status-cantfix-or-wontfix I recommend VIP status to appraise domains

[S-B]

After seeing some ridiculous appraisals, I noticed that the vast majority are from new users. To accurately gauge the value of a domain one must have enough experience to distinguish the difference between garbage and premium. Unfortunately, most of the new accounts have no idea what constitutes a a 5 or 6-figure domain, yet they consistently appraise at this price point. This is actually puts the OP at a disadvantage because he or she may now assume there is more value than there actually is, which could impede a potential sale. Appraisals should be open for regular users to post but only for VIPs to respond.

This actually excludes my own account so don't get too riled up over my recommendation.

 

[Archangel]

Easy fix: Quality Appraiser button,obtained with a person receives X likes for appraisals plus they need to have Y appraised domains. Ex: 200 likes,plus you need to have appraised a min of100 domains.

This way, askers will gauge the value of the appraiser by seeing whether or not he had the shiny button.

 

[N-A]

If I get any more badges, they may fall off my chest. (Military decoration reference)

Easy fix: Quality Appraiser button,obtained with a person receives X likes for appraisals plus they need to have Y appraised domains. Ex: 200 likes,plus you need to have appraised a min of100 domains.

Good idea, but must be vetted so that it's not abused ("shill appraisals" in other words).

 

[Beezy]

Maybe a system like reddit or quora where you could vote up the good appraisals? (of course the flock of sheep would decide which are the good ones, but on quora and reddit it seems like the highest quality content usually gets to the top).

 

[Archangel]

I think my X likes / Y appraisals would be good enough, but yeah everything can be manipulated. Likes used to be where a person could only Like 1 person per (I think)15 likes ie If you Liked one of my posts, you couldn't Like another of mine til you Like the posts of 14 other ppl (or something like that). Similar would work best here: maybe a member can only Like 1 person's appraisal per 7 days or somthing That way, gaming the system would be too hard to even try to do

 

[Asfas1000]

I don't think voting would work, because effectively it substitutes Quality (expert appraisal) with Quantity (what many, but less experienced, people think)

It's like polling passers-by what you should do with your pneumonia vs visiting your doctor.

 

[DU]

It's a free forum and you get, more or less, what you pay for.

Most appraisals are guesses. Some guesses feel more right than other guesses. Some guesses are more educated guesses but they are still guesses. If you don't like someone else's guess the solution is surely to put your own guess with the reasons behind your guess so that

(a) the person asking can weight your response appropriately based on information you've provided and;
(b) others can learn

If someone asks about a DOMAINNAME - a response of XX,XXX doesn't mean anymore coming from Rick Schwartz, DomainSherpa, the Pope, or a Penguin who's had a bad afternoon than it does a first time poster who yesterday registered his first domain Apple.brandnewgtld claiming its no TradeMark issue because the site sells Apples and puts the value at low XXX,XXX (and then asks what X is). I know I've made terrible appraisals in the past and been corrected by other members in a way that made sense.

It's fantasy to think anyone can accurately put a number on something. Personally, I think that non-valuation appraisals can be more meaningful - it's a bad / great name... why?

Why do we need likes, thanks, etc. Haven't we already proved that doesn't mean anything?

The other problem (if there is a problem) is the quality of names being asked appraisal is too low (as Johname pointed out). If those names could be simply downvoted (and removed after 5 downvotes for example) it would help remove the clutter.

Then there's the Federer nonsense of posting an appraisal for a name that he has absolutely not a care in the world about what anyone actually thinks but just wants the attention or something - not a problem but it's pretty silly, really.

 

[m-i-k-e]

I've always looked at the appraisal section as a place for some fun and entertainment.

Reseller pricing is one thing, but, nobody can give a totally accurate appraisal on a name because they aren't the end user with the big idea that's buying the name. Neither are they the person selling the name. There are a lot of variables that add up to why a name sells for what it does.

This is a public forum where most people don't even use their real names. A person posting an appraisal request should take it getting some opinions, not gospel.

As for the VIP badge... I can say that the most ludicrous appraisal I have ever had came from a VIP member. I know what you're saying.. but personal reputation is what makes an appraisal worthwhile not really the VIP badge and most members don't even know who anybody is

 

[m-i-k-e]

* edit Double Post

 

[Archangel]

This is a free forum, yeah. But ppl always see X number of appraisals, usually of vastly different values and wonder, "Whose appraisal should I consider most realistic?" There is no true answer. But a way to tell apart those with good appraisals and those noob/"let's say anything just to say something" appraisals would help One would still have to research, yeah, but this would at least make the appraisal forum have some kinda real usage

 

[m-i-k-e]

... and most members don't even know who anybody is

Like I totally didn't know that Rickey Henderson was a domainer

 

[DU]

But a way to tell apart those with good appraisals and those noob/"let's say anything just to say something" appraisals would help

Shouldn't that be self evident from the appraisal itself? Wouldn't a "good" appraisal, by definition, be "good" and thus identifiable?

 

[DU]

Like I totally didn't know that Rickey Henderson was a domainer

I think you mean Meghan Markle (who's no good at baseball but looks a lot better)

 

[m-i-k-e]

I think you mean Meghan Markle (who's no good at baseball but looks a lot better)

See! I never knew you were a hot babe. Do you have ICQ?

 

[DU]

***OFF TOPIC****

See! I never knew you were a hot babe. Do you have ICQ?

I'm on KIK... and I love Roses... about 150 for an hour of "conversation".... but I've been appraised much higher.

 

[m-i-k-e]

$150 an hour!?!? No thanks! I'll just go with MeghanMarkle.biz

 

[Archangel]

It should, yeah. But the average person doesn't think that way

Shouldn't that be self evident from the appraisal itself? Wouldn't a "good" appraisal, by definition, be "good" and thus identifiable?

