I hate the thumbs, bigtime.
I bagged my first thumbs-down this morning. I realize the inherent risks in identifying the thumbs-downer, but I’d also like to know if they downed it because they think I’m wrong–actually, that would be good news. But I guess I’ll never know … 
There is for sure a curiosity associated with getting a thumbs down. I have one so far and I read the post that I got it for and was not sure at all what it was for. Then I decided it did not matter. Certainly not something I will lose sleep over.
I just don’t need to see a zillion notifications anytime I log on. I stopped even clicking. Which i assume means I will miss real notifications (like for PMs).
[QUOTE=Simkie;6638747]
Thanks for the thumbs down, guys! :lol:
If we have to have thumbs up or down, I would think it would be a hell of a lot better if we can see WHO is liking/not liking the posts. I would be more inclined to read or not read a post depending on who thought it useful or not useful. A seasoned, well known and well respected poster weighing in? Okay, might be interesting. Some of the equally well known but NOT well respected users? Might be a good reason to skip the whole thing.[/QUOTE]
I´m a member of a Retriever forum in Germany and there we have this thumbs up thing (ok you can likea post). And the interesting thing is that in that forum you can see who likes your post. In many ways this is useful as it keeps people to repeat things over and over again. Also it shows which posts are really appreciated.
The funny thing is that because of the likeicon you can tell who is associated with who… Really if you spend some time evaluating the Liking Habits of people you can tell who is follower of who…
I don´t know if this bad or useful or something else, but it gives more transparency to the board. But of course in that forum many people know each other by real. So probably that is a different situation…
And by the way, our profile shows how many likes we got for how many posts…
Sample: Manni01 679 likes in 3400 posts
But I´m not sure whether these statistics really show whether you are a valuable member of the forum:):)
Take a look at the McLain Ward article thread in H/J. LOTS of thumbs downing going on over there. Is it accomplishing anything? Certainly doesn’t seem to be.
I can live with thumbs up if people like it. I still feel like thumbs down is childish, cowardly, and inappropriate.
[QUOTE=AmmyByNature;6651428]
I can live with thumbs up if people like it. I still feel like thumbs down is childish, cowardly, and inappropriate.[/QUOTE]
I said as much. Which probably generated half the negs!
I don’t like the option either, I think it’s childish. I would like it better if it said the person’s name like “poster X dislikes your comment”. I also think people would be using it in a smarter way if they had to assume their opinions each time they clicked on it.
On the other hand, I kind of like the idea that if someone gets 30 thumbs down for 1 post, they’ll realize they’ve probably said something pretty stupid/unethical/offensive…
I think being so upset about a thumbs down is very childish. Far more childish than the thumbs down itself is.
It gives people the ability to disagree with out having to post a long speech. Same as the thumbs up give people the ability to agree with out posting a long speech.
Shrug.
To me it is one of those options that if you do not like it, ignore it.
[QUOTE=trubandloki;6651669]
It gives people the ability to disagree with out having to post a long speech. Same as the thumbs up give people the ability to agree with out posting a long speech.[/QUOTE]
And I contend that people who want to make a big long speech are going to do it anyway. A “thumbs up” isn’t going to satisfy them.
I’ll ignore it – or I would if I didn’t get a big bold blue NOTIFICATIONS alert at the top of the page.
If CoTH lets me turn it off on my posts I’ll shut up. But until then I’m going to keep voicing my opinion that I do not like it. (Or, in the common tongue, “thumbs DOWN.”)
Why is it anonymous? I’ve seen it on other forums but you have to “own up” to your ratings because your name is listed there for all to see whether you “like” or “dislike” a post.
One forum I’m a member of has just thumbs up and I like it. It’s kind of neat to have people give you a thumbs up. It’s not anonymous, though.
Another forum has thumbs up and thumbs down, not anonymous. It’s okay… but there are people who abuse the system and just go and give thumbs down to EVERY single post by certain members just because they don’t like what they have to say in ONE thread.
[QUOTE=trubandloki;6651669]
I think being so upset about a thumbs down is very childish. Far more childish than the thumbs down itself is.
