Who Would Downthumb Something Positively Positive?

Guess which finger I'm holding up...


Guess.




I post facts. I post many important facts. My facts are the best facts EVER.

I think you would be right to object if people prevented your arguments from being seen.

Please stop misinforming people to what my views and opinions are on this thread topic.
Before you continue to (misinterpret) my views and opinions on this topic, I suggest you re-read each of my post on this thread.

Here is a recap of all of my post on this thread.

Ponderer wrote to maxdancona:
Yeah, or maybe just take out the downthumb and leave the up. The downvote seems kind of undemocratic. It is a vote, but it only says "You don't think like me, so boo you."

Real Music wrote to Ponderer:
I don't really have any issues with the thumb-up and thumb-down feature.
If I strongly disagree with a particular post, I might thumb it down.
If I strongly agree with a particular post, I might thumb it up.

I have to say that I do like your suggestion of eliminating the thumb-down feature while keeping the thumb-up feature.
In fact I vote thumbs up for that suggestion.

maxdancona wrote to Ponderer:
I strongly advocate for making the names of people adding thumbs public. The anonymous thumbing leads to abuse.

Real Music wrote to maxdancona:
I can only speak for myself. Others may agree or disagree to what I am about to say.
I could care less about others knowing who or what post I thumbed up or thumbed down.
I am not trying to hide my views or opinions.
In fact if you were to ask me, I will gladly tell you what I thumbed up and what I thumbed down.

maxdancona wrote to Real Music:
Anonymous thumbs lead to more nasty insults and less dialog. I understand that this isn't the intent, but it clearly is the result.

Real Music wrote to maxdancona:
Perhaps.

What do you think about Ponderer's suggestion of eliminating the thumb-down feature,
while still keeping the thumb-up feature?

I think that is a good suggestion.

Sturgis wrote:
If a person wants to hide topics or individual posts, let them have at it. Have a tool to do so, just as there is an ignore feature.

Real Music wrote to Sturgis:
That is a really good suggestion.
Then there will no longer be a need to hide a thread topic with down-thumbing.
You could just put that thread on ignore.

The zero on your last post proves my point.
So. Let's try this. All of you who would not object to their posts being hidden, say "I would not object to my posts being hidden."

Thank you. Now bring in the sound of waves gently lapping the shore of a lake, then add hundreds of flickering fire flies two feet over the surface.

There are those who see the "games" behind the up and down votes, and to them (myself included), they indeed are cartoonish and meaningless. However, as in politics, some rely on the opinion of others to base their own determination of good, bad, right, wrong, true, false,etc. So, seeing a post voted against, and/or reading a negative comment against a positive post will sway their own opinion.

Re your post about having fun watching. Be honest, don't you feel a certain *polishes nails on chest* moment at the "3" score for that?

Honestly, no.

The creators of A2K didn't ask for my input when they designed this site. I'm kinda thinking all this discussion probably stings a little for them when their hard earned work, time and energy gets picked apart and critiqued harshly. The perimeters they've set is what they felt was the best way for users to interact with each other.

So along comes you, purposefully starting a thread to call attention to a poster. Ok, since you asked for honesty... You want the truth how I felt about your little stunt? Horror. Complete and utter amazement that you'd exploit someone like that. Then, when called out for it, (by getting it thumbed down) you start ANOTHER thread to do nothing but whine about how unfair it all is.

Yep, I thumbed this one down too. Although my morbid curiosity and general sense of humor keeps me hanging in here to read every absurd post. You wanna call me out on the carpet for it ? So be it.

But you will be standing right next to me.

I don't think Ponderer was exploiting anyone. The thread in question was pointing out happy news that a poster had volunteered about her life.

Thank you. And again I see a zero for writing the truth. Again, thank you for seeing the reality of my intent.
I could not possibly imagine that anyone would be horrified as a result. I can only imagine that there must be others who are too stunned to comment on it.

Max, you have articulated the issues you currently have with the thumbing-up and thumbing-down feature.
You have also articulated what you personally believe would resolve those issues.

1. What do you think of Ponderer's suggestion of eliminating the thumb-down feature,
while still keeping the thumb-up feature?

2. What do you think of Sturgis suggestion of adding a new A2K tool to ignore any thread you don't want to see
without needing to thumb it down for that purpose?

I am pointing this out to show you that different people may have different solutions.
It doesn't have to be one solution.
There may be several solutions.

As I already stated in previous post, I personally like both of these two suggestions made by Ponderer and Sturgis.

I already know what you think about your own suggestion.
My question to you is what do you think about these two specific suggestions?

I had second thoughts about leaving the thumbs up. That would still allow people to reward negative posts.
As an example, someone recently replied to my heartfelt post with
something like "You know this thread is not about you, don't you?"
(to which I replied "Yes")
The last time I noticed, that comment had received 6 points.
(Like I said, " games")

This is about people judging something that is good, bad. And you have proven my point.
"So along comes you..." : Implies that I had nothing better to do than-
"...purposefully starting a thread to call attention to another poster."
I was not "calling attention" but rather "giving attention". And anyone can see that she wants it and needs it, and from somewhat getting to know her personally, deserves it.

I'm not Max, but here's what I think.

Those two in combination would would solve the problem of downvote abuse. However, they might be overkill.

If the system were merely changed so that downvotes do not impact a thread's popularity ranking, then it won't matter if people downvote that thread.

For downvote abuse against posts within threads, the problem can be solved simply by not automatically hiding any post that gets a score of -5 or lower. Then it won't matter if leftists vote posts all the way down to -100.

I see you want to argue.

I disagreed with your prior thread just as much as I do this one.

It is rather presumptuous to think you're "somewhat getting to know her personally." Ew.



But have at it pal. You do you.

Solution #1 is a step in the right direction. I agree that it is undesirable that this still allows a group to upthumb personal attacks.

I fully support solution #2, in fact I think I suggested it. That would solve the problems as I see them.

-5 doesn't have to collapse anything. Go here https://able2know.org/account/preferences/ and select No where it says to hide unpopular topics.

Yes, but most people don't do that. Getting -5 votes prevents a post from being seen by all the people who don't bother to change their settings.

My complaint is not that I am prevented from seeing other people's posts, but that other people are prevented from seeing my posts -- and not because they necessarily object to my posts, but solely because some other third parties object to my posts.

Another site I am mildly active on, tried a ratings system some did or seven months back. It included a bar under each member name which gradually filled up as people "liked" the member's posts. It didn't go too well and the "like" function was disabled. (Oddly the bar under the names remains, including where a member was until then).

Another site keeps a running tally under the member name.

I still hit the thumb button occasionally- sometimes up, sometimes down. If I like a post, I may thumb it up, not always though. I at times thumb down for aggressive rudeness. Again, not always.
I also occasionally thumb up a post which is at the 4 or 5 so it gets a little more viewing before a collapse.

So the choices abound.

1) thumb as much or as little as you want

2) never thumb at all

3) think of the thumbing in terms of how some historians refer to the way the Romans were doing it. A thumb up was to say " get 'em outta here! ". A down thumb to indicate keeping them.
(this helps the poster with low levels of self esteem)

4) learn to ignore the thumbs. Pay it no never mind.

5) continue wringing your hands and writhing in self inflicted emotional pain (you might be masochistic)

6) decide if this site suits your needs and act accordingly