We need a way to balance the flag system that brings trash to the front.

More and more we are seeing 15+ pages of discussions that amount to nothing but pure speculation based on BIG Topic Titles, I would like to see ATS with a system to downgrade topics by placing a False Flags against a topic. The flag system only works in one direction - and that is to up the profile of the topic, a sensible measure would be to democratise the thread system with an anti-flag. What say you people? Fed-up with reading pages and pages of rubbish?

reply to post by theukbloke


Though I somewhat agree. This would result in posting games. Rival factions just down voting opponents and upvoting their own.

It would be nice if there was a participation value instead of a posting value.. if that makes sense. Course, it would probably just result in abuse as well...

Maybe a nomination system where every few hours a nominated thread after approval by some mod gets bumped?

reply to post by lordtyp0


Indeed, the idea has it's problems, but doesn't the current one way system also have a bigger problem? i.e the only way is up. I think the ATS operators should find a way to implement a better rating system imho.

I am still with the 3 wats a month thing..

These flags and stars are lame... The old 3 wats system was good cause we had to use them sparingly... Which made people post good posts..

I'm not sure a negative flag system would work, as it would mean that the threads that caused a lot of discussion and polarised people would end up with the same amount of flags as a thread that no one was interested in at all.

I do like the idea of limiting the amount of Flags that each person has to give out though to make people think a bit more about who they give them too.

At the moment people hand them out like Mardi Gras beads, and we all know what type of girl ends up with the most of those

If someone thinks something is "rubbish", why do they then read pages and pages of it? If you don't want to read it, don't read it.

Peace

Originally posted by Dr Love
If someone thinks something is "rubbish", why do they then read pages and pages of it? If you don't want to read it, don't read it.

Peace

When i see a lot of flags i often expect to find something of value. I often foolishly trail through pages of a thread looking for it and ultimately end up dissapointed. I only have myself to blame for that.

However with the huge increase of traffic on this site I think that the mods should have a much more hands on role with what stories are getting bumped to the front.

With the amount of traffic on the site I think the flag system is not working.

Not intending to be overly critical just throwing in my 2 cents.

Personally I got no need to follow the masses, the same as I don't need to rebel against them for the sake of being a rebel. I will follow my own intuition.

So... there is no difference to me if a thread has 3 or 300 flags. More flags only mean more people got influenced(read intrigued; upset; bored; etc.) by it.

Limited flagging would be usefull, as I personally flag all threads that I was reading as soon as I read a post in the like of: "we shouldn't be flagging this", most of the times I agree, but those remarks, just pulled the trigger. The funny thing is that if you got 5 pages of complaining that it is a bad thread, it keeps coming in the recent post, so by complaining you highlight it.

but eey that is just me.

Well, I would go you one further than just adding an anti-flag, although I do believe that would be a good starting point. The world isn't just black and white, and threads aren't just good or bad.

Sometimes they are hilarious, for a good reason, or laughable, for a bad one.
Sometimes they are enlightening. Sometimes they are ridiculous.

There should appear accross the top of each thread; possibly each post too, a select list of words that might appropriately describe a thread. The reader could click on the one that best describes their impression, and that would get recorded in a summary near the thread's title.

SO loves stats. Stats such as these might be entertaining as well as informative. They would surely be more helpful than simply a flag score, which is impossible to know what the number of flags really indicates. Popularity or mundaneness, most likely. Mediocrity if it excites the average sole. Nothing new if everyone already agrees with it.

This isn't such a big problem. It's fine the way it is, and it really hasn't changed much since I've been here. I don't go into the threads I don't want to read, and problem solved.

The system is good, it brings breaking news and controversial topics to the front. Sometimes it's not discussion worthy, oh well.

Any sort of "moderator approval" system or "demerit/down-flag" system would institute widespread abuse and censorship. Why even bother.

reply to post by theukbloke


yes indeed but dont you forget it is that "trash" that attract more and more people on ats. So dont think anything will change.

One mans garbage is another mans treasure.

You can vote negatively for a thread by withholding your participation and flags.

