Well, the issue is that the only way we measure contribution is with video posts and "quality comments". Both of those two tend to be very binary, in that either they give you a point or they don't.

I would like to see a more gradual approach to putting a value on a user - stack overflow uses an interesting system, which I'm sure videosift is also inspired by.

I think, for instance, comments should give more, but not if they're negative or 0 votes - as soon as they've been upvotes, they should give something - maybe even on a increasing scale: 1 vote, 1 point, 2 votes 3 points, 3 votes 6.5 points etc something in that vein. Yes, this would mean that each person would get many more points, but the star thresholds should be adjusted accordingly.

Same with videos - a video with 4 votes, should still give you something in the form of value; lets say it gives 10 times the amount as a comment. Then the video posters are still the most valuable players, but commenters aren't completely powerless.

Sift talk posts could also give something, using special powers in a positive way could give something.

Maybe a heated discussion in a single thread could trigger something; each award could also result in a certain amount of points.

I would make videosift much more of a game.

Ironically the suggestion I'd put at the top of the list has little to do with my post:

Put a big button on the top right of every page that says to the affect 'Submit a Video', with negative space to the left and below.

This will encourage brand new users to contribute, and draw existing users to take part. It will also instantly communicate what Videosift is. It's not simply a site with videos on it, it's a site that people post videos to.

It's a well proven design idiom. Have a look at the call to actions on the following sites:

Stack Overflow - Ask Question
Youtube - Upload
Github - Fork

I love teh FPS.

I've been playing since I was a kid, but one of my best memories was when I switched to keyboard/mouse from arrow keys and hope. If I remember correctly Wolf3d had no multi-player, but I did Doom a couple times on DWANGO. I just assumed everyone on there was some sort of superhero so I focused on making maps and playing by myself. (Don't come in mom!)

When I started playing Duke3d regularly with friends however, I became acutely aware that the arrow keys won't cut it. The turning moment was a 1 on 1 match with my longtime game-nerd friend Lee.

We setup a time and day to play, and we each had friends come over to watch. In those days playing multi-player directly person to person was still cool enough that you would drive to your buddy's house just to watch it take place. With a couple folks watching at each end, he completely schooled me. It wasn't even close. I didn't get a hit on him most encounters. This thorough ass-whooping was unbelievable. For over an hour I tried, but couldn't get a single kill. With my pride on the line, I devised a plan.

In the initial version of Duke you could lay down as many pipebombs as you wanted, provide you had them to throw. I learned the map, learned his pattern, and cautiously avoided him while grabbing the pipebomb stack each time it spawned. I left pipebombs scattered, and when I thought they were randomly distributed enough I holed myself up in a corner with a viewpoint of the only elevator up to my eagle's nest. The pipebomb spawn was ten feet in front of me. I laid out all the pipebombs I could at the top of that elevator. Each time it spawned I would grab the 4 pack, put all 4 in the same place at the top of the elevator, and retreat hastily to my protected corner.

Finally the time came. I saw the elevator called down. I knew he was coming up. I would get this kill and then end the game, false pride in tact. My time of vengeance was finally here! The elevator came up, and with perfect timing I hit the fire button and saw the beginning of the largest group of sprite based explosions known to man. The beginning. I didn't see the end. Instead I saw:




STACK OVERFLOW

C:\Games\Duke3d>