Expressing in words speaks louder than clicking on a button. I can't believe this is an issue for people.inky wrote:I have often wished for an upvote button to be able to silently show my appreciation for a particular post. There are so many amazing gems posted here; I wonder if the posters often have any idea how many people they are impacting with their words. A count of "thumbs up" votes would give them some inkling, at least, and allow readers a chance to express their appreciation and gratitude.
Why not add a "like" button to Boglehead posts?
Re: What the forum is missing... [ability to upvote posts]
Gordon
Re: What the forum is missing... [ability to upvote posts]
Message deleted.
Last edited by Sam I Am on Sun Oct 06, 2013 1:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: What the forum is missing... [ability to upvote posts]
If everyone replied with a +1 who liked a particular post, the discussions would become clogged with such posts. The upvote button is a nice unobtrusive way to achieve the same objective. Why else would so many major sites have implemented it?gkaplan wrote:Expressing in words speaks louder than clicking on a button. I can't believe this is an issue for people.inky wrote:I have often wished for an upvote button to be able to silently show my appreciation for a particular post. There are so many amazing gems posted here; I wonder if the posters often have any idea how many people they are impacting with their words. A count of "thumbs up" votes would give them some inkling, at least, and allow readers a chance to express their appreciation and gratitude.
-
- Founder
- Posts: 11589
- Joined: Fri Feb 23, 2007 12:06 pm
- Location: Chicago
- Contact:
Re: What the forum is missing... [ability to upvote posts]
A +1 is not "expressing in words." They also aren't acceptable here, moderators may delete them without notice. The answer is a PM. Quoting myself from an earlier thread on this issue:inky wrote:If everyone replied with a +1 who liked a particular post, the discussions would become clogged with such posts. The upvote button is a nice unobtrusive way to achieve the same objective. Why else would so many major sites have implemented it?gkaplan wrote:Expressing in words speaks louder than clicking on a button. I can't believe this is an issue for people.inky wrote:I have often wished for an upvote button to be able to silently show my appreciation for a particular post. There are so many amazing gems posted here; I wonder if the posters often have any idea how many people they are impacting with their words. A count of "thumbs up" votes would give them some inkling, at least, and allow readers a chance to express their appreciation and gratitude.
Alex Frakt wrote:Actually I'd rather that posts that contain no actual information not be written in the first place. If you find a post to be that exceptional, you can always send the person who wrote it a PM telling them so. I'm sure they'll appreciate it and you won't be wasting the time of the 100s of people who get notice e-mails or click on an updated thread only to find nothing new.SoonerSunDevil wrote:So you'd rather posters who totally agree with a post say "Excellent point JackBogleFan123, I completely agree!" That takes up more bandwith than a +1. Hell, this entire thread is taking up more bandwith than a year's worth of +1 comments.
Re: What the forum is missing... [ability to upvote posts]
Amen to that (is that enough content?).Alex Frakt wrote: The answer is a PM.
I send a PM when I particularly like a post, and sometime I receive the same.
Should I have written +1? No, and I won't now.
- LazyNihilist
- Posts: 1005
- Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2011 8:56 pm
Re: What the forum is missing... [ability to upvote posts]
I also think upvoting/+1'ing a post has to do with the mindset or previous experience of the poster in other forums.
If a poster is used to visiting a forum like reddit where you appreciate good posts by upvoting them, then they would feel doing the same here.
I myself am guilty of +1'ing a few posts here.
Upvotes have their benefits and drawbacks, but ultimately it's up to forum admins to decide which direction they want the discussions to go.
If a poster is used to visiting a forum like reddit where you appreciate good posts by upvoting them, then they would feel doing the same here.
I myself am guilty of +1'ing a few posts here.
Upvotes have their benefits and drawbacks, but ultimately it's up to forum admins to decide which direction they want the discussions to go.
The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must -Thucydides
Re: What the forum is missing... [ability to upvote posts]
http://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/
There's also subreddits on investing, frugality and financial independence. The level of expertise is nowhere near bogleheads though.
There's also subreddits on investing, frugality and financial independence. The level of expertise is nowhere near bogleheads though.
Re: What the forum is missing... [ability to upvote posts]
I thought this article might be of interest. It is not positive on "upvoting"!
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013 ... ng-systems
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013 ... ng-systems
the guardian wrote: 'Herd effect' skews online rating systems, study finds
People's tendency to 'like' what others like online may distort user ratings for comments, articles or products
RIP Mr. Bogle.
