Why Change in CR4 Format

Why not? - Easier to use, more features, kinder on the eyes, its great!!!

I wish to know what is my 'Karma' score?

How to find out in the new format?

Hi NV,

We have a completely different member rank system. "Karma" was somewhat unwieldly. Take a look at this section of the CR4 FAQ for details about the member title system. Also, check this document for an overview of some of the major changes we made to the site.

Since I was on a vacation and with continuous travel,I did not access CR4 from 12.9.2006 to 17.9.'06.Hence when accessed CR4 on 18.9.'06,this sudden change prompted me to ask the question " Why Change in CR4 Format".

As clarified by you, after looking at CR4 FAQ and checking the document I am quite happy to confirm that the revised format has many plus features.Only observation is that this change was abrupt without prior intimation to members. Any reason? From which date the change was effected? Thank you.

We did put up site wide posts in July and August stating that we would be upgrading the site. They spoke of an "end of summer" timeframe for the changeover as we did not have a firm date for launch. When we finalized the date and made sure all systems were go, we posted another statement on Monday the 11th stating that the new site would roll out on the 13th.

Could we have put more announcements up ahead of time? Yes, I'll agree we could have and probably should have.

But it was a rush right up to the end to get some features ready for launch, while making decisions to pull others back for later release. Posting weekly to explain progress being made on a platform that no one else could see would have led to more confusion than anything else. In the end, I think we've designed a much better site, with a fairly short learning curve. It is far better than the previous version in terms of performance and usability.

And remember it is a work in progress. We are continuing to apply improvements to the site both upfront and behind the scenes. Keep the comments coming as they help us determine our immediate, short and long term improvement schedule.

This point is well explained and no further discussion would be necessary.The site is designed far better than the previous version in terms of performance and usability.

Not only was karma unwieldy, but also quite a departure from the original, actual meaning and spirit of the concept....if I may frame the "issue" in a less ethnocentric and more lighthearted way. A little thought should convince one that the whole notion of assigning positive and negative "karma" points flies in the face of the entire meaning and substance of karma. This is not to be unduly critical, as the karma point system formerly in place in CR4 only reflects the "too-cool" pop reconstruction of karma's meaning--a redefining and Americo-adolescent popularization of the term that (it could be said) seems might have had its roots in a certain Beatles tune from back in the 70's--albeit that George certainly demonstated a more accurate grasp of the concept--to wit: "instant Karma's (gonna get you.) (The corruption, the bastardization, of Karma also probably owes much to the fact that so much of the popular media originates and is controlled in California--the land of muddled metaphors if ever there was one.) However, in the truer sense, it makes little sense to interpret Karma as something that can be negative or positive; that it is a kind of "brownie point" system such as we all know and remember fondly-or otherwise. To the true Hindu sensibility, for karma to exists means that it is generally something that (in the American cultural sense) can only be negative-which is to say (if I may be a contrarian), that a person to whom the concept is culturally inculcated would view the assignment of any Karma "point"--especially a positive point--as something to be avoided, even dreaded. That being the case, then having "negative Karma" bestowed could be seen, mathematically and philosophically, as something to be desired, at least to the extent that it might tend to offset, or countervail against, the consequences of having positive Karma...which is the same as negative as it was conceived in "classic" CR4. Do you see now why it might be best for Americans to leave hindu concepts to the hindus who can appreciate them? If you understood the foregoing, only then can you truly say that you do...see, that is. So perhaps thought will be given by the site admin's to instituting a program for issuing Brownie Points sometime in the future? Or maybe it could be made possible for us to issue brownie points to each other? ...certainly less cumbersome, and less unlikely to be used, than the former system of cool heads, friends, wierdos and whacko's and such. Responses welcome, but be wary lest karma become yours.

An awful lot of words to say very little about something downright trivial.

ITs great change and very much appericated.

In fact, I was deleting most of the mails previously, but now I am reading them everyday.

I believe, now its more friendly type and adds comfort to the eyes.

I run a Mac and my computer freezes up now. I liked the old format for the fact that it worked why change it .I finally mastered it and as is the norm today it seems thats just when things change .And I liked whatching my charma points build ,juvenial yes but fun .

The new system surely is with better features. Only observation is this change was abrupt without prior intimation to members.

I'll put in my two cents, "I love the change."

I wish I could say that .I disslike it maybe you have nothing else to do than to constantly adjust I'm busy making a living .

The old format often had members e-mail addresses at the bottom of there post. On the new format you have to search through there info. to get it. This makes responding only to them much harder. I have made many good business contacts by responding to them personally. I have found that most of the people on this sight are the kind of honest positive people that I like doing business with. Do you think that it is a good idea for CR4 to be somewhat of a meeting place for top engineers and decision makers to be doing some top notch networking? Maybe you could make it an option to have e-mail addresses listed with each post, many people won't think about typing it at the end of there posting unless they are asked to do so. stackpoole77@yahoo.com

You can send "private messages" to any member via a link on the member's profile page (click on their user name, then click the "Send <user> a Message" link across from their name). This let's you communicate privately without necessarily giving up your actual email address (but of course you are free to include it in your communications with other members). Personally, I don't want my email address floating around on web pages where it can be picked up by spam-bots.

Good point about the spam-bots, Thanks for the direction!

Agree with the suggestion of including e-mail addresses of members at the bottom of their post.An option could be made to have e-mail addresses listed with each post.

If you want your email address to show up in all your posts, you can put it in your signature file. Just go to your "Edit Profile" page and enter your email address into the Signature box. Save the profile changes and it will show up at the bottom of all your posts.

Just remember, as Mark mentioned earlier, by doing so, you are inviting SPAM bots to harvest your information.

After considering the hazard of 'Inviting SPAM bots', my view on this stands corrected. At least,I have reached the conclusion that pulic display of e-mail address is not desirable on the above basis. As the system already provides for editing profile and entering email address into the signature box,this can be an option left to discretion of individual members.