Announcing the new SCN Contributor Recognition Program
Contributions to SAP Community Network are the lifeblood of the community and really make SCN the live, vibrant and passionate community we love. Whether you contribute by writing blog posts, commenting on blogs, answering questions in the forum, or submitting content in the wiki or via articles, whitepapers, etc, you are an important part of the Community. Your contributions make SCN a place of choice for information around SAP solutions and services, and for interaction with members who have the same interests as you.
You’ve known about the SCN point system we have had for many years to thank members for their contributions. To refresh your memory, read the Contributor Recognition Program FAQ.
We distinguish contributors who have been active enough to accumulate 250 points or more in the current calendar year. They are called Active Contributors. I am happy to announce that starting today, Active Contributors will get to enjoy more recognition on SCN!
Introduction of the Active Contributor Badge:
Is it a trophy?
Photo courtesy of Bob Kratzer, Anglers Guide Service
Well, maybe not in that sense, but still you can be proud of your Active Contributor status. Whether you are fairly active or very active, there is a badge for you, check it out:
Active Contributor Bronze (250-499 points)
Active Contributor Silver (500-1,499 points)
Active Contributor Gold (1,500-2,499 points)
Active Contributor Platinum (2,500+ points)
The badge shows 2 business days after the latest contribution that made you achieve a new level of Active Contributor status. Active Contributor status is an annual status, therefore make sure that you don’t miss the threshold of 250 points this year to enjoy this well deserved recognition.
Where do I enjoy the visibility?
As soon as you log on SCN, you can check your current Active Contributor status in the Contributors Corner (left hand navigation), next to the number of annual points you have earned:
The badge will also show in the following places:
Business Card:
Forums:
Blogs:
It is also displayed next to your name in the List of Contributors, and we are working to get it up on the “Find the Expert” page recently created.
We are implementing some changes in the wiki system, so we won’t have badges in the wiki on day one, but stay tuned!
What other benefits?
With your contributions and a demonstrated expertise, you build a name within the community. In addition to that, this badge will help fellow members identify how actively you contribute on SCN.
Also, if you are an Active Contributor with Gold or Platinum status, you may be selected to be featured in a Spotlight, thus benefiting from a highest exposure on SCN and via the various social media channels.
We will be working to enhance contributor recognition on SCN, so stay tuned and watch for more changes to come in the next months.
Top Contributors are now Topic Leaders
You may remember that in the past few years we recognized the top three contributors in the various categories on SCN. Read Former SCN “Top Contributors” now SCN “Topic Leaders” to learn more about the initiative and its new name: Topic Leaders.
As always SCN does, this time, addition of the status gives good recognition for active contributors. It is not far from reach that the points and the status will become a credential in the world of SAP consulting for better career and consulting oppurtunities.
pk
pk
Also being from the User Interface area IMO, the Silver & Platinum icons needs little rework!!
I was really surprised this morning when I received my "Gold Badge". This is a great idea. I was already about to blog a similiar suggestion. The mentors are doing a great job for the community, but a community as large and divers as sdn should provide different ways of recognition. My "reward" is blogging and tech publishing, and it feels good as it is - so the "Mentor" path does not fit everyones intention and time schedule.
P.S. But one more thing: I still want a chance for Gold Members to convert sdn points into golf balls with SAP logo)
Thanks & Regards
Pavan
Best,
Laure
This is really Good Recognition Program from SAP.
Regards
Surendra Kumar Reddy. Koduru.
SAP - BI Lead
🙂
Michelle
Out of curiosity What would you expect the levels to be?
What do you think should happen? I like it the new system. But it doesn't mean that everyone should / or does.
So what do you think the alternative is?
Sorry about that!
Michelle
However how easy would it be to show one star shiner than another? 😉 I believe that bronze/silver/etc are levels known to everyone.
BTW... Did you notice the hover over?
We had other ideas of graphic but given the size of the badge it makes it challenging...
Thanks saslove sap and Michelle, I enjoy reading you on SCN.
Laure you trap me up:) Yes its easy to say what is wrong its hard to find what is right. I can send you the format of Star designs if you are intrested. and for the question of Michelle difference should be
as simple as you should Increase the thickness of the stars as You are moving One level above I dont think the first level should require that much of Contrast ....
and Previously the SCN Mentors have a special symbol than others now its mixed with Gold, Why dont you try some 'COP' symbol for them?
Sas
Thickness - I don't know how hard it would be, but it would make things stand out.
Great idea!
If the color is the problem why dont we use number if stars. Like one Star for 250-499 and two stars for 500-1499 and so on.
