Thumbing up and down: Abuse already?

It's really not that leisurely of a pastime, Thomas, so I'll likely do you that favor most of the time.

Not sure which reference might have done that, but I'm happy to have been helpful!

it was a highly negative reference, so i wanted to learn about it, and i did, eventually, but finding the Search button was a nice bonus. since it says Google Custom Search in the box, i'll have to experiment to see if it accepts any of the regular google search options.

Been trying to figure out of that ought to be "Occoms Bill".


You know...like courts martial.


Is he more of an Occom, or more of a Bill?

Bill- Did you know that Germaine Greer (now a professor and famous person) activated the modern feminist movement with the charge that "all men are rapists"? Gave the proof too. She didn't just make the assertion.

It seems to me that recourse to the "ignore" function represents the opposite to ignoring someone. It should be called the "Mom's Apron" function.

One doesn't take radical avoidance actions on something one is ignoring.

Good point, spendius. So far, I'm saving it for brainless interruptions in the middle of serious discussions, and might not use it then, depending. . . .

That's good to hear. Thanks, Bill!

I think this thumbs up/down malarkey is useless, and I have seen some quite innocuous posts penalised already.
So, I think it's a retrograde step overall.

Yup. I use it for the collapse function.

If I like a post I'll vote it up. Generally if I don't like a post I'll ignore it or respond with critique (e.g., "you suck!).


Drew(yes, you)Dad.

I can't understand how one can "like" a post or "dislike" one. They are all just posts.

I like honey and backing winners and turning over in bed. And foaming pints of John Smith's Extra Smooth in the company of men who don't talk about themselves all the bloody time.

You will learn to like it if you don't think about it as a personal thing. Simply ask yourself, "is this something I want to see again?" It saves you a tremendous amount of repetitious reading of titles you've previously decided weren't of interest.

Aside: I'm really starting to appreciate the wormholes between associated posts... and the return to where in the thread you left off reading after posting a response. I'm definitely warming to the new system.

I thought the thumbs up and down was specifically for individuals weeding out what topics they were interested in?

I don't dislike Phoenix but if her thread doesn't interest me I vote it down so it doesn't show, right?

Yep!

(Whee, I just used the quote button! Nice to have it back.)

Pretty much.

Although I used it in exactly the way Craven DIDN'T want me to... heh...

I wouldn't say "specifically" exactly, but that is certainly one VERY handy use. (At one point today; I smiled when I realized there were a dozen collapsed threads in a row. How many time would I have read those same titles in the past, only to pass them by anyway?) At the same time; thumbing it up guarantees you'll always see it, no matter how many vote it down or how you set your navigation.

Another use is pushing spam or useless posts to the bottom... and interesting content to the top... specifically for the good of the community. (Say a well liked member has a problem: I would want to push that number up to alert more members that some kind words might be in order…even if I’ve already posted and don’t plan to again.)

The other day Nimh made a post about Bloomberg getting the necessary sigs to run in VA. I didn't have anything to add, but knew other members would find it interesting so I thumbed it up. I think this also gives some recognition to Nimh, that in the past would have only been a "view".

I also saw a post thread that amounted to "this candidate sucks" with no real information whatsoever. By thumbing it down, it:
A. Gets knocked out of my sight
B. Alerts members that the post isn't worth reading
C. Alerts the poster that his submission was not well taken. In the past; in order to voice disapproval, you were forced to feed the troll (bump his post). Now when you disapprove; you actually reduce the troll's effectiveness rather than increasing it.

I already find myself drawn to the high positives, to see what the fuss is about, but then I make up my own mind. While I don’t necessarily agree with what the members vote up; I've noticed I do generally concur with what it votes down.

I don't think people with out of the norm interests should have trouble accepting that this alone is probably why their threads aren't highly rated. It is a shame that some will take it personally, but not so much so as to forfeit all the good that comes from the new system. I love it.

Echoing everything O'Bill just said...

(and yes, I could have just left it at a thumbs up ;-) )

Gee Bill- you're a good bloke.