I guess people are a lot more mature here, then. I have had some similar issues a few years ago somewhere else, where people would only laugh at me when I asked them for their reasons - that's what made me stop, so in some way I was in fact afraid of the response. But you're comments here are so reassuring that I will try this here again. Thanks a lot, Dillon!

 

 

No problem.  People are pretty up front around here...

I agree with Jaime. I am not really sure why we need a system like this at all.

Disagreeing is normal/neutral; disliking is way stronger; that's why AVSIM put it under the negative votes.

So I concur with Florian; disliking kind of requires an explanation.

 

What I also can imagine is, some people may simply go by the icons and a "thumbs down" doesn't feel as harsh as the "red delete". So the sender's interpretation isn't necessarily the same as the addressee's.

 

And BTW, Great Ozzie, care to explain?  

In my opinion, a Karma system only promotes the "politically correct" and the "main stream" thinking and opinions, it prevents people from speaking their minds when they know others will disagree with them. The fact is, without disagreement, what's the sense of a debate then?

Is it not ok to have an opinion without being required to explain it? Some people are simply not good at putting their ideas into words or arguments that adequately express their thoughts. Or maybe their English skills don't allow a concise reply. And, like someone else said, sometimes no explanation is required - it's obvious.

 

Also, people who simply hit the "dislike" button are cowards. Why don't they quote the message they don't agree with and expose their reasons? That way we all win. Hitting a "dislike" button and then hiding like a little girl behind mommy's legs, that's what a Karma system promotes.

Isn't this a little over the top? "Cowards," "little girl"? Sometimes people are simply reluctant to post their thoughts on a topic because they'll meet a belittling response like this. This is a forum, not a bull ring. We can't all be macho wordsmiths.

 

I'm all for enabling a quick explanation (like 8-10 words) to be attached to a "dislike" or "disagree," but I would not want it to be mandatory. After all, the things we discuss/debate here are not of monumental importance.

Disagreeing is normal/neutral; disliking is way stronger; that's why AVSIM put it under the negative votes.

So I concur with Florian; disliking kind of requires an explanation.

 

What I also can imagine is, some people may simply go by the icons and a "thumbs down" doesn't feel as harsh as the "red delete". So the sender's interpretation isn't necessarily the same as the addressee's.

 

And BTW, Great Ozzie, care to explain?  

 

I agree with you in general, and you know I have no trouble explaining myself, but on the other side of that coin, I really don't believe that it's much of a mystery why a post that has been disliked ended up as it did.

 

We are as free as Tom says we are to express ourselves, and I would never want to dissuade anyone from doing so, but I also feel that if you cannot make your point without sarcasm/condescension/whatever, then that is on you, and you should not be surprised when others don't like it, even if they otherwise agree with the point you are making.

 

I will absolutely Dislike a post, that otherwise has merit, if the poster uses those tactics. It just isn't necessary, and as I have said, I do not believe that it's too tough to figure out the reasoning behind such a vote, for all involved. 

 

 

What I also can imagine is, some people may simply go by the icons and a "thumbs down" doesn't feel as harsh as the "red delete". So the sender's interpretation isn't necessarily the same as the addressee's.

That's an interesting explanation, Oliver! I never thought of it that way, but it sounds perfectly logical. But on the other hand, one can still undo the rating, when the list below the post shows what option you chose, and you feel that dislking might be a bit too harsh...

I gave a 'dislike' the other day because I disliked what the guy had to say and the way he said it. Now I could have posted a reason for my dislike but I felt it would only turn what was already a tense thread into an all out fight. Besides, I think the guy knew what he posted was out of order. It is nice to know I'm a coward though. :rolleyes:

 

 

And BTW, Great Ozzie, care to explain?

 

Sure... wanted to make clear I'm a coward.

 

Some of y'all take this rating stuff way too seriously.

 

 

Some of y'all take this rating stuff way too seriously.

Maybe you're right...

However, I feel (as I have sid before) that the rating system can have an "educational purpose", which can easily show how a certain opinion/wording is accepted by the community. I think, if taken somewhat serious (i.e. not only posting in order to collect more and more positive votes, but in order to keep this hobby and community alive) the rating system can be a really powerful tool to provide a quick overview over what (and perhaps who) is particularly helpful, and what might be more questionable or less trustworthy content.

