Way to vote down threads?

It'd be nice if there was some way to bury stories like on digg or reddit. There are a decent number of lame stories that I'd like to vote down.

"You Tube Video of Girl Talking about her UFO Sighting And What She Later Found On Her Cam." (9 pages of post, the girl is obviously lying...)

Why must we discuss for NINE pages a video of some lying teenage girl on youtube ? Is there nothing more pressing to talk about ? I admit I posted in that thread as well BUT only because the thread had gotten so much attention (I figured something must be worth looking at - I was wrong).

This and other threads become magnets for useless post (my opinion). Having these threads in the lime light only detracts from other serious conversation.

There are many threads like this that I believe other members would also like to 'vote down'.

I know this isn't very easy to implement and has many downfalls but I think the situation is so critical it's worth bringing up.

My theory on bad threads is to ignore them and they'll go away. Well almost no one else seems to share that same idea because completely useless threads continue to get post after post. The most post they get, the more attention they attract. It's a very bad cycle.

[edit on 28-11-2007 by discomfit]

Hear here


however, ppl on the internet get butt-hurt too easily.

reply to post by discomfit

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Hmm. You know, though, there are nine pages of interest on that thread. Someone is interested in it, just not you. I'd like to bury sleeper's thread myself, but I reluctantly recognize it's popular, so I just ignore it. It will bury itself sooner or later, especially if no one posts in it to say how bad a thread it is, thus ensuring its continued presence.

I'll call it the problem of popularity. Even something bad can attain popular status if it gets enough momentum. The fire that fuels these types of threads is ONLY the fact that they show up in the Recent Post list.

Anything in the upper 1/2 of "recent post" will get more attention than other threads regardless of the quality of their content.

This phenomena can be seen on any social networking site. Once a link/thread passes the invisible threshold it becomes popular not because it's good but merely because of its exposure.

The thread in question is now at 11 pages long with 210 replies and 9,231 views.

a better solution would be to allow for negative star ratings.

I agree. Usually those 9 pages come from the thread starter repeatedly coming back and making more insane or ridiculous claims just to keep the thread going.

I would like to see a similar system. But either way, this is still a good board.

i agree with you all the way. this is one of the best posts ive seen in a long time. i hope you get more credit for this. i would give you a star but they wont let me. i posted a comment before i saw this to that same effect on a diffrent thread.

i dont expect you to agree with all of my post but id like you to read what i said about the star thing.

www.abovetopsecret.com...
its close to the bottom of this page by dale gribble of course.

Unfortunately, i sense it would become possible for members to vote down particular threads in order to hide responses they don't particularly want to see.

Kinda like hiding your shame, if you can't bear it.

Anyway, i don't really think the situation is critical at all - only that certain members have a certain agenda on showing other people up for one reason or another.

The Majority often misses the truth.

So says the Majority?

That would be a shame.

Hey I don't like "WE" TV, know what I do?

I change the channel and don't watch it...

But lots of people do and they seem to enjoy it, no matter that I can't figure out why....

Freedom of speech...

Having a system of voting something down is opening a door for abuse... Popularity contest and all that...

Just my opinion of course...

Semper

There is a really easy solution to this as someone already mentioned: Simply ignore the thread in question.

The negative star rating system is not a good idea IMHO. As also mentioned above, post quality and rational debate could and would (esp in hot button issues) take a back seat to peoples ideological / political / religious agenda and negative stars would be issued not for the post but for the content its discussing

that's weird, why are there no stars in this thread? oh well. I just think that the current star system is very misleading, especially to someone that isn't familiar with ATS.

I mean, you hop onto a thread where the OP has maximum stars, +58 or something - and that is only showing the number of people that agree, not an overall consensus. This is misleading, because it implies that a certain point of view has overwhelming support, when it could be the very opposite.

Plus, negative star ratings provide a needed balance - it will show some posters that their feedback is being ill-received and unappreciated, without the personal insults and comments. Instead of a quick sarcastic jab at someone, they will notice they have a rating of -10 stars for something they said, and humility should take it's own course.

