"Thanks for useful post"

[Homdax]

I have seen a feature on other vBulletin forums that allows for users reading a post to also click on a "Thanks" link to indicate that the post was useful and showing some gratitude for that. I assume it could be viewed as some kind of reward system.

I raise this in order to get input on others experience of this function, if any, and possible implications thereof, prior to a possible discussion on its implementation here.

I think it may be useful to prevent one-liners, and of course showing appreciation, but I do not know if it may be tied to "internet penis" complex that we have done our best to avoid here so far.

[Mokino]

As long as the results aren't visible publicly I don't see harm in it.

It might help the staff figure out the more constructive posters as well.

[Lleman]

Or the most fanboy'd.

[AridMonk]

I don't like this idea, it has its uses I'm sure, but they took away the post count to reduce the e-penis thing, and to have +1's would only encourage it again. I reckon it would turn threads all facebook-y, with people +1'ing a post rather than contributing to the thread, and perhaps entice people to post funny one liners in the hope of getting a +1, which in my opinion would be a bad thing.

[Sentinel]

It's also a pretty quick way to dogpile in an argument too. It's pretty off-putting to have fifty people like the post of the person you're debating with.

[Celution]

For me forum reputation is something you create yourself, and not something awarded by random +1's on your posts. They sound being the same, as good and constructive posts would 'deserve' a +1, but in fact they are completely different.

People around the forums will know and respect you if you keep a cool attitude as well as making constructive posts or contributing a lot of worthy stuff, whatever it might be. This is an unwritten reputation and people know you because of what you actually have done. Senior Membership is part of becoming a trusted and and respected member, I don't think we really need such a written reputation as it leads to egocentric behavior.

[Shoota Fodder]

^ +1





Edit: Feel I should contribute something useful. I agree pretty much with what most people have said here. I like this forum because there is no real way to tell who is 'cool'. For example, there are several senior members I find annoying and in fact respect less than some of the regulars. The beauty of this site is being able to chose for yourself who to like. Besides, we all know it would get to the point where if you were a new member and no one had heard of you, you just wouldn't get as many likes because people wouldn't give you the same benefit of the doubt that they give some of the more well known faces here.

[Mokino]

Celestial brings up a good point: Senior Membership leads to enough elitism around here already.

I'm kidding.

[Buguba]

Celestial brings up a good point: Senior Membership leads to enough elitism around here already.

The more colorful your tag is, the more valid your opinion is. Don't be jealous!

[Homdax]

Oh, my tag has moar colours so I'm more l33t than any of you.

Well, I must admit you are an elocuent lot and I agree with most arguments posted. My main reason to bring this up was to put it up as a administrative tool but since no admin responded yet I am still not convinced it would be a very bad thing to do.

Not that it would be a very good thing either.

[Croaxleigh]

As I recall, something like this has been tested by staff in the past when running through potential new features for the forums. The results were underwhelming so it never made it to prime time. That's not to say that it won't be tried again in the future, of course (unless someone who's actually in the know comes in and says "No, this will never be tried again in the future." )

[Homdax]

So we postpone it for functionality trials for, say 2032. I'll still be around.

[Hive_Node]

It's a pretty poor idea. I can only see it encouraging more elitism (not to mention favoritism), which has driven away enough people/most of the developers the forum is dedicated to already.

[Retroboy]

Can't see how it would cause any harm.

[ÜberJumper]

I think it's a good idea.

Hive... if this forum has a problem with elitism, this is one mechanism that (I think) couldl go a long way to helping balance that out if it exists.

Now, if we limited it to a report method where a post could be deemed helpful "Once", then that *might* be handy, but it'd require a lot of reading by the mods. Hmmm we should read-up more on how Slashdot, Reddit, Youtube, and facebook implemented like/dislike/karma/etc.

[FriendlyFire]

Anonymous but registered post votes (up/down) are a necessary evil for places like Slashdot, Reddit or YouTube because of the amount of people that can post in one thread, especially malignant people.

