Due to continued misuse of the post reputation system I will be removing it. I cant do it quickly, but it will be gone some time in the next week.
This evening someone down-voted a number of posts on someone strictly as a punitive attack. These things are logged, you know, and its obvious when it happens.
are we really that childish?
Korm Kormsen said:
are we really that childish?
Yes
In stead of removing the system, why not remove the offending individual? The system is not broken, it appears to be working quite well, it identified the offending poster. This would appear to be exactly what the offending individual is looking for, a means to create havoc with out being tracked.
Bob:
I really appreciate this site and fully understand the effort that it takes to make this the informative and comfortable place that is.
I make the following observations and hopefully do not add to any existing “pot stirring” so feel free to delete this should you feel that this does not add anything positive to this issue.
As with many fora there are always a small number of participants that will somehow take relatively innocuous or benign statements as some type of personal affront where to my reading none was intended. Human nature being what it is, the perceived insult cannot go unanswered and they must escalate the discussion and assume both a defensive and offensive posture. This often leads to an escalation of the dialogue and with all the attendant ill will and discomfort.
When that last go-a-round of this type of behaviour caused you to think about closing this site I was very dismayed. I vowed to not engage in these types of threads should I be involved and hope that I’ve been true to that pledge. You introduced the current reputation system and I think that has made a positive impact in mostly stopping this negative behaviour.
I agree with Bob Cope and the offending participant(s) should be censured or somehow disciplined; the usual “n strikes and you’re out” approach. I wish you would reconsider the ratings removal, again as I feel it adds something positive to this site.
And again, thank you for hosting and maintaining this site to the benefit of this hobby and to me.
Mark
I don’t like the reputation system, and have expressed this opinion before.
The main reason is that it is anonomyous, it allows people to “attack” without anyone knowing except you Bob.
My reason is not personal, even though I have been subject to “well planned” attacks before, where I earned negative reputation on posts over a year old all out of the blue. Actually not out of the blue, but coinciding with negative posts on current threads, i.e. a nasty retort and then magically a bunch of negative reputation hits, although my attackers were smart, they did them a bit at a time.
So well done that you did not notice Bob. But how in the heck do you get negative reputation points on a year old post?
You asked us to work things out ourselves. Making the conflict and negative comments public in the forum is the way to do it. Allowing cowardice to sneak “zingers” on posts unrelated to the conflict is not the way to run a forum if you want people to work things out themselves, i.e. the actions must stand the light of day.
I completely agree with your move. If there was a public method of “downvoting” a post, I would also be in favor of that.
Greg
Korm Kormsen said:
are we really that childish?
Korm, some people are. That is why I shied away from joining clubs for years. My Dad’s wife was in a club, and at the age of 10 or 11, I was dragged along to the meetings. I saw the kindergartenesque way that those “adults” carried on about inconsequential things. Disagreements over trivial details would escalate into shouting, name calling and profanity. In any large group of people, there is going to be that “tit for tat” element, or the “my way is the only way” element. Its sad really. We are here to share our hobby and help each other.
Bob, thanks for taking the time and effort to address this situation.
Ban the kid.
Ban the kid.
Dan Gilchrist said:
Ban the kid.
I am considering all options at this point, including banning the obvious offenders.
I’m quite capable of blowing my own reputation without outside assistance what with having bipolar, PTSD, and high functioning autism, about which I do not appreciate Forrest jokes.
A bit of trivia about that, Dad and Grandad also have first name Forrest though we all have different middle names. Great Grandad was Orville Elias and how things went from there to a string of Forrests is not recorded that I know of.
I have never paid any attention to the ‘reputation’ as it seems totally divorced from reality. As someone pointed out - it is anonymous. With the ‘Thanks/Thanked’ count you at least get to know who did it.
How do you remove reputation anyway? And who cares?
I am like most people, I haven’t paid any attention to it.
I am more disappointed that someone had to fool with it! That is disappointing!
Just replace it with a like button ( you like the post . )
Gee wilikers I didn’t see this coming!
I was on topic … I left the site after being insulted and come back to this?
I know some folks that won’t confront and see that button as their voice…
Perhaps a week off to cool down would be a start…
Burn it to the ground BD!!! And take the post count with it.
With only five increments the reputation system is to general to be of real value. (Well Respected, Respected, Neutral, Unreliable and Flaming Idiot) I know that last category is rare, in fact I have only ever seen it show up once.
Most people ignore positive mark ups and negative ones only serve to anger the recipient as none of us can stand being criticized, corrected or spell checked.
I favor Pete Thorton’s view. If I may paraphrase a bit. If you are getting thanked then you are contributing something of value to the forums content. If you are giving thanks then you are certainly promoting participation in and use of the forum.
Boomer K. MOGWAI said:
Burn it to the ground BD!!! And take the post count with it.
With only five increments the reputation system is to general to be of real value. (Well Respected, Respected, Neutral, Unreliable and Flaming Idiot) I know that last category is rare, in fact I have only ever seen it show up once.
Most people ignore positive mark ups and negative ones only serve to anger the recipient as none of us can stand being criticized, corrected or spell checked.
I favor Pete Thorton’s view. If I may paraphrase a bit. If you are getting thanked then you are contributing something of value to the forums content. If you are giving thanks then you are certainly promoting participation in and use of the forum.
Yeah, it didn’t work. And, I have never understood why post count is important at all, but it sure seems to be included in lots of forums, doesn’t it?
I think the reputation system was an attempt at self policing, but obviously THAT didn’t work. Not sure what would work, as if you even allow any public criticism the site would deteriorate overnight - even, or especially, if you criticized someone who self-proclaims “thick skin”. I’m a fan of positive reinforcement, but I’m not sure that the “THANK” system does enough to discourage the ranters and ravers. I swear, it sometimes appears to me that some folks go online just to antagonize somebody or anybody, or everybody. We’re probably all nice guys in a face to face meeting, but when we can hide behind the keyboard all bets are off. (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-yell.gif)
Well, the truly offensive posts can be reported. I have yet to report a post.
The reputation system was good idea, its a shame that it was abused to seek vengeance. That is not what it was for.
As for post count, some people seam to get a thrill out of jacking up their number with fluff. I do look at post count. If someone with a single digit or 2 digit post count, comes off as the “expert”, I tend to ignore them. Also, if someone like that is trying to sell something, I move along, because they haven’t been around log enough for anyone to know if they are trustworthy. Now that is just my viewpoint, and as such isnt worth much to anyone but me.
I still like your viewpoint Maynard.
Bruce Chandler said:
… I swear, it sometimes appears to me that some folks go online just to antagonize somebody or anybody, or everybody…
Yip. And we don’t need a reputation system to help with the ID…for example, discussions Bob has to close follow a pattern.
However, Bob, please don’t take away the thanking system, because many times I express my appreciation for someone’s thoughts or contribution but don’t have the time, or don’t have the right words, to say it. A simple thanks is sometimes all that’s needed anyway.
