Rating systems on internet sites. - Why are you rating me dumb? YOU'RE the dumb ones!

[Overcast]

After spending a lot of time on sites like here and Reddit, I really do have to question the general nature and overall benefit a rating system has.

On one hand, there is some form of feeling of reward and pleasure that I and probably a lot of us experience when making a "good post" and getting "upvotes" or in the case of this place, Likes, Feels, Winners, ect.

On the other hand, in places like Reddit, a system like that can discourage voicing different opinions and criticism. The place is filled with communities that exist only as hiveminds or echo chambers. If you post something that goes slightly against the grain in those places, they downvote you. Indicating that what you said was "bad" and you are being punished for it. Plus, if a post has too many downvotes, it becomes hidden. Sure, they give you the option of opening it up to see what the other person said, but you can tell this was also done to avoid "triggering" people.

And even here, there were cases of people complaining about getting negative ratings and even rating other users' posts negatively as a form of revenge.

Thankfully, this place hasn't turned into a complete cesspool in that regard yet and most people on here don't really care about that sort of thing. But still, I can't help but wonder why we even have that sort of thing, (besides for laughs) and I wonder if people on other sites probably would have benefited without such a system. Maybe people like those on more extreme sites would have been more willing to listen to reason or different points of view.

What do you guys think?

 

[Recoil]

One of KFs better features is how its ratings cut down the amount of short replies in threads.
Unlike plebbit, no post gets hidden, nothing gets censored, the sentiments are still broadcast and the end result is less needless replies.

Real talk, I've found myself trying to rate a text message "Agree" more than once. It's a very handy feature.

 

[Dutch Courage]

Ratings can be useful. Early on in my Kiwi Farms days, I picked up a few powerlevel ratings (not tons, but a few). Those powerlevel ratings helped me to adjust my posting to how this forum works, and I have picked up none since. I have since adjusted my posting habits everywhere I go, avoiding powerleveling. I think it has made me a better poster and even a better writer. I also think Kiwi Farm's strict rules against powerleveling is the secret to this site's success. More sites should try it.

Beyond that, the ratings here don't mean a whole lot (the negative ones like "dumb" and "autistic" are useful in the same way "powerlevel" is, though), but I think they do no harm. Other places may be negatively impacted by them, but who cares about those places?

 

[Overcast]

One of KFs better features is how its ratings cut down the amount of short replies in threads.
Unlike plebbit, no post gets hidden, nothing gets censored, the sentiments are still broadcast and the end result is less needless replies.

Real talk, I've found myself trying to rate a text message "Agree" more than once. It's a very handy feature.

I suppose it does make the moderators' work that much easier. Helps cut down time spent getting rid of low effort posts that will just clog up a thread.

Ratings can be useful. Early on in my Kiwi Farms days, I picked up a few powerlevel ratings (not tons, but a few). Those powerlevel ratings helped me to adjust my posting to how this forum works, and I have picked up none since. I have since adjusted my posting habits everywhere I go, avoiding powerleveling. I think it has made me a better poster and even a better writer. I also think Kiwi Farm's strict rules against powerleveling is the secret to this site's success. More sites should try it.

Beyond that, the ratings here don't mean a whole lot (the negative ones like "dumb" and "autistic" are useful in the same way "powerlevel" is, though), but I think they do no harm. Other places may be negatively impacted by them, but who cares about those places?

It's funny really, when this site first came around, we didn't really worry too much about powerleveling. We even had an entire thread where people were allowed to express their frustrations and grievances.

But then this site got bigger, and some people took it too far and revealed stuff like "Let me preface this by saying I like the idea of fucking dogs."

Things got out of hand, and it was only then when we had this rule enforced. And from what I can find that thread I mentioned has pretty much disappeared.

At the end of the day, I suppose it was necessary. I'm sure everyone here has some form of skeleton in their closet, no matter how small it may be. But some things are just best kept in privacy.

Still, we haven't gone full on censoring people at least, plus it helps those express their views without necessarily revealing sensitive information about themselves.

 

[Exigent Circumcisions]

It's useful to be able to signal your opinion without having to actually post a reply and clutter things up even more. As for people who use ratings as a form of revenge; that shit is just funny. I take it as an acknowledgement that I've really rustled some jimmies so it's almost like a special Semper Fidelis for making an autist cry on the internet.

 

[Vampirella]

Places like Reddit and Imgurs biggest problem is that they hid posts that get neg rated in to oblivion. People there know this and use that to hide things they don't like, even though it says in Reddits rules not to down vote if you just disagree, down vote if it's off topic. There was a time on Reddit where you could get a negative score in the thousands if not higher, (there was an account that tried to get the lowest score) but Reddit changed it at some point. I think there used to be penalties for having an account with a negative score, like you couldn't post as much. So it was punishment for going against the grain of the Reddit hivemind.

