[Trinity]

The forum is a great place, a huge resource of knowledge for people seeking and sharing information. However, recently I have noticed an increasing amount of posts being “destarred” by this I mean someone has been deliberately rating members’ topics as 1 star.

As far as I am aware this place is for peer support and advice (please correct me if I am wrong) I know at times there are some ridiculous posts that make you wonder about the validity of the member concerned, but it worries me that there are some posts, from members asking for support, advice and guidance from their peers and then basically being made to feel worthless or a time waster by someone valuing their post as a 1 star effort.

For a place that prides itself on peer support this seems pretty bad form. Surely most questions asked are valid, and of concern to the person posting the thread in the first place.

Maybe whoever the person/people who insist on rating topics as 1 star should put them self in the place of the person asking the question, or think how new members may feel if they were to post a question that they feel is important to them just to find that someone else has not only dismissed their question but has actually belittled it and deemed it unworthy of a reply.

There are many different personalities on the forum, and no one can be expected to agree and get on with everyone all the time, personalities will clash, fact of life.

I was taught, if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.

[StillFingers]

Trinity,

Your last statement was taught to me by my parents and grandparents, if truths can be written down that thought is one of them. As for rating topics/posts, i have only rated people, fives stars the lot so far, not rated anything else, seems i have some homework to do, thankx.

Jerry

[greybeard]

Is this really an issue?
Don't most readers make their own judgements about the value to place on each post?

Frankly I had never even noticed the star ratings until you mentioned them.

I have only been here a short while, but I have read through a lot of the archived messages. It seems to me that most people who ask or help or information do get it.

[nomis]

I'm another who is totally oblivious of these stars. I make up my own mind.
I think it's part of cyber life that on public pages you'll get these vandals. They all behave in much the same way, doing the same perverse interferences and this is how they get their kicks. Yeah, it's pathetic. Most are young teens who soon grow out of it. I think it's best just to humour them and they soon go away cos they have no real interest in the forum. I apologise to your parents, Trin, that I have nothing nice to say about these people but still had my say.

[carole338]

Star Ratings?

[Quad65]

I've seen them, too, but never knew what they meant or paid any attention to them. If something looks interesting, I'll read it regardless of of 'star content'. Non-issue for me.

[kdenon01]

Quote

Star Ratings?

lol. My thoughts exactly...what exactly does it mean? What does it do?

[Ana]

What stars?

[cate]

What stars,
Cate

[Apparelyzed]

Yawn, wipes dribble from chin and rubs eyes!

Whadd I miss?

Who did it?

What posts?

100 lines, "I must stay awake at the Apparelyzed Wheel, I must stay awake at the ......... ZZZzzzzzzzzzz"

[E-DOG]

Starry, starry night......

OOPS!
Focus E-dog, focus!

Ok, and, here we GO. I thought the Boss decided how many stars a thread gets. Didn't know it was on us, the mere plebes to made such auspicious decisions.

And with my new found power, shall I wield it for good?
or EVIL?

E

[StellaLAtella]

Stars? What stars? What ratings?

Now I am wondering if any of my posts have been rated..........hmmmmmmmmmmmm?
~Stella

[E-DOG]

StellaLAtella, on Jan 24 2009, 10:57 PM, said:

Stars? What stars? What ratings?

Now I am wondering if any of my posts have been rated..........hmmmmmmmmmmmm?
~Stella

Rated XXX more than likely.

E

[greybeard]

E-DOG, on Jan 27 2009, 02:23 AM, said:

StellaLAtella, on Jan 24 2009, 10:57 PM, said:

Stars? What stars? What ratings?

Now I am wondering if any of my posts have been rated..........hmmmmmmmmmmmm?
~Stella

Rated XXX more than likely.

E

Now they WOULD get a lot of attention!

[edlee]

I guess I missed that class, too.

I think I'm a bit offended by the whole idea of ratings,,,, what gives me the right ( or you) to decide the worth of a particular persons questions,,, or others answers, for that matter???

It seems to me that rating one post a five star,,, diminishes all those you don't rate that high,,, so who is doing the degrading, here????

IMHO,,, if you like a thread,,, or if you don't,,, say so in a post,,,,, and keep your stars to yourself!!!
ed

[Murray]

Ditto, that, ed! Reminds me of the ol' days when I edited a small Christian liberal arts college student newspaper. (I know - me ... at a Christian college?! Well, once I was a "good" boy. Thankfully, no longer!) The Board of Trustees called me on the carpet for publishing material that wasn't consistent with the school's doctrine. Free exchange of ideas? Guess they hadn't heard about the Bill of Rights. That, or they preferred the separation of church and state bit to freedom of expression. Kind o' scary to think that someone(s) here would consider themselves omniscient and omnipotent. Good God!

This post has been edited by Murray: 27 January 2009 - 09:44 PM