like a community, won't it? So nothing says community like a "Community"  board that limits community,

Well congrats anyway to all that did contribute, whomever you are and may see this, since PM does not even acknowledge you publicly anymore... ironic given the name of the company, "PUBLIC" Mobile.

[Namu]

@Anonymous 

Oh thank you! I will have to check on that. Wonderful!

[Anonymous]

 @Namu : It means you earned a $2 reward from the community. You should see that $2 under Rewards on your overview page in the self-serve. Then on your next renewal, that will go towards your plan cost and then that line will get zeroed out.

[Namu]

What does the notification telling me I'm in the top 25% mean exactly?

[barndoor]

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@Korth wrote:

What's the point? If you don't like the game then don't play it.

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How do you play the game if you don't know the rules ?  The rules were questioned and the  umpire clarified . Now it seems that call is being contested as well  .  

edited to ad ...correction ... the call is apparently not being contested ... it seems what is being questioned is why the rules were questioned in the first place when nobody but the umpire knows what the rules are . 

[Korth]

Summary of this thread ... "It's not fair that people keeping complaining that it's not fair!"

What's the point? If you don't like the game then don't play it.

[darlicious]

@pm-smayer97 

My opinion on this subject has not changed in 14 months but there has been a significant change in opinion for some members. If anyone wants a refresher....take a little time to enjoy these views....

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Community/Community-Rewards-Allocation/td-p/578760

[pm-smayer97]

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@darlicious wrote:

@pm-smayer97 

Are you offering up your $1?

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If you are asking whether I am ok with rules changing, I have no issues with that. My point is about why people are making such a fuss about how someone "earned" that $1 or $2....

It's like standing at the entrance of a store and someone is handing out coupons to customers coming in but someone happens not to get one and they start to argue as to why they did not get one when the rules make it possible for anyone to get one if they qualify, because there may be a reason why only some are getting it and some are not (only female customers, only ones with kids, elderly, or whatever).

But if we do not even know all the criteria, how can we even argue it? But yet that is exactly what people are trying to do here.

(I know it is not a perfect analogy... but I hope you get the point).

[darlicious]

@pm-smayer97 

Are you offering up your $1?

[pm-smayer97]

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@softech wrote:

Let's put aside whether it was a good decision to "lock" the announcement thread and force everyone to the Lounge, the fact that someone so desperate to congrats others but got to the wrong one shows that PM failed to clearly pass the message to the Community.  Yes, there was a line about this move but clearly not bold enough or got buried down.  That's part of this Epic failure.

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The Epic failure is not that the Announcement was moved to the Lounge but that PM felt compelled to do it in the first place, allowing itself to be subjected to all the nonsense and myopic perspective about this forum.

Do people spend time arguing with companies as to who gets discount coupons? PM could shut down this whole conversation by simply pointing out that they monitor and review as necessary but that ultimately their incentive model is for them to determine and no one else, and stop all this backroom talk....

Then just be happy with whatever you get!

AGAIN THIS IS ALL ABOUT $100 !!!!  When will people get that?!

[softech]

Let's put aside whether it was a good decision to "lock" the announcement thread and force everyone to the Lounge, the fact that someone so desperate to congrats others but got to the wrong one shows that PM failed to clearly pass the message to the Community.  Yes, there was a line about this move but clearly not bold enough or got buried down.  That's part of this Epic failure.

[ShawnC13]

This is what is wrong with the Announcement.  This user couldn't find this month so they searched out and posted it in Last Years Announcement

[pm-smayer97]

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@Korth wrote:

@pm-smayer97 

I don't work for PM, I don't speak for PM.

My "opinion" could indeed just be my opinion. Although I'm of the opinion that the facts are plainly evident and speak for themselves. Public Mobile is a business. We are their customers. They "reward" us for doing things which would cost them more to accomplish any other way. They decide how those "rewards" are allocated. We get whatever they've determined we should get.

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Exactly... and no one knows how they distribute this... so WHY are people arguing over a measly $100?  It is all SO PETTY!

Let PM give out $100 to WHOMEVER they want.... who are we to judge how "fair" it is, especially since NO ONE has ANY OBJECTIVE MEASURE TO ASSESS THAT (since the formula is secret AND not static)?

Like I have said before, there will always be exceptions and arguments to how this all works.... but who are we, to assess that?  No matter what the model, there will ALWAYS be a way to argue that someone is not getting their "fair" share.

