Major potential changes to forum policy

lostinrates

bluey890 wrote: »

This happens to me too. The thanks bit might be a good idea. Perhaps MSE towers could temporarily remove/hide the thanks count for a while to see what happens.

Maybe suggest on the offical thread? We're not really meant to be talking here at all, I think. But I think it would be a good idea. I think though, post count on a thread would go up as people quoted just to say ''I agree/me/too/Yeah!'' mulitple times, possibly. I think thats a lesser ''issue'' but I now post numbers on a thread pose problems for MSE.

System

Why change the policy when the existing one isn't followed anyway?
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=102051

lostinrates

Joeskeppi wrote: »

Why change the policy when the existing one isn't followed anyway?
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=102051

May be its a case of; if it IS broke, fix it.

vivatifosi

bluey890 wrote: »

Please be aware of these clarifications.

The thanks count in relation to the board, may be wiped.

I started out on the "cutting tax" board. There are some absolute stalwarts over there, like CIS, whose thank to post ratio is about half, even though s/he regularly stops people ending up in court. Others on the council tax thread would save people thousands without them ever stopping back for a thank you. Its a shame that there are some real experts around, offering their time for free and getting few thanks in return.

The problem is, that on any board, most of the people doing the thanking are regulars, but many of the people asking are new and don't quite get the board etiquette. It would be good if there could be more signposting for new posters. Its demotivating when you spend 20 minutes reading someone's council tax case and then putting forward an answer specific to their problem and never get a reply, let alone thanks. People like zebedeee and guppy who help on the council tax thread, helped me and other residents where I live get back about £110,000 in wrongly-banded council tax refunds, the largest ever case in this area. How many thanks do they deserve for that?

Yet many regulars can come on here, post something timely/witty/of general interest and get a shed-load of thanks. It is a bit out of kilter when many of us have post to thank tallies over 1:1 yet a lot of those doing all the serious question answering don't. Yes its nice, but is it really fair?

lostinrates

I tried to post (again on main thread) but its too fast moving.

I'd be happiest with no thanks option. (even as a heavy thanker ). I am often aware even helpful messages are illinformed, partially right/worng, and often misleading, and further more given anonymously yet the thanks serve to fuel many heated ''politcal'' discussions.

Al though I thank oftn and throuroughly I think the board would b less cliquey/partisan with a removal of thanks.

Sapphire

vivatifosi wrote: »

Yet many regulars can come on here, post something timely/witty/of general interest and get a shed-load of thanks. It is a bit out of kilter when many of us have post to thank tallies over 1:1 yet a lot of those doing all the serious question answering don't. Yes its nice, but is it really fair?

Of course it's 'fair'. Personally, I like to thank anyone who has helped me to gain an insight into any issue, or to broaden my outlook and perhaps think another way, or simply provided useful information. I think it is a good policy to allow posters to thank others.

LydiaJ

vivatifosi wrote: »

I started out on the "cutting tax" board. There are some absolute stalwarts over there, like CIS, whose thank to post ratio is about half, even though s/he regularly stops people ending up in court. Others on the council tax thread would save people thousands without them ever stopping back for a thank you. Its a shame that there are some real experts around, offering their time for free and getting few thanks in return.

The problem is, that on any board, most of the people doing the thanking are regulars, but many of the people asking are new and don't quite get the board etiquette. It would be good if there could be more signposting for new posters. Its demotivating when you spend 20 minutes reading someone's council tax case and then putting forward an answer specific to their problem and never get a reply, let alone thanks. People like zebedeee and guppy who help on the council tax thread, helped me and other residents where I live get back about £110,000 in wrongly-banded council tax refunds, the largest ever case in this area. How many thanks do they deserve for that?

Yet many regulars can come on here, post something timely/witty/of general interest and get a shed-load of thanks. It is a bit out of kilter when many of us have post to thank tallies over 1:1 yet a lot of those doing all the serious question answering don't. Yes its nice, but is it really fair?

Well, I see what you mean, and of course I agree that people who are posting really useful stuff ought to get thanked properly. But I don't think this board is the most extreme for getting a high post count. On the Old Style board you can pick up loads of thanks by joining the grocery challenge or something - every time you post a short message to say you've been to Tesco and got loo roll on special offer or something you get loads of thanks from the other grocery challenge people.

Also, I find I do get thanks quite often for serious attempts to help people on here (and so do you, lostinrates, at least sometimes, because I'm sure I've thanked some of your serious posts). I'd prefer to keep it so that thanks here count.

The suggested extras to help newbies sound good, though. I'd also suggest that when newbies post, they should see a thing telling them to click the thanks button if they receive helpful replies - a really brief notice that they might actually read!

Snooze

lostinrates wrote: »

I tried to post (again on main thread) but its too fast moving.

I'd be happiest with no thanks option. (even as a heavy thanker ). I am often aware even helpful messages are illinformed, partially right/worng, and often misleading, and further more given anonymously yet the thanks serve to fuel many heated ''politcal'' discussions.

Al though I thank oftn and throuroughly I think the board would b less cliquey/partisan with a removal of thanks.

Hmm. :cool: I thinks the 'thanks' button is what keeps a lot of people posting. People don't use it as a 'thanks' button though, they use it as a 'I agree' or 'that was bloody hilarious' button (see Mewbie and Cleaver's thanks count) and I think clicking it for those purposes is far better in the long run than removing it and forcing people to write a post saying 'I agree' as most people simply won't bother, imho.

Removing it in an attempt to get right of the cliques just won't work; you'll still have Devon bloke, Ad, Downey, dopey and those with the word 'bear' in their name in one camp all agreeing with each other, and Stevie, chucky, Mr. 250k shack, dan, ISTL and pickles all agreeing with each other in the other camp.

So .

Rob :cool:

lostinrates

LydiaJ wrote: »

Also, I find I do get thanks quite often for serious attempts to help people on here (and so do you, lostinrates, at least sometimes, because I'm sure I've thanked some of your serious posts). I'd prefer to keep it so that thanks here count.

Thank you, and yes, I do get thanked sometimes, I was being a wee bit glib, which is not attractive but I've been in jokey peacemaking mode for a while. I don'trally make that many serious posts any more, I'm fed up of the rows. Sometimes I type them out then delete them/don't post them, bcause I don't want to poke a hornets nest:o which is a shame because sometimes the few valid points I might have made don't get coveredby someone else.

I see both sides ofthe thank argument, in truth.

Cleaver

Snooze wrote: »

People don't use it as a 'thanks' button though, they use it as a 'I agree' or 'that was bloody hilarious' button (see Mewbie and Cleaver's thanks count)

Does anyone really care that much though? I mean, it's an internet forum.

I've still thanked you mind.