Is posting Participating enough?

I was wondering if I was the only one who felt this way, but if you read a good thread, and decide to post, do you think that the thread poster should get a star and flag? Especially if it was good enough for you to want to participate, in which, you can also receive flags from others?

I always try to give a star and flag to a good thread, even if I don't post on it, and then sometimes I forget, and go back later and do it, and of course stars to those who have great input to the conversation, or one that makes me laugh .

So I was wondering ATS, how do you feel about it?

reply to post by NoRegretsEver


I'm an avid poster, and I'll flag and star mostly anything I come across, not because of the OP itself in most cases, but the conversation that occurs because of it.

If the OP is able to write a post that makes for a wonderfully informative, and civil debate they deserve a star and a flag from me.

~Keeper

I'll flag or star anyone who moves me....even when I don't agree, if it is well done, and especially if it changes my mind about something.
Small price to pay.


PS I especially admire people who are grammatically correct and can spell without edits...


[edit on 21-7-2010 by Danbones]

[edit on 21-7-2010 by Danbones]

reply to post by NoRegretsEver


I star posts which are ..... exactly what i was just about to post (as this person is obliviously a genius and deserving of my nod of approval )

I star a post ....... when the poster adds some additional info i.e maps ,articles ,videos, source papers or documents.

I star ....... witty posts . (ATS has some fantastic bright minds and a share of not so bright minds who play the role of foil. )

If reading a back and forth between two posters engaged in debate of some hotly contested issue, which i myself do not hold a firm position on -
I often star each poster ....." Ahhhh good question !" followed by "Nice response .... "


I flag treads which i think other members would enjoy . Like a foraging ant who has stumbled upon food and whose flagging pheromone, draws in the more ants .

===============================================

To answer your question :
" Is posting Participating enough ? "

I hope so .

It`s all i do .

reply to post by Danbones


I do the same but I think spelling and gramma are not important.
Its the content I look at..

Ya now wats I's meen??

Its all too easy to end up only starring stuff I like, so I make a concerted effort to star for quality. Even if I disagree. If someone takes the time to build an argument, and support it, they deserve a star from me. Although I also star sometimes for just flat out funny.

i star and flag, impulsively, based on whether i agree with the poster's stance, assuming there are sides. if there are not, i star and flag based on how interesting the information is (relevant to ats ... which these days, actually includes almost every topic imaginable). if it's a link to news or an article posted elsewhere, i often think about whether anyone else would have come across this info or how much the poster added to frame the presentation in a way in which people would be interested in discussing it.

however, like previous posters, if i disagree with the original poster or have an issue with their post, i will still flag/star if they have taken lengths to create a dialogue, monitor the thread to maintain constructive communication or continue adding information.

i confess that if i like a thread, there's little distinction to me between starring it and flagging it. obviously, i want it to be featured, so i will flag it (and perhaps please the op if they covet stars and flags). and i will star it if it appears the op did even the slightest work to create the thread.

and i flag threads that are silly to me if it's clear the op worked on it. i have spent some real time on a thread or two and know that some threads have hours of work behind them, even if it turns out no one seems to appreciate them ... so i try to acknowledge that.

i star posts, generally, if they said something i would have said or something i wish i had said. i rarely star posts i disagree with or that are stupid and/or ignorant. every once in a while, though, someone with whom i disagree will post something that is pretty thoughtful or highly constructive in which case i am compelled to star.

Hitting the star button is like shining a small light on the content of the post. The more lights, the more people will read it.

Stars and flags aren't just there for signalling a thread or post...they encourage that member to keep trying hard. They also set a level of quality for others to aim for and probably generate more replies.

It's just my perception, but threads that are devoid of stars seem dull. The threads that are full of stars show positive member enthusiasm and make sure each reply is noticed.

Like others, I star and flag frequently and for any number of reasons.

Participation *ideally* is read threads and reply. Write threads and respond. Star for any reason. Flag for effort, quality and enthusiasm....or sympathy.