Flag system question/suggestion

Now, I know I haven't been a member for long. This is actually my first thread. I have a question about the flag system. Just like Digg, you have the choice to flag a thread that you deem worthy of a notice by other members to follow up on. Good. However, this seems a little one sided. You, as a member, can approve or abstain. Take for example the thread in the Alien section entitled "If you had one question to ask an alien, blah, blah" which has the OP and others constantly replying "one liners", duplicating posts, using TXT abbreviations, been warned about it, has nothing to do about conspiracies etc, etc, etc...

Now I find the thread useless, childish and a waste of my reading time. Yet there are some flags attached to it, probably coming from his classroom little buddies.

Now could a "thumbs up" "thumbs down" flag system be easily implemented? Nov 5th is coming. We'll receive a lot of new members starting threads left, right and center. Could a "minus ten flags and you're gone" system be implemented?

Just a suggestion

I would like to see this as well, but also for posts as well. Although I can see this being abused by people that give it a bad review just because they disagree and not the validity of the post/thread.

No, because skeptics and disinfo agents would have a field day trying to deflag any thread they dont like, causing a flagging conflict raging on and off...

I think the system is fine. People who want others to see a thread flag it, others can ignore it and flag another thread they like better.


[edit on 25-10-2007 by Copernicus]

At first sight this sounds like a good idea that could heighten the OPs integrity.

But at second sight I imagine a bunch of government spooks logging on saying "minus 10 and you´re gone baby!"

Originally posted by Copernicus

No, because skeptics and disinfo agents would have a field day trying to deflag any thread they dont like, causing a flagging conflict raging on and off...

Well, I see the point about the skeptics, debunkers, disinfo agents and spooks. However I don't think there are thousands of them here that would down flag a certain thread just for the heck of it that couldn't be absorbed by regular members? Either way, I still flag the threads I deem worthy of my reading time. Not sure this thread got started where I wanted it to. Was looking to start in Board Business and Questions. Not sure how it ended up here in General. Some more learning to do on my part

reply to post by whatsthatthingy


You dont need thousands...I think most threads that end up on the front page get maybe 12-15 flags to end up there. Some 30 or 40.

Dont forget that choosing to NOT flag is also a choice people make.

I think if people could remove flags, we would basically have majority votes for what threads end up on the front page, and thats not good news for people who want to flag things that are not mainstream and perhaps even disliked by most.


[edit on 25-10-2007 by Copernicus]

most forums such as Vbulletin have a user rating system where you can rate the quality of a users post (agree/disagree)

it has built in measures to prevent abuse by making you hand out reputation to XYZ many people before you can give the same person reputation again.

so lets say i give the OP a reputation rating, i cant give him another rating until ive done it to XYZ many other people (usually about 50 by default)

this prevents abuse by people who want to use it for their own grudge match.

and they have the thread rating system where you rate it 1-5 stars, that also works very well.

i do see this system as being a little one sided, theres many times i would have given a negative reputation for those who are just out to stir crap and never post anything useful.

you dont rate everyone and every post, you rate the extremely good or extremely bad posts. the others you let slide.