The more I think about it, the more I like it. I'm sure I'm not the first one to suggest this but seeing as how a post can get starred, why can't we get some kind of thumbs up/down system? Then on your side-mini-profile it could display how many of each you collected, so people would think twice about acting like an ASSHAT (sorry, my word of the day).

Anyway, great site and all that. Thanks for having me!

SkepticOverlord already said no to this in another thread.

I too would like to see ratty/disruptive posters get the recognition they deserve.... a big fat negative balance next to their posts.

But typically, if someone is being a blowhard or is taking a thread nowhere, their posts remain un-starred while everyone around them racks up multiple stars for ripping them apart. So in a way, bad posters DO get their come-up-ins around here, pretty often too.

That could easily be abused....

All you would need is a troll to bring in 20 fellow trolls and black mark anyone they want.... Your 'foe' however is unlikely to give you a star, but would not bat an eyelash giving you a thumbs down

I think ATS largely has the problem of rude posters in check. I see no need for OP's suggested change at the present.

Oh no, bad idea. I often get no stars or flags but alot of private u2u's to show support, so, I say thumbs down to the public flogging I would receive if we went with your idea... Like zorgon said, the trolls would have an evil hayday.

I think the best way to show your disapproval of a bad thread or idea is to not reply to it. If enough people just keep their fingers off the keyboard and not reply to bad threads the threads go away.

Course you can do this...

Exactly. Don't feed it. Simple as that.

I've already made my thoughts about not supporting a "negative star" or "thumbs down" feature known a couple of times. However I would support an improvement of the current star system.

Idea is simple -- stars cost points to place (not much, maybe a token 10-20 points). The points can simply disappear or you can transfer it to the recipient -- doesn't matter. The idea is so that the stars will be worth more to the person giving them so that it's not simply placed there for the purpose of tacitly saying "I agree".

Of course if the points can be transferred to the recipient, it may encourage people to post better quality material. After all, isn't that the whole purpose of the system, as outlined in this thread?

Hmm, I suppose you're all right. At first it didn't seem like something that could be abused, but I guess there'd be nothing to stop someone from digging out every single post you've ever made and thumbing ya down. I'd still like to reach through the innernets and SLAP people who feel their "contribution" to a thread is important enough to post without reading it.

Thanks for hearing me. Rant over.

reply to post by Beachcoma

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That's a great idea; I like the thought of being able to transfer points to someone.

Good idea but too many people will take advantage of it. I was reading a comment by the member MadnessInMySoul a while back. Apparently, the 'star system' used to be based on a 1-5 star rating. Instead of giving them 'a' star, you could rate their posts from 1-5.

Apparently, someone went around to all of his comments and purposely rated them 1 star.

Unfortunately, there are too many petty arses like that running around on here who would be giving all of their nemeses thumbs down just out of spite.

The reason we don't "star-down" or "flag-down" threads is simple, our goal is to focus on the positive, the quality, the worthy, the important, and the relevant.

If we had a system that enabled a means to remove stars and flags, or otherwise tallied negative scoring of some type, there would be the inevitable focus (of some members) to search out threads and posts that "deserve" the proverbial fickled finger of fate.

If you don't like a thread, don't respond.

Don't qualify a poor post by responding, even to say it's a poor post.


Focus on the good stuff, the rest will take care of itself.

How about focus on your own posts.

Do your best posting. Dont' worry too much about others'.

Try to do a 'good deed' here every day in some way.

Think about ways to promote others' posts and progress.

If someone writes something good, poetry, collab., help them get a Writer tag.

Catch a Mod doing something good and praise him. (They get little of that). Don't be obsequious, though.

Post a reply that enhances or tries to clarify someone's post rather than drag it down. Find a way to give some credence to alternative or speculative posts, using good science.

Gradually, ATS becomes better and better.

Just a thought.

reply to post by Badge01

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I'd say that those are the guidelines I try to follow to a T. I think I was more or less just blowing off steam from another thread I participated in today. I hope you realize the tongue-in-cheek nature of a statement like "reach through the innernets and slap the asshat".

One of the things I like most about this site is the way it's moderated, and that BS... Just doesn't fly here, amongst the community.

There's some threads here - some really long ones that I'd really like to participate in but I won't... Not until I've been able to read them all. I consider it disrespectful to the ones who started and the thread, and who have taken the time to do so before joining. I saw the most blatant disregard for that that I've ever noticed today, and all I could think of was how frustrating it must have been for the OP of that thread.

I do think, that even though you all convinced me that it's not a good idea, that this thread and every post I or anyone else made on it is part of helping ATS be an even better place.



[Edit - The dreaded, evil (and reptilian) grocer's apostrophe]

[edit on 3/11/2008 by Teratoma]

It really is as easy as that IMHO Without an audience the troll simply fades away. Those of you with children will know that its calssic toddler psychology. Don't reinforce the bad behavior.........

reply to post by FredT

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Well put. If only more people realized that. I try to be positive and constructive in everything I do and believe it or not, I was given applause by a staff member for the way I responded to something I probably should've ignored like you said. So I hope I'm not coming across as some kind of curmudgeon with a bludgeon. I'm Just an old fart with an opinion.

reply to post by AshleyD

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By the same token, the process of awarding stars can and is abused quite often, imo. I've seen glib OP threads which are starred with dozens of stars for no obvious reason. Stars are much too cheap the way they are currently awarded.

reply to post by jsobecky

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I agree somewhat but the thread wasn't about positive stars so I left it alone.

I think of the star system as analogous to the 1st Amendment. Except that the citizens are allowed to speak if they agree (give a star) but they are not allowed to dissent.

Then I remember that ATS is not a democracy and it all makes sense again.

reply to post by jsobecky

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oooh, a star for you, sir...lol. ***STAR***

It does lend itself to abuse, I've badly missed our WATS. Oh, well...

But the stars are much less abusive than any sort of thumbs up or thumbs down would be. The mind boggles at the abuse that sort of system would attract. Brr...


[edit on 12-3-2008 by seagull]

Beautiful. If people would take this advice in every day life.

I have a saying i live (and manage my teams) by:

"If one befriends another, yet lacks the mercy to correct him, one is in fact his enemy"



But you can't star a post in this forum, i guess....so no dice today, Badge!!!