Discussion Forum's DOWN VOTE button feature. **Need your opinion**.

[Rogue Leader]

But things are what they are. I'll continue my own practice of reading through topics in their entirety just because I don't trust up/down, like/dislike, or best answer to be "the correct opinion."

Sure, I agree with you and thats how I do it too. Still you can parse better or worse posts by the number of votes. Even without reading it if you see a post with 10 downvotes you can be fairly sure its garbage and just skip it, 10 upvotes its probably useful.

In searching for answers though on other forums I found this useful, and while the best answer wasn't always right, the well voted options always got me going in the right direction which is why I support the feature.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

I think reporting is also a very usefull feature.

There is one particular user that likes to bash the op for ashing a question. He has said mean things like "why would you even think of doing such a stupid thing".

The op usually does not post a question if they know the answer, so calling them stupid while not explaining why isn't helping.

I got tired of downvoting him, so i reported. Minutes later the reported post was deleted and user was banned.

Effective.

 

[Metal Messiah.]

I think reporting is also a very usefull feature.

There is one particular user that likes to bash the op for ashing a question. He has said mean things like "why would you even think of doing such a stupid thing".

The op usually does not post a question if they know the answer, so calling them stupid while not explaining why isn't helping.

I got tired of downvoting him, so i reported. Minutes later the reported post was deleted and user was banned.

Effective.

Mind sharing which thread/Topic was that ??

 

[NightHawkRMX]

https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/is-my-psu-ok-for-a-2080ti-build.3522427/?view=date

OP asked
"GPU - 2080ti
CPU - AMD Ryzen 5 3600
RAM - 16GB 3200MHz
I have a spare Corsair CX600M. Is the PSU good enough for the build?"

Another user says something like
"NO
No way in ***
Not ever.

Why would you even consider doing such a thing."

 

[Rogue Leader]

I think reporting is also a very usefull feature.

There is one particular user that likes to bash the op for ashing a question. He has said mean things like "why would you even think of doing such a stupid thing".

The op usually does not post a question if they know the answer, so calling them stupid while not explaining why isn't helping.

I got tired of downvoting him, so i reported. Minutes later the reported post was deleted and user was banned.

Effective.

We are quite on top of such things and use the tools we need to quickly and effectively. That particular user had used up his chances under the rules, hence the permanent ban.

Thats not to say you can get away with calling people "stupid" often, you cannot, and will be signing your walking papers should you choose to do it after being warned.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

It would be nice if we could see the warnings and strikes on our account.

 

[Rogue Leader]

It would be nice if we could see the warnings and strikes on our account.

You may message me privately if you have any questions about that

 

[Colif]

Anyone who has looked at MIcrosoft forums knows why using the solution in a thread doesn't always reveal the right answer.

OK, so no self downvote, fair enough

 

[britechguy]

It would be nice if we could see the warnings and strikes on our account.

If such are kept "on your permanent record" it is only appropriate that the individual whose permanent record it is has access to the fact that these exist.

I don't know that they do exist, but on principle folks deserve to know what "warnings and strikes" are being tallied if such are being tallied.

On another forum similar to this one those are presented in one's own account page as warning points.

 

[Rogue Leader]

If such are kept "on your permanent record" it is only appropriate that the individual whose permanent record it is has access to the fact that these exist.

I don't know that they do exist, but on principle folks deserve to know what "warnings and strikes" are being tallied if such are being tallied.

On another forum similar to this one those are presented in one's own account page as warning points.

This may be a limitation of the software that we are using, but I will say that would likely be helpful to users and moderators if users could see a historical record of past warnings for some reason or another.

As it is however users DO get a message and notification for any formal warnings, so they are not totally in the dark. There is no secret kept.

Also one would hope that you (the royal you, not just you in particular) have no need for such a record, as you wouldn't have any rules violations

 

[britechguy]

Also one would hope that you (the royal you, not just you in particular) have no need for such a record, as you wouldn't have any rules violations

Well, the thing being in my specific case, and as you well know since you're the one that locked it, I have had a topic locked subsequent to what I consider to be legitimate disagreements and where I provided what I still consider to be relevant information. I actually have no idea if that resulted in anything going on "my permanent record" as I have no access to that information. And this is the crux of my point - if information is being collected for the purposes of monitoring and/or possibly suspending posting privileges or banning an individual should some threshold be reached, both what "points" have been collected and what those thresholds are should be known by the member.

