Above and beyond -Ratings- notation

[The Snark]

It's just a vague thoughts right now, but something to consider and something I feel worthwhile enough to bring to the attention of @Arachnopets and @MrDeranged .

Ratings are nice and can be of value, but for the most part are glorified Facebook 'like' clicks. (And cliques).

But now and then, buried under the rubble and rabble there comes up a valuable post that deserves a rating that sets itself apart. Relevant, material, of significant use, well thought out, stays strictly within the specific purpose of the thread while also being a reference item: Take note here! This thread has a reference entry worth referring to!

It's unfortunate that quality ratings are all grouped together with the trash, the circle voting, the momentary amusement posts, and the posts that just catch one's fancy at that immediate moment.
Maybe a special rating could evolve and be applied to AB?


To cite and exemplify, a post I stumbled on this AM:

Yeah... that's pretty much the opposite of the advice @Smokehound714 and I gave you yesterday about being patient, letting him set the tone by courting her, giving them space and not forcing them together.

They are not horny teenagers that are going to start boinking the second you get 'em face to face in a room. (Actually, most horny teenagers won't even do that!) Nor are they porn stars that will have sex on cue.

They need time and space to decide whether they are in the mood or not. If the male is in the mood, he will attempt to court the female by tapping. If he is not engaging in courtship behavior, he is not interested. Likewise, she needs to be receptive - and the one most qualified to determine whether she is receptive or not is the male spider, while he is attempting to court her. If they are not "in the mood" they will not mate - and you can't force them to do so.

By "scooting" them you stressed them out and made her identify him as a threat rather than a potential mate - and she reacted accordingly.

I really hope he survives the bite. I don't know how effective wolf spider venom is against other wolf spiders - and it could have been a dry bite, anyway - but at this point you should separate them, give her time to calm down (and him time to recover) and then IF he survives, re-read the suggestions from yesterday, try again, and take it slow!!!

 

[Venom1080]

It's called "award"

 

[The Snark]

It's called "award"

Agree, but unfortunately, that's shoved way back in the pack and becomes just another plonk.

 

[Venom1080]

Agree, but unfortunately, that's shoved way back in the pack and becomes just another plonk.

Eh, not for me. I use it for posts I find very detailed or I just strongly agree with it.

 

[The Snark]

And suppose you, Like, Agree, find it Informative, Helpful, Useful, Creative and deserving an Award?

 

[EulersK]

So, I don't quite get what you're even suggesting. Another rating? What's to stop it from just being spammed like the rest of them?

 

[The Snark]

So, I don't quite get what you're even suggesting. Another rating? What's to stop it from just being spammed like the rest of them?

That's the problem. All the buttons right now are spam. There is the criteria in place of limited access depending on a persons contributions to AB but it has it's problems.

I was thinking along the lines of the Report button, a second version or modification of it: Accolade or the like. And as in place with the Ratings, a penalty for abuse.

 

[The Snark]

Okay, a hypothetical. Report equivalent.
Criteria:
-Reporting person in an echelon above basic user.
Strictly -
-Meets the premise and purpose of AB.
-Meets the premise and purpose of the forum and sub forum.
-Meets the premise and purpose of the thread.
-Meets the criteria the public libraries use to denote it qualifies as reference material.
and -
-Is contributive, accurate, well worded and thought out.
-Expands upon and offers details which become reference items.

Upon meeting all of the above, the post gets a Star and if possible a mention as we all get in New Posts. The thread itself gets some sort of notation that it contains a starred entry.

 

[Ungoliant]

So, I don't quite get what you're even suggesting. Another rating? What's to stop it from just being spammed like the rest of them?

The easiest way to accomplish that, IMO, would be to limit the frequency with which a member could assign that rating (maybe once per day or once per week).

 

[Venom1080]

Well that actually sounds kind of interesting then..

 

[Mindibun]

I agree with everything The Snark has said and also think it would be super helpful ... just my (worthless) 2 cents. I've been a member on other boards and websites that do something similar and it's worked out great. It allows these super-useful posts to be *almost on par with stickies, and new users can access them immediately upon landing on the main page. Stickies answer a lot of questions, but sometimes users come up with useful things, too. Any additional dialogue between users that are commenting on such material also becomes useful. By "starring" (as The Snark suggested) this material, new users can see that A) it isn't a sticky, and so not written by the staff, but B) it's super useful and generally agreed upon by the members to be correct and useful information, above and beyond (or in addition to) what the average user posts on a daily basis. It's special info and it's generally agreed upon to be correct, but it's sort of like an addendum -- it's not a sticky, derived from all the basic care info, but it's just as good as one; maybe new stuff we've learned and have all accepted as canon. Does that make sense?