Debbie,

I am certain that participation would suffer.  Participation on social media is not as high as it used to be, there are now many articles on social media fatigue, and how people are opting to live life rather than be on the Internet...

The points are a motivator to keep writing and learning, and it is a brilliant system, do away with that, and I have the feeling the membership will dwindle, before you can say membership.  A

Debbie, I don't think points are the only reason we post, and definitely not most important; BUT I do believe points are an important element.  When I am tired or very busy, I may look at the points of someone close behind or just ahead, and reason that If I will just take a few minutes to read a post and comnent, or review a question and answer, then I gain.  

Points are like the marks on a yardstick--they show where I am, how far I must go to reach a goal.

Would we benefit as much and be as motivated toward closing a transaction if we were not receiving a commission check?

Having goals, incentives and rewards get us out of bed each morning, seeing progress, and challenges propel us forward.  Points are our tangible reward.

Satisfaction, kindness, calls to action, et al may be more noble motives, but achievement cannot be ignored.  The fact that you have EARNED over a million points tells me that you work hard, that you are invested in your career and clients,  that you have much to share, that you willingly share, and that you deserve the recognition that attends to that level of accomplishment.

I watch the National list from time to time to see who is close.  I have sent emails to several, letting them know that someone has taken note of that landmark.

Now, my question:  is someone advocating or considering the elimination of points?  What is the reasoning?

I am here for the wealth of knowledge that real estate agents like yourself have. Don't really care about the points. Great agents with a vast amount of knowledge suffices for me. 

Personally I could care less about the points system. I am here for the information, insight, different perspectives, ideas and to share.

That said, I think it may hurt AR because some agents have the need to be recognized, appreciated and know they are important. The points system gives them that acknowledgment.

I can also see where a consumer may see more points as being more of an expert. I know that is not true but some agents have obviously put in a lot of time to get 2 million points and taking that away would certainly tick them off if just from a marketing perspective alone.

I'm not here because points but I do think it would take a hit. Sites like AR and others that use a reward system tend to get more users on average and retain them longer because of it. I've been on other sites that used ranks as rewards and it was true for them. They had talked about doing away with theeir "rank" system because it excludes newer members. The long timers got very upset at that notion having invest so much of their time in a site.

But it does seem daunting to newer members when your active posters have upwards of 100k points. Like I said starting out though, I'm not here for points. I'm just here to learn and have a good time.

Community is a large part of why folks are here , although it is human nature to want something for the time they are here which points seem to give them that. 

I do think that participation would suffer if the point system were abolished However, I also think it would diminish some of the 'silly' questions and answers.

Yes, participation would suffer.

Agents receive so very little acknowledgment for what they do, that the warm and fuzzies that occur when 2,131,549 points are seen has become an appreciated 'atta girl' that has value. AND, it establishes the pecking order. We all psychologically need to know where we are in the order.

No, people are not here mostly for the points. They are here for the community they feel a part of. The points, icing on the cake, the forbidden sugary reward.

Maybe not.

Yes.

Cindy  nailed this one!

I don't know why anyone would invest the effort, if they were in it just for the points. Active Rain points are not like frequent flyer miles that can be cashed in at some point. No client has ever asked how many AR points I've earned in the last 90 days. And my commission split has never been adjusted based on AR points. They have no inherent value. But do they motivate members to participate? I think the clear answer is yes. And participation is what this is all about. Aren't we really here for the ideas, information and knowledge these generous people share? I think so. The points may motivate some, but they really measure the contribution made by those who seek to benefit our online community. It's about the people, not the points.

I would have to look and see how many points I have. I don't keep up with them. I am on AR for the information and to boost my SEO.

Obviously the 500K goal means something, and I'd be reallllllllly mad if those perks went away.  Beyond that, it doesn't matter much to me, although the incentives are nice for the top seats in towns/counties/states, and the points are definitely incentive for some of the more difficult to keep up with contests.  I think they're very good for community building & participation.

I definately think it would suffer.  People always need goals in their lives.  Without goals, they become board and let's face it.  With the amount of time we spend on AR, I think the robo bloggrs would take it over, causing hardly any interction.   I have seen people with  lot of blogging point, but you don't see them comment on anything.

I definatrely think it would suffer.  Everyone needs some kind of goal in their lives.

I would vote for the elimination of the current antiquated points system. ActiveRain has a major problem with the retention of members and the point system is not a resolution. I have a lot of points and they have no value at all.

I think you would see a lot less interaction without the points. You can see I don't have many, and am newer to ActiveRain, but I like to see other peoples input! 

Debbie- points are a motivator whether we want to acknowledge it or not.  That said, I was here for several months before I figured out that there were points involved.  Some people may drop off without points, but there have always been members who left for other reasons as well.  I wouldn't miss them if they were gone. 

While points is not the only reason why many of us blog here,honestly speaking I think it will definitely suffer. Besides the points is the one main reasons why after all of these years,we keep coming back to this site.☺

I think it would take away motivation for some of the people.  Many still don't understand what the exposure does for them in the long run.

Debbie, I have no idea if any of my points come up missing. My true goal is to gain an audience and business. So far I think for me it has worked. 

I am here for the knowledge. It is why I signed up initially.

I think participation would suffer. I'm not here for points but admit I like getting them.

I'm glad to hear there are no rumors about eliminating points.

I am a numbers person and the points mean something to me.  They are not worth anything at all, but yes, I would miss them.  I think my participation may suffer.

Debbie Reynolds ... I can't speak for anyone else, just from my own experience and thoughts.  But I'd certainly not miss the point really.  I don't keep track much.  I do check my progress, but not for point reasons.  I'd guess there are many that would agree with me on this ...  JMO ...

Gene