The Polls are Open

Voting for posts and comments now available. Your input needed!

 

Hello, my name is Grant and I am an administrator @ klat.com. As you may have noticed, there is a new thumbs up/down widget on both posts and comments (for the time being you will need to be logged in to view comment votes). We hope to use the votes to do a few things in the near-future:

  1. Hide or minimize poorly ranked comments
  2. Highlight hot comments
  3. Tie into a points system or "karma" for users

The voting system is the first of several new communiity features that I hope to be adding to the site soon. I invite you to use the comment section on this post to make comments/suggestions for both this widget and any other  feature request you might wish to make. I'll try to reply and I'll see what I can do. Thanks, and have fun!

Comments

1

Heya Grant ... when I try to thumbs-up, am prompted to log in or create an account, despite being logged in already... FYI...

2

As we know, we've got an expertly-secured playground that is mercifully free of:
D-O-V subscription fees
Googleads
Banner ads
Spam, trolling, flame wars (well, pretty much) or overabundant Arsenal Gunners chanting
Plenty of shtick from all four points of the compass
All of the above
None of the above
A site winning percentage considerably in excess of whatever 61-101 is
A bit of participation is a most welcome "gracias" to the admins... the more the merrier... comments pro and con are helpful also...
Long live the mighty Klat :- )
Thanks,
Jeff

4

Not sure what happened for you, but the voting thing works fine for me.  I like it in the abstract...I just hope it doesn't produce a popularity contest atmosphere...I've seen that kill otherwise viable forums.

5

I see no need for this, at least not on this blog. I have no problem deciding what interests me, especially since I read most of what's written. I certainly don't like seeing the thumbs up/thumbs down box in every single post. That's irritating. Also, the box for the posts takes up its own column which not only leads to a bunch of wasted space but squishes the article into a narrower column. If you are going to do this, please make it as small and unintrusive as possible.

7

Hiding or blocking spam or discourteous posts is one thing. Hiding or blocking opinions that many disapprove of is another.  I have no problem with the thumbs up or down, though I agree that at this site it really is not needed. I guess to me if it ain't broke don't fix it.
But let 'er rip if you see advantage in it, Doc.

9

Thanks for the feedback. Based on some of these comments the widget has been moved to a less obtrusive area on posts. Still working on a better location within comments.

12

What, are yer trying to create the impression that yer could take-or-leave the admins' efforts overall?  :- )  Not what yer tell me offline...  And and all comments / suggestions / kudos can be thrown into this comments thread...
.......................
As to the thumbs up / down type of concept specifically -- which is one of 9,000 ideas Klat has towards the next generation of social media -- to each his own.
They have an imperative to work towards advancement ... and they do sincerely appreciate the honest opinions as to what is preferred, no doubts there...
I personally like the thumbs up - down, of which variations are in place now at Mariner Central (c-points) and Lookout Landing (where comments are shaded green when voted up).
.......................
Be that specific idea as it may, most of us know that Klat has been key to un-retiring Dr. D ... :shower of crumpled Dixie cups: ... they are a buncha Wolfy-type amigos, great guyz, who give quite a bit without expecting a whole bunch in return...
I trust that they are aware that MC/DOV/SSI is the postah's with the mostest, but would hate to see the wrong impression from this post-101 loss thread :- )
Cheerio,
Jeff

13

The bit of reaction here seemed to be w/r/t minimizing low-ranked comments.  Minimizing a window isn't censoring it, but still, it suddenly dawned on me, what amigos were reacting to.
I've seen this convention around the 'net in many places, and it can work well.  But I do agree that at MC/SSI specifically, there isn't the trolling and flamebait that is the main driver for the "minimizing" aspect.
Perhaps something a bit more streamlined, but 86 the minimizing feature.  If you counted the number of posts that could be profitably "minimized" at SSI, the number would approach zero...
Personally, I love the way super-posts turn green at LL.  :- )

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