1

Can we make a small change to the Epic and Legendary badge descriptions to avoid the ongoing confusion about their meaning with some users?

Existing:

  • Epic - Earned at least 200 reputation on 50 days

Proposal:

  • Epic - Earned at least 200 reputation on 50 separate days

The reason I'm proposing it is because I suggested it here on meta:

and two people said it was a great comment.

It's especially heart-wrenching because people see the badge ahead of time as one they can realistically earn and they peel days off the calendar until their dream can come true, only to be dashed by a misunderstanding.

Improve this question
7
  • 2
    It sounds like you're reading the existing interpretation to say "Earned at least 200 reputation in 50 days". That's not what it says, though. Adding "separate" seems redundant.
    – Cody Gray - on strike
    May 18, 2011 at 4:28
  • 1
    @Cody: I'm not reading it that way. It's perfectly clear to me. In other languages "in" and "on" can mean the same thing and it's confusing to them. Or I don't know why people read in instead of on but they keep doing it.
    – Rick Sladkey
    May 18, 2011 at 4:34
  • 2
    Epic - Hit the reputation cap 50 times IMO is more clear.
    – Nick Dandoulakis
    May 18, 2011 at 9:15
  • 2
    @Nick: See my comment to Conrad's answer - this (essentially) was the old description, but it was wrong.
    – Hendrik Vogt
    May 18, 2011 at 10:09
  • 3
    Epic - Earned 200 daily reputation 50 times - @Hendrik
    – Nick Dandoulakis
    May 18, 2011 at 11:07
  • @Nick: That should be an answer!!
    – Hendrik Vogt
    May 18, 2011 at 11:16
  • @Hendrik: ok, done :)
    – Nick Dandoulakis
    May 18, 2011 at 11:40

5 Answers 5

Reset to default
15

I myself find the current descriptions a bit confusing, so I came up with alternative descriptions:

Epic - Earned 200 daily reputation 50 times

Legendary - Earned 200 daily reputation 150 times

Improve this answer
4
4

Personally I think the older description was better.

Hit the reputation cap on 50 days

Improve this answer
1
0

I think that the description of the badges could benefit from a rewording as there is too much potential to misinterpret what it means. It could be clearer. Though the wording you suggest might not be as great. I would suggest something along the lines of:

Epic:      Earned at least 200 reputation in a day for 50 days.
Legendary: Earned at least 200 reputation in a day for 150 days.
Improve this answer
1
  • 1
    Sheesh, tough crowd.
    – Jeff Mercado
    May 18, 2011 at 6:11
0

I think the misunderstanding here is nothing to do with days or count of reputation...it is the word earned.

If a person has 200 rep and sits on that for 50 days, they haven't earned anything...they've done nothing...they are effectively subsituting the word "earned" with "maintained".

my proposal is no change...

Improve this answer
0

I am not sure a change is urgent once a few questions on Meta such as yours have been posted, commented, etc.

Meta could be considered a running commentary of all the parts of Stack Exchange, like jurisprudence and previous decisions in court of law.

Long before reaching the quotas for Epic, 200 reputations point during 10 days will make him reach 2000 points, earn several badges and many privileges and will give him/her a lot of practice and a different view of the system.

A potential Epic or Legendary user is certainly expected to use Meta to know more about the system and will find the explanations in this very question for instance.

There is also the great post Badge explanations (including Area51) in two alphabetical lists and a few .

Improve this answer
2
  • I feel like I'm in a David Lynch movie.
    – Rick Sladkey
    May 18, 2011 at 5:59
  • @Rick : nice. Just relax and enjoy the show. The characters aren't real, they just pretend to be.
    – ogerard
    May 18, 2011 at 6:01

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .