#Announcement - Changes to the Review Program pt.02 (a brief update)

Hello Everyone,

While none of these changes have happened yet, the plans for implementation have been approved and should not take that long (if all goes well).

Eden Points:
- The Eden Points Program will be broken down into 2 sections, Trial Period (15 days) & Premium Service. There are also some security measures being put into place on the back end to help us identify abuse. Most of the activities that were removed will be put back in place, but the exact point schedule will not be the same. The Trial Period will be like a checklist, earning a one-time point incentive for exploring all of the tools and services available. The Premium Service will include a number of point adjustments including a very large increase in points for reviews.

Review Program:
- There are a number of Review Program proposals in the works, including some for new or revised templates, but the changes that we have been discussing will be happening. There will be three levels of Advanced Reviewers. These levels will be earned by achieving a minimum rank, submitting a minimum # of reviews, and being a contributor for a minimum period of time. Once you meet these requirements, you will automatically advance. The buyout discounts for each level will increase. This will replace the current free assignment system. We also have the details pretty much worked out for the Mentor Program as well. As for shipping, Buyout assignments do not have free shipping. You may use Eden Points or shipping based promos if you qualify, but there is no plan to change this.

I hope this directly addresses a number of your collective concerns. I will let you know all the specifics and details as soon as I can.

Thank you! less

Hello Everyone,

While none of these changes have happened yet, the plans for implementation have been approved and should not take that long (if all goes well).

Eden Points:
- The Eden Points Program will be broken down into 2 sections, Trial Period (15 days) & Premium Service. There are also some security measures being put into place on the back end to help us identify abuse. Most of the activities that were removed will be put back in place, but the exact point schedule will not be the same. The Trial Period will be like a checklist, earning a one-time point incentive for exploring all of the tools and services available. The Premium Service will include a number of point adjustments including a very large increase in points for reviews.

Review Program:
- There are a number of Review Program proposals in the works, including some for new or revised templates, but the changes that we have been discussing will be happening. There will be three levels of Advanced Reviewers. These levels will be earned by achieving a minimum rank, submitting a minimum # of reviews, and being a contributor for a minimum period of time. Once you meet these requirements, you will automatically advance. The buyout discounts for each level will increase. This will replace the current free assignment system. We also have the details pretty much worked out for the Mentor Program as well. As for shipping, Buyout assignments do not have free shipping. You may use Eden Points or shipping based promos if you qualify, but there is no plan to change this.

I hope this directly addresses a number of your collective concerns. I will let you know all the specifics and details as soon as I can.

Thank you! less

I know the current changes are probably pretty much set in stone by now, but I have an idea for the next round of site updates. Gary, you said, "There are a number of Review Program proposals in the works, including some for new or revised templates..." It occurred to me that if we had a slightly more detailed template, points earned for reviews could be awarded on a per-section basis; say, a template with 10 sections could be worth 10 points awarded per section. Something along those lines?Or the points for each section could vary, depending on how important they are considered? And maybe an additional 5 points per photo, up to a maximum of 10 or 20? less

You're right, it is a difficult subject. Assuming your question wasn't rhetorical (ignore this if it was), maybe putting the ranking system itself into tiers based on time in the community would help. For example, in the Activity Factor section, writing reviews makes up 28% of the calculation yet every other factor only accounts for 2% (with the exception of the 4% for writing follow ups). Maybe for newcomers "Writing reviews" shouldn't carry so much influence at first, yet could rise over time.

On the wilder end of the spectrum, rankings could be ditched in favor of a 2-tier system; one for very new members, and one for established. The new members would work up to the benefits that the established ones had earned simply by being involved for a set amount of time, because let's face it the people who write very few reviews but are otherwise active in the community are valuable too. Everyone would be on a more level ground. That would all but eliminate several of the current issues.

Just thinking out loud less

When I started with Edenfantasys, the system was much more rewarding and the incentives were great. Once I hit my "pick anything you want" status, the rules changed. Then, it changed again, and the point/rank system started. I am obviously not understanding or missing something.

There will be no more "free" items to choose, only a discount on purchasing, is that correct? I've tried twice lately to request an assignment, and both times they were cancelled. Is this due to the upcoming program changes, and if so, I think it would have been nice for an email notification to explain why, instead of me wondering what has happened. less