Re: What the forum is missing... [ability to upvote posts]
This behavior also applies to investors. See: Behavioral pitfalls, under "Herd behavior"
Investing related comments can be posted here: Wiki - Emotions and Investing (new investors - read this)
Investing related comments can be posted here: Wiki - Emotions and Investing (new investors - read this)
Like button for this site?
[Thread merged into here, see below --admin LadyGeek]
I wish there were a like button on this site, or something akin to Facebook's "Like" button.
A lot of the comments are worth the affirmation, but we can only comment as such. I guess I'm lazy.
And it might be nice to see which comments/posts get likes.
I wish there were a like button on this site, or something akin to Facebook's "Like" button.
A lot of the comments are worth the affirmation, but we can only comment as such. I guess I'm lazy.
And it might be nice to see which comments/posts get likes.
Re: Like button for this site?
Commenting with +1 just adds clutter. I agree this would be a great feature.
Last edited by herbie on Fri Feb 28, 2014 4:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Like button for this site?
Here's a really interesting video on Facebook likes and what the creator calls Facebook Fraud - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVfHeWTKjag
Re: Like button for this site?
I think this has been discussed multiple times and rejected.
I always wanted to be a procrastinator.
Re: Like button for this site?
No please please don't...... A few of us are old enough to remember when M* tried this and it turned a bad idea into a disaster
|
Rob |
Its a dangerous business going out your front door. - J.R.R.Tolkien
Re: Like button for this site?
Welcome,
Your request comes up every so often since the site was opened. By far, most of us would not like a "like".
This is not a social site, this is a site where investment guidance is the primary reason for it's existence.
If you want to make a comment, then do so. We hope you will.
Your request comes up every so often since the site was opened. By far, most of us would not like a "like".
This is not a social site, this is a site where investment guidance is the primary reason for it's existence.
If you want to make a comment, then do so. We hope you will.
Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered you will never grow. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Re: Like button for this site?
Thanks for asking
Personally I "Like" the fact that the is no "Like" button on this site.
Have a productive weekend.
Thanks for reading.
Personally I "Like" the fact that the is no "Like" button on this site.
Have a productive weekend.
Thanks for reading.
~ Member of the Active Retired Force since 2014 ~
Re: Like button for this site?
It has and I'm against it. Never been on facebook and likes/dislikes are too subjective anyway. NOSidney wrote:I think this has been discussed multiple times and rejected.
Desiderata
Re: Like button for this site?
Just because it has failed in one implementation doesn't mean that it can't work. I am active on another forum with a simple "like" and I find it quite useful.rob wrote:No please please don't...... A few of us are old enough to remember when M* tried this and it turned a bad idea into a disaster
Re: Like button for this site?
.....
Last edited by Sheepdog on Fri Feb 28, 2014 4:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered you will never grow. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Re: Like button for this site?
no longer applicable
Last edited by herbie on Fri Feb 28, 2014 10:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Like button for this site?
herbie wrote:Sheepdog wrote:Here is one thread with that question http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=67605
The answer was no, and the conversation was LOCKED
Here is another one http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtop ... 3&t=107329
Once again the answer was no. LadyGeek, a moderator, said this:
This post is incredibly misleading. The first thread you mention was locked because there was a later post. The quote you attribute to Lady Geek is blatantly wrong - only the first line was her.
You are absolutely correct, I did mis read and quote. Please accept my apology.
Jim
Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered you will never grow. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Re: Like button for this site?
I don't think "like" is exactly what people are proposing but, there should be a way to do something like "+1" for the posts that contain information helpful forever...
I think reading the complete thread; all threads returned by search questions is one way - However bogleheads today, have more than 40k members and ever increasing. The number of posts per month continue to rise and index/crawlers can be only...you know algorithms with blind spots.
My 2 cents for constructive thoughts.
I think reading the complete thread; all threads returned by search questions is one way - However bogleheads today, have more than 40k members and ever increasing. The number of posts per month continue to rise and index/crawlers can be only...you know algorithms with blind spots.
My 2 cents for constructive thoughts.
When in doubt, http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=79939
Re: Like button for this site?
Just to be clear on LadyGeek quotes:
http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtop ... 3#p1559453LadyGeek wrote:It's been discussed before, check this thread: I Wish There Was. "Like" Button. The short answer is that there will not be any "like" button in this forum.
-
- Posts: 97
- Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2011 10:16 pm
- Location: Sacramento
Re: Like button for this site?
Please don’t! I think it would trivialize an incredibly useful site. Personally, I had a FB account for 1 week and will likely never forgive myself for it.
