User blog:Beboper/Ultra Rare Price Guide Update

Hey everyone,

Sorry about the lack of updates on the current situation we have in the Ultra Rare Price Guide. Been sorta preoccupied lately. As most of you know (those of you haven't already completely abandoned the wiki by now), we had issues with prices being updated to inaccurate prices by various individuals. Now, as much as I've stressed that the prices are meant to be a guideline rather than an exact measure, I do think there should be a range which the prices should fall under in order to be representing of the majority of transactions taking place in game.

The Problem
Over the previous weeks, as more and more people started taking the initiative to update the guide, updates became more frequent but at the same time, more inconsistent as well. Accusations were thrown around that some may have been manipulating prices for their own benefit. Now, that very well could have been the motive for some. But I would hesitate to label all users as such, as I tend to believe that the majority of people are honest and have well meaning intentions, and that principle of good faith is the foundation on which a wiki is built on (I encourage some of you to read that page by the way, as I think it can be an enlightening read for many).

As I was following the changes made on the price guide, I tended to notice the following issues:
 * Users were confused as to whether the prices stood for pure or card value, leading to inconsistencies in the prices
 * The price evaluations of some cards tended to fluctuate more than others due to current events at the time, and other factors
 * Major price changes were made without any discussion with the general community (user discussion and community consensus are also important principles of wikis)
 * Confusion and a lack of organization paved the way for some individuals to make illicit edits

These I think were the core issues which plagued the price guide (there may have been others, but these are the most important ones).

The Solution
Today, I am unveiling a whole new way of organizing and displaying current market prices which I hope will eliminate the major problems we have had, and hopefully bring back respectability to the wiki as well.

The following are some of the key changes I am proposing to the new price guide:
 * A more detailed overview of prices through the inclusion of several columns dedicated to:
 * Long term price trends (in card value)
 * Current price trends (in card value)
 * Current price trends (pure)
 * A simpler price guide dedicated to prices, which means:
 * Only prices and the card name will be displayed
 * Basic card stats will no longer be displayed, and instead will be replaced by the List of Ultra Rare cards and List of Ultra Rare EX cards for a more detailed account of card stats.
 * An emphasis on honesty, transparency, and accountability, meaning that in addition to the current requirement of registration:
 * Any major edits made must be discussed and arrived at by consensus prior to being made
 * Users who make edits without prior agreement will be given a notification and a reminder of this rule
 * Users who continue to violate this rule will potentially be blocked from the wiki for a certain period of time, depending on the circumstances
 * Users who blatantly ignore or disregard the wishes of the general community will potentially receive a ban from the wiki ranging from a year, up to an indefinite ban

A Sample Guide
To give you a more concrete idea of how the new guide will look, I have included a sample.

Please note that these are imaginary prices used for demonstration only.

Implementing
Once the plan is implemented for use in the wiki, the guide will remain locked to administrators only in order to allow for consistency and stability in the early phases, as well as to allow users to get accustomed to the new guide.

During this phase, prices will be updated through the comments section of the page. An admin (likely me), will review these prices and post them based on consensus.

After a period of time, the price guides will be open to registered members to edit and change, based on the rules I have discussed.

Comments/Questions
Please keep in mind that these plans are far from finalized. They will be reviewed and further considered during the next few days/weeks. Any and all user feedback or questions is highly appreciated.

Now let the discussion begin! But please keep conversations civil and polite!