They intend to have a different system for the new forums, however it isn’t a very high priority currently as the forums work as they are.

Posted By TR3LON1ST at

The up-/downvoting makes no sense and only gives voice to griefers and trolls.

This post will be my case and point. One of the following three things will happen to this thread:

(A) It will have a positive overall vote (B) It will have a negative overall vote (C) It will not have a single vote

All three cases show that this system adds nothing to the conversation. Cases (A) and (B) are completely anonymous and don't allow visitors to get any idea what the agreement or disagreement is actually about. Is it a friend supporting my post? Is it a troll hating on me personally? Is it someone who supports the overall idea or is only one point of my post supported by that person. No context, no value.

If case (C) should actually happen, no value will be added to the forum either.

Having an up-/downvoting system when actually voting on something is different. Of course you'll need something there. But why are we voting on people's opinions? This only feeds trolls and griefers who want to publicly degrade other people and their opinion.

Go ahead griefers - downvote away and make my point.

There have been several posts like this over the past year and a half maybe more, you are not the first person to request this and you will likely not be the last. I agree that it should be gotten rid of.

Up votes and down votes mean absolutely zippo to the person posting. If at some threshold of downvotes the poster got a soft ban for a few days then yeah I’d agree the system is bad. But as it stands SBS is able to mine some form of useful data from it as they’ve explained in posts like this before. So until there is a better system we have to live with what we have cause it works for their purposes.

simply leave the like/dislike feature in, but make it so that it is only visible to the devs

that way they can still get their data, and the threads don't become a battlefield for forum warrior groups

I think the system is fine.

If you’re continually getting down voted have you thought that maybe it’s you not the system?

For the record I down voted your post because I disagree with it and find your assertion that anyone down voting you is a griefer to indicate either a deep persecution complex or a desire to stifle any opposition.

Posted By VioletWinterlynn at 04:30 AM - Sun Feb 03 2019

They intend to have a different system for the new forums, however it isn’t a very high priority currently as the forums work as they are.

Honestly this is something that should have been worked on after the KS. These forums are messy at best. People come here first, they can't find shit. Like that kingdom spreadsheet Emery made, I tried to find it the other day. Was easier typing it into google over the search feature here.

The like/dislike is fine if you could see peoples tags next to it. Now it's just pointless. Makes people insanely paranoid as well. Calling others out they are getting trolled by whatever group.

I doubt any update will ever come. I get it's not high on their list, but they are only working on back end stuff now. When alpha 1+ drops, it be even lower. Now seems the perfect time to work on it.

I totally agree with the OP. The downvote/upvote system does nothing to add to the discussion, except bring out the disclaimer, "I know I'm going to be downvoted for this."

And the reason I threw up that meme, is you have people, who could doing something completely benign, but still get downvoted, just because they're not liked or whatever. So, I'm with the OP on this.

I tend not to downvote, but I upvote fairly frequently. I consider it a useful way to indicate either agreement or a post I consider well-put even if I don't agree with it. The alternative is a post that mainly adds to the clutter. The main problem I see with getting rid of downvoting is that doing so gets rid of upvoting as well, by default.

Downvoted

If a negative or positive number beside your post has the power to alter your mood, maybe you shouldn't be on the forums? Own your posts and accept the fact that not everyone will like it, just like not everyone will hate it.

The fact of the matter is only those people with strong opinions in either direction will be the ones to like or dislike your post. The vast majority of people just don't give a shit about what you're saying (sorry) so I don't know why people are getting so worked up about this.

If you like your post you don't care what other peoples' opinions are. If you're insecure about yourself and your posts then their opinions matter a ton.

Have you ever read the stories about the wooden puppet people who put stars on people for their accomplishments and dots on them for their failures. The story basically revolves around a guy who is always getting grey dots put on him for his clumsiness, chips in his paint and failures. Then he comes across a lady-doll with no dots or stars. He sees that when people try to put stars on her they just won't stick. So then they try to put dots on her and they don't stick either.

The male doll asks the female why. In the end, she points him toward the doll maker. In the end, he finds out that if he doesn't care about the opinions of others then neither the dots nor the stars will stick to him.

I think people can learn something from this. Other peoples' opinions really shouldn't matter to you. If you believe in yourself and what you have to say then what does it matter if people like or dislike your post?