 

[S-B]

Shouldn't that be self evident from the appraisal itself? Wouldn't a "good" appraisal, by definition, be "good" and thus identifiable?

People like appraisals that boost their ego.

So I would wholeheartedly disagree with your belief that quality appraisals are self-evident.

 

[KDN]

I think requiring VIP status to appraise is not a good idea. People have different preferences and what's good for you may not be okay for me. A perfect example is when the sherpas appraise domains in Domain Sherpa. Andrew can say that something is worth $XXX,XXX while Adam sees the same domain name as seven-figure name.

Creating a "Certified Appraiser" badge would be a better idea. Thank you Shane for bringing this topic up.

 

[Eric Lyon]

So far some of you have pointed out the flaws in the suggestions, such as:

• 1. People will game a voting system to get a badge.
• 2. People will vote on a member that gave them a $x,xxx appraisal even though everyone else knows the domain is only worth $x, thus voting up a member that doesn't qualify to appraise.
• 3. Some new members may have 10x more knowledge than a veteran member in a micro-niche they have been involved in all their life prior to becoming a member. Disregarding their opinion would be a mistake.
• 4. Making someone a qualified appraiser based on quantity rather than quality is a mistake.
• 5. Setting a number of appraisals to make to qualify as a "Professional" is just asking for the system to be gamed.
• 6. Members should have the freedom as "Free Members" to express their opinions of value on domains without being censored.
• 7. Even unqualified members may have awesome development ideas nobody else thought of that could benefit a domain owner seeking appraisal advice. Such ideas may encourage them to develop and make even more money in a long run game.
• Etc., Etc.....

In conclusion: I'm not sure there is a solution to the "Free Appraisals". If one was to look into a 3rd option for accuracy, then maybe we should be looking more at something like:

• Option 1: Free Appraisals (All members can participate uncensored) - which we have now
• Option 2: Professional Appraisals (Accessible by ONLY vested members "VIP/Business) - which we have now
• Option 3: Paid Appraisals (A more thorough appraisal that is accompanied by a namePros certificate of authenticity)

With or without option 3, I don't feel censoring our newer members at this time from appraising, or providing a system that can easily be gamed with an end result of hundreds of unqualified appraisers with ego/glory badges is the answer.

Keep in mind, whilst a business membership does have a subscription cost, VIP status is free and earned by members that have contributed quality content and helped others over the years. This means that the misconception that the business forum available to VIPs and Business members being a completely paid forum is not accurate, since VIPs earned it.

Keep the suggestions coming, I would love to hear more ideas. So far though, most of them don't look like they would work very well.

 

[S-B]

So far some of you have pointed out the flaws in the suggestions, such as:

• 1. People will game a voting system to get a badge.
• 2. People will vote on a member that gave them a $x,xxx appraisal even though everyone else knows the domain is only worth $x, thus voting up a member that doesn't qualify to appraise.
• 3. Some new members may have 10x more knowledge than a veteran member in a micro-niche they have been involved in all their life prior to becoming a member. Disregarding their opinion would be a mistake.
• 4. Making someone a qualified appraiser based on quantity rather than quality is a mistake.
• 5. Setting a number of appraisals to make to qualify as a "Professional" is just asking for the system to be gamed.
• 6. Members should have the freedom as "Free Members" to express their opinions of value on domains without being censored.
• 7. Even unqualified members may have awesome development ideas nobody else thought of that could benefit a domain owner seeking appraisal advice. Such ideas may encourage them to develop and make even more money in a long run game.
• Etc., Etc.....

In conclusion: I'm not sure there is a solution to the "Free Appraisals". If one was to look into a 3rd option for accuracy, then maybe we should be looking more at something like:

• Option 1: Free Appraisals (All member can participate uncensored) - which we have now
• Option 2: Professional Appraisals (Accessible by ONLY vested members "VIP/Business) - which we have now
• Option 3: Paid Appraisals (A more thorough appraisal that is accompanied by a namePros certificate of authenticity)

With or without option 3, I don't feel censoring our newer members at this time from appraising, or providing a system that can easily be gamed with an end result of hundreds of unqualified appraisers with ego/glory badges is the answer.

Keep in mind, whilst a business membership does have a subscription cost, VIP status is free and earned by members that have contributed quality content and helped others over the years. This means that the misconception that the business forum available to VIPs and Business members being a completely paid forum is not accurate, since VIPs earned it.

Keep the suggestions coming, I would love to hear more ideas. So far though, most of them don't look like they would work very well.

You are absolutely right, Eric. There doesn't seem to be a clear solution at this point. There are many pitfalls to each of the solutions.

On another forum, there was briefly a "best answer" option. I believe it was immediately discontinued though. I think you have the option with this forum software. I am not sure how a "best answer" is nominated though. Maybe some more information on this feature would be helpful.

 

[bytedo]

Bull`s eye @Eric_Lyon .
As he ended, keep the suggestions coming fellas. Who knows. Some bright spark might come up with a gem of an idea.

 

[The New Guy]

I say we have Super VIP's who get to vote on who becomes a regular VIP.

Super VIP's will be chosen in a public forum via appraisal by all members.

 

[Joseph Green]

Option 3: Paid Appraisals (A more thorough appraisal that is accompanied by a namePros certificate of authenticity)

This is a good idea. Everything else is fine the way it is.

you get, more or less, what you pay for.

Nailed it.

 

[biggie]

I say we have Super VIP's who get to vote on who becomes a regular VIP.

Super VIP's will be chosen in a public forum via appraisal by all members.

i hope, Triple Premium VIP's with one "dislike", can give appraisals too.

 

[onebrand.co]

Why not we all agree to disagree. This topic will never die as long as we are humans. One man's meat is another man's poison.

Just let it be as it is now for appraisals