OR....you could create something interesting, something original and worthy of attention, and have it rise to the top?

The problem is not enough people are thinking this way, it's the only way to make ATS "better"....

The flag system will never be perfect, no matter what they do.




~And this message is coming from a Member accused of posting the biggest load of Crap we've seen in quite some time! (me, not you OP)

really appreciate all feed back guys but the fact that a lot of you all endorse a one way system is rather worrying!

Any group fed romp should always have a bad taste element to it, the current system only has a face value (flag) endorsement to it, (good tase). PTAI

I do like the idea of limited credits though, but those credits should be earned through contribution and feedback - gamification is needed here - it'll make it a better place.

Totally agree with the OP.

One solution could be to scrap the ranking of threads into 'Top Member picks' , 'current member picks' and 'popular topics'. People who seriously research and discuss topics that are meaningful to them will always find the threads which are relevant to them irrespective. In addition , the Recent Post page will always feature the most popular topics on top. Therefore there is no need for flags at all.

Nah, not going to work

In my opinion, the qulaity on ATS has gone down. Not due to the fact that the good threads are not there anymore, just due to the fact that there are more members than ever. To solve your problem, just avoid those threads which you feel do not recieve recognition, and post on those which you think do deserve recognition. That way you will actually help to promote those "gems" of threads that sometimes get buried under the mosnter number of non-interesting threads.

Its taken me a while to realise this, but its better than any other method

How about a system that awards "thumbs up" and "thumbs down" to a thread as well as a flag. The thread's header can then have a drop down window that lists the screen names of those who have given "thumbs up" and "thumbs down. The flags would indicate general interest and be used to calculate the WATS. The "thumbs" would carry no weight, but people who frequent the forum would recognize the screen names voting one way or another and know how likely they themselves are to consider the post "rubbish." In all fairness, my experience has been that some of the most "rubbish" original posts have produced the most stimulating debates!

As a new user It meant something to me when a thread of mine was flagged, especially if it went with written support for time and research. To me comments like "Well researched" or " Youve covered all bases". were always welcome and helped in letting me know i was following the right path.

Nowadays I see mates flagging mates threads like a high five. Want to know how to get 100s of flags on a thread? its easy. Choose the right subject, e.g.bad press for Israel will do. What happens then is you get the for and against bringing in the for and against, and so on. Its political in this case, but it as sure as hell gets the flags on the thread. Any subject might do as long as there are those that agree and dissagree. The star system is exactly the same.

Everyone wants their thread viewed especially if the poster has put a lot of work into it, but for me nowadays, flags mean nothing and I view a threads success by those that reply, join in debate or help add " meat to the bones" of the thread.

respects

Originally posted by DJW001
How about a system that awards "thumbs up" and "thumbs down" to a thread as well as a flag. The thread's header can then have a drop down window that lists the screen names of those who have given "thumbs up" and "thumbs down. The flags would indicate general interest and be used to calculate the WATS. The "thumbs" would carry no weight, but people who frequent the forum would recognize the screen names voting one way or another and know how likely they themselves are to consider the post "rubbish." In all fairness, my experience has been that some of the most "rubbish" original posts have produced the most stimulating debates!

That wont work

All people that disagree with you in general will give you a thumbs down and all your friends will thumbs up you. The idea has been talked before here a few times, and in conclusion, the star and flag system is better than any other one thats been suggested.

If you really want to measure yourself, use applause from mods and FSME's as a guide. For the most part, they are non bias, and applaud good and well though of posts and thread.

For those that are relatively new to ATS we used to have the ability to positively or negatively rate a thread. It was a nightmare. Most people would rate a thread depending on their belief system rather than the content of the thread. Maybe a democrat would go around rating all pro republican threads down while a republican would go around rating all pro democrat threads down. Same thing for those that believed in contrails or Christians, atheists...believers in aliens would downgrade disbeliever threads no matter the content. We had many people that would downgrade all threads started by a person they didn't like....like I said it was a nightmare and the ratings didn't accurately reflect the quality of the given thread.

The current system doesn't allow for the abuse and has squashed all the nonsense.