SHOULD "REP" BE ANONYMOUS ?

[DianaS]

Hi Folks I've only just realised what those green pips are and hadda look at mine!

I have one bad rep saying "try staying on the thread even if english is a struggle.." unsigned(!) thanks I WILL try, its just that one persons post somtimes sparks off a whole load of thoughts and they go off it their own direction. Oppps am i drifting?...!

and SIX positive reps for the same thread of contributions! It just made me laugh. I do have one person on my ignore list so I s'pose that if they had sent me some I wouldn't have seen it (?) But hey I could un-ignore them and see if they have sent me any it could be good or it could be bad! But then it wouldn't be anonymous would it?

It was a nice surprise, but I can't say how I'd feel if I'd had a load of bad rep unsigned...I'd probably not stay around to play for a while

I've done un-ignore now and found another bad rep, so it would seem its hardly anonymous is it?

[Bardsey]

The King of off-topic posting brings things back into line; I don't believe it.

You can't fool us DS, you must have some evil plan.

He's just in his new acting role at the moment (newly-wed Mr Serious) Don't worry Andy, it won't last!

[Chickadee]

I hope that people have noticed the total absence of an answer from me - my total silence on this subject has been very hard and I hope it is appreciated

Totally agree, surely the forum can be used for 'more interesting' topics?! I'll try and think of some...

[Gordon J Pownall]

Totally agree, surely the forum can be used for 'more interesting' topics?! I'll try and think of some...

Andy has of course taken the mature (blue) choice of restricting his comments to maintain an air of decorum, now that Mr Newly Wed has grown a sensible head (any thumb print at the front yet...????)


Seriously though, totally off thread and it has been cut and moved elsewhere (where it died a slow LABOURious death...!!!)

[MartinHarper]

From elsewhere:

I've just received negative rep for the above post the comment was 'no content' - it was unsigned.

That would be me. I dissaprove with posts which take up space with no discernable content. I didn't sign it, because I didn't see my identity as being particularly relevant. If I was someone important, it would be different.

The 'did I say all that?' referred to the massive post above which was full of content, much of it contentious.

The post above was indeed full of content. Therefore I do not dissapprove of it for having no content, and did not give that post negative rep.

this one is just nasty

To clarify, I don't give "negative rep" because I think someone is evil, or misguided, or stupid, or incompetent, or because they smell, or because they make me mad. I mark individual posts as "I disapprove" if I disapprove of them in some way. I confess that I'm not very rigorous about this. I'd guess about 50% of my marks are "approve" and 50% are "disapprove".

I'm not wildly enamoured with the rep system, so I'll be happy to just quit using it if people think I'm misusing it, or if I'm causing unnecessary tension.

[TheTramp]

To clarify, I don't give "negative rep" because I think someone is evil, or misguided, or stupid, or incompetent, or because they smell, or because they make me mad. I mark individual posts as "I disapprove" if I disapprove of them in some way. I confess that I'm not very rigorous about this. I'd guess about 50% of my marks are "approve" and 50% are "disapprove".

I'm not wildly enamoured with the rep system, so I'll be happy to just quit using it if people think I'm misusing it, or if I'm causing unnecessary tension.

Nah. Seems like you're using the rep system in exactly the way that it was meant to be used. I'd say keep going

Of course, some people take it far too seriously, and react badly to getting unsigned negative rep. I just ignore it - water off a ducks back. Of course, you can find out who it is if you really want to (if you put the people you think it is on 'ignore', then you can find out who sent you rep (thank you Dianas (ps. I now know who sent me that last negative rep without even a comment, and I will get even ))).

Trampy

[Rachel]

I'm not wildly enamoured with the rep system, so I'll be happy to just quit using it if people think I'm misusing it, or if I'm causing unnecessary tension.

Of course you're mis-using it. Don't you realise that you're not actually allowed to give any negative reps to anyone on this wonderful luvey community of like-minded people?

Actually, I think it's very good of you to declare yourself and explain why. I really do firmly think that negative reps shouldn't be anonymous, so it's better when someone says who they are and why they disagree with you.
Rachel

[under par]

Of course you're mis-using it. Don't you realise that you're not actually allowed to give any negative reps to anyone on this wonderful luvey community of like-minded people?

l

Rachel, LOVE PEACE and UNDERSTANDING

[DianaS]

Of course you're mis-using it. Don't you realise that you're not actually allowed to give any negative reps to anyone on this wonderful luvey community of like-minded people?

Actually, I think it's very good of you to declare yourself and explain why. I really do firmly think that negative reps shouldn't be anonymous, so it's better when someone says who they are and why they disagree with you.
Rachel

Well I've had negative rep (two - one anonymous the other signed) Both seemed to be saying something that they felt quite passionately about but weren't able to say on the forum. It can a little like pinching someone under the desk and smiling at them, if you say other things to them publically, but then people are strange!

[Sparkles]

Rachel, LOVE PEACE and UNDERSTANDING

[off topic] Does anyone else wonder if Under Par was a Hippy in a former life?

[DianaS]

[off topic] Does anyone else wonder if Under Par was a Hippy in a former life?

If he was he was a happy hippy

[Andy McGregor]

That would be me. I dissaprove with posts which take up space with no discernable content. I didn't sign it, because I didn't see my identity as being particularly relevant. If I was someone important, it would be different.

