It already has it (and has had it since its inception), most people expect it on forums, and it doesn't do anybody any harm to have a little fun with silly rankings as long as they're silly and meaningless.

So, if I understand the General Antilles' intention at the start of this thread, the main purposes of this discussion are:

1. To give a little more meaning to the member level descriptors
2. To have more fun with them

Here's my (two-bits) idea:

A. Start with an adjective = to give an idea of a member's experience with the Forums (using the following words and numbers as examples only):

1. Maemo Baby Mumbles/Penguin---0 to 20 posts OR some formula such as: (# of posts * # of days as a member) / 365 = 0 to 0.08
   
2. Maemo Dancer Mumbles/Penguin---21 to 50 posts OR formula = 0.09 to 0.18
   
3. Maemo Swimmer Mumbles/Penguin---51 to 100 posts OR formula = 0.19 to 0.30
   
4. Maemo Leader Mumbles/Penguin--->100 posts OR formula > 0.30

B. Add a noun = a member's self-styled title based upon their understanding of Linux/computers:

-Newbie (or Tyro, Naif, Greenhorn, Rookie, Tenderfoot, Trainee, Apprentice)

-Dabbler (or User, Amateur, Layperson, Non-Professional)

-Veteran (or Doyen, Guide, Old-Timer, Adept, Senior)

-Senior Member (or Expert, Master, Maestro, Senior Techie)

Or just use something more descriptive like:

-Gadget enthusiast
-Developer/Programmer
-Software Guru
-Hardware Maven
-Seeker
-CompetentbutnotSuperman

This would result in member names such as:

-Maemo Newbie Developer
-Maemo Leader Clown
-Maemo Dancer Software Guru
-Maemo Swimmer Gadget Enthusiast

[Actually, I'm not too enthusiastic about the "Penguin" names I came up with, but some other adjectives + titles would create some interesting results].

C. I also like the idea of adding some information about how many "thanked" posts each member has, or perhaps there is some way to record how many posted Answers (vs. Questions) each poster has made.

Baby penguin, eh.

How about something like:
(Penguin) Egg
(Penguin) Nestling
... Fledgling
... Penguin
Travelled Penguin
Emperor penguin

sunnydips- king

most others - peasant

the rest - pheasant

I'm with the "let's lose it" section - especially if we can move to the new maemo.org profile heading (including avatar, karma and additionally post count and thanks for tmo)

Bzzt. I've "had" the inability to choose 12/24 hour clock since OS2005; not a good argument ;-)

Actually, since we agree that the existing levels and titles are sub-optimal, removal is just as valid an option as change; and the pre-existing argument is an argument for doing something.

I suspect the number of people who participate in more than one (vBulletin) forum on the Internet to be very small.

Agreed. But why not shoot for consolidation and make a user's post on tmo look - as much as possible - as a comment they make on downloads, a post on planet etc?

Yes, even following just one is a burden.
Forums suck

Again, what is wrong with Junior Member, Member, Senior Member? Who feels threatened by this and how other labels are suppose to be fun? I feel like I'm on a IRC channel on Undernet where everybody wants to be @op.

Yes, they do, but since the demise of Usenet they're the place where things happen nowadays for special interests. I may be in the tiny minority Jaffa speaks of, but there's over a half-dozen I visit frequently in addition to ITT...

Who feels threatened? Junior Members and Members, mostly. And they don't need to be "threatened" for it to be a problem, just plain misunderstandings; I've seen at least one occasion where someone thought I was a Mod because I was a Senior Member. (itT: the web's highest mod-density forum!)

When it was announced that itt was moving to maemo.org, there were comments that it was a non-event, little more than a name change, etc., etc.

http://www.internettablettalk.com/fo...ad.php?t=25309

IMHO, you should not propose use of maemo.org karma (since that is affected by much more than itt forum activity).