Which Ratings Should We Remove (if any)?

[DerStrom8]

There has been some discussion about removing certain ratings from ETO. They are often taken too seriously and sometimes lead to fighting among members. We would like to know which ratings the membership would like to keep and which ratings it would like to see vanish into the Aether?

This poll will be open for 7 days.

 

[Mickster]

There should be an option for 'None', for those members who are happy with the current layout, otherwise they aren't able to cast a vote.

Regards.

 

[shortbus=]

Another thing to keep one members feelings from getting hurt. You know who you are!!!

 

[Mickster]

Free speech comes with some responsibility, it is not a flat-out opportunity to blurt out whatever you wish and expect that everyone else has to like or agree with it.
Just because you can shout or write something, does not always mean you should.
If the wording of a post is cleverly constructed in order to just stay inside the forum guidelines, don't expect that others are not going to display dislike or disagreement with it.

 

[DerStrom8]

There should be an option for 'None', for those members who are happy with the current layout, otherwise they aren't able to cast a vote.

Regards.

Excellent point, apologies for missing that!

 

[DerStrom8]

Another thing to keep one members feelings from getting hurt. You know who you are!!!

This has nothing to do with specific members, this is something I've thought about for a long time and only recently brought it out in the open, where a number of other members and moderators agreed it should be discussed.

 

[atferrari]

Not sure about "dislike". Too cryptic. Good for those who throw the stone and hide the hand.

Of course, when used in technical forums on technical subjects.

 

[large_ghostman]

This has nothing to do with specific members, this is something I've thought about for a long time and only recently brought it out in the open, where a number of other members and moderators agreed it should be discussed.

Not being funny Matt but the long TCM thread about ACC, one of your main issues over there was the censorship etc, i dont honestly think anyone taking something like seriously should be on a site. Cant be many complaining and its got to be those getting dislikes or whatever so that narrows it right down.

Trouble is if you change the ratings it looks like one or two members (can only be 1 or 2), have alot of influence. Worries me more that moderators are more concerned with a small number of moaners. Having said that maybe the whole things being looked at wrong, numbers are climbing elsewhere and dropping here.

For what its worth i voted keep the same, personally the ratings are useful especially for informative etc. Anyone taking dislikes seriously are likely to be those who cause the most trouble. Disagree or dislike shouldnt affect normal people. But thanks or likes save some typing and the person getting them has been acknowledge.

The other thing to consider is if you take dislike out of it, your more likely to get displeased comments in a thread. Way too many snow flakes with too much influence again.

 

[DerStrom8]

LG, I don't think you understood my post.

There are no "moaners" that are asking us to change the system. This was something we wanted to bring up in general and is not a result of anyone asking us to do it. My biggest beef with the system is it's making this site look too much like Facebook or some other similar social media platform, rather than a technical forum. If people focus too much on their "ratings", whether positive, negative, or neutral, it detracts from the helpful community atmosphere and can lead to bickering.

As I said this is something I've been considering bringing up for months, if not years, and just recently decided to bring it out in the open.

Matt

 

[DerStrom8]

Not to mention, notice at the top of the page there is a poll. This is to get the consensus from the community, not just a few moaners, as you put it. I think the fact that there's an option to vote should disprove your theory that we are doing this based only on what one or two members may think.

 

[Mickster]

My take on this is that not everyone visits this section of the site.
Maybe if it were in a more prominent place, we would get a more rounded poll, rather than just from the long serving members who know their way around the site blindfolded.

 

[DerStrom8]

My take on this is that not everyone visits this section of the site.
Maybe if it were in a more prominent place, we would get a more rounded poll, rather than just from the long serving members who know their way around the site blindfolded.

I can understand that. Any suggestions for a better location?

 

[Mickster]

Maybe an announcement when you next log in, like we had to view and agree to, regarding the new forum rules?
Give users the option to take part in the poll, or click to dismiss, since it is not a binding agreement.
Could that be done?

 

[DerStrom8]

Maybe an announcement when you next log in, like we had to view and agree to, regarding the new forum rules?
Give users the option to take part in the poll, or click to dismiss, since it is not a binding agreement.
Could that be done?