[pm-smayer97]

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@darlicious wrote:

@pm-smayer97 

As I thought then your whole argument is a moot point. Pm needs to spend some money on a new drawing board. Is it any wonder that most glitches don't get fixed around here?😔

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Sorry... I am not following your argument. How is my argument a moot point? Because I earned a reward last month? Not sure where you are going with this.

But yes, I agree that PM needs to spend $ on addressing more pressing matters that to worry about how a measly $100 is being distributed.

[pm-smayer97]

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@barndoor wrote:

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@pm-smayer97 wrote:

@barndoor 

So again, the argumentation surrounds a concept of fairness. But HOW would you know that you would have qualified for the 50% group and got bumped?

what all this hubbub does is presume that you know the formula that would qualify you.

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You are correct. It is an assumption on my part  stemming from when I got nothing  from a dozen or so  posts in a month yet when I looked at the statistics of other participants they made one or two posts one being on the announcement thread and they had a badge . It seemed like a reasonable assumption .

Yeah, if it is all about the money for you and how insignificant a quantity it is and not about the  actual contribution the individuals are making to the company  by all means  keep up the fight . 

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No.... it is NOT about the money... that is my point... the issue I have is that people are trying to define what is meaningful and not contribution and only interpreting it from the perspective of "helping"..... BUT again I stress.... the forum is NOT JUST about "helping" a direct problem... but is more than that.... AND THAT IS part of the PM branding.... But folks seem so intent and making it all about ONE thing and ONE thing only and interpreting everything in this COMMUNITY through that ONE lens. All in the misguided "context" of "fairness" (which I do appreciate), which translates into trying to find a "better" solution to re-distributing the tiniest of funds. So THEY are making all about money!    This is a narrow perspective.

They are making a tempest in a teacup!!!

[darlicious]

@pm-smayer97 

As I thought then your whole argument is a moot point. Pm needs to spend some money on a new drawing board. Is it any wonder that most glitches don't get fixed around here?😔

[pm-smayer97]

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@darlicious wrote:

@pm-smayer97 

Did you get your community reward this month?

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Yes.

[darlicious]

@pm-smayer97 

Did you get your community reward this month?

[barndoor]

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@pm-smayer97 wrote:

BUT again, it is small potatoes, so why all the fuss? and again, at what cost to PM?

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You're absolutely  right  ...Instead of changing anything PM  should have just changed the settings so that all participants statistics stayed private  and none of this would have happened .

[barndoor]

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@pm-smayer97 wrote:

@barndoor 

So again, the argumentation surrounds a concept of fairness. But HOW would you know that you would have qualified for the 50% group and got bumped?

what all this hubbub does is presume that you know the formula that would qualify you.

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You are correct. It is an assumption on my part  stemming from when I got nothing  from a dozen or so  posts in a month yet when I looked at the statistics of other participants they made one or two posts one being on the announcement thread and they had a badge . It seemed like a reasonable assumption .

Yeah, if it is all about the money for you and how insignificant a quantity it is and not about the  actual contribution the individuals are making to the company  by all means  keep up the fight . 

[Korth]

@pm-smayer97 

I don't work for PM, I don't speak for PM.

My "opinion" could indeed just be my opinion. Although I'm of the opinion that the facts are plainly evident and speak for themselves. Public Mobile is a business. We are their customers. They "reward" us for doing things which would cost them more to accomplish any other way. They decide how those "rewards" are allocated. We get whatever they've determined we should get.

[pm-smayer97]

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@Korth wrote:

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@pm-smayer97 wrote:

People have lost perspective, and it looks like PM has allowed themselves to be subjected to this.

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...  Public Mobile will give you Rewards for useful service, but they have little use for the "services" of idle parasites who fail to generate anything of value.

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WOW... that seems like quite a harsh judgment. Is that your opinion or are you speaking on behalf of PM?

But again, that seems to lose sight of the bigger picture of what this forum is all about... it is NOT just a get-help site... as affirmed by PM itself multiple times and in multiple ways.

[pm-smayer97]

@barndoor 

So again, the argumentation surrounds a concept of fairness. But HOW would you know that you would have qualified for the 50% group and got bumped?

what all this hubbub does is presume that you know the formula that would qualify you.

But since NO ONE outside PM knows, this is all a moot point.... therefore, all community rewards are "fun" money, since no one knows for sure.

I've made my share of the years but I never fuss over getting some or not.