Thank you for clarifying this and giving me the chance to reply/justify - have some positive rep for being a fine upstanding person who sticks to what he thinks

The post which said 'did I say all that?' was meant to be funny. And I didn't put it in the post above because that post was serious.

So, IMHO, the 'no content' line was wrong. The content was humour - which I was attempting to use in a self-deprecating way.

If people gave bad rep every time a post was considered inane or silly or off-topic they would use up their 10 rep in 24 hour limit within minutes of logging on.

As I said earlier, I think that the rep system is to say you disapprove of the content of a particular post. To give negative rep for a post having nothing to approve or disapprove of is stretching things IMHO - and taking it all too seriously. Or is it me that's doing that

[Gadget]

If people gave bad rep every time a post was considered inane or silly or off-topic they would use up their 10 rep in 24 hour limit within minutes of logging on.

Unfortunatly not: remember you can only rep the same person after spreading it arround some.

[Andy McGregor]

Unfortunatly not: remember you can only rep the same person after spreading it arround some.

Are you saying there's only one person making inane, silly or off-topic posts? I thought it was most of us

[Dreadful Scathe]

all the regular posters in fact* god help me if people starting negative rep for inane or silly comments




* except David B perhaps who can stay on topic and still be insightful and funny - and if thats not a luvvie comment i dont know what would be



yeah i know David B, close personal friend, does a lotta work for charity

[bigdjiver]

I try to attack behaviours, not people. I have given one negative rep, long ago, more concerned with finding out what the buttons do than in my action.
If I am against a particular behaviour I think it is better to say so in the forum so that everybody can see that I am opposed to that behaviour, and can argue the case, in the appropriate place, if they desire. That way we all learn from one another.

[Andy McGregor]

I have given one negative rep, long ago, more concerned with finding out what the buttons do than in my action.

Did that negative rep say 'off topic' like your recent post. If it did you gave it to me

I try to attack behaviours, not people.

I think this is the moderators job. If a post is "off topic" the moderators do a good job of making that decision. Sometimes they split a thread if a new topic has been started but sometimes they leave the odd comment where it is. To make a single comment about a post being 'off topic' is, IMHO, inflammatory and also showing that the author thinks he/she can do the moderators job. Which they do brilliantly btw

Consider our usual pub example. There's a lively dabate going on in one end of the pub, let's say it's about football. One of the regulars comes in and doesn't join the debate or discuss football, he comes over and says 'I don't like the way you're debating this' or 'you shouldn't make funny asides because they aren't about football'. I think my answer would be 'get a round in, you've got some catching up to do'

If I am against a particular behaviour I think it is better to say so in the forum so that everybody can see that I am opposed to that behaviour, and can argue the case, in the appropriate place, if they desire. That way we all learn from one another.

I'm in two minds about this one. There is merit in being open. On the other hand, criticising someone's 'behaviour' can cause conflict. IMHO the serious side of this forum is about debating dancing: the more frivilous side is general chit-chat and merry quips

Nobody comes onto the forum to have their 'behaviour' attacked or modified. But, speaking personally at least, I have quite happy to have my veiws and opinions attacked and debated. I might put up a robust defence or I might even change my mind: I might not even have made my mind up

I agree that if someone is behaving in an agressive or rude or unacceptable way, in reality or on here, you do need to do something. But, I think the first course of action is to speak to the management, who on the Forum are the moderators.

So, Mr Bigdjiver, please join in the debates, your opinion on many topics is valid and insightful. But, please leave the moderating of behaviour to the moderators.

N.B. To get back on topic. On the subject of giving rep. I think this is about agreement with opinions and paying of compliments or disagreeing with opinions or insults. And, I have one more reason to add why I think we should have the option of staying anonymous - I know at least one person in MJ who has assaulted people for something they've said, would you want to worry about that the next time you went dancing?

[bigdjiver]

Andy: I did not give you a negative rep.

The moderators presumably make decisions based on the mood of the forum. I made my mood known. As for leaving it to the moderator, you also decided that your post was off-topic

I believe that this forum is a major asset to the MJ community, and could be even more so. I have little interest in the chit-chat areas, but other threads contain real gems of wisdom for franchisees and management and the dancer that wants to learn. That usefulness can be seriously eroded by off-topic posting and by ephemeral chat. Of course, in most threads litter is of little consequence.

[DianaS]

Just a note
If you think someone has sent you rep (good or bad) and really need to know (to thank them or apologise for what you have done or complain about their language(!)) add the person to your ignore list. If the rep was from them the post will disappear. You can then un-ignore them!

I think this is useful to know because:
1 If someone is being horrid and devious they may sign it with someone else's name to make you think it's from someone else. Yes people who are nasty are also sometimes devious game players.

2 It saves you having to make assumptions and guess. If it troubles you, it is easy to check it out.

3 There are some really lovely good fairies who write really nice comments and never put their name to them, sometimes its nice to catch one and say thank you

I really hope that this doens't spoil the debate about rep, I'm just a little aware that rep really isn't very anonymous at all!

[under par]

I don't really care about the Rep being annonymous or not it is and should be a bit of fun.

This Forum is Fun.

I wouldn't bother with the Forum at all if it wasn't as amusing as it is.

I love dancing, I love reading all your posts and have learned loads from them about dance.

The lighter side of the Forum is the jokes and banter and quips.

If people just remember we only live once, we should all make the most of it, keep debating, keep smiling and carry on enjoying what we all like most our dance and its related activities. That includes the Forum and its rep system.


P.S. Good debate BTW.