Raiting from -2 to +5

Pavel Bykov · ‎04-10-2008

The inspiration comes from slashdot.org, where discussion is much more frequent, and therefore there is a requirement to filter out bad responses.<br>With the current system, whenever the post is rated, it is rated with a positive number. Therefore even when the post is not helpful and off topic, I can at most give a point to a poster.<br> On the other hand many, many, many of posts full of information go by unrated. So by expressing opinion about someone's bad post actually increases the overall postition of an individual.

a.cruea1980 · ‎04-29-2008

The issue with that is what about the people that give good responses that don't get rated, yet the one or two bad responses they give get hopped all over by everyone and it trashes their rating.

Having been here for a while now and even having users say "oh, thanks, your answer solved my problem" then not getting any rating at all, or having people with 1500+ points giving out answers that an amoeba would know are wrong? What about someone that thinks they know the answer, and believes you have the wrong answer, yet it's actually vice versa?

See, /.'s rating system works because there's never a "right" or "wrong" answer, it's all opinion. Here, there is no opinion; you're either right or wrong. If I ask you how to set up an OSPF area, there's no "maybe, possibly you could do it like this", there's only "you do it like this".

Personally, I wouldn't mind getting rid of the rating system altogether. I'm getting a little tired of seeing "Pls rate if helps". If everyone did it, fine, whatever. But having the handful of people do it makes it seem like some here are more akin to point whoring (especially after seeing some answers given by said "Pls rate if helps" folks) than offering a good, fully-competent answer.

tsteger1 · ‎05-19-2008

Hello Adam

I don't agree that there is always a right or wrong answer in some of the forum categories.

A lot of what I (we) do with CSA is trial and error or experimentation and discovery.

A suggestion may not solve the problem but it could open the door to a solution, a workaround, a TAC case or just a new way of using the product.

What I'd really like to see is a way to delete my stupid posts before too many people read them.

Tom

a.cruea1980 · ‎06-12-2008

I'd have to agree with the deletion suggestion. I know I've made at least one post and 20 minutes later realized "wow, that was completely and utterly moronic. What was I thinking?"

IlkkaPeltola · ‎06-17-2008

What about if negative points would not affect a user's rating? Then again, what's the difference between a rating system of -2 to +5 and 1 to 8? Same thing with 1 to 5 except it has fewer steps.

Which is the purpose of the rating system? To motivate people to give good feedback or to filter out bad responses? Or both?

Perhaps a good idea would be to give points to users based on the amount of high-rated feedback but at the same time enable low-rating votes to be able to identify bad responses.

Jon Marshall · ‎06-19-2008

Adam

"having people with 1500+ points giving out answers that an amoeba would know are wrong?"

I think that's a little bit harsh in my opinion. I personally avoid asking for points because i don't feel that is the main "point" of the forum - pardon the pun but i don't really care if the person supplying the answers is doing it for points, to help, theyr'e bored etc.. as long as the answer helps the poster. And if it doesn't help because it is wrong or misses the point then it should be marked down.

And as another poster says it's not all right or wrong although a fair proportion of it is. As an example - "which is better a L2 access-layer to distribution layer, or a L3 access-layer to distribution layer. Many good points for both sides.

It is gratifying to be thanked and to be rated and if it attracts some of the very good people on these forums i'm all for it.

Jon