The score
Every Signal earns points from four kinds of reader activity:
| Reader action | Points |
|---|---|
| Upvote | 1 |
| Downvote | 1 |
| Share | 3 |
| View | 0.1 (10 views make 1 point) |
Points are then weighed against age, so a fresh Signal does not have to beat weeks of accumulated activity to reach the top. Each Signal's points are divided by a freshness factor: the number of days since it was published, plus 2, raised to the power 1.2.
| Age of the Signal | Points divided by |
|---|---|
| Published today | 2.3 |
| 1 day | 3.7 |
| 3 days | 6.9 |
| 1 week | 14 |
| 1 month | 64 |
In practice, a Signal needs roughly 3 times the points after three days, 6 times after a week and nearly 30 times after a month to hold its place against a Signal published today. The Signal with the highest result ranks first. When two Signals tie, the newer one goes first.
Why a downvote adds points. A downvote still means a reader read the Signal and cared enough to react. Counting it as activity keeps Signals that people disagree with from being pushed out of sight.
Why shares count most. Sending a Signal to someone else is a stronger sign that it was useful than opening it.
Why views count least. Views show reach, but a reader who only looked has done less than one who voted or shared. A small weight stops view counts from outweighing everything else.
What gets counted
- Votes: one vote per Signal per browser. Tap the same vote again to remove it, or tap the other one to switch.
- Shares: counted once per Signal from each network in any 24 hours.
- Views: opening a Signal's page counts once per Signal from each network in any 24 hours.
- Limits: there's a cap on new votes from any one network, to stop automated voting. Many mobile users in the UAE share a network address, so the cap is set high enough for normal use.
You don't need an account to vote. Signals recognises your browser through an anonymous cookie. Your network address is stored only as a scrambled code that can't be turned back into the address.
Where you'll see rankings
- Top Signals: the homepage shows the 10 highest-ranked Signals. Above them, a Just in strip shows the four newest Signals whatever their score.
- Category pages: choose Ranking to see the same order within a category, or Latest for newest first.
- Each Signal's page: shows its current position, for example "Currently #13 in Top Signals".
- Unranked Signals: lists Signals nobody has voted on yet, newest first.
Points never expire, but they weigh less as a Signal ages. A Signal keeps its place for as long as its reader activity, weighed against its age, keeps it ahead of the others.