- Crimsontide
- Posts: 729
- Joined: Fri Oct 25, 2013 5:32 pm
- Location: DFW Metromess
Re: Like button for this site?
-1Bogle1374 wrote:I wish there were a like button on this site, or something akin to Facebook's "Like" button.
A lot of the comments are worth the affirmation, but we can only comment as such. I guess I'm lazy.
And it might be nice to see which comments/posts get likes.
Re: Like button for this site?
Which is now merged with this thread, in the Forum Issues and Administration forum. My opinion remains- there won't be any "like" button in this forum.richard wrote:Just to be clear on LadyGeek quotes:http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtop ... 3#p1559453LadyGeek wrote:It's been discussed before, check this thread: I Wish There Was. "Like" Button. The short answer is that there will not be any "like" button in this forum.
- schuyler74
- Posts: 236
- Joined: Sat Apr 20, 2013 12:56 am
Re: Like button for this site?
What was this disaster? Multiple references to it, but no details; it sounds fascinating! I'm aware the admins have made it very clear on multiple occasions that such a feature will not be added to these forums, but as I only have experience with systems where it is useful and used often, I'm wondering what the source of the apprehension is.rob wrote:No please please don't...... A few of us are old enough to remember when M* tried this and it turned a bad idea into a disaster
After reading various threads on this topic, it seems that most are fearful that a "+1" or " " or "Like button" option would inevitably devolve into some sort of popularity or ranking system. I'm not sure why this fear exists. Being that it's stored electronically, I suppose the data could be collected and mined to present monthly popularity reports, but for what purpose? Two reasons for providing such an ability are to prevent the time- and space-wasting instances where someone quotes a previous poster and just writes "+1" in response, and also simply to give feedback to a poster on how many viewers appreciated the time they took to create their post. (For example, I appreciate when a poster takes extra time to create and include a chart to illustrate their point.)
Would some posters become jealous that others are getting more "Likes" than they are? LOL, come on bogleheads... 90% of you all extremely rich adults; I don't think you should be worrying about things like who got more +1's than you last month. If you do, then I'll trade some of my self-confidence for your cash and we'll call it even.
#itsNotACompetion
- in_reality
- Posts: 4529
- Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 6:13 am
Re: Like button for this site?
Likes are useless for information. It's too ambiguous.
What did you like? Why? We can't make an investment decision without knowing the reasoning behind it. Ok people tilt small value. That's nice to know. I need to know why.
Ok so someone explains why they tilt small value. It gets liked. But is it liked for the explanation of why they tilted small value or is it liked because the post is written in a clever way - witty and thoughtful.
I do like how stacktrace does a point system where people can vote for useful information and the original poster can select a best answer. That however works because the answers are immediately testable and can be soon verified as correct.
So the 80% of Bogleheads here who don't tilt will always vote for market weighting. And the filters will like tilting. And those who favor cds will like cds.
I don't care about popularity. I care about why the market weighters are market weighters. I care about why CDs and when are favorable or not to bonds.
I don't believe having a like button will reduce my need to actually read what people post and to actually understand if what they are saying has value.
A like system basically works for emotional content. Is that what investing is?
A point system works for things with a more definitive answer. Too many roads to Dublin I say and too many particular circumstances for us to try to tally a score.
What did you like? Why? We can't make an investment decision without knowing the reasoning behind it. Ok people tilt small value. That's nice to know. I need to know why.
Ok so someone explains why they tilt small value. It gets liked. But is it liked for the explanation of why they tilted small value or is it liked because the post is written in a clever way - witty and thoughtful.
I do like how stacktrace does a point system where people can vote for useful information and the original poster can select a best answer. That however works because the answers are immediately testable and can be soon verified as correct.
So the 80% of Bogleheads here who don't tilt will always vote for market weighting. And the filters will like tilting. And those who favor cds will like cds.
I don't care about popularity. I care about why the market weighters are market weighters. I care about why CDs and when are favorable or not to bonds.
I don't believe having a like button will reduce my need to actually read what people post and to actually understand if what they are saying has value.
A like system basically works for emotional content. Is that what investing is?
A point system works for things with a more definitive answer. Too many roads to Dublin I say and too many particular circumstances for us to try to tally a score.
