Ratings System Suggestion

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
I too am of the mind that the system we have already in place provides sufficeint guidance. I recently posted something inappropriate that I didn't realize was so until a mod pointed it out to me. When it was pointed out, I instantly saw my error and thanked the mod for removing it.

I know that my desire to help others, and to enjoy the comraderie of a great bunch of people is far more of an incentive to me than would be fear of getting bad ratings.

This is the best site I've ever participated in with over ten years of using the internet. It's unique and valuable. And I consider each person here my freind and hope to be the same to all of you.

Freindships, and relationships are delicate things. Most of us here have enough life experience to recognize truly thoughtful people, even in cyberspace, and to let the occasional troublemaker spout off for a short time without getting our feelins quickly bent out of shape. I have seen too many worthy and good people leave sites because of mean-spirited people. Thankfully, I haven't seen a sour personality here, and hope I never do.

I echo the observation that the mods here are top-notch and do a wonderful job. If I could have any regret about DC, it's that I can't physically be around everyone here. I can't cook up a cheesecake and share it with you, or sample some great food, made by someone from Italy, or scottland, or... you get the idea.

Mish; you are one of those personalities I value, and I completely understand what you are trying to achieve. I certainly admit that what you say has merit. I only believe that the DC members have shown themselves to be adult, mature, and truly caring.

And Mudbug, I hope that whatever has you in a stew will soon pass by, allowing you to be your happy self again.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North.
 
I, too, have not been around for a great length of time. I note many new people become members every day. I also note that many people here seem to have established friendships with other posters. That's fine, especially given that many of you have more than likely been here since it's inception.

For the record, I tone my'self' down quite a bit here. I don't do it for just anyone, but I like discussing food, and I am willing to play by the rules. Having said that, I don't know that I would appreciate having something I took the time to compose and share judged if it was 'worthwhile' or not by people who don't really know me. I believe a private word from a moderator is more appropriate than other general users suggesting someone's thoughts are not worthwhile. I think the stars rating already in place is more than efficient in making others know when a post or thread is enjoyable. Pointing out that a thread isn't up to someone's standards would only cause strife, I believe.

Moderation is fine, to a point. When it's used to keep the mood calm, great. But simply to decide if something is pointless or not, well, that seems capricious. Sometimes, people just want to say what's on their minds to a group of people they already have something in common with.
 
I, another relative newcomer, agree with Goodweed and VeraBlue. Positivity is great, I love the Karma system, and of course mods do a superb job here of keeping us all well behaved, but what is a pointless post to a mod, or a professional chef, might not be to someone else. I understand the need to search before starting threads....I am getting quite good at that, and find almost all my little queries can be solved like that, but while I know that some people get understandably upset about things going o/t I think that tells me something deeper about the food itself...the associations it has for people and how that relates to the food I prepare. Food is not just about the ingrediants but about the method and the mindset of the cook, and its that that makes it so wonderful to explore.

I would feel uncomfortable being judged on my posts, and uncomfortable judging others. When you judge some one's post, or someones food you are judging them.

I think the mods do a great job now, and I think we all do well to communicate so well, in the main, so my opinion would be to leave well enough alone, or encorage more positive appreciation.....like making more of an effort to give karma where we think its due....perhaps making it so we could give more karma daily and with fewer restrictions as to how its given would be a more positive approach should it be decided something HAS to be done?
 
VeraBlue said:
For the record, I tone my'self' down quite a bit here.

LOL!

VB,
You have no idea how much I keep it down around here!! :ROFLMAO: Mostly for the same reasons!

(I grew up in and around ice hockey rinks and locker rooms, went to college in downtown Detroit, and have worked in the auto industry since - It's fair to say I have a vocabulary that could peel the paint off the walls of a dealership, not to mention the cars in the showroom)

John
 
VeraBlue said
Moderation is fine, to a point. When it's used to keep the mood calm, great. But simply to decide if something is pointless or not, well, that seems capricious. Sometimes, people just want to say what's on their minds to a group of people they already have something in common with.

Well said.
 
It's clear we are expected to "behave" on this site. That makes it a pleasant place to be. We all have aspects of our personalities we don't show here. It's a trade off you're willing to make.

I agree with those that feel no need for another rating system. While it may have some potential benefits, it also has some potential drawbacks. I believe it would encourage flaming to develop and the administrative staff already does enough policing.
 
ronjohn55 said:
LOL!

VB,
You have no idea how much I keep it down around here!! :ROFLMAO: Mostly for the same reasons!

