About rankings

Hey guys, it's been an interesting first week on the site and it's been nice getting to know some of you. I noticed a post recently about the site ranking system which made me wonder how it all works.

First and foremost I want to make something clear, I do not want and never want to be given any ranking here on this site. No matter how long I am here for, no matter how "knowledgeable" I become.

My first question is, who has the power to rank people?

Do they have to be a certain rank themselves?

Or is it only up to the moderators to decide?

My personal opinions of the ranking system is that to some degree it is fair, in the sense that it informs the member that the person who has that rank possess a certain level of knowledge and you can be quite sure that what they are talking about has come from legitimate study and experience.

But I can also see the other side where members feel frustrated because they have been into their craft for years, and be just as educated and experienced. But the site is right to say that if you demonstrate this enough you will be ranked eventually.

Anyone on the site ranked Knowledgeable or higher can rank other members, not just the Mods.

If you will search the threads you will find multiple discussions regarding rankings and how people feel about them.

I was ranked Novice before getting Gagged on Papatanz
I agreed with that ranking,I'm Def not a beginner
Or a start up But I don't see myself as a master of the arts yet
Only in Knowledge from spending years and 1000s studying and learning but I'm only a few years in the field practicing
So of the ranks are fair and some are not
Many members who are unranked have a vast almost of w isdome but no one votes and some folks who seem to know nothing have high reps
That is as all things in life policies and politics it's not what you know it's who you know..Also some people tslk a good game but in real life can't cast or anything of the like to save their lives
Read peoples comments and History and judge them not by rank..

It's not just a matter of what you know. It's also about how much you contribute and whether your knowledge is sound or not. As an example, I had 30 years experience in Wicca but was unranked for the first four years I was on here until I became more active and started to contribute to the boards and demonstrating that I did indeed know what I was talking about.

Okay this makes more sense, but does that mean that a person with knowledgeable status can rank another member to Adept, or can Adepts only rank others to Adept?

Ranking does not indicate knowledge or competence. It indicates what we know of the member, by what the member writes on the Profile,and the Forums. If a member has nothing on the Profile, and never writes anything on the site, then that member would be ranked Unknown. Only by contributing to the site can a ranking be corrected.

Dear Lark, I have looked through the forums but nothing that answers my previous question, Brysing with all due respect what I am asking about here is the technical details (as in what ranks can rank who), I myself like to question the little details, but I can assure you as it states in the site introductions thread, I am not after and never want to be given a rank. This is not the purpose of why I am here.

Twilight, I cannot understand your "beef". If you are a member of SoM you will have a "rank". Yours is Unknown.

Woah woah woah for a second, I'm not sure what is ment by beef here. But where I am from it means you have a problem. I have no problem or mean to make one with anyone.

Please understand me, I was merely asking a question about a technicality with rankings, again I'm not asking this question in hopes of being ranked, I am asking it because it is one of many questions I want to ask people about on the site.

I'll repeat the question again to save you from scrolling up, "Can a member with Knowledgeable rank, rank another person as Adept. Or can only Adepts rank people as Adept?"

So for example, you have the rank "knowledgeable" does this mean that you can not only rank other members from beginner to knowledgeable, but also people to adept, even though you are not adept yourself?

They are trying to tell you,at this time you don't have. Rank other then unknown at some point in time you will acquire a rank if you earn one.