Member titles - a word from the moderators
MEMBER
* This is the basic title given to all members who register here at Bungie.net. The vast majority of Bnet members hold this title.
***Their title bar color is a dark grey.
HEROIC MEMBER
* These members have gained a certain amount of trust throughout their Bnet life. Usually this is for the members who have been here a while, haven't received many warnings (if any) or bans (if any). There are more than likely other factors as well (but we'll never know).
***There are currently around 12000 Heroic Members as of February 14, 2008.
***70000 members lost their "Heroic" status after a bug was fixed.
***Their title bar color is grey.
LEGENDARY MEMBER
* Legendary Members are those members who have gained a certain amount of trust throughout their Bnet life. Usually this is for the members who have been here a while, haven't received many warnings (if any) or bans (if any). There are more than likely other factors as well (but we'll never know). Usually they have been here longer than "Heroic Members."
***There are currently 1736 "Legendary Members" as of February 5, 2008.
***Their title bar color is a light-grey.
MYTHIC MEMBER
* These members are those members who have gained a certain amount of trust throughout their Bnet life. Usually this is for the members who have been here a while, haven't received many warnings (if any) or bans (if any). There are more than likely other factors as well (but we'll never know). Usually they have been here longer than "Legendary Members" (possibly by two or more years).
***There are currently 200 "Mythic Members" as of February 14, 2008.
***Their title bar color is a royal blue.
This is the highest title that a member can receive without becoming a Webcam MVP, Theme Master, or Forum Ninja, which leads me to...
WEBCAM MVP
* Webcam MVPs are members who participated in Bungie.net's webcam games over the Summer of 2007 and managed to win the game on Monday. Mr Hand/Mr Hand 2 was the Bungie employee in charge of it. There are very few Webcam MVPs.
***Depending on what normal title they are, their bar will be that color.
THEME MASTER
* Theme Masters are Bungie.net members who have created (and submitted) a theme for groups to use that was accepted by the Bnet Web Team. These members are honored with a custom avatar. There are very few Theme Masters.
***Depending on what normal title they are, their bar will be that color.
FORUM NINJA
* The highest possible title given out to a member. These members are moderators of the website, and have special "powers" to lock, pin, and move threads, as well as many other things. You cannot ask to become a moderator, because then you will never become one. They will ask you. Master Forum Ninjas have a few more "powers" than a regular Forum Ninja, but that's not to be discussed. Ever.
***One can have any type of member title and still become a ninja.
***Their title bar color is a dark orange with a light-orange highlight around it.
***In groups, their title bar color changes to the normal colors.
BUNGIE STAFF
* These are Bungie employees. They have a golden text. When they post, a golden Septagon appears on the side of the thread.
***Their title bar color is a dark yellow with a golden highlight around it.
***In groups, their title bar color changes to the normal colors.
OTHER TITLES
* These titles are given out to special members, Bungie employees, and Forum Ninjas. They are:
-avius custos
-Banhammer (removed post-Halo 2)
-Bungie Online Team
-Bungie Team
-Bungie.net Admin
-Bungie Employee
-Bungie.net Overlord
-Bungie.net Superuser (sawnose)
-Cabin Boy (KPaul)
-Certain Affinity Guy (Shishka)
-Community Guy (SketchFactor)
-CompoundIntelligence (Used during the Halo 3 ARG)
-Content Gorilla
-Content Lackey
-Content Monkey
-Emotional Support (Disembodied Soul)
-H2 Vista Test Lead
-Management Overhead
-Pixelsmith
-Playlist Overlord
-Web Master
-Web Tester
***and anything else they want or I forgot :)
LUKEMS' TITLES (Dammit stop changing your title! I only have so much room)
-Assassin of Joy
-Night Elf Probation
-Scarab Lord
Posted by: Achronos
Each user has two numbers assigned to him - base_trust_rating and trust_modifier. They are calculated by examining the history of your account and weighting each data point by a certain value according to a formula that nobody knows but me. This system is entirely automatic. The moderators can affect it in as much that they hand out bans and warnings, but those are just data points that are part of the math. One of the things you get from trust ratings is member titles. They are assigned based on the "tier" of trust your account is in relative to the highest possible trust value for that day (that amount is variable, as the system is not zero sum).
Trust ratings are intended to be used as positive reinforcement for good behavior. A low trust value is not a sign of a lower member (the titles aren't ranks, they're just titles). However, they have been shown to be VERY accurate predictors of behavior... remarkably so.
Posted by: Achronos
This isn't hard to understand: the number that underlies the title is relative to the rest of the userbase. As in, your title is determined by what your score is in relation to the person with the highest score for that day. So... if the maximum score goes up further than you go up in the same time period (even if you didn't do anything wrong like get a warning or ban), you can easily lose your title.
So, in conclusion, STOP ASKING ABOUT IT. It isn't a bug, it works as intended, and you just have accept that some things you're not going to be able to know the details of.
***Trust is calculated daily, which could be a reason as to why member's titles change.
THEORIES
***TOM T 117's thoughts on being demoted without any warnings or bans
***ecartman1214's theory on Max Value changes
***American Recoil's theory on "Trust Points"
From Duardo:
I'm going to be as truthful as possible. I'm not trying to be mean.
People complaining about losing their title is ridiculous.
Achronos has said numerous times that the system s automatic. There is no way to contest it, and doing so will usually result in a warning/ban (usually from Achronos).
By breaking the rules, you risk losing your title. Simple as that.
You can try to contest if you want, but I strongly recommend not doing that.
You can be a "good member," and eventually you'll probably get your title back, but what is a "good member" anyways? Someone who doesn't break the rules? Someone who posts a lot? A Mythic Member? Who knows Who cares. Just be yourself and have fun.
I don't know the answers. Assuming I do simply because I created this FAQ or I'm a Mythic Member is ludicrous. I know no more than anyone else. Sure, I brought the information together, but that's it. Anyone could have done that. I just use common sense. Again, anyone could do that.
Note: No one except the Bungie Webteam knows exactly how this system works.
[Edited on 04.28.2008 2:42 PM PDT]