 

[User name: Required]

I can’t see the DRINK! reaction and it annoys me just a small bit

Edit: also pls state rating me late and autistic on my Russel Greer post, i’am illiterate so I did not see what his disability was

 

[Rand /pol/]

Bring back the Nice Meme rating

 

[IN 041]

Rating posts is largely counter-productive. Democratized sites like reddit breed a hive mind by segregating unpopular opinions from the average user's view. 4chan operates on a more "meritocratic" basis, (air quotes because let's be real there's little merit in the average 4chan post), where the only way to evaluate posts is by responding to them. The latter system is more effective because it forces everyone to engage with the topics instead of burying them with downboats.

 

[QU 734]

I like the trashcans.

 

[Lemmingwise]

Rating posts is largely counter-productive. Democratized sites like reddit breed a hive mind by segregating unpopular opinions from the average user's view. 4chan operates on a more "meritocratic" basis, (air quotes because let's be real there's little merit in the average 4chan post), where the only way to evaluate posts is by responding to them. The latter system is more effective because it forces everyone to engage with the topics instead of burying them with downboats.

I like the implication that non-4chan posts have some kind of inherent value.

 

[YourMommasBackstory]

Sometimes i read another gossiping forum, which does not have rating and powerlevel warnings. It's quite painful experience after KF. There are PAGES in threads that consist of "agree" replies and even more pages with off-top and powerlevel.
Ratings are great both for posters and readers: readers can show their opinion, and posters can feel good when they posted something good. And it's a great self-regulation tool.

 

[bbfx]

Rating posts is largely counter-productive. Democratized sites like reddit breed a hive mind by segregating unpopular opinions from the average user's view. 4chan operates on a more "meritocratic" basis, (air quotes because let's be real there's little merit in the average 4chan post), where the only way to evaluate posts is by responding to them. The latter system is more effective because it forces everyone to engage with the topics instead of burying them with downboats.

I don't like the system reddit has, but I don't mind it at all on here. There are no real repercussions on sharing your opinion here: your post stays up, you don't get silenced. As other have said, I think that ratings make threads much more pleasant to read, since they greatly limit the amount of "I agree" or "lol" posts.
If someone makes a funny comment or posts a good argument on 4chan, he gets 30 "kek" and "based and redpilled" answers and maybe one or two interesting comments that challenge his opinion, which just fills threads with crap and makes the actual discussion move slowly and ineffectively.

 

[IN 041]

I don't like the system reddit has, but I don't mind it at all on here. There are no real repercussions on sharing your opinion here: your post stays up, you don't get silenced. As other have said, I think that ratings make threads much more pleasant to read, since they greatly limit the amount of "I agree" or "lol" posts.
If someone makes a funny comment or posts a good argument on 4chan, he gets 30 "kek" and "based and redpilled" answers and maybe one or two interesting comments that challenge his opinion, which just fills threads with crap and makes the actual discussion move slowly and ineffectively.

I've just noticed a tendency at least here that once somebody puts a certain reaction on a post people will hop on the bandwagon for it.

 

[bbfx]

I've just noticed a tendency at least here that once somebody puts a certain reaction on a post people will hop on the bandwagon for it.

That's pretty normal. People tend to imitate others to some degree. Also, as diverse as the farms are, I think that many of us share similar thoughts on various topics, as it's the case in most communities.

I like that it doesn't matter much: even if you get negative ratings, you don't get any real consequences. Your post is still there, your account is still there, your opinion is still visible.

 

[OjSimpsonFan21]

Rating posts is largely counter-productive. Democratized sites like reddit breed a hive mind by segregating unpopular opinions from the average user's view. 4chan operates on a more "meritocratic" basis, (air quotes because let's be real there's little merit in the average 4chan post), where the only way to evaluate posts is by responding to them. The latter system is more effective because it forces everyone to engage with the topics instead of burying them with downboats.

Even 4chan has a semi-rating system with (you)s.

 

[IN 041]

Even 4chan has a semi-rating system with (you)s.

But mechanically speaking they're not very relevant, it's more of an E-viagra than anything

 

[Clop]

If some nerd doesn't have the balls to reply I couldn't care less what they think. Mostly because I have no fucking idea what they're thinking because they opted for something that doesn't fucking tell me anything.

1.5 years, zero ratings fucks given.

 

[Honka Honka Burning Love]

On one hand, there is some form of feeling of reward and pleasure that I and probably a lot of us experience when making a "good post" and getting "upvotes" or in the case of this place, Likes, Feels, Winners, ect.

I have a kneejerk reaction to disliking reaction systems on Forums for this exact reason, it plays into the dopamine hit addiction that sites like Twitter and Facebook popularized with likes, you end up in a race to post things not because you want to make a point, or have a conversation but to get a bunch of notifications about how awesome your post is. It ends up being as cancerous for your brain as cigarettes are for your lungs.

 

[Overcast]

I have a kneejerk reaction to disliking reaction systems on Forums for this exact reason, it plays into the dopamine hit addiction that sites like Twitter and Facebook popularized with likes, you end up in a race to post things not because you want to make a point, or have a conversation but to get a bunch of notifications about how awesome your post is. It ends up being as cancerous for your brain as cigarettes are for your lungs.

Exactly. I have a problem and I need help.