I know it’s been a while, but there is one user on my “home” forum who still occasionally complains about how he lost TL3 back when Likes were added to the list of requirements for that level. During the most recent conversation regarding this, we came up with an idea that we believe has continuing merit, especially since the requirements for trust levels can be modified by admins.
How about applying a grace period when trust level requirements are changed? The grace period could work exactly the same as that used when a user achieves a new trust level.
For example, say that an admin changes the requirements for TL3. Any users who are currently TL3 would automatically be granted a revocation grace period as if they had just obtained that trust level. Anyone trying to obtain TL3 would need to meet the new requirements as soon as they are implemented, but those with TL3 who don’t meet the new requirements would have some time to get “up to snuff” before they lost their trust level.
TL3 has a 14-day grace period, starting when you get it
If you go below the “low-water mark”, demotion is instant (90% of promotion requirement / “high-water mark”)
Perhaps better would be a notice PM when someone is in the “middle zone”, between demotion and promotion marks? Under the requirements, but by less than 10%.
For a situation like this, a possibility would be to lock the user at TL3.
This all works great, most of the time. The issue is that edge case when the requirements change after a user has achieved TL3. It would be a bit of a burden to lock everyone at TL3, and then unlock them two weeks later. What I’m proposing is that #2 be modified to apply to when TL3 is achieved and when trust level requirements are changed.