How do you know if community contributors on our site are using their real names? How do you distinguish staff reporters from community contributors? How do you know who has been featured on our front page? This weekend, The Sacramento Press launched badges to address all those concerns and more. Badges come in two varieties: merit and identity. Identity badges identify our users, what they do and their role on our site. The staff of The Sacramento Press assigns all identity badges manually. ... Geoff Geoff Samek comment-22350 2010-02-17T18:47:05Z 2010-02-17T18:47:05Z I'm just glad to see you back interacting on our site! Geoff Samek 2010-02-17T18:47:05Z Steven Maviglio comment-21887 2010-02-08T19:12:02Z 2010-02-08T19:12:02Z It's unfortunate, Geoff, that you don't raise your standards to the quality of letters to the editor in newspapers and other quality online publications. You would find that the quality of comments increases and you will have a civic forum. As even the comments on your post indicate, these new guidelines don't do anything to increase the level of discussion. Steven Maviglio 2010-02-08T19:12:02Z bbbbmer comment-21708 2010-02-04T00:59:22Z 2010-02-04T00:59:22Z My hourly rate is $425.00 -- with a $5,000 retainer. Call me if you'd like my appearance... bbbbmer 2010-02-04T00:59:22Z Geoff Samek comment-21703 2010-02-03T23:09:44Z 2010-02-03T23:09:44Z I just want to be very clear that the badges release does not mean that you will lose your username or that you have to use your real name to comment, we are not phasing that out and badges has already started. Secondly I do really want to hear your thoughts. I have encouraged all kinds of people to come in to our office and talk to us. Unlike other publications our doors are always open and Ben Ilfeld and I both sit right up front (we are the founders of The Sacramento Press). Our address is: 431 I Street, Suite 107 Sacramento, CA 95814 Thank you for reading and I look forward to meeting you in person (and you will not have to tell me your name when/if we meet). Geoff Samek 2010-02-03T23:09:44Z bbbbmer comment-21671 2010-02-03T16:31:15Z 2010-02-03T16:31:15Z Oh, I don't think you really want to hear my thoughts... especially given this wimpy attempt to silence critics of local pols who have a demonstrated history of less than honorable vengeance against whistleblowers and/or anybody who doesn't bend over and kiss KJ's big butt... You started out as a platform rag for KJ's crew, but the pesky 'community' kinda sorta demonstrated less than a liking for such suckupery... But I guess this has gotten out of hand, and ascerbic critics who can pointedly put intelligent responses to this mayor's obvious wanton powergrabs and corruption, not to mention a history that is less than honorable, are just not part and parcel of your grand design.... So, until this 'badge thingy' gets underway, I'll continue to post at will... But there is no way in HELL that I'm surrendering my attempted and ostensible anonymity to the likes of you.... I just don't trust you, sweetie... bbbbmer 2010-02-03T16:31:15Z Geoff Samek comment-21661 2010-02-03T06:15:00Z 2010-02-03T06:15:00Z Treasure of the Sierra Madre is indeed the reference and one of my favorite movies. I'm sorry to hear that you won't be participating in badges. I would love to hear more of your thoughts on the system. Is there any change to the system that you feel would make the system useable for you? The intent of badges is transparency which we value from all of our contributors equally. The system of badges was devised by me personally before the website launched over 17 months ago. Geoff Samek 2010-02-03T06:15:00Z Tyler Waaler comment-21649 2010-02-02T23:45:45Z 2010-02-02T23:45:45Z Sounds good to me. :] Tyler Waaler 2010-02-02T23:45:45Z bbbbmer comment-21646 2010-02-02T23:01:10Z 2010-02-02T23:01:10Z Oh yes, it makes it so much easier for KJ's crowd to issue threats and more against those who post against his powergrabs and corruption... kind of like what happened to me last summer as a result of some posts at the sacbee site that were ... well... truthful but not very kind, about KJ's past 'affections' and 'dalliances'... and revelations made in the IG's report about the sheer number of allegations and that there were sworn affidavits attesting to the veracity of the victims... Thanks for that.... bbbbmer 2010-02-02T23:01:10Z bbbbmer comment-21645 2010-02-03T03:10:59Z 2010-02-03T03:10:59Z "Badges, badges??? I don't need no stinking badges!"... from John Huston's TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE... I won't be participating... Cya! Hmm.. perhaps this was the intent all along.... bbbbmer 2010-02-03T03:10:59Z Geoff Samek comment-21617 2010-02-02T16:50:49Z 2010-02-02T16:50:49Z Badges are given to people and not to articles, an important distinction. So that article would receive no badge. In terms of the quality of the article itself and its subject matter, it seems clear from the 8 thumbs down that the community does not find it to be an excellent article. Geoff Samek 2010-02-02T16:50:49Z Jose Galvan comment-21616 2010-02-02T16:14:30Z 2010-02-02T16:14:30Z What kind of badge will be given for articles like this? http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/21205/A_Threatening_Presence_in_Sacramento Jose Galvan 2010-02-02T16:14:30Z Geoff Samek comment-21615 2010-02-02T09:03:39Z 2010-02-02T09:03:39Z Great point John. So good in fact that we are working on something similar to what you suggested. We really need an area of the site to explain things better, including badges. We also need to make it clear where to find that information. For now you can find all sorts of information about badges by going here: http://www.sacramentopress.com/badges/ From that page you will be able to find out information about every badge in the system as well as who owns each badge. I hope that helps and thanks so much for your feedback. Geoff Samek 2010-02-02T09:03:39Z JohnDangberg comment-21612 2010-02-02T06:31:13Z 2010-02-02T06:31:13Z Great move. This is a excellent way to bring legitimacy to Sac Press. I believe that having information about who is behind Sac Press as well as who is behind the the comments is great. What I don't see yet is where on the website the badge categories and content is located for review. Shouldn't this be a pull down menu on the green task bar? Suggest a "Badges" title under which I would find: Editorial Staff, Sacpress Staff, Editorial Interns, County Government, City Government, Law Enforcement, Fire Department and Verified Community Contributor etc. That way if I wanted to learn who, for example, was your Editor in Chief, I could go there and quickly find it. Maybe its buried somewhere I missed but I think it should be on the Green task bar above every page. Keep up the great improvements! JohnDangberg 2010-02-02T06:31:13Z Geoff Samek comment-21607 2010-02-02T00:00:34Z 2010-02-02T00:00:34Z It does mean that. It is an unfortunate necessity, however we do hope that you gained a lot from the workshop itself as well as the generous free food we offer at each one. It is a necessity due to the fact that we were not accurately taking attendance of the workshops and correlating that to usernames on the site. Additionally workshops were less standardized then they will be going forward. That's a really great question and I'm glad you asked it. Geoff Samek 2010-02-02T00:00:34Z Che Perez comment-21606 2010-02-01T23:47:58Z 2010-02-01T23:47:58Z What if I've been to some workshops in the past. Do I have to show up again for a badge? Che Perez 2010-02-01T23:47:58Z JoshFernandez comment-21552 2010-02-01T04:51:44Z 2010-02-01T04:51:44Z Can I get a grumpy a-hole badge? JoshFernandez 2010-02-01T04:51:44Z Kati Garner comment-21551 2010-02-01T04:45:58Z 2010-02-01T04:45:58Z Sounds like a fair, smart, and good idea! Kati Garner 2010-02-01T04:45:58Z