META: A Snapshot Of The MGoMiddleClass
A Snapshot Of The MGoMiddleClass
INTRODUCTION:
After some comments in a previous diary, I decided to do another brief snapshot of point data, this time focusing on the MGoMiddleClass.
Granted, karma means much more than points on MGoBlog these days, but nonetheless I have found these little dives to be entertaining if nothing else, and hopefully the blog has as well.
METHOD:
In a nutshell, I took the next 450 users after the so-called “Top 300” and pasted all their points data into Excel and then ran a few descriptive statistics as I had for everything else. The data was collected at approximately 2:30 PM on August 13th, so it is reasonably current.
DATA:
The table below shows the results –
TOTAL POINTS: |
|
627513 |
AVERAGE: |
1394 |
|
MEDIAN: |
1318 |
|
MODE: |
1011 |
|
STD. DEVIATION: |
339 |
|
VARIANCE: |
114815 |
|
MINIMUM: |
925 |
|
MAXIMUM: |
2117 |
|
|
||
AVG. SEPARATION: |
(AT PAGE LEVEL) |
77 |
AVG. SEPARATION: |
(BY USER) |
3 |
MAX Z-SCORE |
|
2.13 |
MIN Z-SCORE |
-1.39 |
DISCUSSION:
I never thought about looking at the point spread by page for the “Top 300” or the Bolivia group because it would not have been particularly intriguing, for on one end, there are nearly 48,000 points separating Brian from the bottom of the “Top 300”, and about a billion points separating the worst of Bolivia from most others with negative point totals. This group was a little different.
From the top to the bottom of this sample group, there is only an 1,192 point spread, and indeed, if you note in the table, the average difference between the top and bottom users listed on a given page is only 77 points, with an average separation between users of 3 points. In other words, this is a far more competitive group when it comes to relative position than the “Top 300”, as a mere few posts per day can potentially move a user a couple spaces each day.
I also looked at Z-scores, and I would say that this is a fairly tight distribution compared to any other group of users, skewed towards those with larger totals, of course, but not Brian’s Z-score in the “Top 300” group, which sits in the 7 to 8 range even in the other group.
CONCLUSION:
Again, the points themselves do not mean much, but it is an interesting window into just how much content and posting and/or thread material is generated by this site and who generates it. It is also a small window into the history of the site in a way, showing how different tiers of users (which I admittedly arbitrarily established) have been affected by the changes here over time. The “Top 300” distribution, for example, is comprised mainly of site veterans, content contributors and mods who benefitted greatly from a time when points did matter. This group here is mainly newer users and veterans who do not post as frequently, and they fall into a far tighter group than any other on MGoBlog. Indeed, with an average of 1,394 points and a median of 1,318, this is not a terribly skewed distribution.
OTHER NOTES:
I am considering ways, without having direct access to tables, of doing an actual dive into board karma, so that might be in the future.
August 16th, 2012 at 9:42 AM ^
Interesting stuff. Glad to be part of the group even though I'm below average! My wife being put on bed rest has really cut into my MGoBlogging lately. What is the highest attainable karma value?
August 16th, 2012 at 9:46 AM ^
I could be wrong, and if I am, one of the mods will hopefully correct me.
I believe it is 5, the same as the max number for upvoting. I seem to recall a new user briefly having a karma of "5" at one point.
August 16th, 2012 at 9:51 AM ^
and I'm upper-middle class, so I probably should know.
August 16th, 2012 at 9:11 PM ^
I am rich, bitch. Back in the day a good gif or dick joke in the off season would result in a showering of points.
August 18th, 2012 at 11:07 AM ^
August 17th, 2012 at 3:52 PM ^
well I'm lower upper class. *Checks to make sure there are no upper upper class around*
August 16th, 2012 at 10:00 AM ^
I think TomVH may have had a karma of 5 at some point, but he is at 3 now. The highest I know of is THE_KNOWLEDGE, who has a karma of 4. Whether some of that karma comes from posts in the future that only he knows of is unknown.
August 16th, 2012 at 10:12 AM ^
Was that back in posbang days? Oh how I wish I had been here for the posbang.
August 16th, 2012 at 11:08 AM ^
I gave you one Slavic Karma just for good measure.
August 16th, 2012 at 1:38 PM ^
I hope that's not prison slang! That would actually be a good name for a drink or an immigrant punk band.
August 16th, 2012 at 11:30 AM ^
Which was a new user that was getting posbanged and had a point increase from the mods (not sure how/if that plays into anything). Also, TomVH had a four at one point.
August 17th, 2012 at 10:39 AM ^
Is currently at a 4.
August 16th, 2012 at 4:57 PM ^
The most a mere mortal like you or I can hope to attain is a 2. Double HP on initial posts is ver' nice. TomVH deserved 5 karma all day every day.
August 16th, 2012 at 10:20 AM ^
for implying that I'm part of the MGoLowerClass. (My 500 points don't make the minimum for MGoMiddleClass -- I'm going to go weep softly in the corner.)
August 16th, 2012 at 1:17 PM ^
Here ya’ go. Have a seat and join the rest of us. I have an open chair right here in front of me.
August 17th, 2012 at 3:31 PM ^
Just to be clear, its a plastic, fold out chair, with a rip in the cushioning and one leg shorter than the rest.
August 16th, 2012 at 12:58 PM ^
FYI: We like to refer to ourselves as the MGoProletariat class. Please remember that for the future thank you. /s
August 16th, 2012 at 1:01 PM ^
then I'm basement class. Maybe I need to ask for government handouts.
