Upvotes and downvotes

[DadScouts]

Ok. -5 does not have an effect. Can I get a -10? After that we will have our answer and can discuss if the downvote is not an auto censor, what purpose do we give it?

I got you to -12.  You're welcome.  I think Red and Green are simple purpose:  Up means you like or find the post helpful and Down means you dislike or find it non-helpful and "Report" is asking someone to taken to the principal's office.

[NJCubScouter]

I think Red and Green are simple purpose:  Up means you like or find the post helpful and Down means you dislike or find it non-helpful and "Report" is asking someone to taken to the principal's office.

Or several assistant principals, as the case may be.

[AltadenaCraig]

I think Red and Green are simple purpose:  Up means you like or find the post helpful and Down means you dislike or find it non-helpful and "Report" is asking someone to taken to the principal's office.

 

I follow a couple of other forums, both powered by another provider [simple machines forum - SMF].  The SMF follows the 'facebook' protocol:

- "Thumbs up" (Like) is the only voting option (no thumbs-down option and no "arrows" of any color)

- Similar to this forum, each post provides a "Report to Moderator" link (similar to our "Report").  I like the "Report to Moderator" terminology as it's a little clearer to me.

 

Perhaps I've become brainwashed by facebook and SMF, but as was pointed out by MattR yesterday, facebook (& SMF) allow only "thumbs-up" for good reason.  FWIW, that's my preference, too:  replace the arrows with a "thumbs-up" option and rename "report" as "report to moderator".  My $.02 -

- Craig

[NJCubScouter]

I strongly urge people to stop downvoting Sentinel's post. As he said, the experiment is over. I am concerned that at some number of downvotes, the "results" of the experiment may change, and I have no idea what will happen then.  Thanks to Sentinel for volunteering to be the "lab rat".

[RememberSchiff]

Meanwhile, Terry receives a notification on his Scouter app of a record high red arrow count.  Oh it must be... what, one of my moderators..!    

Edited July 6, 2017 by RememberSchiff

[NJCubScouter]

If there is a consensus (with a lot of people participating) on a specific proposal to change the forum features in some way (either on this subject or any other), the moderators will report it to Terry and see if (a) the change would be technically feasible and (b) whether he wants to do it. So far I am not seeing anything close to a consensus

[RememberSchiff]

Another variation is allowing only the OP to vote on the helpfulness of responses. Might help keep responses on topic, maybe...

Edited July 6, 2017 by RememberSchiff

[Sentinel947]

Yea. Please don't downvote me anymore! My snowflake millenial heart may break..... =)

 

All joking aside. @@NJCubScouter is right. If we can get some consensus around forum features Terry may adjust them.

[qwazse]

I like the general notion of

• +/- 1 for strongly liking/disliking a particular reply. Being limited to so many a day helps a reader focus on the best/worst posts. Especially you should use this if you are a bit rushed, or if among a lot of replies in a thread, one resonates especially true/false.
• no obligation, but if you have time, and can put it in words, explaining specifically what you liked/disliked.
• using "Report" to let a moderator know that you think a post violates the rules of the forum -- not when you disagree with someone's opinion, think there are factual errors, don't like their choice of nickname to your user name, etc...
• encouraging OPs to mark one reply to their topic as "solved", especially if they actually followed its advice and got a desirable outcome.

I think the icons are pretty good as-is.

[Col. Flagg]

Yea. Please don't downvote me anymore! My snowflake millenial heart may break..... =)

 

All joking aside. @@NJCubScouter is right. If we can get some consensus around forum features Terry may adjust them.

 

How about you put up the proposed plan for using the arrows. We can neg or pos rep the post based on our feelings. Highest number wins.

Edited July 6, 2017 by Col. Flagg

[MattR]

Yea. Please don't downvote me anymore! My snowflake millenial heart may break..... =)

 

 

Then delete the post. I mean, you pissed everyone off.

[NJCubScouter]

• using "Report" to let a moderator know that you think a post violates the rules of the forum -- not when you disagree with someone's opinion, think there are factual errors, don't like their choice of nickname to your user name, etc...

I agree, but be fair, I think that's pretty much the case already. The vast majority of the flag reports we get are for (alleged) violations of forum rules, or other legitimate reasons. I cannot remember any reports that are simply about someone disagreeing with someone else, unless it reaches the point of an (alleged) personal attack, which is against the rules anyway.

 

• encouraging OPs to mark one reply to their topic as "solved", especially if they actually followed its advice and got a desirable outcome.

 

I agree with that one, I think only OP's should use the "solved" button. I don't know whether the forum software is capable of "enforcing" that.

[Stosh]

Marking it solved means the horse is dead, leave it alone. 

[qwazse]

I agree, but be fair, I think that's pretty much the case already. The vast majority of the flag reports we get are for (alleged) violations of forum rules, or other legitimate reasons. I cannot remember any reports that are simply about someone disagreeing with someone else, unless it reaches the point of an (alleged) personal attack, which is against the rules anyway.

 

 

I agree with that one, I think only OP's should use the "solved" button. I don't know whether the forum software is capable of "enforcing" that.

It may not sound like it, but I'm kind of a status quo guy. It's a lot easier to ask folks to do what most seem to be doing anyway.

 

I think only OPs and mods have access to "solved" buttons. I've only seen them on threads that I started.

[NJCubScouter]

I think only OPs and mods have access to "solved" buttons. I've only seen them on threads that I started.

 

You may be right.  I have never marked a thread "solved".  I prefer to let threads reach their natural conclusion.  But if the usage is limited as you say, I think it's ok.  Maybe I assumed that since I have the "solved" button, everybody does.