Steven wrote:Maybe we can reduce downvote reasons and in the popup add a button to report the post, replacing the "ranting", and "spam" reasons.
The way I see it, is that the majority of posters here perhaps are not as technically minded as F1T once started out as. I freely admit I'm not really knowledgeable enough to be posting anything with any form of authority in the more technical orientated topics, but what I lack in knowledge, I try to make up with common-sense and logical thinking (emphasis on try
).
Anyway, what I wanted to point out with this, is that the whole +1/-1 is rather limited for posters like me/us. If it's a tool to reward posts with technical insight, it takes one with a basic technical understanding in the first place. As a 'layman' therefore, the only use I have for the voting system is to reward posts that I feel are constructive and add to the quality of this forum, even if the contents may not be technically focused. It's also far easier to use it as a means to say "i agree". Inadvertently, this then makes the -1 on the opposite scale a "I do not agree' function, which is how many are using it. It's just too attractive not to.
The other problem I see is that the number, the sum of all up- and downvotes, is attached to the users identity, as if to portray how valuable that member is to the community. So voting has an effect on how we are portrayed, even if most users decide to put little emphasis on it or simply ignore it. Which is also why we have so many in here complaining about downvotes and the need to moderate the votes in the first place.
Perhaps it would be better to have a system where one can freely up and down vote posts and that each are shown separately; I.e. 12 downvotes, 16 upvotes as a means to portray how many agreed with it and how many disagreed. Then I would remove the sum of all votes from the users name - perhaps make it visible when one clicks on someones detailed profile page, but not have it attached to the identity visible at all times.
Another system on another site that I felt works quite nicely too is simply a "I agree" button. What it does is simply adds the users name below the post (i.e. X, Y and N others agreed with this post). It's not anonymous, so any voting is done with more responsibility which in theory should prevent misuse. And it's not a big deal either way.
I think it's the combination that perhaps makes the current system rather problematic. Either make the votes public, so each can see who votes who, or simply make it officially a "i agree / I disagree" function, also public, but not attach the sum to the name. Disagreement shouldn't be bad. What is a pity currently is that because of its often misuse, it's sometimes demotivating to post anything that is regarded an "unpopular view" - as it potentially usually results in downvotes, even if one puts in a lot of work, time and effort into a lengthy reply. And without the "opposite view" we wouldn't have much to talk or discuss, other than perhaps the more factual orientated technical topics, which would be IMO a pity.
@Btw Turbo - I know how you feel. In fact, I feel a bit guilty, I actually upvoted that Casio post.
Ehm, what I wanted to say too, is that there was a time when I didn't upvote any moderators posts, because I didn't think you/they saw them anyway (given that moderators and admins don't have their vote count portrayed next to their name). Maybe some other posters feel the same, even if only on a subconcious level, which is why they rarely upvote? ... Just a thought.
