Okay, here are the links. Where I first found the petition http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/1492252 The main petition itself http://www.gopetition.com/online/14631.html

That category should continue. For example, is it an everyday occurrence that someone is promoted to Swami? Or to Guru? Even in my former home, Yahoo Answers, users praise fellow users who have made a significant achievement in the site. There's no specific section there but the point is, it's normal practice to congratulate outstanding people. =)

i will be mad. I think it is neat to be recognized for something. I don't see the harm in it. Besides, points are points. We don't get the lottery or anything. This is a fun site, with lots of nice people.

i do not agree with them! ABers need to be congratulated! if one deserves it they should be told that!

Keep it..I don't see what the big deal is about congratulating people. Someone must be feeling left out...how childish. I think a petition should be started to keep the category...just coz.

It takes ABs lot of time are hard thinking to reach to a higher level. And They get nothing but praise and Congratulations for it. Aren't they eligible for this too? And what the heck did they mean by bringing answerbag down? Silly guys!!

I think these people are selfish idiots and would love them to be banned due to this petition.

I think it is ridiculous. Why shouldn't we be able to congratulate Answerbaggers for their accomplishments? If they don't like the announcements then they don't have to respond to them. They can also make a request to NOT have a Congratulations Question announced in their honor here... http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/393232 Where is the petition to counter their petition? Let me know and I'll glady sign!

This is a bunch of bullsh*t. Ignore them.

I agree with baghead. I think they're way over done and sometimes just used as a vehicle to earn cheap points. I never read them though and wouldn't sign any petition.

Kyogre i am so glad you used AB ALERT - I may not have noticed this otherwise. I think it's a shame someone has to come along and try to spoil the fun we like to share with our friends. I think it's really mean of them to take away something like this and if the point thing was their only concern then why not petition to get rid of the points rather than the questions. Our real interest is not the points but the chance to congratulate someone for the efforts they have put into making answerbag a great place to be. It will be a sad day if the powers that be do away with it, but we won't let them beat us.. we'll just think of another way to do it (((hugs)))

Although I do not like the Congratulatory 'Questions', I believe strongly in freedom of speech, and will not sign the petition.

i think that at times some can feel left out with certain kinds of questions... but the congratulatory questions aren't like the who's your fave or who's the coolest. personally i wouldn't sign it.

I personally feel that this website is more fun and interesting than a "real" source for answers. I do, of couse, ask for some real advice at times, but I also ask for opinions on things that really aren't important (because I might find them interesting). So, I wouldn't sign the petition. I think people who are so concerned with trivial things being removed from AB need to loosen up a bit!

I think they're being petty. I can understand that some of the congratulations are being offered up for small accomplishments, but to eliminate this category would also eliminate things such as "congratulations on the birth of your first child" and such. I think the big picture needs to come into focus for these people.

Maybe if we congratulate them for making the petition, they'll feel better and want to keep the category.

Hi, K-S...at first I thought they were charming...then I thought they were unnecessary..now I am back to thinking they are charming. Why you ask? Because to me it is the same thing as having a big party and having all the attendees sign a card for the person being celebrated to keep as a memento of whatever occasion is being celebrated. One has the option of ignoring or joining the celebration. Why ruin it for those of us who appreciate that category? Just because you don't like, why are you deciding for me and preventing me from participating in it? How does it harm you? It's like a TV show you don't enjoy..just don't watch it..but don't insist on it's being cancelled just because you're not into it! That's like banning a book you don't like...that's "big brother" at his very worst..that's censorship! :(

That's lame. I'm the first to agree that it's used too much (I've asked questions on this subject before) but I don't want to see it gone entirely.

That's utter crap. Who are these people? I've got a trolling itch... (just kidding) Seriously, I think the congrats are great. It's just fun. If there are people who don't agree, they are not required to answer, comment, or give points. Just pass over it like the billions of homework questions we have to look at.

No one should have the right to take it away...if you don't want to join in with the "Congratulations"..no one will care one way or the other BUT if you take my choice away then you are denying me the right to send my very best wishes...which I choose to do. This really is making me mad that someone thinks it's necessary to make a petition when all they have to do it ignore the questions they don't want to answer. How hard it that??? I don't want to go to the adult section but I am not going to make a petition to get rid of it because I think it doesn't belong on here where young kids have access to it. I just shake my head and move on to what I do want to answer. This is ridiculous and if they do away with it then I will......well I don't know what I'll do....I'm too upset to deal with that now. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

So the petitioners can't just ignore these questions they don't like? Seems like someone is jealous of maybe not getting congratulated and does not want anyone else to be either. I checked out the petition and you can't even view who has signed it. What are they hiding????

Viewed in its best light, it's gratifying that one or more people feel strongly enough about Answerbag to create petitions at all. When I joined AB we were trying to be more of a just-the-facts Q&A site, but pretty much right away you folks made it a much more vibrant place than we ever imagined, and Congratulating Answerbaggers is part of that. It might be stretching the analogy, but I don't know that I'd want to live in a world where laughter was banned because some people didn't get the joke. Something we could explore is to have all questions in Congratulating Answerbaggers default to Conversational, then anyone who didn't want to see them could use the Hide conversational questions function.

I'm not sure. People can do what they want, I guess. I find the category a little hokey at times, but it's pretty easy to just let go and make fun of it by asking ridiculous congratulations (or congratubations) questions.

The congratulating is not ruining my life in any way, shape or form. It does bug me a little, but usually I just ignore them and move on with my life.

KEEP IT!!! I don't care so much about congratulating people when they make it to a new level. I love being able to congratulate people on having babies etc..... KEEP IT!!!

wow..mutiny at the bag for congratulating people, how sad.

With only 1 signature, I'd say the movement doesn't have much steam.