BUT again, it is small potatoes, so why all the fuss? and again, at what cost to PM?

[Korth]

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@pm-smayer97 wrote:

People have lost perspective, and it looks like PM has allowed themselves to be subjected to this.

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Many people never had any "perspective" to lose. They see, hear, and read what they expect to see, hear, and read. They want to ambitiously outsmart, exploit, or manipulate the system to squeeze a little bit more. They (mis)believe whatever hype and promises they are fed by marketing.

Public Mobile is a business. They sell you a service. You buy that service, paying with money or paying with services of your own. Public Mobile will give you Rewards for useful service, but they have little use for the "services" of idle parasites who fail to generate anything of value.

[AE_Collector]

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@pm-smayer97 wrote:

Well congrats anyway to all that did contribute, whomever you are and may see this, since PM does not even acknowledge you publicly anymore... ironic given the name of the company, "PUBLIC" Mobile.

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It’s the start of renaming the company “Lounge Mobile” though I suggest “Mobile Lounge” instead.

AE_Collector

[barndoor]

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@pm-smayer97 wrote:

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Anyone who spends some time here realizes this and therefore realizes that Community based rewards are just "fun" money... (at least they should).

AND THAT is the crux of the issue.... TOO MANY have become TOO SERIOUS over the community rewards!!!!

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Maybe it is just "fun" money and of no real consequence but many have  given up a lot of time(worth a lot more than that fun buck) to get that "fun" buck  and to have someone kick you out of the top 50% with one post that got a bunch of bravos is just a slap in the face.  Even if PM throws more money at it  the issue remains the same unless you fix it . Of course if the cat had stayed in the bag it wouldn't  have been an issue  ... Bad @darlicious 

You want more participation here  ...then make all things phone rewardable including letting Softech and his lady friend rave about their phone pics .. The cost of doing that will be a quarter  of a 1CSA's monthly wage and it will help generate the experienced traffic  here needed to help provide quality customer support. If PM ever goes to a glitch free service  you're going to need the extra topics to overcome the boredom here  . 😀

[pm-smayer97]

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@Korth wrote:

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@pm-smayer97 wrote:

From their HOME PAGE:

"Rewards that’ll lower your bill" (in BIG BOLD LETTERS)

"You can save up to $20 every 30 days by earning points in the Community. "

This overshadows OTHER Rewards..... vs $2 for AutoPay, $1 Loyalty (max $5),

Only the Refer a Friend Reward can overshadow the Community... but you need to have more than 20 people sign up.... no easy feat.

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I disagree on certain details.

AutoPay is easy. You sign up, you get it. You don't sign up, you don't get it. You can still collect your $2 discount (and get your bonus data) even if you never let your credit card get charged and keep topping up your account with Payment Vouchers.

Loyalty is easy. It just takes time, you can't rush it.

Referrals aren't easy but they also aren't hard. Each person you refer is another dollar. If they're people you know then they're more likely to stay. If they're random internet anons who are always chasing discounts then you know nothing about them and can't realistically assume their "loyalty" is reliable and consistent, they're always searching for an immediate gain and they're likely to jump ship the moment they find it.

Community is variable. You really can't predict how others will respond to your input. You really can't predict how many (or how few) others will be active each month. Just keep plugging away and you'll get gradual recognition, but if your goal is to hit the forums to reduce your monthly phone bill then you'll likely be disappointed.

Anyone who intends to lower their phone bill (or get it down to $0) should grab all the easy Rewards and focus on Referrals. Community payouts are too variable, too subject to whims and fancies which aren't prudent to bank on - and Top% allocations require too much time to really be worth the effort if that's your goal, you'd be better off using the time to make a few bucks on the side with a paper route or something, lol.

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That is the WHOLE point. And let me use your last point to bring it home:

"Community payouts are too variable, too subject to whims and fancies which aren't prudent to bank on"

Anyone who spends some time here realizes this and therefore realizes that Community based rewards are just "fun" money... (at least they should).

AND THAT is the crux of the issue.... TOO MANY have become TOO SERIOUS over the community rewards!!!! And I submit THAT is why were are here over this discussing it over 4 pages so far!!!!

People have lost perspective, and it looks like PM has allowed themselves to be subjected to this.

[pm-smayer97]

@darlicious 

I agree with the overall sentiment and I mostly agree. But there are 2 things I want to point out.

Just as you point out, the forum is to share ideas. So this need to move the Announcement page goes against that motive. So why do it at all?