August 16th, 2012 at 4:57 PM ^
Here, have a meaningless upvote on the house.
August 17th, 2012 at 12:10 PM ^
Why thank you. You've obviously been a bit more active in your time here. I'm a month or so older!
August 17th, 2012 at 6:54 PM ^
MGoBestclass you mean.
August 17th, 2012 at 9:51 AM ^
I prefer to lump myself into the "three digit" class
August 16th, 2012 at 10:29 AM ^
This post will give me the tied-for-2326th most MGoPoints. The fact that there are over 2000 users with more points than me really emphasizes the magnitude of this site.
August 16th, 2012 at 11:07 AM ^
Wow. I am low-class. Given how long I've had an account here, that says something about my contribution. Too funny.
August 16th, 2012 at 11:07 AM ^
Woot!! I am in the MGoMiddleClass. I like the look at the data that you have been doing. It isn't really meaningful, but at the same time I find it interesting.
Thanks.
August 16th, 2012 at 11:25 AM ^
Middle class.. Lower class.. These are all terms applied by the MGoElite to divide and conquer. [Oh crap, no politics]
August 16th, 2012 at 11:29 AM ^
I have given up on karma, and it is liberating. I like using the site through iphone, where I can't see points or access karma information. (It is also fun to read the comments in reverse chronological order.)
August 16th, 2012 at 12:00 PM ^
Hell, all I wanted was a nice MGoHouse in a nice MGoNeighborhood with a maize and blue picket fence. The MGoDream is alive and well.
August 16th, 2012 at 1:10 PM ^
BACK TO YOUR TURNIPS!!!
August 16th, 2012 at 5:16 PM ^
The chronic steroid abusers of the MGoPoints world.
coughSethcough
August 16th, 2012 at 2:20 PM ^
I don't think of myself as mgo-upper-class, although if you go by points, I suppose I am. It would be interesting to see where points came from. There are definitely several categories:
- Paid staff. Brian, Seth, Ace, Heiko.
- Moderators. BiSB, etc.
- Content generators. TomVH, Tremendous, Magnus, Mathlete.
- Frequent posts & comments. I used to fall here, but have cut back.
- Members prior to the point acccumulation melt down. I definitely fall here.
It is nice having enough points so I can post if I want to, even during Fall meltdown periods, and not so many points that it brings attention.
Currently, 10,000 seems to be the threshhold for the mgo elites.
I poked around a bit, and the sad thing to me is some of the veterans who have dropped out pretty completely and aren't posting any more.
August 16th, 2012 at 5:01 PM ^
TomVH
formerlyanonymous(?)
Tim
Captain
Big Boutros
Crime Reporter
There are probably more but I miss these guys (gals?) the most.
August 16th, 2012 at 5:21 PM ^
Is still around, he's posted a few times this week. He's toned down the posting the past little while, though. Agree he's a great MGoPoster.
August 16th, 2012 at 5:32 PM ^
Thanks for the correction, jgb.
August 16th, 2012 at 8:58 PM ^
I miss them too. Sometimes, the comments get sharp enough that people just drop out of giving their two cents, instead of opening themselves to abuse.
August 17th, 2012 at 10:49 AM ^
I think he left after the big His Dudeness gay slur "I'm leaving this site...not really" debate.
The first three left for job/duties changes.
But Crime Reporter still posts here some...just not in the amount he used to. He had a run of posts 2-4 weeks ago.
And maybe it's a different Captain, but it doesn't look like he's left at all.
http://mgoblog.com/users/captain
August 22nd, 2012 at 8:47 PM ^
You think I'm a woman?
August 16th, 2012 at 3:32 PM ^
August 16th, 2012 at 5:36 PM ^
August 16th, 2012 at 5:44 PM ^
Occupy the MGo1%!
August 16th, 2012 at 6:09 PM ^
Where are your MGoOffices so we can pitch our MGoTents to protest your eliteist ways and neglect our MGoSanitaryHabits?
August 16th, 2012 at 6:17 PM ^
August 16th, 2012 at 6:50 PM ^
August 17th, 2012 at 7:54 AM ^
looks like i need to get on the mgopoint welfare program
August 18th, 2012 at 8:10 AM ^
I'm not giving up any of my points just because some slackers are too lazy to post.
August 17th, 2012 at 10:50 AM ^
Which poster was in the exact middle of all posters, the line to be above or below?
August 17th, 2012 at 12:17 PM ^
I decided to take advantage of my lunch hour and get the figures.
As of about 10 minutes ago, of the 2,954 MGoBloggers with 100 points or more (i.e., the "trusted users"), the median value is 361 points and the average total is 1,008 points.
August 17th, 2012 at 12:40 PM ^
What poster(s) is right there at those numbers?
August 17th, 2012 at 1:16 PM ^
NOTE: Meant to reply to M-Wolverine above.
Three posters are currently at the median: MgoSuh, Two Hearted Ale and phjhu89.
Although no user actually has 1,008 points, two have 1,007 (close enough, right?): Rockydude and Griff88.
If we put them into quartiles, the first quartile of users extends all the way from Brian (53,016) to Dallas Wolverine (937), and of course, the second quartile of users goes from there to the median. The third quartile would extend from the three users at the median to CalGoBlue at 176 points. The fourth quartile consists of the 733 users below CalGoBlue.
August 19th, 2012 at 8:13 PM ^
This post sounds like class warfare to me. I EARNED MY POINTS.
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