You can't please everyone in this world and trying to will only make you miserable. All you can do is believe in yourself and that what you have to say is truly worth expressing. Once you do that you're invincible.

Judging will always exist in this world. Whether you allow it to affect you or not is up to you.

Posted By chipla at 11:19 PM - Sat Feb 02 2019

I think the system is fine.

If you’re continually getting down voted have you thought that maybe it’s you not the system?

(...).

There is no wrong opinion in a forum - it exists to share opinions and to give feedback on them. And a downvote does not substitute written feedback - it doesn't even enhance feedback, because you cannot tell whether the people answering you are also the people voting on your post.

Anonymous feedback favors griefers. A lot of people don't care what happens, if the consequence is not connected to them personally.

You jumped to the conclusion that if my posts are being downvoted, then there could be something wrong with me. Thank you for making my point. You would judge me based on downvotes.

Posted By Hyde at 05:55 AM - Sun Feb 03 2019

(...)

I think people can learn something from this. Other peoples' opinions really shouldn't matter to you. If you believe in yourself and what you have to say then what does it matter if people like or dislike your post?

(...).**

You understand that most people here are interested in sharing opinions, getting feedback on them and changing opinions - the core principles of a forum. Not presenting opinions, expecting everyone else to follow them.

Of course I am interested in feedback - of course I would prefer if people shared my opinion. The person that doesn't care about other peoples' opinions is isolated and only connects to people if they happen to agree - that's not who I want to be.

And yes, getting positive feedback is prefered over negative feedback. I don't think that makes me some kind of emotional snowflake. It makes me human.

All in all I don't understand why people actually argue for the system. They gain so little from keeping the system while others would benefit so much from a removal.

Posted By HuldricFranconian at 01:35 AM - Sun Feb 03 2019

I totally agree with the OP. The downvote/upvote system does nothing to add to the discussion, except bring out the disclaimer, "I know I'm going to be downvoted for this."

And the reason I threw up that meme, is you have people, who could doing something completely benign, but still get downvoted, just because they're not liked or whatever. So, I'm with the OP on this.

I downvoted you as your meme was picking a rare wild flower, what a hooligan.

Go into a room full of strangers with an opinion and leave with nothing but controversy -

Upvoting and downvoting are powerful tools in the hand of strangers and only the most self reflected person can handle the outcome and not be influenced by it in some way or another.

In a perfect forum, there are discussions or reports.

• a discussion is held in a polite manner
• there is no room for personal attacks
• each opinion has to be based on a source (I like (...) because it creates a fun/challenging etc. feeling)

• without a source, there can be no discussion

  ---

• a report allows others to add to the report

• additions are facts and not opinions
• facts can vary from the original report

This would allow any developer the most clear feedback and helps tremedously in gathering good information.

What forums mostly are:

Places to bash other people for their opinion.

This is not only sad, it also reflects upon issues which should be worked on (like being angry at something and venting in another place or at another person).

How to change it:

Remind each member, that the forums are a place of humble exchange and politeness. Be strict on people, forgiving, but strict.

Posted By TR3LON1ST at 06:54 AM - Sun Feb 03 2019

There is no wrong opinion in a forum

There are very much wrong opinions on a forum. "Women belong in the kitchen," "vaccines kill children" pretty sure the majority of us can agree those opinions are wrong and the people who express them deserve our scorn.

There are also countless opinions that may cause disagreement. "Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor, and the contrary opinion is wishful thinking at its worst. Breeds that forget this basic truth have always paid for it with their lives and their freedoms." is a statement we could debate here for a year or more.

The like/dislike system is a very visual indicator - and probably a useful one for the development team - that shows whether or not the majority of those who voted agree or disagree with a statement.

You jumped to the conclusion that if my posts are being downvoted, then there could be something wrong with me. Thank you for making my point. You would judge me based on downvotes.

Personally, I'm judging you based on the fact you sound like an SJW crying for his safe space.

If your posts are consistently downvoted there is something wrong with you, or with the way you express your opinions. That's how consensus works, the values of the majority are normalised, the values of the minority are abnormalised. These values change over time - 50 years ago that statement about women I mentioned as a wrong opinion would have been a normal valid opinion.

If people downvoting your posts has such an effect on your self-worth, either you don't have the courage of your own convictions, or you have some form of a self-image problem.