It gives people the ability to disagree with out having to post a long speech. Same as the thumbs up give people the ability to agree with out posting a long speech.
Shrug.
To me it is one of those options that if you do not like it, ignore it.[/QUOTE]
It’s not so much getting either of the thumbs that bothers me (though it seems contrary to the purpose of a DISCUSSION board to have an opinion but refuse to engage in DISCUSSION) but the darn notifications. I don’t want to have to click on something and parse through meaningless good/bad ratings to find out if I have a PM. It’s annoying.
[QUOTE=vxf111;6651858]
I don’t want to have to click on something and parse through meaningless good/bad ratings to find out if I have a PM. It’s annoying.[/QUOTE]
You make it sound like they are one long list and you have to find your PMs amongst the ratings. Being a little dramatic are you?
Go to Settings on the blue bar at the top of any page.
Look to the left.
Click Inbox
Voila, all your PMs
Also, you can set it so you get a pop up and/or email notification when someone PMs you. No need to add to the fainting and hand-wringing.
[QUOTE=trubandloki;6653020]
You make it sound like they are one long list and you have to find your PMs amongst the ratings. Being a little dramatic are you?[/QUOTE]
They don’t go away (at least for me). It is a big long list! And nonsensical too, because it’s just a number and then “good” or “bad.” I don’t know which thread (because the numbers aren’t meaningful to me) unless I click.
And saje, I realize how to get to my inbox. That’s not my point. When I see I have a “notification” I have no way of knowing if that’s for a PM, which I do want to read or for stupid thimbing which I don’t want to see. I can’t determine that until I click the notifications. It’s a waste of time for me. And it doesn’t clear until you do so.
I think y’all are being a little dramatic (and is namecalling necessary?) I have neither fainted nor wrung a hand. But I am expressing my opinion-- I hate the thumbs feature and find the notifications highly annoying
When you access the notification and see the list the notification goes away. You do not need to check out each good and bad for there to no longer be a notification at the top of the page. In other words, it is easy. Click notification and poof any confusion if you have a PM or a thumbs up/down rating is taken care of and you move on.
I just want to turn the notification off so I don’t have to click unecessarily. That’s all I’m saying. I don’t need to see a notification that takes me to a screen with a big useless list of numbers. I only want to see a notification if I have a PM, because I don’t care about the thumbs and don’t need to be told every 5 seconds when someone anonymously agrees or doesn’t agree with something.
[QUOTE=Moderator 1;6638762]
We’ve debated the thumbs down option as well, for many of the reasons already discussed on this thread, so we decided to institute it as a trial. We can easily remove it, so let’s see how people use it and like or dislike it, and we’ll be happy to reevaluate its inclusion later.
Feel free to continue discussing it here.
Thanks!
Mod 1[/QUOTE]
And FWIW, the above is why I continue to discuss it. The mods ASKED us to try the feature and report back about how we like/don’t like it. Which is exactly what I am doing.
I’m with vxf111 in this argument. The notifications are annoying, and while they do sort of “go away” once you click and see them, when you get another, they are all there again on the list…so the list just keeps growing. And since e-mail notification for PMs and subscribed threads are not currently working, I don’t know yet if all these notifications will eventually generate e-mails as well. If so, that will double the annoyance!
I don’t like the thumbs, but if they remain, I would want a way to opt out of the notifications for them. That seems simple and I don’t see the argument on the other side (“no, you MUST be notified! Because…”??).
I mean really, look at all the arguments and complaints started just over the thumbs so far on other threads? Most notably in the few OT threads I’ve hazarded to read. Do we really need that?
I seem to be the biggest “thumb hater” and now I’ve being accused of giving people red thumbs. Which makes me… hate the thumbs even more. If people wanna neg, they should have the spine to do it with their screen name. I don’t want to be accused of neging people I disagree with. That’s contrary to what I think the whole purpose of this board is to do (engage in discussion).
Who knew I’d have such strong feelings about a pretend internet digit. LOL.
