Feedback Thread: Discussion (>'.')> <('.'<)

I've never even looked at that button and didn't realize it was there until last week when someone mentioned it. What's popular to one isn't popular to another, so it's really subjective.

Since some people get so upset about the numbers, perhaps Robert and his team will remove the Thumbs Up and Down at some point.

I don't think anyone should take it personally. I mean, if I thumbs down the Big Demon game threads to declutter my screen, I don't see why anyone should take offense. And if I thumbs down a gardening or auto repair thread, how does that affect the OP?

If people get hurt feelings, they need to realize it's not about THEM, per se; it's about the topic. Worse than the numbers going down would be nobody responding, which happens with or without the thumbs up/down. And what are you going to do about that? Fake an interest and respond just so someone doesn't get hurt feelings?

Who cares about feelings? I agree with you it's better to have responses than not, that's why anybody sane posts. That's EXACTLY the point I'm making about the popularity rankings, I only care because it affects numbers of potential readers who'll never find the thread otherwise. That button you never noticed under the A2K logo is the first one for a reason.

Why would they not find the thread? If you want to keep it front and centre, post another comment on it and it'll stay alive. People can also find out what you've posted by going to your profile page.

There are many of us here who never utilize that Popular button. In fact, during our discussion last week, someone else who'd never used it clicked on it and said they'd never do that again because they thought the topics were silly or some such.

Everyone can't possibly be interested in everything everybody says. I'd much rather have posters I respect and like clicking in (and responding) than masses of posters I don't know thumbing it up. I honestly have never even looked at the thumbs up/down numbers on my own threads.

I've posted a few games threads that have had 2000+ responses and 3 - 5 times as many viewings... they're only interesting to people who play games, so the numbers are irrelevant. If someone votes it down, it just means they're not a games person. That doesn't hurt my feelings at all.

I've posted many topics that are only of interest to a few. Why should that bother me?

me too and me too!

Who wouldn't? I've no trouble believing you, I think the exact same way. It's only an issue for new users. Who don't yet have a list of posters to respect or like. Imho.

I have posted numerous threads that had no responses and others that had a few pity responses. But, I have been on this site and its predecessor long enough to have had a few very successful runs. The positive outweighs the negative for me.

It will only affect the number of potential readers who aren't logged in or are logged in but have their preferences set to collapse threads. Go to "My Preferences" at the bottom of the page and make sure your collapse options are set to NO

Collapse Unpopular Topics: No

Collapse Unpopular Posts: No

What is read tracking and what is robust search?

That's great! The default was "yes". Maybe changing the default option to "no" would solve the problem for everybody including new users? Thanks a lot.

I don't know if this has been stated elsewhere but I just noticed that the edit time has been extended.

THANK YOU!!!

1. robust search
2. photo albums

3. gravatars



leave everything else alone. I like the tags the way they are, don't care about chat or pm's.

Read tracking is basically the new red "NEW" things we have. If you click on the "NEW," it takes you to the first new post since you were last logged in. Very useful.

Robust search just means the ability to search in a way that actually works. The search function is currently pretty crappy. I used to be able to find stuff back using the search function really well (and I used it a lot), and I miss that. Robert has explained that the good search function we used to have only worked for a small site (smaller than we are now) and had some serious flaws. It'll take a lot of time and money for him to make a search function that works as well but lacks those flaws.

Ah, thank you! I was completely in the dark. There is so much I don't understand about this site - not complaining - just that I use what I need to function and I'm not making it work better for me. So I appreciate the info.

I think the rationale for the default is because lurkers don't get to (have to?) see the unpopular threads which filters out a lot of the noise. Once logged in, you can set your preferences to see everything if that's what you want.

Well that's a circularity problem then, I've asked about it elsewhere with no answer http://able2know.org/topic/152761-2#post-4188201 because the "popularity" rankings aren't determined by either "views" or number of replies, or number of posters participating.

If you read the concrete example I gave on that link you'll see that no matter how many posters, views, or replies a thread has it won't come up in the "popular" list and other threads with far fewer of any of those will. Aren't the rankings only determined by positive or negative thumbs up/down entries?

Is there a weighing algorithm? Anyway how are new posters to know how to tweak preferences when the longtime posters don't? And there's got to be lots of potential members who start by browsing the site without being logged in. Well thanks again

I don't know what to tell you about the 'popularity' list. Never use it, never notice it, not on my radar screen.

Robust search FTW!

Also, as an example as to why 'new posts' shouldn't be sorted by whether you've read them or not, I saw this thread; voted in the other thread; and then couldn't FIND this thread again! I ended up using my back button, which is sloppy.

What about polls in-thread?? A little flash polling app or something?

Cycloptichorn

My Posts is becoming my friend. It puts any thread you've posted on at the top of the list.

The problem with that is that sometimes you want to think about what you're going to post for a bit - but because you've read the thread it's no longer in new. We're going to have to back to typing in "bookmark" which seems a bit sloppy.

I've been using that from day 1 of the new software. But I often switch to New Posts to see what else is being posted...

Cycloptichorn