[edit on 28-11-2007 by scientist]

If you ignore it, they will not come. And if they do, it won't bother you because you ignore it.---the oracle has spoken.

Seriously, I just don't read or post to those threads I find to be without merit. Who cares how popular they are? Paris Hilton was popular, do you really care?

It all evens out in the end. I would rather start, or respond to, an intelligent thread that makes two pages than act stupid and be a part of a hundred pages.

Intelligence is always seen and noted, even by those that don't posses that particular trait.

[edit on 28-11-2007 by NGC2736]

Doesn't do much good when no one else is ignoring with you.

These threads will continue to pop up in the recent post which in turns draws more post, which pushes it back to the top of the recent post list.

I often have to take breaks from ATS cause I get tired of the "OMG aliens took my cat but I didn't see it but I know it's true" threads getting tons of play while much better threads (not mine) get ignored and vanish into never never land.


EDIT : This isn't about difference of opinion. If someone has an opinion different than mine and they express it reasonably they got my vote. This is about "trash" threads that draw in the flies.

EDIT AGAIN : There probably is no "good way" to do this but I feel strongly that something should be done. Hopefully someone will eventually develop some type of feature that can satisfy everyone as simply ignoring these threads is not working and never has on any forum I've been a member of.

[edit on 28-11-2007 by discomfit]

I agree with the whole "downvote" concept greatly, and I'd give OP the highest kudo I possibly could for this great post but, unfortunately, this post and a flag is the best I can do. It's inadequate to merely ignore bad threads because these threads hurt ATS' image and sucker people who don't know any better into believing falsehoods. Lots of people will still support a thread even if the brighter members of the forum ignore it. Downvoting is the best way that we can clean our own house.

[edit on 28-11-2007 by Jim_Kraken]

I wonder if a negative star system might not have the effect of doing exactly the opposite of it's intended purpose.

A lot of positive stars make you think: "Hey...there must be something good here, let's take a look."

A lot of negative stars might make you think: "Holy crap...what kind of train wreck is this? I've just gotta take a peek."

It's too bad that there's not a way to just click an "ignore" button for an entire thread (as opposed to ignoring just a specific member) and thereby remove the thread from the recent posts list as seen by you. Sort of along the lines of the old usenet "kill filter".

I agree with the above person.

As I've said several times I fully realize there is no good/perfect way to do this. Reddit has a 'hide' button under their stories - I don't think it effects how the story is displayed for anyone else, just me.

If ATS had that feature (or something like it) that'd be great.

That way I can hide the threads I don't like while not impacting anyone elses experience here at the forum.

So far every 'voting' system I've seen in forums/social networking sites has flaws - a simple 'hide' feature would be perfect(?).

the ignore button is a good thing. i personaly have never used it and dont ever plan to. many people have and will contuine to say things i dont agree with. just as i have done the same for others. but im still willing to read what they have to say.

however i do believe if would provide a balance to the subjects talked about here. its just some threads(and im guilty of it to im sure) have no real substance. im not gonna give examples because i dont want to offend or single out anyone or group of people.

maybe its just more that alot of threads end up in the wrong place or just simply have no meaning whatssoever.

i dont believe a star should be removed when given but there should be a system along with it that shows the other side. like say a where the post stars are put a system right under it that doesnt effect the points awarded for the post.....

yes, of course there are problems either way, because then there could be star nazis, that just remove stars, but at the same time the exact opposite is happening, with nothing whatsoever to counter that.

I mean, how can you possibly deny that a thread with 20+ stars implies that a consensus has been reached? In the same regard, a negative consensus could be implied, but at least two sides have a say, and this is all done in a non aggressive manner.

It could improve courtesy along with the needed balance. There are better solutions, but this would also be the easiest to implement (I assume) in contrast to other methods. Plus, the limit could be set at 0, or even -1 so that it cannot be abused as easily.

[edit on 28-11-2007 by scientist]

besides, ignorance is mob mentality. denying ignorance requires that viewpoints you or i may deem ridiculous, continue to be allowed to be read and seen. correctness is not based on common agreement/disagreement.