Why do you Star posts?

reply to post by agent violet


I star posts that I agree with or that are well written/researched. Often I will enter a thread, read the OP and come up with my rebuttal but in reading the thread I will find someone else who has said almost exactly what I was about to type - they always get a star.

I do, sometimes, star posts that are clever, witty or sarcastic. I also star if someone can give an eloquent rebuttal to my own post, or set me straight on a point or two.

Originally posted by LadySkadi
are you thinking of Jack Vettriano?

...thank you, thank you, thank you even!... that is one of his, right?... no matter, its still incredibly beautiful... wish i could do stuff like that but my talent is painting horse's butts (and an occasional slow fly)...


...on topic!.... why do i star and flag?... (yeah, i know, i already answered but that one was a little bitty fib - heres the absolute undiluted truth)... i'm the s&f fairy godmother!... ssshhh, its a secret...

When the mood strikes me I like to go on a flag and star binge. Sometimes it lasts for days even weeks but always the same result...guilt, remorse and swearing off forever; but it's always the same...in a moment of weakness I'm off and running again, staring and flagging with wild abandon, not caring, completely oblivious to the pain that will eventually wash over like a bucket of shame.

Will it never end? This compulsion, this obsession, yes this addiction to star and flag.

What we need more than anything is a group of members willing to stage a loving and caring interdiction. Tough Love if you will...
Some sort of therapy. Hypnosis, Biofeed back, even incarceration. For the love of all that's holy.... I'm crying out for help!!!

This thread has actually reminded me to star more posts as I am reading them.

It is actually quite a cathartic experience.

I star someone who posts something that I was going to originally say, and find that my work was kind of done already. I also star someone who has a sense of humor. If I go to a thread and someone is being mean, and someone comes in with something nice to say and calms the situation I star.

Also I starred all of the peoples posts that I read that sounded something like Ive said above. And of course a star and flag for the OP.

Thank you guys

Peace, NRE.

reply to post by agent violet


Not many ways you can express yourself over the internet therefore these symbolic little actions have been created to help us express our contempt or our disappointment, or anger etc.

ATS doesn't allow us to express our disappointment, although I think ATS should have a negative star rating.

In that sense ATS is probably an experiment, trying to see what would happen if you only allow the symbolic expression of contempt, approval and acceptance, and ban the symbolic expression of disappointment, disapproval and anger.

Originally posted by oozyism
reply to post by agent violet

 

Not many ways you can express yourself over the internet therefore these symbolic little actions have been created to help us express our contempt or our disappointment, or anger etc.

ATS doesn't allow us to express our disappointment, although I think ATS should have a negative star rating.

In that sense ATS is probably an experiment, trying to see what would happen if you only allow the symbolic expression of contempt, approval and acceptance, and ban the symbolic expression of disappointment, disapproval and anger.

ATS, in my opinion, doesn't allow negatives to be expressed because negatives do not contribute to the process of debate or discussion and would only serve to stop all topical discussion by derailing everything into an eternal troll fest and bashing spree.

ATS does allow us to reward quality because doing so encourages MORE quality.

It's better to reinforce positives than to punish negatives.

~Heff

reply to post by Hefficide


Why do we allow it in a normal society then?

Doesn't make sense to me..

That is why I stated that it is an experiment..

Symbols helps us express our self, but only certain expression are allow, to see what the final result will be..

Look at ATS, where has it gone to>??

reply to post by oozyism


ATS is like normal society in that regard. We have mods and admins who have the power to utilize negative reinforcements, just as in society we have police tasked to do so.

Editing/post-banning/banning are the tools they use to "punish" when rules are broken.

Aside from that we do have the power to approach any OP from a negative. We can disagree with it and argue our side of things. Just as we do in society.

~Heff

reply to post by agent violet


This is actually a funny reason and a bit lame too.

Besides the obvious reasons for starring posts, I also used to star people I was arguing with.

Sometimes, when the person who I was in disagreement with had no stars on a critical post directed at myself, I would star it.
Because I would know my opponent would see the star on their post and believe that someone, somewhere on ATS agreed with their opinion and thoughts and they would find strength and encouragement. I mean lets face it, we all like seeing our own posts starred.
Then, after my reply to the content of that critical post that I starred, I would tell my opponent that It was me who starred their posts out of pity.
A bit of subversive psychology or Art of War, empower or encourage your opponent with a star only to take it away from them.

