Ratings System Suggestion

[mish]

Karma was a great idea, as it showed members' appreciation for one another. To take it a step further, I would like to see a Ratings System, i.e. from one to five or a thumbs up or down for each post/thread. The reason being, sometimes, if someone likes a recipe, they will give you karma, but people are not aware that the input/recipe/post is appreciated. A Rating System would also help when posts/threads are not appreciated, go off topic, or are not considered by the majority to be appropriate by fellow members. The system would help eliminate the reporting a 'bad' post, make the helper's/admin jobs easier, and a feedback system would convey how members feel about posts/threads.

Please think of it as a positive, rather than 'it will make more work'. Example - Yahoo answers - if there is enough reported abuse by members and thumbs down, it indicates how the 'community' feels and what posts/threads are not appreciated/appropriate.

[buckytom]

there already is a selection for rating a post, at the very bottom of the reply page, but it is hardly ever used.

[Alix]

You can also rate a thread without ever posting in it I believe. There is a Rating thingy with stars on it at the top of every thread. I don't think we can do it for individual posts though.

[kitchenelf]

I think the rating system Alix speaks of is the best we can do for the moment. I fully understand what you are saying though.

[TATTRAT]

Sounds like the system craigslist has, basically positive point or negative points(more often the case). I think it would be better in this online community though, CL is a very negative place,imo.

[auntdot]

My first reaction is 'why'?

This is a forum where folks can discuss cooking matters, freely, and a tad more.

Have found the people here enormously polite and gentle with one another, and that, IMHO, is the major strength of this forum, and the reason I keep coming back.

Should I find a recipe I would not like to try, or a thread I have little interest in, I move on. No harm and certainly no foul.

But to me any rating system is an invitation to discord.

And I would hate to see that.

Just my knee jerk response. There may be many others who have a more insightful opinion.

[mish]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kitchenelf I think the rating system Alix speaks of is the best we can do for the moment. I fully understand what you are saying though.

Thanks KE. I gave it a try, but can't quote the original post, rate it, without giving a reply. The stars work, but don't know if they show up re a reply. Thanks for understanding the point.

[kitchenelf]

This is just a cooking forum. It is my opinion that in a community like this it would be very disruptive to have someone's posts always given "negative" whatever. I can assure you that we (Admins and Mods) already know which posts are useless - and lots of times we remove them. But a lot of people here are here just to "get out" so to speak. If, in the big picture, it's harmless "getting out" then so be it. If it's disruptive "getting out" inform us via Report Post.

But I truly do understand mish.

[buckytom]

i understand the way mish has suggested it, and it could be used for good if done in the spirit she mentioned, but i fear it might be used as just another way to complain or attack another member. (deadly sushi is right now searching out my posts and giving them a negative rating. my travelling apron picture is on his dartboard. fortunately, you can't reach it above the piles of "the national enquirer" )

it's a way to judge people's posts, and thereby the member him/herself.
not trying to be too moral or religious here, but judging others never leads to good things.
negative karma has caused enough problems here, i hope we don't start anything with a negative rating system for members.
on the other hand, we shouldn't be too happy-happy-joy-joy, disney-esque, if you know what i mean. that bugs me just as much, as it looks insincere.

[mish]

Quote:

Originally Posted by buckytom i understand the way mish has suggested it, and it could be used for good if done in the spirit she mentioned, but i fear it might be used as just another way to complain or attack another member.

I think we, as a community, all have the same 'positive' goals here. Yes you will get people with an axe to grind, that just want to bash...those are the members we do not want in our community. I hope that my suggestion does not perpetuate only neg comments. It was a suggestion for our community. Everyone is entitled to suggestions. Please don't race to your computer to give a grillion reasons why it won't work. i.e. keep an open mind. Thanks.