Probably, but unfortunately that would be out of the control of the moderators. That would be up to the admins, and I'm not sure they would consider it worth the trouble to be honest....

 

[shortbus=]

There are no "moaners" that are asking us to change the system

Want me to post what was said in PM? To disprove the point? I keep my PM's for things like this.

For some one that warns not to bring a mouse to a cat fight. Or no to play chicken with someone driving a bulldozer. Or even making the claim that 9 out of 10 enjoy a group beating, they have a very thin skin. He knows whom I'm talking about, as well as you do. Went right to the mods to complain, and now we get a poll?

 

[DerStrom8]

Want me to post what was said in PM? To disprove the point? I keep my PM's for things like this.

For some one that warns not to bring a mouse to a cat fight. Or no to play chicken with someone driving a bulldozer. Or even making the claim that 9 out of 10 enjoy a group beating, they have a very thin skin. He knows whom I'm talking about, as well as you do. Went right to the mods to complain, and now we get a poll?

I was not privy to any such "complaints" from said user. And for the last time, the intent of this poll was to get the community's opinion. If my intent was to cater to the desires of a certain one or two members, then the change would already be requested without a poll even being created. But that is not how we operate here, hence the poll. Why is this so difficult to understand?

Just cast your vote and walk away. It's that simple.

 

[JimB]

The rating buttons have been a minor source of contention for a long time, every since the ZenForo software was installed and the old green and red squares from the old software consigned to the bit bucket.

I personally use the Informative, Funny, Like and Agree mostly.
I cannot remember using Dislike or Disagree, but the system says that I have used them both two or three times, where I do not know.

If I find something which is wrong I prefer to say so in words.
If the person whom I believe to be wrong does not want to listen to me, no problem, I just walk away and let him stew in his own juice.

For whatever reason the use of Dislike seems to make threads here degenerate into an unseemly cat fight, a bit like facebook.
In my opinion we can do with out that.

JimB

 

[large_ghostman]

For whatever reason the use of Dislike seems to make threads here degenerate into an unseemly cat fight, a bit like facebook.
In my opinion we can do with out that.

Isnt that ironic considering the site is supposed to be a media feed for facebook? correct me if i am wrong, but ETO is owned by a media company who get paid from adds on facebook. Content from here and other places connected to them goes onto facebook as that is what they are paid to do.

Would see odd to have just agree and like, on the one hand we are told no ones has complained, then we are told its a bone of contention. Sop which is it? do people complain (therefore a bone of contention) or no one complains therefore if it aint broke.....

Its been talked about before. I dont think you can get rid of just the negative and keep the positive, over cleaning a site makes it look false. Like alot of the sweeping under the carpet at the other place, the site would settle if allowed to do so.

Ian has Admin powers does he not? couldnt he do a log in poll?

 

[DerStrom8]

Its been talked about before. I dont think you can get rid of just the negative and keep the positive, over cleaning a site makes it look false. Like alot of the sweeping under the carpet at the other place, the site would settle if allowed to do so.

I prefer to only keep the "neutral" ratings, personally. I don't think we should only get rid of the negative ones.

Ian has Admin powers does he not? couldnt he do a log in poll?

To my knowledge he does not have control over the site code, but even if he does I'm sure he would need to get permission from the administrators to change the site setup.

 

[Mickster]

If I find something which is wrong I prefer to say so in words.
If the person whom I believe to be wrong does not want to listen to me, no problem, I just walk away and let him stew in his own juice.

JimB

There's that option, if you choose to do that, then there's the ratings system we currently use.
Would you rather have every member that disagrees with a post, have to construct a reply which attempts to explain why the post is wrong, then get bombarded with a GWOT dummy-spitting reply, inferring that the person who disagrees with/dislikes what was posted is an idiot/troll/unintelligent half-wit moron and similar statements, for having the temerity to point out an error, or a failure in understanding something? You Mods and Admin are the ones who end up having to clear up posts in threads, but please be clear about this - do you have to clear up many other threads where such statements (idiot/troll/unintelligent half-wit moron and similar) are not made?
The rating system as it stands, currently allows other members to vote not on a person as such, but the content that they choose to post.
If you would prefer to remove an avenue of protest against the content of a post, you force a member to potentially give you more to clean up.

My 0.02