Change of ownership for ukCaving

[cap n chris]

I like ORs thoughts, a way of liking a post may help encourage people to write more - IIRC SMF has a "Karma" system, but this can be positive as well as negative and thus be open to abuse, so not ideal.

Some years ago the Karma system was in place here; many people liked it. It was, though, considered a bit silly so got removed after a few months, IIRC. I'd be happy to see it restored though, as it might be an easy way of gauging feedback to posts.

 

[Mark]

Nice one Jane & Tim, I hope you don't piss about with the format too much, its fine as it is.

A collectors forum (might be the one Ruminator mentioned) changed the format recently and it just doesn't seem as user friendly anymore.

 

[kay]

I like ORs thoughts, a way of liking a post may help encourage people to write more - IIRC SMF has a "Karma" system, but this can be positive as well as negative and thus be open to abuse, so not ideal.

Some years ago the Karma system was in place here; many people liked it. It was, though, considered a bit silly so got removed after a few months, IIRC. I'd be happy to see it restored though, as it might be an easy way of gauging feedback to posts.

Yes, I remember that. I can't remember how it worked, but I remember that so many people didn't like it that they were using it in obviously silly ways, and it got so ridiculous that it got removed.

I was one of the ones who didn't like it (so I didn't use it at all), and I'd rather not have a "like" button either.

 

[cap n chris]

Of relevance? http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=10802.0

 

[Joe90]

A 'Like' button should be complimented with a 'Dislike' button.

 

[martinr]

:thumbsdown:

 

[Joe90]

:thumbsdown:

I know what you mean, but i guess the biggest example is facebook. It has a like button but no dislike button, there have been plenty of times i would of loved a dislike button.  :thumbsdown:
On here however there is neither which forces people to explain there ideas and thoughts as opposed to just saying 'I don't like that' which is better i suppose. 

The cave pearls going missing, I would of given that a dislike..... Although i think the thread is very relevant to the forum and I'm glad it was posted.

 

[kay]

:thumbsdown:

I know what you mean, but i guess the biggest example is facebook. It has a like button but no dislike button, there have been plenty of times i would of loved a dislike button.  :thumbsdown:
On here however there is neither which forces people to explain there ideas and thoughts as opposed to just saying 'I don't like that' which is better i suppose. 

The cave pearls going missing, I would of given that a dislike..... Although i think the thread is very relevant to the forum and I'm glad it was posted.

Interesting ... if you'd "disliked" the cave pearls post, I would have taken it to mean you disliked the post itself and therefore were in favour of the pearls going missing ... I think you make a good point there that having neither button means that people have to explain their posts

 

[martinm]

:thumbsdown:

I know what you mean, but i guess the biggest example is facebook. It has a like button but no dislike button, there have been plenty of times i would of loved a dislike button.  :thumbsdown:
On here however there is neither which forces people to explain there ideas and thoughts as opposed to just saying 'I don't like that' which is better i suppose. 

The cave pearls going missing, I would of given that a dislike..... Although i think the thread is very relevant to the forum and I'm glad it was posted.

Interesting ... if you'd "disliked" the cave pearls post, I would have taken it to mean you disliked the post itself and therefore were in favour of the pearls going missing ... I think you make a good point there that having neither button means that people have to explain their posts

Indeed Kay. A like button would be good though. There's lots of times I've liked a post, maybe a news snippet or similar, but didn't feel the need to post a message. There is a good reason why Facebook hasn't got a dislike button despite one being requested by many users for several years. It is open to abuse.

if you like a post you can click the like button, if you don't or are indifferent to it, then just do nothing, if you don't like it then post your reason...

Regards, Mel.

 

[droid]

I'm easy as to whether there's a 'Like' button or not: I can see the reassons that mel states, but the problem then is that posts become a beauty contest. 'I've got more 'likes' than you so I must be right'.

Sadly, being 'right' isn't the subject of a democratic vote.

 

[bubba]

Some of you may remember when we introduced a karma system here.

It wasn't for posts but for users - if somebody made a good post, you'd give them positive karma, if they acted like a dick you'd give them negative karma. 

It has worked really well on ukbouldering.com but here it soon descended into tit for tat voting and quickly became worthless so we removed it.

I can't see like/dislike of posts being much better...but then it's not my decision any more 

 

[Joe90]

Maybe instead of a 'Like' button it should be a 'Well said my friend, next time we see ill buy you a beer' button???

 

[menacer]

'Well said my friend, next time we see ill buy you a beer' button???

Ooh Well said my friend, next time we see, i'll buy you a beer. 

 

[bograt]

I'm happy enough with the thumbs up/down icons.

 

[cap n chris]

Having a thread which gains positive feedback in the form of, say, 59 thumbs up emoticons would surely render it ridiculous though, whereas having a tally of a similar amount of positive feedback in the side column would not.

 

[TheBitterEnd]

It strikes me that likes and karma and that sort of thing are fairly meaningless on UKCaving because the number of active posters is so small. On some larger forums karma or number of likes is useful to distinguish experienced posters from those whose opinion is not regarded to carry much weight.

FWIW I think the forum is pretty good and the SMF software is easy on the eye, easy to use and doesn't get in the way like some more "sophisticated" AJAX heavy forums do. Requests for more photos or more trip reports or whatever are down to the users not the owners. If people aren't posting them then there is not a lot anyone can do. As far as the arguing goes, those who don't like it don't have to read it and TBH it would be pretty quiet and bland on here with out but more importantly nothing less than the future of the sport is often being thrashed out, that's why people care enough to be bothered to argue.

I don't know how this could be done but I would like to see more active cavers of all abilities posting on here, perhaps more from abroad, that way we would get more of everything.

OH! and can we please get a better handle on the geography of the Dales  :tease:

 

[graham]

OH! and can we please get a better handle on the geography of the Dales  :tease:

probably on the day that dales based cavers admit that there are, actually, caves elsewhere in the country.

 

[cap n chris]

I thought most caves were overseas, mesel'.

 

[TheBitterEnd]

OH! and can we please get a better handle on the geography of the Dales  :tease:

probably on the day that dales based cavers admit that there are, actually, caves elsewhere in the country.

'ere we go ...

 

[bagpuss]

Having a thread which gains positive feedback in the form of, say, 59 thumbs up emoticons would surely render it ridiculous though, whereas having a tally of a similar amount of positive feedback in the side column would not.

Don't really see the purpose of a Like button - it ends up reducing the level of discussion. If someone has taken the time to write something I think is interesting I'd rather write a positive response than clicking 'like' - esp when people have taken time/effort to write a useful description or post some informative pictures.