Hi, I do not mean to push any buttons, as I respect Tom's decision to abort this feature entirely, but I kind of liked the old reputation system as it was before the down vote button was introduced.

 

Is there any chance the previous iteration of the reputation system with the "thumbs up" votes only be reinstated?  I like having that ability to thank a person for a helpful or thoughtful post, and this was a great way to acknowledge posts the user feels are particularly noteworthy.   I don't see how the old system can be gamed or abused, and I don't think anyone really wants to see these forums turned into Reddit or Quora where there is a competition to get the most votes, that apparently was not the right approach to take here.   I appreciated the ability to recognize a great post, and enjoyed receiving up votes as well.  This reward system only encouraged posters to contribute with substantive posts, and although the absence of such a reward system should have no effect on the quality of posts, I'm sure a few people here miss the old system.

 

The removal of this feature is not the end of the world by any means, but you know the saying "If it ain't broke.."

 

Just my two cents.

*Thumbs Up*   B)

 

I agree with this post.

 

 

I like having that ability to thank a person for a helpful or thoughtful post, and this was a great way to acknowledge posts the user feels are particularly noteworthy.

Why not simply write "Thank you, xyz"? That way the other one will even know who says thanks, while the vote up is quite anonymous...

I too did like the reputation system, but then again, as others have said, it's not at all useful in terms of saying what is atually helpful and what not - it's more or a tool for our own egos, and hence I toatlly agree with Tom taking it out completely.

Frankly, if the system could have "cost" the button pusher in some way for 'down voting' such as trading one of his/her own positive rep points on a quid-pro-quo basis, it would have perhaps reduced the misuse of the 'down vote' function.

 

In short, one would have to have to use one of their"positive rep points" in order to give anyone else a "negative rep point." So, if one was inclined to be "nasty" or somehow "punish" another member, they would have to somehow balance that with the task of "earning" more of their own positive rep!

I came onboard here just over a year ago and like the reputation system for voting people up without the option to vote down.  I'm in 100% agreement with A.J.

 

As a matter of fact I'm giving myself two points now B)

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Why not simply write "Thank you, xyz"? That way the other one will even know who says thanks, while the vote up is quite anonymous...

I too did like the reputation system, but then again, as others have said, it's not at all useful in terms of saying what is actually helpful and what not - it's more or a tool for our own egos, and hence I totally agree with Tom taking it out completely.

 

I agree as well. A 'thank you' can go a long way, and it's aimed at the specific person providing the help.

 

The system had good intentions, but it got abused and was wasted on a series of posts that had nothing to do with the topic at hand.

 

The system had good intentions, but it got abused and was wasted on a series of posts that had nothing to do with the topic at hand.

I didn't see any abuse of the system at all. What I saw was a bunch of people who didn't understand the system.

 

With the system in place for only a bit over 30 hours, it's not surprising that people never learned to understand it. Sure, a few people were rude and got voted down. This was balanced in the same posts by people who voted them back up. The totals stayed negative because when you go out of your way to annoy people, it has an effect.

 

A few of us are "survivors" of similar systems. In my case it was The Sims 2 forums. I watched the dynamics of that system for over a year and learned to understand it and how it worked and how it helped keep things reasonable. Even the admins were subject to the system, which can go a long way toward keeping the peace. In fact, the third person to reach the highest ranks (1500 net positive votes) was one of the admins. Most of the admins here would have no problems with the system.

 

It's unfortunate that the system wasn't allowed to continue long enough for people to learn how to use it.

 

Hook

 

 

This was balanced in the same posts by people who voted them back up. The totals stayed negative because when you go out of your way to annoy people, it has an effect.

 

And rightly so.

 

This was balanced in the same posts by people who voted them back up. The totals stayed negative because when you go out of your way to annoy people, it has an effect.

And rightly so.

 

I was pleasantly surprised to see this, actually. It meant the system was working.

 

Hook

Good riddance to the peer rating systems.  I think the pandering it promoted tended to get in the way of honest discourse.

It's unfortunate that the system wasn't allowed to continue long enough for people to learn how to use it.

Larry, this wasn't the first time that the up/down voting system was tried out. It ran for many, many months before Tom & and the BoD decided to take it down because of the rampant abuse of the 'down vote' function, not to mention the flurry of PM's generated by disgruntled members who were the targets of a cabal of folks who were determined to cause maximum annoyance and pain.

 

For a long time, only the "up voting" was retained. Now after this last experiment, even that is gone.

n4gix, on 22 Nov 2013 - 7:39 PM, said:

rampant abuse of the 'down vote' function

I remember a lot of people who got heavily into the negative reputation territory. As I recall, there wasn't a one of them who didn't deserve it. No doubt all of them felt otherwise.

 

Another thing I remember was you posting something about the reputation system and getting a single down vote, then complaining about it. One of the surest ways of getting down votes is complaining about getting them. I posted at the time that you should have simply ignored a single down vote, but if people got *that* upset about one down vote then the system should probably be abandoned. While I never intended that you should have actually abandoned it, and didn't think you would, that's exactly what happened, almost immediately.

 

In answer to the question, "Why are flight simmers so rude?", the answer is that is how they all want it. Well, not all of them, but those few of us who don't obviously don't matter much. A reputation system that interferes with that rudeness will not be well received.

 

I'm sure it was a headache to moderate.

 

Hook

IMO, having UP votes only serves no purpose, other than enhancing people’s ego.

 

To be fair, any voting system needs both UP and DOWN choices.
AFAIK, most country’s Presidential Election or House of Representatives has UP/DOWN voting systems (Yea or Nay)

 

Disclaimer: I’m talking about forums in general, everywhere.

 

Take for example a bully getting voted UP when he/she bashes a newbie for asking an innocent question, or worst when such bully trashes said newbie because he/she didn´t read a manual, or use the correct syntax in a search button, or does not get a grip on how to perform something in his game/sim.

 

How about when wannabe bullies team up with their leader and bash a forum member until the later either gives up, leaves a forum for good or even does something worst?

Or cases I have seen elsewhere where a member is bullied because of his/her avatar or country or age or writing skills (in a foreign language). Or cases where forum members trolls a topic just for the fun of it. Or plagues threads with personal vendettas against other forum member(s)?

 

Shouldn’t they be balanced?

 

Someone suggested allowing to view who voted you down. That doesn’t work either, and would surely create resentment.

 

These are just some thoughts and certainly I don’t have an answer as to how to make it work as it should.

 

 

Frankly, if the system could have "cost" the button pusher in some way for 'down voting' such as trading one of his/her own positive rep points on a quid-pro-quo basis, it would have perhaps reduced the misuse of the 'down vote' function.
In short, one would have to have to use one of their"positive rep points" in order to give anyone else a "negative rep point." So, if one was inclined to be "nasty" or somehow "punish" another member, they would have to somehow balance that with the task of "earning" more of their own positive rep!

Bill, your suggestion sounds fine, but IMO there is the risk of members teaming up and voting each other UP so they can have votes to spare.

Ramon

Ramon

+1

 

Hook

Anonymous up or down voting of posts seems silly. If someone helps you out, thank them.

 

If you still need up/down votes, then show who voted in a mouseover.