Poll

Would it help reduce worthless replies in a thread... to:

*REMOVED*
1 (3.1%)
*REMOVED*
0 (0%)
Leave well-enough alone,  As-is.
26 (81.3%)
Rank each reply/comment 0 (poor) to 5 (excellent)
5 (15.6%)

Total Members Voted: 32

Voting closed: April 26, 2016, 10:13:18 pm

Author Topic: Ranking useless posts in a thread?  (Read 13682 times)

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Offline SL4PTopic starter

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Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« on: April 16, 2016, 10:13:19 pm »
The recent idea of thanks is a nice gesture.

How about a similar but unrelated 'no thanks' counter - attached to the poster (not the thread).
This would allow mods and readers to assess the likely validity of the poster's content.

Some people seem to contribute to a thread when they have no idea or experience
- just making it harder for the OP to extract meaningful answers.
Don't ask a question if you aren't willing to listen to the answer.
 

Offline wraper

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2016, 10:19:10 pm »
Dislike button was not added for a reason. Forum shall not become a yet another dislike trolling dump or a place where people are measuring their dicks like/dislike ratio.
« Last Edit: April 16, 2016, 10:38:51 pm by wraper »
 
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Offline SL4PTopic starter

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2016, 10:39:20 pm »
Dislike button were not added for a reason. Forum shall not become a yet another dislike trolling dump or a place where people are measuring their dicks like/dislike ratio.
Doesn't it add to the democracy?  Helping weaker punters identify trolls or time-wasters?
If each reader can only downvote once, there is no risk of becoming a troll dump, unless multiple readers think the post really is a troll/pos .... then it's justified.

I only raise this, as i often see newbies ask legitimate questions, but get completely invalid responses from posters that have no idea what they're writing about!
Don't ask a question if you aren't willing to listen to the answer.
 

Online nctnico

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2016, 10:41:37 pm »
Down voting posts sucks because it is truth by majority instead of truth by facts. Every now and then I end up on the stack exchange forum and in many cases there is very useful information in posts which are 'down voted'.

The forum already has the function to ignore certain people in case the truth hurts too much  :box:.
There are small lies, big lies and then there is what is on the screen of your oscilloscope.
 
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Online Ian.M

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2016, 10:44:05 pm »
While a dislike button, and collapsing posts with too many dislikes can be useful to keep topics relevant, the risk of abuse is high, unless you limit it to users with a strong commitment to this forum*.  In effect, you would be adding a sizeable group of 'moderators-lite', which may not be a path this community is ready for.

* If its easy to get, trolls will register multiple sockpuppets to let them game the system.
 
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Offline SL4PTopic starter

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2016, 10:49:50 pm »
TRUTH = Human nature + Simpsons
Got ya'
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Offline SL4PTopic starter

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2016, 10:53:35 pm »
The forum already has the function to ignore certain people in case the truth hurts too much  :box:.

Yes. Use it wisely and often. The opinionated nitwits are surprisingly few once you shield yourself from them. They just seem to be many.
It's not just 'opinionated' nitwits, but otherwise genuine posters that have been playing with an Arduino for two weeks, and try to answer otherwise legitimate (and above their ability) questions.
They're welcome to ask and learn, but no need to announce your inexperience- and confuse the newbies.
Don't ask a question if you aren't willing to listen to the answer.
 

Offline brabus

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #7 on: April 16, 2016, 11:02:33 pm »
Already had a "dislike button" experience in another forum. That was literally the beginning of the end. :palm:
Just leave as it is and it's fine for me. :-+
 

Offline wraper

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #8 on: April 16, 2016, 11:02:46 pm »
Dislike button were not added for a reason. Forum shall not become a yet another dislike trolling dump or a place where people are measuring their dicks like/dislike ratio.
Doesn't it add to the democracy?  Helping weaker punters identify trolls or time-wasters?
If each reader can only downvote once, there is no risk of becoming a troll dump, unless multiple readers think the post really is a troll/pos .... then it's justified.