The Congratulating Answerbaggers category should stay! Please don't tell me I can't be happy for someone just because you don't feel like it!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just how hard is it to scroll past a question you do not like. I think there are a few people who are bitter about the fact that they have never been congratulated for anything. Whether they like it or not, the AB community is full of kindhearted and friendly people who are able to appreciate others accomplishments. I saw we party on!

Those who want to do away with it are probably the same ones who never get any recognition. My advice to those people? Work harder and someday someone will congratulate you, too! It's like when state government did away with merit raises because some people felt discriminated against because they were only mediocre. Ummm, DUH! Isn't that what it's all about? Doing away with mediocrity and rewarding those who actually WORK? You don't get rewarded for NOT answering questions, so answer some and you can be among the elite congratulatees!

K-S I don't agree that the catagory should be removed. I think it is a great catogory and should continue to be here. Anyone who doesn;t like it can choose not to view it. I have worked for the last 5 years in the debt collections industry and it has always been standard practice every place I have worked to give a shout out to a collector who got a significant payment. Usually 1000.00 or greater is considered significant in the business. The supervisor or one of his/her fellow team members would get up and announce to the whole floor who the collector was and how much they got. It was sort of a morale booster for a great accomplishment. Same as the congratulations questions here on AB

I think the whole "let's congratulate so-and-so for reaching level 29" thing is pretty stupid and would rather eat raw onions than get involved in it all, but I have no problem with the category existing for those who like their fluffy irrelevant stuff as long as I don't have to join in.

I think it's a good thing. Congratulating ABers might be fun and nice, but whoever congratulates them first gets points for a question on AB that's not even a question really. It's meaningless and sometimes I think it's even a pointscam. What's a great way to get a lot of points fast? Find something to congratulate someone on. Boom 100+ points right away. I never participate.

I think it's ridiculous. If you don't like a question, ignore it. How hard is that to understand? I see a lot of questions about Mormonism that I don't want to answer, but does that mean we should get rid of those questions and that category? No! It only takes two seconds of your time to pass the question up, and the category is there to make sure that they don't interfere with other categories. As I've stated, time and time again, this is a community, where bonds have been created between individuals, and it is the right of those individuals to congratulate one another when an achievement has been reached, whether it be a level, birthday, or even a death. Some sort of recognition is the right of individuals who interact with one another. It's a basic tenant of free speech.

This site is great, it helps loads of people and gives us all somewhere to be :-) I'm sick of petitions for this and that ( although I did sign Jays ( Kills own arguement stone dead )), Lets relax have a bit of fun and be helpful, and the category should stay !!

I don't think it matters because it is not going to happen. The only real edge AB has over its competitors is its rich community, aka - you. Even though congratulations questions are not strictly useful, they help foster a community spirit which translates into money for Demand Media.

I think if people want to congratulate their friend, it's OK. Why do certain idiots get upset by this? If they don't like it, don't visit that category! GO AWAY, if you don't want to have fun or friends.

Even though I did suggest it as well as I have been rumored to hear that someone else or others did too, I would be happy to get rid of it. But I don't see it happening either since it is a legitimate category. As users we just have to use our discretion and not use the category for frivolous congratulations.

How much effort does it take on the part of those sad, bitter individuals to go on to the next question? A person's got to be a real troll to let it bother them enough to start a petition.

I wonder if anyone ever makes congratulations questions for fake users just to get the points? I like the congrats, and would like to keep them.

One of the major complaints about Congratulating Answerbaggers questions is that it's a way for the questioner, and (especially the earlier) answerers to gather points for doing very little. I have put in a suggestion that gives the questioner and answerer an option to turn off points for that Q or A. This way, they COULD NOT GET any. In my suggestion they could turn them on or off at any given time, so if someone asked them to turn it back on, they could. OR, if they forgot it, they could turn it OFF at any time, while still retaining the points they'd already gathered. For example, http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/981104 ... She asked for no points but people gave them to her, anyway. There have been numerous times I've seen this on both questions and answers... Where the person asks for no points, but people still rate them. The ability to turn them off would allow others to see they were serious about it. Personally, I don't see a problem with congratulating users for reaching the upper levels. My information (put it in my profile) is "You should not congratulate yourself. That's what your AB Friends are here for. Also, it's not really normal to congratulate people until they reach Sage (Level 50)." Level 50, 60, 70 and up are increasingly difficult to reach. If someone makes it there, THEY SHOULD be congratulated (points or not). Birthdays are the same for friends of various users, as are other "milestones". The category should stay. Being able to turn the points off for the question and/or answer would alleviate most of the complaints about it, as would Rich's idea of forcing them to "Conversational", so they can be blocked. (Although, this would block a LOT of good, and fun questions, as far as I'm concerned.) I just don't see the problem. Ignore the damn things if you don't like them. Simple as that!

Heyyyyyyyyyyyy, wait a minute. I am on 59 and I'm gonna be a maestro next!!!! Wait til after that! I want a party : * ( <<<<<<<<whining>>>>>>>>>>>

shit a lot of bullshit has been going on since i left. first and foremost there is nothing wrong with that catagory . its been here for ages . two there is nothing wrong with how we did things 6 months ago or a year ago. true i seldom am on here these days. but iam so damn busy and so addicted to fb poker. and also i just out grew ab so to come back and see a question like this just breaks my heart . speaking from a ab grannie i say let it stay. its a large part of the ab support system . and iam glad its here.

I always enjoyed being a "cheerleader" over on QnA Live (from whence I came). I did it to recognize the accomplishments of others and to urge them on to the next level. QnA Live's reward structure is much simpler than is AnswerBags. I agree that if some are upset that people are using the "Congratulating AnswerBaggers" category as "cheap points", then remove the incentives to discourage the point-chasers. It really doesn't bother me, one way or the other.