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Karma Point

A karma point is a reward given to an actor for making a contribution to open metadata. This may be for:

  • Creating some information
  • Correcting or enhancing some information
  • Linking information together
  • Removing obsolete information

Karma points are awarded to automation as well as to people, since both contribute to the open metadata ecosystem.

How karma points are awarded

Karma points are awarded automatically by the LovelaceKarmaPointAwardsService - a watchdog action service that runs in the EgeriaWatchdog governance engine and is supplied in the OrganizationInsightContentPack.

The service listens for changes to open metadata. For each change, it identifies the user responsible - the updatedBy user recorded in the element's version information, or the createdBy user where the element has not been updated - and awards that user a karma point.

The point is accumulated in a ContributionRecord linked to the actor profile for that user, via the Contribution relationship. If the profile does not yet have a contribution record, one is created. The running total is held in the record's karmaPoints property, and the isPublic property controls whether it may be shared with colleagues.

Karma points need a profile

Points are awarded through the userId that made the change, but they can only be accumulated if that userId is linked to an actor profile. Create a user identity linked to an actor profile for every user whose contribution you want recognized - otherwise their changes earn nothing.

Using karma points

Karma points support recognition and gamification: league tables, and acknowledgement of the people whose work keeps the catalog trustworthy. Since points are earned by automation as well as by people, it is usual to keep separate league tables for the two.

Related information

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