 

[Rogue Leader]

Well, the thing being in my specific case, and as you well know since you're the one that locked it, I have had a topic locked subsequent to what I consider to be legitimate disagreements and where I provided what I still consider to be relevant information. I actually have no idea if that resulted in anything going on "my permanent record" as I have no access to that information. And this is the crux of my point - if information is being collected for the purposes of monitoring and/or possibly suspending posting privileges or banning an individual should some threshold be reached, both what "points" have been collected and what those thresholds are should be known by the member.

Yes you did have a topic locked, however you would have received a specific warning both by notification and private message if you got a "mark" on your record. In that particular case you did not get such a thing.

At the chance of sounding too authoritarian, this is a private website and we have no requirement to share any information whatsoever should we not desire to. Your participation here is at-will, and our acceptance of such is at-will as well.

That said I just did AGREE with you that it would be nice for you the user to see a record of such formal warnings in one place. Its a feature on other forums, I will see if its a feature we have or can turn on. may take a while as we have other more pressing fixes first.

You were a moderator elsewhere and you should know how a lot of this works. I am 100% sure in your time you did not share with users when yourself and other moderators may have discussed their behavior within the forum, or determined warnings or bannings. I'm also sure you may have taken note of behavior around the forum you moderated that may not have been something worthy of a warning, but still pointed you in the direction of troublemakers.

This is all I'm going to say on the subject, if you have any issues with this please feel free to message me privately.

 

[britechguy]

There is a difference between what moderating teams discuss privately, and note as "lets pay attention to," and any formal tally mechanism, and I am talking about a formal tally mechanism.

I do know an awful lot about how this works, which is why I feel free to offer my perspective on what I perceive of as shortcomings in how the forums (generally the software) works.

I am entirely aware that my presence here, or on any forum, "is at the pleasure of the site owner," and that one must follow the rules. Those are givens.

On one forum where I moderated "warning points" were used and visible to the users. On another where I'm still moderating, no such mechanism exists, so the point is moot there. On that site we do pretty much what you describe here as far as notifying a given member either by PM to "cease and desist" or, at times, on the forum itself as giving a clear statement of "what doesn't go" is a valuable thing for any other part of the membership who's reading to see and make a mental note of.

But where no tally mechanism exists, there can be no presentation of that data to a user. Where it does, and if it's used, there can and should be. I just don't see how either of the preceding statements could be considered in the slightest way confrontational, but are just simply statements of fact and, in the "can and should be," educated opinion.

 

[Rogue Leader]

But where no tally mechanism exists, there can be no presentation of that data to a user. Where it does, and if it's used, there can and should be. I just don't see how either of the preceding statements could be considered in the slightest way confrontational, but are just simply statements of fact and, in the "can and should be," educated opinion.

And I told you both that there is such a tally mechanism here, and that while its not available to you right now its something that can be looked into if available. I also told you that you DO get notified when you receive such points and warnings, so you're not in the dark as you have implied.

I don't understand why you can't accept my answer and feel the need to keep fighting me on it as if I had said "no I'm not telling you!". I as a moderator want you to know you were warned and did wrong, as I don't want you to do it again.

 

[britechguy]

I don't understand why you can't accept my answer and feel the need to keep fighting me on it as if I had said "no I'm not telling you!".

And I don't understand why you view what I've said in this manner.

It has nothing to do with you nor the adequacy of your answer, which I think we all understand. You said, "there is such a tally mechanism here, and that while its not available to you right now its something that can be looked into if available." All I'm trying to ask is that the offer to look into it be pursued.

If I missed some previous statement of the "we will look into this" class I sincerely apologize, as that's all that one can ask for.

 

[Rogue Leader]

It has nothing to do with you nor the adequacy of your answer, which I think we all understand. You said, "there is such a tally mechanism here, and that while its not available to you right now its something that can be looked into if available." All I'm trying to ask is that the offer to look into it be pursued.

And we will, and if you had said that it would have been appreciated, instead I feel as if I got a lecture as to why this is needed. We've discussed it already and i've already agreed, you don't need to sell me on it.

Appreciate the apology.

If you do have any questions about your account specifically (or anyone in this thread who wants to know about themselves) I would be happy to answer them via PM since this feature is not yet available.

 

[Rogue Leader]

This topic has clearly run its course as well, so I'm going to go ahead and close it.

Again any questions please message me or any other moderator privately.