The ATS Popularity Contest

reply to post by OtherSideOfTheCoin


Well, one thing I will say is that the really good threads do not get stars and flags as much *sometimes*. The good ones leave people thinking, and when they get done thinking they must respond. No time for stars and flags. Too much thinking and responding going on. That is my experience of why I myself do not always flag or star, I am simply not interested in that game. I do it sometimes, but only if I remember to. I am much more interested in concepts, so the stars and flags get left in the dust sometimes.

You are going to have to make a choice. A choice between truth and popularity. This choice seems present throughout our entire lives no matter how hard we try to break free of it.

The reason we try to break free of this choice is partially because the truth is: the truth should be more popular than the half-truth. It's just not like that, so we try to fight it. We have marginal success sometimes.

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
reply to post by gangdumstyle

 

Popularity is by no means a measure of quality content.

Ever try reading Twilight?

Case in point.

I never tried to read it, but judging by the few scenes I have seen from the movies while certain females I know watched it I feel comfortable passing judgment on it. To make matters worse - they loved it.


So what do you want otherside?

Truth or a Twilight of popularity?

reply to post by OtherSideOfTheCoin


While there could be a slight bit of what you describe actually going on, I think overall you might want to reconsider your perspective of what ATS is, and why people flag threads. It is not a popularity contest whatsoever, and that is a mere illusion that is easy to get around here, with all the stats and stars and flags flying around. I wouldn't get sucked into that trap at all, because we all have threads that seem to go nowhere.

I find that more often than not, people here respond most to the issues they want to see discussed. They know that a lot of flags, particularly, is going to give max exposure to those issues, regardless of who starts the thread, or really, how "good" that thread is- assuming at least that there is a reasonable source and the OP makes some kind of sense.

To assume that people at ATS dislike you to a degree that would stop them from flagging your threads is pretty much an insult, I think, to the board as a whole. Most of us are just not that superficial. If an issue is important to me and I want to see it get more exposure, I flag it, no matter who it is from. But I will also say that if the thread already has 150+ flags, or even 100+ sometimes, max exposure has been reached, and at that point I might not flag it. But that's just me.

In summary, to take the overall response of the board to any thread you start- personally- is a very misguided view. Tomorrow you might start one that goes bananas. In fact when you do one that does get considerable response, then come back to this thread and maybe look at your OP and see for yourself that it was probably more the topic issue and content, and had only 1% to do with how much people like or dislike you. And I'd say I was being generous with 1%.

There appears to be quite a lot of emphasise in the posts on this thread about what makes a popular thread, which is grate because I do appreciate the advice but its not really what I am trying to get at hear.

Perhaps a better way to sum up my thread would be to ask “what makes a popular member?”

Originally posted by OtherSideOfTheCoin
Perhaps a better way to sum up my thread would be to ask “what makes a popular member?”

reply to post by elevatedone


Thanks for that dude, I have been about here for well over a year, almost two but sometimes still feel like the newbie so I appreciate your response.

reply to post by NarrowGate

Originally posted by NarrowGate

You are going to have to make a choice. A choice between truth and popularity. This choice seems present throughout our entire lives no matter how hard we try to break free of it.

The reason we try to break free of this choice is partially because the truth is: the truth should be more popular than the half-truth. It's just not like that, so we try to fight it. We have marginal success sometimes.

Bravo! I want to save and quote this because not only does it hit home so hard but its also very profound and worded in a way that anyone can understand. Just excellent.. TY

reply to post by TrueAmerican

Originally posted by TrueAmerican
It is not a popularity contest whatsoever, and that is a mere illusion that is easy to get around here, with all the stats and stars and flags flying around.

TA, I enjoy your posts. Your a great member of this site but what your saying here just isn't true. I'm not trying to be offensive in the least but if we look at your 47 States Revolt post which is at the top of the front page right now... well, look at it.

Currently it has 208 flags and your OP has 207 stars.. 207 stars for 4 sentences.

You don't think that is favoritism being shown due to your popularity here? I couldn't imagine a better example..

Originally posted by 1/2 Nephilim
reply to post by TrueAmerican

 

Originally posted by TrueAmerican
It is not a popularity contest whatsoever, and that is a mere illusion that is easy to get around here, with all the stats and stars and flags flying around.