Also, I think we both know that the real motivation to move the Announcement thread is due to this singled-minded obsession and concern of "unfariness".... Again, I emphasize that it is a red herring and loses meaning when we are taking about a MEASLY FEW BUCKS a month....

Like you aptly point out.... "...they cant just rely on this one moved thread to solve the issues with community participation."

All of this comes across as myopic and petty (not directing this at you BTW) and makes NO BUSINESS SENSE!

There seems to be a complete lack of perspective.

Again, @J_PM  I sure hope you are following the rest of this discussion and gleaning some useful perspective on this.

[Korth]

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@pm-smayer97 wrote:

From their HOME PAGE:

"Rewards that’ll lower your bill" (in BIG BOLD LETTERS)

"You can save up to $20 every 30 days by earning points in the Community. "

This overshadows OTHER Rewards..... vs $2 for AutoPay, $1 Loyalty (max $5),

Only the Refer a Friend Reward can overshadow the Community... but you need to have more than 20 people sign up.... no easy feat.

---

I disagree on certain details.

AutoPay is easy. You sign up, you get it. You don't sign up, you don't get it. You can still collect your $2 discount (and get your bonus data) even if you never let your credit card get charged and keep topping up your account with Payment Vouchers.

Loyalty is easy. It just takes time, you can't rush it.

Referrals aren't easy but they also aren't hard. Each person you refer is another dollar. If they're people you know then they're more likely to stay. If they're random internet anons who are always chasing discounts then you know nothing about them and can't realistically assume their "loyalty" is reliable and consistent, they're always searching for an immediate gain and they're likely to jump ship the moment they find it.

Community is variable. You really can't predict how others will respond to your input. You really can't predict how many (or how few) others will be active each month. Just keep plugging away and you'll get gradual recognition, but if your goal is to hit the forums to reduce your monthly phone bill then you'll likely be disappointed.

Anyone who intends to lower their phone bill (or get it down to $0) should grab all the easy Rewards and focus on Referrals. Community payouts are too variable, too subject to whims and fancies which aren't prudent to bank on - and Top% allocations require too much time to really be worth the effort if that's your goal, you'd be better off using the time to make a few bucks on the side with a paper route or something, lol.

[darlicious]

@pm-smayer97 

I understand the point you are making with marketing. Rewards, the community reward and the community itself has been for a long time a huge part of pm's marketing strategy. But since the pandemic hit that strategy has changed and they depend on more traditional marketing strategies to attract new customers rather than "In house" community based sales and promotions.

Public Mobile has increased retail partner based promotions, they spend more advertising dollars on internet pop up ads, email based ads, print and radio ads. In the meantime they have virtually done away with contests, community feedback polls, bonus referral credits (referrer and referee) or even mentioning promotions like the 2GBBONUS promocode for at least month before they announced it in the community. As a result community participation is way down.

A couple of months ago they handed out 87 community rewards with the top 50% needing a mere 5 bravos to be rewarded. Which means vitually no new customers/members were earning community rewards as the 20 or 30 single post strategic posters were getting a third of all "easy" to earn community rewards defeating the purpose of the lower based rewards to attract, hook and encourage new members to continue to frequent the community to get help and learn about their pm services and self serve account.

If making this change is their first step towards putting more emphasis on the community and getting its customers to spend time here then I am all for it but they cant just rely on this one moved thread to solve the issues with community participation. Both pm management and the oracle team need to remember the last part in the community's motto/moniker

"The place to get help, give help and share ideas."

That means discussions or the sharing of ideas should be included in the main forum in the appropriate board and not just bounced to the lounge because an oracle doesnt think the ideas being shared within the discussion are not worthy of a bravo that may count towards a community reward.....if those ideas are about public mobile, phones or the community it doesn't belong in the lounge....thats for everything else!

The top contributors announcement thread should stay on the main forum for a set amount of days and can then be moved to the lounge to cancel out the meaningless bravos.

[ShawnC13]

Not everyone is though. Like in my example of one post getting 20 bravos vs the person trying to learn and help posting in 30 threads but getting 15 bravos. (just basing rewards example purely off of bravos as I don't know the secret formula)  Even though that person posted in 30 threads they may have spent hours reading other threads and felt comfortable enough to put advice forward in those.

Edited to add:  There is a place for fun they created a whole section for it where it wouldn't detract from those that are coming here for help