Here, however, the quality of the posts tends to be high enough not to warrant it. It has its negatives, namely that people will be whoring the majority's opinion to get a better karma. Even if nobody sees it, it's still going to be a factor. It can also be misused to downvote people you don't like (there are many instances on Slashdot of posts contrary to the general opinion getting modded flamebait or troll even though they're neither). It's also very dependent on scale to work, since assuming a large enough sample size, many local variations even themselves out statistically, but RN isn't quite big enough (in that it's big, but widespread, so each individual topic doesn't necessarily get *that* many views) to benefit from that.

All in all, I've seen it at work and it's great when it's suited to the site, but RN doesn't need it. The level of discourse is already miles beyond most discussion forums I know of.

[Malachi]

I don't see this kind of feature as fitting these forums, really.

If you really feel the need to thank someone for an exceptionally useful post, you can do it simply by posting. This kind of feature would turn essential debates into vote competitions, which I would hate to see.

[Rotlung]

7 people like this. (Note: Random number, please don't go counting and determining who really supported this idea...)

More seriously, I'm with the "RN doesn't need it" side. I think there are far better ways to show your agreement or appreciation than a "like" or "give rep" button.

People might also be less inclined to participate in discussions, since they can simply ride on a post someone else wrote. Get in there and say your piece - simply saying "I agree" isn't contributing to the discussion.

[General Kong]

Like Rotlung, I believe this site has no need for such a feature, people might only say things to get "thumbs up"

[Laevus]

One idea I've had for a time and since RN is now looking for content creators and this came up I'll put it here.

One way of constantly generating new content for the frontpage, etc. on a small staff could be having a content submit forum where members could post content for proofreading, critique and review. A group such as senior members would then be able to suggest changes and vote on approval/rejection/rewrite using a simple thumbs up/down/meh system. This way if random member happened to get to playtest/beta or just have a awesome game experience he could post a story about it and on a slow news day all the staff would have to do is look for content with a high vote and give it a quick proofread.

Well maybe it would need to be a bit more exclusive than allowing random members or closely moderated to avoid generating too much crap.

As for a forum wide 'karma' system, meh maybe as a one off as Über suggest but still it might encourage users to only read the thumbs up posts in a thread before replying. In the Workshop it might have a place as a 'thanks, that really helped my problem'. But then again you could just as well post a 'Thanks X that really solved my problem' instead.

[Homdax]

A bit of omnislashing here:

namely that people will be whoring the majority's opinion to get a better karma . . . It can also be misused to downvote people you don't like

I do not see how that would workout unless you have something asking/telling posters to "please use the thanks button to enhance my e-penis!". In the sites I have seen it there is no way to say "Thanks for useless post". Hence no "downvote".

If you really feel the need to thank someone for an exceptionally useful post, you can do it simply by posting

I agree with the intention, but that invites one liners we are better off without, I would say. We do not encourage one liners and hence the "grateful post" should also contain something of value to the discussion. Simpler to hit that button if what you read is great but you do not have anything to add at that particular time.

since they can simply ride on a post someone else wrote

Or in other words tell others that this was a good post, I agree, and avoid unwarranted additions to the discussion. Jump on the bandwagon in a technical sense, so to speak.

Just playing with arguments here, thankful for all the feedback and serious input.

[FriendlyFire]

Homdax, taking the biggest sites as an example (Slashdot, reddit), they almost always have up AND downvotes, with or without reason. Personally, the places I've been with only upvotes are even worse than those with both, because if for any reason somebody gets upvoted before others, they can drown out the others by looking more "important". Of course, many sites uses ratings as a display filter, which I hope isn't part of your intentions with this system on RN.

[Homdax]

Well, "upvote" and "downvote" is not at all how I see it, seems ridiculous since how would one feel getting "downvotes" every now and then, its bordering to harassment, but I get the point. And as for display filter, it would be in the eye of the beholder. A post with many "thanks" may have more merit and be more worth spending time reading than another with few "thanks", so I guess that could act as such.

[Mokino]

Such a system just encourages cliques, which do already exist to some extent.. We're better off not making that worse.