Take care of your thread participants people!! :(

Not much of a rant but this is something that slightly erks me...

IF you put up an interesting thread and people like it... They S&F your thread and reply, hopefully adding something intelligent to the topic...

The question is... don't the replies to your thread keep it on the main board? Essentially a bump for your thread?

Why do people not at least reward the posters in your thread with one star? (unless they say something you don't like of course)

Now i don't post for stars or flags... but like everyone else i enjoy getting them. Its nice to know people agree with you, or enjoy the time you took to write your topic. Though personally i believe that if someone else took the time to write in my thread, they also deserve that star.

Even if you don't entirely agree with their statements they still bump your topic... which gets more reads and more replies...

Most people in my threads get at least one star for their reply... as long as it contributes to the topic of the thread...

Im not advocating mindless staring for every bit of mindless banter ...

Just take care of your people, and hopefully they will return the favor

reply to post by Akragon


Honestly, I just forget to star sometimes.

And, I see the stars as a "look at me" type of thing. As in "look at me, I got stars".

Anyway, yeah, I just forget to click it most of the time. As for flags, well those I reserve for the extra special.

EDIT (HA!)
Almost forgot to star the OPost...

My favorite is when I recieve multiple stars and flags, and no responses...

It's confusing...

So... you liked what I said, or the information provided... but have no opinion? Don't care to add to the discussion with some information? Although the s&f's can provide some of these answers...

I have a tendency to beat a dead horse sometimes in my OP, and/or provide mass amounts of information(not always, but much of the time)...

prime example, being the link in my signature... All I want is for someone to add some additional information, lol.

But no, it's too hard it seems... I can't even get a person to deny my claims, I get 1 response worth looking at(with strong evidence to back my claims)... at 2 by one person that seems to agree. I just don't get it lol.

People are willing to provide information and opinions about the most random monotonous aspects of life, but when you adress the bigger picture, people just glance over it and say nothing... I must be doing something wrong, maybe a little more sensationalism is in order.

to wrap this up,

I agree 100%... to add to it...

If people think something is interesting and to be further researched or someone made a great point(regardless of your stance at the time), or even if you strongly agree with their opinion... place some S&F's on it... this will bring further attention to what was said, and further develope the conversation and shed light into the enlightening of the audiance. Which is what I thought ATS was all about...

I have to agree, well put.

I have found myself in more than a few threads I was interested in ,
but the OP's lack of interest killed it.

Oh well they got me thinking one way or another so. . .

Cheers.

I have thought the same thing. If somebody cares enough to respond on any thread I start, I give them a star for participating. It encourages others to join in. Stars are rewards, and there is nothing wrong with being generous with them.

It is rather like being the host of a party. There is being a good host, and there is opening the door to your house and then ignoring your guests.

Threads in which the OP doesn't give stars tend to die quickly, I've noticed.

The only time I break my rule is for people who come on just to post really rude one-liners. Just like a rude guest, they get no beer and get shown the door.

reply to post by FissionSurplus


Haha well said...

No beer for you!! *boot*

reply to post by Akragon


I starred everyone here, so does that mean
i get loads of stars, and if i come back and
do it again later i get loads more.

Win Win

I'm a terrible thread starter, but I try to be a good OP. I seldom miss starring someone who has participated in one of my threads. And I try to reply when I have something to add to their comments.

But I do understand why some people S&F, and don't comment. They agree with what you've posted as a whole, and don't feel there is anything to add to it. I've done this many times.

Good points Akragon.

reply to post by MESSAGEFROMTHESTARS


Sometimes, it was so well said there is nothing left to say, thus, s&f but no reply...

One of these days I am going to cash in my stars and go buy a cup of coffee with all that money.

Akragon
I feel if the poster takes the time to come in and look at my thread i always give them a star unless they just come in to troll or be rude..
And i always answer the poster back in my threads (always) if you don't the thread ends up in thread heaven..
As far as flags go i give them if i find the topic interesting or i can see the person put allot of thought into the thread..peace,sugarcookie1

reply to post by Akragon


amen brother,,,stars are free to give out!!!!!

When I read a thread, sometimes I see a person who has commented with a fair and similar post to the rest and yet no star. The people before and after this post got a star each for their comment and I usually feel sorry for whoever it is and i'll give them a star.
Maybe they get overlooked due to so many posts or something?

I star anyone who likes my thread or adds constructive info.

I star people who disagree with what I present, as long as they are constructive.

I do find it irksome when I get flagged and starred and yet have no responces..Although I appreciate sometimes no further input is needed.

It bugs me when I present something that is truly informative and brilliant and it goes completely unnoticed, not even a negative comment, here's an example: www.abovetopsecret.com...

I personnaly think some of the infomation in that thread is huge! People to lazy to read I guess, I suppose my title wasn't attention grabbing either.... Please sheck it out, so I can get at least one comment!

Ill star you! LOL

reply to post by Akragon


I agree with you, and this is something that I have been working on, as well. In addition to adding stars, one should try to keep up with the threads they post and reply when needed. When I first started ATS, I would post a thread, and not give it enough attention.

I have been away from ATS since thursday, so i need to give out some stars, here you go every one

Anyway, the stars is my apreciation to posters of a good topic or a good comment, plus everyone answering me gets one for doing so, no matter their opinion.Flags are a bit more complicated, i flag a good and well explained topic, but only after i have seen what others opinion is about it, or in some cases right away if it's an important topic that every one should look at.

One thing i do miss about the star system is, a way to disagree with people, not to punish them for beeing short or oftopic, just to show, "i do not agree with you", and to make people think more about their answer.

So i would like to see a red star a side the current star, to agree and disagree, but you can only chose one of them.
You should be able to change your star choice within the edit timeframe.

But, i don't know, might be to much, just an idea.

Yeah, keep it coming people!!!



Seriously though, i star people in whom post on my thread as long as they have something constructive to say. Generally however, most of my threads de-generate into wars

reply to post by Akragon


Good point OP. I have to admit that sometimes I just forget to star the replies to threads that I like. Stars and flags for you on this one though. I have to go, I just remembered some stars and flags I have to go do.

Im constantly staring comments in thread, as a "participation award"

They take the time to post, you might as well take the time to read what they post and if not respond at least give um a star.

I see it all the time in threads that people do the "Its already been posted" and half the time its there link so they are just doing "I did this first"

and you go to that thread and theres not a star to be had, and the persons not replying to the people commenting there...

Always thought maybe if they stared and responded they wouldn't have to be reminding people they beat people to the punch with their thread.

reply to post by Akragon

Even though I agree with you I still don't understand why people care so much about stars.
I could not care less how many stars I got. I just don't get what the fuss is about.

reply to post by juleol

Even though I agree with you I still don't understand why people care so much about stars. I could not care less how many stars I got. I just don't get what the fuss is about.

because as the OP said stars drive the popularity of the thread, recently stared post move up the ranks to the new topics page or recently what ever on the main pages of the sight.

So if you want a popular thread, make sure you appreciate the people who reply... Did you read the op?