I don't do it any more. I am more grown up now.

I star for lots of reasons, and sometimes no reason at all. I will star for funny posts always, and I am very generous with stars and flags, I love giving them away! I even give them to people who foe me, teehee.

I will admit I tend to always always star my friends posts and flag their threads when I run across them. Thats what friends are for!

I will star the first good comments on a post and in my personal threads I will star everyone who took the time to give an honest reply and flattery. But only on the first page. after that a good reply is mandatory.

Stuff that makes me laugh I star without exception.

I have seen the star system being put to use negatively, to the point where some people use it as a form of bullying.

Many times I have seen the poster of a thread get 'flamed' and those doing the flaming seem to get more stars than the American flag. It's like a mob mentality takes over and everyone is sticking the boot into the poor victim. It's got to be hurtful to the person on the receiving end, even though they are just an anonymous poster on a website.

On a side note, and this might sound childish, I recall that not long after I joined ATS I posted something in response to a well-known and respected member only for another well-known and respected member to come along after and put my comments down. The way they starred each others posts made it obvious that they were giving each other a 'High 5'. I was incensed!

It really is petty, but to this day I still harbour a grudge against them, even though I'm sure they meant no particular malice.

Conversely, I have always had a certain fondness for another member who, by starring one of my first posts, made me feel welcome on here. Funny how you remember these things.

Originally posted by agent violet
Why do you, give stars to people's posts?

Usually I don't. Most people star those who they agree with instead of posts that have good information. I've seen stars for ignorance and wrong information. I try not to support a flawed system and I usually ignore stars.

Good thread. Thank you.

I normally star posts on the basis on content. Even if I disagree with the poster, I may star a post just because the argument/point/info is well presented. I am certainly not in the habit of starring posts just because I agree with what's written. How the point is presented means just as much to me as what is presented.

Posts that show a human side mean a lot to me as I appreciate a show of emotion and that gentle reminder that we're all people here and not just nicknames and avatars. I'm not talking about posts that express anger or rudeness to others as I almost never star those; I mean the ones that let us have a small glimpse into another's soul and inner being.

They're special.

I like humorous posts that lighten the tone in threads that are perhaps getting too dark or depressing. They're another indication of a vibrant, human spirit. Stars for them...

Then there are the "newbies". I've seen some who are perhaps only posting for the first or second time and either have almost no stars to their name or perhaps none at all. I like to star them if what they've written is not complete nonsense. I like to encourage people in their tentative steps in this rather large and (for newcomers) often overpowering place.

You know, wouldn't it be wonderful if the stars could vary in colour? I'd love it if (for example) the first star was simply blue, but then subsequent ones would have other colours at random. It would just look more attractive to me. More interesting...more -- uplifting. It would be great if a post with ten or more stars had at least one that glowed golden yellow like a tiny sun. Wouldn't that be something special to see?

Mike

I have acute star/flag generosity. I provide them liberally because I want to.
Hm, probably stars more than flags. I can be a little picky in the flag department, but not stingy.

....For all the reasons listed above. Informative, funny, unique, or took a lot of work. Embedding a good video, or doing it for someone else.

Then there is my little number problem. Kind of an OCD thing I guess. For example, if someone has 9 flags or 99 flags, this bugs me. I will give them a flag to round out the number. I will track down their previous threads to flag, in pursuit of this endeavor.

Yeah, I know. My own private little neurosis.

reply to post by Hefficide


I usually star because of the content in the post. If it is a good post that agrees with my viewpoint, it gets a star. Even if it is a good post that disagrees with my viewpoint it gets a star.

In this case, Heff, you got a star because I agree with the content of your post.

Mahree

I star (and flag) becuase someone has 1) said something brilliant and/or profound, 2) words my thoughts about a subject better than I could have, 3) Make you think - whether their point agrees with mine, or not.

I rarely tell anyone I starred them, though, as in the star and flag for you, sir syndrome. I don't understand why people do that either.

reply to post by hotbakedtater


I'll add S&F when I really think it's a good thread. Like a personal applause feature.