- pennstater2005
- Posts: 2509
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2012 8:50 pm
Re: Like button for this site?
schuyler74 wrote:What was this disaster? Multiple references to it, but no details; it sounds fascinating! I'm aware the admins have made it very clear on multiple occasions that such a feature will not be added to these forums, but as I only have experience with systems where it is useful and used often, I'm wondering what the source of the apprehension is.rob wrote:No please please don't...... A few of us are old enough to remember when M* tried this and it turned a bad idea into a disaster
After reading various threads on this topic, it seems that most are fearful that a "+1" or " " or "Like button" option would inevitably devolve into some sort of popularity or ranking system. I'm not sure why this fear exists. Being that it's stored electronically, I suppose the data could be collected and mined to present monthly popularity reports, but for what purpose? Two reasons for providing such an ability are to prevent the time- and space-wasting instances where someone quotes a previous poster and just writes "+1" in response, and also simply to give feedback to a poster on how many viewers appreciated the time they took to create their post. (For example, I appreciate when a poster takes extra time to create and include a chart to illustrate their point.)
Would some posters become jealous that others are getting more "Likes" than they are? LOL, come on bogleheads... 90% of you all extremely rich adults; I don't think you should be worrying about things like who got more +1's than you last month. If you do, then I'll trade some of my self-confidence for your cash and we'll call it even.
#itsNotACompetion
“If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments.” – Earl Wilson
- schuyler74
- Posts: 236
- Joined: Sat Apr 20, 2013 12:56 am
Re: Like button for this site?
Ha! Thanks for making my point so eloquently, @pennstater2005.pennstater2005 wrote, in response to what schuyler74 wrote:
#Q.E.D.
Re: Like button for this site?
Exactly. It depends on implementation. Rewarding posters with positive feedback will encourage more positive contribution. When a visitor sees a lot of votes on a reply they know that's the one they should pay more attention to.herbie wrote:Just because it has failed in one implementation doesn't mean that it can't work. I am active on another forum with a simple "like" and I find it quite useful.rob wrote:No please please don't...... A few of us are old enough to remember when M* tried this and it turned a bad idea into a disaster
Harry Sit has left the forums.
-
- Posts: 516
- Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2013 5:48 am
Re: Why not add a "like" button to Boglehead posts?
I would love to see this feature added.
"Likes" provide a way to reinforce the really good posts without adding "me too" posts for everyone to wade through. They highlight great ideas in each thread. They keep threads compact and easy-to-read. As a reader, they help me separate the wheat from the chaff, enabling quick skimming a thread for the salient points. They save me time. And I "like" things that save me time.
As an example of this being done well: Milepoint.com (a frequent-flyer forum started by, among others, the same person who founded flyertalk) has a "like" system for posts. Unlike Fatwallet, it rates only posts, not whole threads. And, also unlike fatwallet, it has no "dislike" option - the only feedback is positive. And we don't have many "me too" posts.
I specifically suggest both positive and negative ratings, displaying the sum at the top of each post (fatwallet-style) but not rating threads.
"Likes" provide a way to reinforce the really good posts without adding "me too" posts for everyone to wade through. They highlight great ideas in each thread. They keep threads compact and easy-to-read. As a reader, they help me separate the wheat from the chaff, enabling quick skimming a thread for the salient points. They save me time. And I "like" things that save me time.
As an example of this being done well: Milepoint.com (a frequent-flyer forum started by, among others, the same person who founded flyertalk) has a "like" system for posts. Unlike Fatwallet, it rates only posts, not whole threads. And, also unlike fatwallet, it has no "dislike" option - the only feedback is positive. And we don't have many "me too" posts.
I specifically suggest both positive and negative ratings, displaying the sum at the top of each post (fatwallet-style) but not rating threads.
- climber2020
- Posts: 2708
- Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:06 pm
Re: Why not add a "like" button to Boglehead posts?
What about a "love" button?
Re: Why not add a "like" button to Boglehead posts?
me toogkaplan wrote: (Count me as one not wanting a "like" button. This is an investing forum, not a social forum.)
and, what is facebook?
Don't it always seem to go * That you don't know what you've got * Till it's gone
Re: Why not add a "like" button to Boglehead posts?
"Being popular on Facebook is like sitting at the cool table in the cafeteria of a mental hospital."
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
Best wishes, |
Michael |
|
Invest your time actively and your money passively.
- pennstater2005
- Posts: 2509
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2012 8:50 pm
Re: Why not add a "like" button to Boglehead posts?
This again? I would only go for this if I could "like" my own posts as many times as I wish. That would make me feel really special.
“If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments.” – Earl Wilson
- Mel Lindauer
- Moderator
- Posts: 35782
- Joined: Mon Feb 19, 2007 7:49 pm
- Location: Daytona Beach Shores, Florida
- Contact:
Re: Why not add a "like" button to Boglehead posts?
It's not going to happen. That was clearly stated previously. Nothing's changed so it's still the policy. Don't expect it to change in the future. Resurrecting this thread isn't going to change the outcome.
