Question

How does a person join OpenStudy and acquire a SmartScore of 51 on the first day of membership by "replying" to exactly one question. And, that "reply" is a breach of the OS Code of Conduct?

Answer 1

Check out the attachment.

Answer 2

The one reply is attached.

Answer 3

The Teamwork (especially # of fans) is higher than the other categories and sub-categories. That might be it.

Answer 4

@some_someone Click on the user's profile record.

Answer 5

Who is this?

Answer 6

Cheating :-).
You can get to level seventy smart score in one day using cheats.

Here is a list of some public cheats that I think were posted here before:
Mass tagging. (This alone can reach you to around fifty SS.)
Replying to a question with a really long reply. (I noticed this in History...)
Getting medals for your questions instead of your answers. (Medals for you asking a question give you more of a higher SS than for a medal for your answers, or so it seems.)
Massive messaging. (Replying back and forth via PM increase teamwork significantly, this is possibly what you have seen.)

There are plenty more I am just quite lazy to list them all.

Answer 7

@Opcode

What is this? >> Mass tagging.

Answer 8

Yes, a few people have found ways to game the smart score. I have also seen medal parties. Several people will go find some old questions in each others accounts and medal one another up. Kind of becomes obvious when a "LOL!" reply has like 7 medals...

Answer 9

Mass tagging @Directrix is when users in a post tag a bunch of users... using the @ sign and whatnot, and often results in a lot of notification (i had literally been offline for a couple of hours, and I came back to 159 notifications). I would demonstrate, but I don't really want to...

Answer 10

She fanned me for no reason. :p

Answer 11

Wait who did? @AkashdeepDeb ?

Answer 12

http://openstudy.com/users/iceyabs#

Answer 13

by having lots of #swag

Answer 14

B| SWAG. 😎

Answer 15

Spamming chat also slightly raises one's SS.

Answer 16

By the way, it seems he has a new account. I'm not sure if he was sus'd but his new acc is http://www.openstudy.com/users/iceicebaby#

Answer 17

What is it with people and not wearing t-shirts?
Please, have some decency.

Answer 18

They want to be cool.... and without a shirt it is easier to sweat.

Answer 19

It is not my intention to state that it is "wrong" for a SS of 51 to pop up after one day as an OpenStudy member. I am just interested in how it happens.

My current conjecture is that the algorithm that cranks out a Smart Score is based on 60% logic and 40% of an unknown and therefore unexplainable, nonformulaic phenomenon. In short, it is what it is.

Answer 20

But the SmartScore formula is an ancient mystery that has been kept secret since the beginning of time, so I guess we'll never know :(

Answer 21

It is formulaic. It is just not a simple formula.

Answer 22

When ever my day gets dismal, I find a good question to explore - and it is so uplifting to read an exchange like the one above. Just a meta comment.
Ok, hmmm, isnt it amazing that people spend time and effort to game the system?

Answer 23

I do have to admit that it is interesting that SmartScore is important enough to them that they do their worst to get the most of it! Now if they would spend extra effort on their grades... and proper effort at that.

Answer 24

^

Answer 25

I am interested in how "things" work. Not to exploit those things - just intrigued. My sixth sense has now kicked in, and I'm taking the computation of Smart Score holistically. Ancient mystery works for me although from time to time, I will ruminate on the Smart Score concept. I promise not to post those thoughts.