If someone could give the Alpha Floor a "Keeping My Eye on This!" rating, he will have one rating of each type (post #3).

 

Got to be some sort of "rating" or award for that. :Big Grin:

 

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Edit:

 

Thanks ChaoticBeauty... undid my "dislike" on your post since you did that. :LMAO:

If someone could give the Alpha Floor a "Keeping My Eye on This!" rating, he will have one rating of each type (post #3).

 

Did before you posted that. 

Maybe you're right...

However, I feel (as I have sid before) that the rating system can have an "educational purpose", which can easily show how a certain opinion/wording is accepted by the community. I think, if taken somewhat serious (i.e. not only posting in order to collect more and more positive votes, but in order to keep this hobby and community alive) the rating system can be a really powerful tool to provide a quick overview over what (and perhaps who) is particularly helpful, and what might be more questionable or less trustworthy content.

 

Absolutely.

 

In addition, I'd just say that the voting system also is a way for the community to weigh in on what manner of posting will be generally acceptable.

 

AVSIM, especially considering it's size, is very loosely moderated, and I think overall is better off for it. There is much less of a need for moderators to weed through each and every post, if the community itself can weigh in and say what it will and will not tolerate. It is a form of community moderation, and given the size of this one, if you find yourself on the wrong side of the curve, you must be doing something to contribute to that end.

 

_____

 

 

As an aside, I have first hand experience with vote abuse here, and it was handled by the moderation staff swiftly and appropriately. I didn't even need to, or at the time did I intend to, report it. A moderator had been paying attention, and handled it without my even having to say a word. When it happened, my only reaction was to laugh about it, as it was so absurd.

 

I only mention it as it is the only example I have seen of blatant abuse of the system since it was initiated. I'm sure there are others, but it must be pretty rare indeed, and is something that I know from experience that the moderators will take care of.

Did before you posted that. 

 

Thanks guys, I'll definitely bear the honor with pride of having all 7 ratings on the same post b)

Generally, I haven't seen the abuse of the ratings system that appeared to me to be somewhat rampant when it was first introduced, which also happened to be exactly the same time that P3D2 was released.  That said, I still think it has a tendency to introduce a certain amount of groupthink into any discussion, or is the cause of unescessary inflammation and indignance, when some guy comes in and says something that isn't towing the party line, and then gets slammed for it by the faithful.  There seems to be a lot of partisanship lately between simmers of different platforms, fans of different addons--there always is going to be that, but I think the rating system might be contribuiting to that.  Sometimes when a person uses one platform and asks a tough question about another platform, some people interpret it as if it's a raiding party, and then the Likes and Dislikes start flying like arrows, people get indignant, oftentimes rightfully so, and the thread inevitably goes downhill.  Like I said, though, on a more postive note, most people appear to be using the system with maturity.  I guess there is no perfect system.
 

Hi Florian,
 
I would honestly give the opinion that you are one of the most polite, patient and mild-mannered people that posts around here.  So I wouldn't worry too much about the fact that some people just get bees in their bonnets about certain viewpoints, or more likely, certain people.
 
Today, I posted the following statement in a thread about the excellent new Alabeo Piper Sport:-
 

It looks wonderful, but I'm going to have to give it a miss as it only comes with RXP integration for the RXP530, and not the 430.
 
Unfortunately, I only own the 430 and can't go without RXP, so sadly will have to give this one a miss.

 

 

Not one bit of criticism about the product, just a logical reason why I'm not buying this particular add-on, and this got a "Dislike".

 

I'm open to my posts getting some 'dislikes', just the same as they get some 'likes'...... this is because I am a person who is not backward in coming forward with my opinion or viewpoint.    I therefore tend to attract like-minded or opposite-minded people, with this type of posting style.

 

In the event, the person who made this "dislike" is an individual who is part of a commercial entity, and I once gave some criticism of one of his works.   He is well known to take this really badly and he started PMing me under new, different accounts he'd set up.

 

The account that he gave his "dislike" from today, was yet another brand new account that he is using to go around following my posts, disliking them, to "exact his revenge"... ha ha   :lol:

 

So the point is - there are some psychologically challenged people on any forum, and no matter what you do, they may decide to object to you.