I only raise this, as i often see newbies ask legitimate questions, but get completely invalid responses from posters that have no idea what they're writing about!
That doesn't work like that. There were a few treads where my opinion was completely opposite to what the wast majority was saying and after insisting a lot for the the topic starter doing a certain thing, in the end turned out I was right. If there was such a button, guess I might get downvoted.
Some recent example: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/no-luck-on-my-first-attempt-at-acquiring-a-cesium-frequency-standard/
I was the only one among the crowd not seeing the crack in the PCB (and there was not).
 

Offline SL4PTopic starter

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #9 on: April 16, 2016, 11:03:45 pm »
... in the end after insisting a lot for the the topic starter doing a certain thing, in the end turned out I was right. If there was such a button, guess I might get downvoted....
Good point.
Don't ask a question if you aren't willing to listen to the answer.
 

Offline Earendil

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #10 on: April 16, 2016, 11:11:09 pm »
The forum already has the function to ignore certain people in case the truth hurts too much  :box:.

Yes. Use it wisely and often. The opinionated nitwits are surprisingly few once you shield yourself from them. They just seem to be many.
It's not just 'opinionated' nitwits, but otherwise genuine posters that have been playing with an Arduino for two weeks, and try to answer otherwise legitimate (and above their ability) questions.
They're welcome to ask and learn, but no need to announce your inexperience- and confuse the newbies.

Have you ever heard about the ant colony optimization algorithms?
This forums works so well because so many people contributes and you can find answers to a wide array of topics.
I believe your elitist approach wouldn't work in a free (non-commercial) forum because it would discourage people to contribute. That in turn would reduce the number of interesting topics. By reducing the number of topics the more experienced people would also contribute less since they themselves wouldn't find many new/interesting things here.
 
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Offline Muttley Snickers

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #11 on: April 16, 2016, 11:34:35 pm »
I cant see it being incorporated on the basis that particular members may be unjustly punished even though they had good intentions, some may go to extensive effort to obtain and submit what they thought was relevant information to the topic at hand only to realise at a later point that they had misinterpreted the OPs request or perhaps the OP made a request for assistance that was so far out west that it took a few replies to ascertain the correct direction.   

Once a post is quoted a good intentioned member could be made to look like a complete fool simply because the thread went off on another course which does happen occasionally, OPs not doing sufficient research or wording their submission correctly beforehand could be the underlying factor in this scenario and others could suffer because of it and some may take the negative feedback personally, I don't like it at all.
 
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Offline Smokey

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #12 on: April 16, 2016, 11:40:28 pm »
I feel the need to post this worthless reply in this thread.. Carry on...
 

Offline SL4PTopic starter

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #13 on: April 16, 2016, 11:44:56 pm »
I feel the need to post this worthless reply in this thread.. Carry on...
Maybe the last option of the poll... a ranking of the individual post... 0--5
I agree that with 'No thanks' - otherwise well-meaning posters could be 'punished' out of context - so that's worth recognising.
Don't ask a question if you aren't willing to listen to the answer.
 

Offline Brumby

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #14 on: April 16, 2016, 11:53:06 pm »
If there were guidelines on when a 'No thanks' could be cast that could be reliably followed (hopefully not enforced) then there may be a case for considering such a feature - however, that is pure fiction.

There is no safe way to introduce any process of negativity without the risk of it being corrupted.  There will always be those who will look at it - and use it - as a weapon and sometimes indiscriminately.

IMHO, the 'Thanks' button is as far as any rating mechanism should go.
 

Offline tautech

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #15 on: April 17, 2016, 12:25:14 am »
We've got the  :-- that can be useful to offer when a member that should know better posts some unhelpful BS and the also useful  :bullshit: to further describe the helpfulness of a post but above all now we can offer "thanks" it's fairly easy to identify the really useful posts in a thread and thereby assume that the others weren't very helpful.

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Offline Muttley Snickers

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #16 on: April 17, 2016, 12:34:46 am »
We've got the  :-- that can be useful to offer when a member that should know better posts some unhelpful BS and the also useful  :bullshit: to further describe the helpfulness of a post but above all now we can offer "thanks" it's fairly easy to identify the really useful posts in a thread and thereby assume that the others weren't very helpful.