By the way , im very proud and i liked this appreciation from SDN. I am recently started to contributed still i got the medal.. oh yeah!!!
How about changing that to the status of the last 12 months on a continuing basis. That would be a better indication of the real status of active contributors.
thanks!
To answer a couple of specific comments and questions:
Thanks for the feedback on badge colors. We did go through a lot of options to arrive at the final choice of colors we thought would be most distinguishable, but we’ll continue to watch it, take feedback from the community, and consider adjustments along the way.
Regarding the annual program, we did actually consider a “rolling 12 month” approach, but in the end decided it was important to have an annual program to show contributions historically and we were concerned that a rolling 12 accounting would be complicated to explain and understand – particularly with member’s contribution levels always moving up and down. We are exploring options for what happens at the beginning of the year so everyone is not immediately reset to zero on January 1. Stay tuned on this question!
Finally, Holger, we’ll take your suggestion on golf balls under advisement! 🙂
It is very good initiative for SDN and proud to become a part of SDN. but i think there are require some little improvement in program like if member reach the some level then SDN give him or her some memorial things like golf ball, budge. it will give the more proved to the contributors....
This is just a suggestion...
Otherwise this program is fentastic...
I just made it to Active Contributor status (bronze) over the weekend. Yay! I feel this is an achievement for me since I'm a recent contributor on SCN 🙂 My badge will show within two days but I'm already proud of my 255 points!
Keep up the good work, I look forward to congratulating you on your next achievement.
Best,
Laure
The total lifetime achievements are still of importance. Maybe you could think of a system where one could have his previously earned badges in his personal list of achievements. That way earned badges stay.
I also agree that removing badges at the start of each year requires further looking into. Is this really the way to go?
Ps. Please fix the SAP Community BIO for linkedin application?
I am the project manager for our recognition program and yes, I am working to include past achievements into the business card as well, so please stay tuned . We have noticed the problems with the linkedin application and are looking into this.
Laure
Thanks and Regards,
Syfulla
Thats just my thought.
As a very active member of this community it has come to my attention that this new initiative (although I support it 100%) has caused a very very negative side effect.
It appears peoples lifetime points are disappearing. I have noticed that several top contributors are now suddenly missing their contriubution points from 2007/2008 at least. There is no record of their contributions in these years so they cannot find the threads or WIKI's where they got the points. Also their hard earned points have dramtically reduced now causing serious de-motivation and them not wanting to contribute any more. Really this has had a very seriuous effect on their trust of SCN and they want their points back.
Please look into this issue immediately as lifetime points were earned and should remain, them disappearing is not acceptable.
Kind Regards,
Brendan
I am retracting my previous statement as the issue was misunderstood from my side. The infrastructure and development put in place to support and enhance the new Contributor stars system was misunderstood by me and I drew the wrong conclusion.
I have noticed the new Contributor Stars has created a real buzz about SCN and has really helped motivate community members to be more active.
I wish this new initiative all the success possible and look forward to seeing the increase in community involvement that it will bring.
Kind Regards,
Brendan
I assume that this was not intended?
Do you have a specific color in mind you would like to recommend? Platinum is a kind of "shiny" silver. What else would fit?
Laure
Silver= Grey color close to black
One suggestion, it would be nice to also display the badge on Linkedin.
In addition to this new initiative, Some new ideas keep going on in my mind, like distributing /issuing the certificate kind eg:appreciation, so that we can intact our members "LinkedIN" with our SDN.
https://ideas.sap.com/community/community_and_services/sapcommunitynetwork;jsessionid=556EF6800B013934F07FCF033A89B50D.node0
It's very discouraging to contributors to have it set to "Annual Points", because by doing this you allow users to reach a desired level in the year and they can just stop contributing until the end of the year.
To put it on "Last 12 months" would assure we constantly would need to contribute in SDN.
Besides, having my badge decreased from Platinum to nothing is very dismotivating.
I would really prefer it set to 12 months.
I spoke with a lot of Top Contributors and Moderators and they all found very odd the fact that the status would be decreased to zero in some monhts... Some might want to wait until January, since "helping now won't count anyway"...
Can I have your thoughts on this?
Apologies for the delay on my side. This is all due to 2 TechEds in 2 weeks! One in Europe, one in the US 😉
You are not the first one to enquire about this, SCN Team has also started the discussion internally and we've decided to investigate a switch from a recognition (AC badge) on annual points to a 12-month rolling period.
I'll start working on this Monday Oct. 25 and will keep you posted here on this page.
Thanks! We value the feedback.
Laure
Thank you!
We're doing it. 🙂
I just published a blog about this, check it out: Active Contributor Status: A 12-month rolling period
Laure