TA, I enjoy your posts. Your a great member of this site but what your saying here just isn't true. I'm not trying to be offensive in the least but if we look at your 47 States Revolt post which is at the top of the front page right now... well, look at it.

Currently it has 208 flags and your OP has 207 stars.. 207 stars for 4 sentences.

You don't think that is favoritism being shown due to your popularity here? I couldn't imagine a better example..

Thousands of people visit this website a day in a month prolly way more than the member list. they post flags and stars also and im quite sure they dont know the top posters. so imho your wrong

reply to post by GradientWell


I see what your saying but pretty much anyone who has posted on this site almost daily for a good month or so know who certain people are. They know Slayer, they know TrueAmerican and alot of people also don't seem to understand the difference between a flag and a star.

If you look for it, people who post (imho) correctly initially post they're topic and then reply with they're point of view. A very good percentage of the time the OP with nothing but links is starred more than the thread authors opinion post. I see this all the time.. Only facts and links in an OP and numerous people saying "S&F!" when they should just be saying flagged because thats how this system is intended to work.

(btw I love Squidbillies and can't read your avatar, whats it say?)

reply to post by GradientWell


Thousands of people visit this website a day in a month prolly way more than the member list. they post flags and stars also and im quite sure they dont know the top posters. so imho your wrong





People that are not members don't even see the Flag and Star system...


So imho, and in truth, you don't know what you are talking about, despite running thru this thread as if you did.


Learn your environment before spouting off...

Instant funny or doom gratification maybe? lol.

Same with Youtube videos about "funny cats" with 190,000,000 views and then you have "how to change your life with these meditation tips" 130 views.


Most of my threads are over hyped, but that's what I'm known for.

Click here for more information.

reply to post by GradientWell


So you have been here 4 days yet you've posted 7x on this subject? facelift is correct, ya really shouldn't be so opinionated about a topic you don't understand very well. However, I hate to say this but you'll fit right in behaving like that. You just said yourself you have no idea who these people are because your new to the site. Might want to cut back on the cursing, its frowned upon and will get you TOS violations.

Theres a thin line between decorum and honesty. facelift is just being honest with you.. As for your "alot of stars", you have more posts than stars so it doesn't look to me like your contributions thus far have merited much praise. (I'm still curious as to what your avatar says, might wanna resize it.)

reply to post by 1/2 Nephilim


i didnt curse i simply said the same thing he did he flagged it however as in bad flagged it

anyone can be opinionated on this subject thats why its posted up here i simply just comment and contribute to the side that i think is right on every subject. isnt that the point of this whole online forum thing. Post your ideas and beliefs and thoughts somewhere where others can view them and comment what gives you more right than me to be opinionated on this subject anywho i think you have both derailed this convo successfully and also complained of a comment that i had every right to make. there was no cursing i simply said the same thing the poster said to me.

reply to post by facelift


And by the looks of things your profile solidifies what the OP says. IMHO

Originally posted by 1/2 Nephilim
reply to post by TrueAmerican

 

Originally posted by TrueAmerican
It is not a popularity contest whatsoever, and that is a mere illusion that is easy to get around here, with all the stats and stars and flags flying around.

TA, I enjoy your posts. Your a great member of this site but what your saying here just isn't true. I'm not trying to be offensive in the least but if we look at your 47 States Revolt post which is at the top of the front page right now... well, look at it.

Currently it has 208 flags and your OP has 207 stars.. 207 stars for 4 sentences.

You don't think that is favoritism being shown due to your popularity here? I couldn't imagine a better example..

No, it is not my "popularity" here. I am not any more popular than you, or anyone else. I's tellin ya, there is no such thing. People here respond to stuff for all kinds of different reasons. And frankly, I was extremely suspicious about all those flags and stars for that thread, and particularly how fast they started to climb all of a sudden. And actually I have just uncovered through a little research some very suspicious activity on this site, and that is a subject I am about to take up with SO.

reply to post by TrueAmerican


Really? Perhaps after your discussion with the boss, you could make a thread outlining the outcome of that. Sounds like an interesting thread subject.

Originally posted by OtherSideOfTheCoin


Perhaps a better way to sum up my thread would be to ask “what makes a popular member?”

Lean to the right and spend a tremendous amount of time cultivating a following. It's a marketing standby.

Knowing how to "brand" yourself, is the way it's done in any social media, ATS included.

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