My 2c

I agree, if somebody posts information that is incorrect or irrelevant in the eyes of others then an explanation as to why that information was wrong better informs others that may have been on the same chain of thought.




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Offline EEVblog

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #17 on: April 17, 2016, 02:43:15 am »
Dislike button was not added for a reason. Forum shall not become a yet another dislike trolling dump or a place where people are measuring their dicks like/dislike ratio.

Yep, I don't like the concept of a Dislike button or rating system. It's only ultimate result can be to degenerate the quality of the forum.
You can either thank a good post, or ignore a bad one and move on.
 

Offline EEVblog

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #18 on: April 17, 2016, 02:48:35 am »
Dave already said his reasons for not having a "no thanks" option. The "thanks" option has been used in the good spirit it was intended,  thus far. I don't have sufficient confidence in human nature to think a "no thanks" option would be equally well utilised. Let's not push our luck.

The Thanks option really has no ability to be misused. But a Dislike or No Thanks option is begging to be misused, and as is human nature, I'd bet my life it would be.
 
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Offline nidlaX

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #19 on: April 17, 2016, 03:13:04 am »
Dislike button were not added for a reason. Forum shall not become a yet another dislike trolling dump or a place where people are measuring their dicks like/dislike ratio.
Doesn't it add to the democracy?  Helping weaker punters identify trolls or time-wasters?
If each reader can only downvote once, there is no risk of becoming a troll dump, unless multiple readers think the post really is a troll/pos .... then it's justified.

I only raise this, as i often see newbies ask legitimate questions, but get completely invalid responses from posters that have no idea what they're writing about!
That doesn't work like that. There were a few treads where my opinion was completely opposite to what the wast majority was saying and after insisting a lot for the the topic starter doing a certain thing, in the end turned out I was right. If there was such a button, guess I might get downvoted.
Some recent example: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/metrology/no-luck-on-my-first-attempt-at-acquiring-a-cesium-frequency-standard/
I was the only one among the crowd not seeing the crack in the PCB (and there was not).
That thread was absolutely hilarious. Some people need their eyes checked!  :-DD

And one of the issue with likes + dislikes is that no justification needs to be provided for voting, so anyone can just click dislike based on any negative impression of the topic, facts based or otherwise. The same goes for liking posts, but it's a behavioral economics / psychology question as to whether people are more attracted to likes or more averse to dislikes.
« Last Edit: April 17, 2016, 03:15:31 am by nidlaX »
 

Offline miguelvp

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #20 on: April 17, 2016, 03:24:58 am »
Some people seem to contribute to a thread when they have no idea or experience
- just making it harder for the OP to extract meaningful answers.

The majority might not have clear understanding, therefore a dislike will be detrimental to the forum.

Leave it as is.
 

Offline DimitriP

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #21 on: April 17, 2016, 03:35:51 am »
Dave already said his reasons for not having a "no thanks" option. The "thanks" option has been used in the good spirit it was intended,  thus far. I don't have sufficient confidence in human nature to think a "no thanks" option would be equally well utilised. Let's not push our luck.

The Thanks option really has no ability to be misused. But a Dislike or No Thanks option is begging to be misused, and as is human nature, I'd bet my life it would be.

So I guess there is no chance of ever being able to edit other people's post to correct grammar, correct mispelling or reword the question so it's better undrstood or move the thread or ... ... or any other anal retentive features like that?  Good!
   If three 100  Ohm resistors are connected in parallel, and in series with a 200 Ohm resistor, how many resistors do you have? 
 

Offline zapta

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #22 on: April 17, 2016, 04:05:48 am »
Some people seem to contribute to a thread when they have no idea or experience
- just making it harder for the OP to extract meaningful answers.

Do you have a hard time identifying meaningful answers or do you worry about other people?
 

Online Ian.M

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #23 on: April 17, 2016, 04:11:22 am »
Ob.XKCD:
 
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Offline DimitriP

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Re: Ranking useless posts in a thread?
« Reply #24 on: April 17, 2016, 04:44:26 am »
ROFL  :-DD   :-+
   If three 100  Ohm resistors are connected in parallel, and in series with a 200 Ohm resistor, how many resistors do you have? 
 


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