(I grew up in and around ice hockey rinks and locker rooms, went to college in downtown Detroit, and have worked in the auto industry since - It's fair to say I have a vocabulary that could peel the paint off the walls of a dealership, not to mention the cars in the showroom)

John

I can make a sailor blush. :censored: hehehe
 
I was a sailor for ten years and worked with many kinds of people, mostly men. I have heard everything, or just about everything there is to hear. I had one co-worker, a woman, actively try to get me to swear (curse) as she knew I choose not to. I gave that up about thirty years ago. It just didn't work with either my religeous beliefs or my nature (though before that I used the same language as any other sailor). I started swearing and using coarse language in about the 6th grade. Learned some pretty nasty stuff at a Catholic school my mother sent me to. True story!:ROFLMAO:

But sadly, my innocence was lost a very long time ago and I am insensitive to the things that cause most to blush. I liked it better when I didn't know as much about the world and people as I do now. Of coarse, that knowledge allows me to create very evil bad-guys for my fantasy novels. Everything is truly a two-edged sword.

And as for toning anything back, I don't. What you read is who I am, flaws and all. I don't have the knack of being someone that isn't truly me. And during some periods of my life, I found myself admiring people who could do wrong things, as my conscience kept me from doing them. And those who did some of those things seemed to have so much more control over their lives than did I. In time though, I learned that violence, arrogance, and crudity never really helped anyone. And the respect I've received for sticking to my values is worth every effort expended.

And yet, I still make regular mistakes, and have to pick myself up, dust myself off, and try to learn from them. I understand the purpose of life, and mortality, and challenges. And I understand the sanctuary this site provides for some truly worthwhile people. Some of you are far better than I am at some things, while I am better at others. That's just the way it is.

I only ask that all of you, don't change. Be who you are, on this site, and with all of your freinds, family, and the people you deal with. There is nothing more important than personal integrity and honest, except the love of you family.

I know, I know. I'm on the soap-box again. I just can't help it. I'm a peacemaker by nature, and when I witness the comraderie on this site, I can't help but be impressed. If we could only affect a similar change throughout the world, and in all people, that would be something spectacular. I wish it were possible.

If we treat all people as well as we treat each other here, with respect and dignity, then we are making the world just a bit better place to live in.

Oh, and just for the record, I haven't been a real he-man-woman-hater since I was a small boy and all girls had cooties.:LOL: It didn't take too many years for me to start admiring and even desiring a close freind who was definitely female. Wh the power of young women over young men.:rolleyes:

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
 
Goodweed, I agree with your thoughts in theory...but in life, and on some discussion boards, it's appropriate to show a little restraint from time to time. I don't think that means, necessarily, that you are not being true to yourself. Rather I think it simply means that you can assess a situation and decide just what to deliver in response.
 
I agree Vera. You can be true to yourself while editing what you say at the same time. For instance, you would not say the same things to a 6 year old as you would to a 36 year old. That does not mean that you are not being yourself of course.
 
Its important to refrain from mentioning something here that might offend someone. I guess we all find ourselves reining ourselves in from time to time! For what its worth I think most people get the balance right. Its wonderful when there is enough personality in posts to get to "know" the poster, especially on such a huge site as this. It can be a bit bland otherwise. Obviously, you find DC because of food, but I find I stay not just for the great food info but for the people too.
 
VeraBlue said:
Goodweed, I agree with your thoughts in theory...but in life, and on some discussion boards, it's appropriate to show a little restraint from time to time. I don't think that means, necessarily, that you are not being true to yourself. Rather I think it simply means that you can assess a situation and decide just what to deliver in response.

VB, you are respected so much on this site because of your restraint, your curtesy toward others, and that same desire I speak of to be a positive influence. I'm just saying that we ought to do the same in most situations in life. And of course I understand that there are times when it is better to be direct, and sometimes even harsh. These are tools to aid us in protecting ourselves from others who are less inclined to be good people, but those tools should never be used to manipulate others, or to "get our way". And to be sure, no one on this site is guilty of that, at least not on this site.:)

I know that my way isn't the only way, and that what works for me doesn't always work for others. I also know that this world is a very rough and dangerous place because some people believe their own needs and desires have more merit than other people's needs and desires. I just happen to agree with The Golden Rule, and try to exercise it in my life.

As for the differences in all of us, I agree that it is those very differences that make this place interesting and worthwhile. It is the the different talents, experiences, and personalities that we bring to the site that enriches us all.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
 
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