Best Regards - Mel |
|
Semper Fi
Re: Why not add a "like" button to Boglehead posts?
Mel Lindauer wrote:It's not going to happen. That was clearly stated previously. Nothing's changed so it's still the policy. Don't expect it to change in the future. Resurrecting this thread isn't going to change the outcome.
-
- Posts: 2728
- Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 10:34 pm
Re: Why not add a "like" button to Boglehead posts?
One of the nicest things about this site is that you get to voice your like or dislike in longhand and other people get to respond in-kind with their well thought out informative opinions. Plus there are all those cute smilies that are so much more demonstrative than a simple "like" button. <my favorite!
-
- Posts: 5774
- Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2014 4:47 pm
Re: Why not add a "like" button to Boglehead posts?
It WOULD be useful to have a button that says, roughly, I think this is really right on, this poster really knows where his towel is.LadyGeek wrote:It's been discussed before, check this thread: I Wish There Was. "Like" Button. The short answer is that there will not be any "like" button in this forum.
It would ALSO be handy to have a "totally bogus" button.
Re: Why not add a "like" button to Boglehead posts?
A reputation system? We don't even have a responsive forum. Although I think I read it was weeks away from implementation 10 months ago.
Re: Why not add a "like" button to Boglehead posts?
Mel Lindauer wrote:It's not going to happen. That was clearly stated previously. Nothing's changed so it's still the policy. Don't expect it to change in the future. Resurrecting this thread isn't going to change the outcome.
Gordon
Re: Why not add a "like" button to Boglehead posts?
That was a responsive forum style, which was done when we upgraded the software in May.simmias wrote:A reputation system? We don't even have a responsive forum. Although I think I read it was weeks away from implementation 10 months ago.
What's new and changed in phpBB 3.1
-
- Posts: 4902
- Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2014 3:23 pm
Re: Why not add a "like" button to Boglehead posts?
How about a "Dislike" button then?Mel Lindauer wrote:It's not going to happen. That was clearly stated previously. Nothing's changed so it's still the policy. Don't expect it to change in the future. Resurrecting this thread isn't going to change the outcome.
Someone brought up Milepoint as an example. I am a Milepointer, too, and a long time Flyertalker. And in a previous life I was a moderator of a fairly successful forum that was running this very software, phpBB. I often come here or to Flyertalk from Milepoint and find myself looking for the "Like" button. In my humble opinion, it is the online equivalent of politely nodding in agreement when listening to someone without interrupting the flow of the discussion with cheers of "yes! exactly!" I don't have the historic knowledge of what happened on Morningstar.
For new posters - I guess I qualify as one - it can also serve as assurance that their posts are valued. Do I need it? No. But frankly, it wouldn't hurt.
Then again, this is your sandbox, and we play with your toys or build or our own (not going to happen, of course).
Is there any policy against +1 posts?
-
- Founder
- Posts: 11589
- Joined: Fri Feb 23, 2007 12:06 pm
- Location: Chicago
- Contact:
Re: Why not add a "like" button to Boglehead posts?
It's usually too much trouble to enforce it, but +1 posts are non-actionable and may be deleted by the moderators. Nothing has changed since this 2009 thread The +1 mental disease is spreading (except that I usually try to be nicer when responding these days ):TravelGeek wrote:Is there any policy against +1 posts?
Alex Frakt wrote:Actually I'd rather that posts that contain no actual information not be written in the first place. If you find a post to be that exceptional, you can always send the person who wrote it a PM telling them so. I'm sure they'll appreciate it and you won't be wasting the time of the 100s of people who get notice e-mails or click on an updated thread only to find nothing new.SoonerSunDevil wrote:So you'd rather posters who totally agree with a post say "Excellent point JackBogleFan123, I completely agree!" That takes up more bandwith than a +1. Hell, this entire thread is taking up more bandwith than a year's worth of +1 comments.Alex Frakt wrote:"+1" posts without any additional comments are stupid: they are a waste of bandwidth and people's time. If moderators notice them, they may delete them at their discretion without notice.
Re: Why not add a "like" button to Boglehead posts?
Or you could always just stop being lazy and express your like by adding to the discussion.
Re: Why not add a "like" button to Boglehead posts?
i love how this thread gets resurrected every now and then.
Personally i don't care for the "like" feature. Investing is not about being popular.
Personally i don't care for the "like" feature. Investing is not about being popular.
-
- Founder
- Posts: 11589
- Joined: Fri Feb 23, 2007 12:06 pm
- Location: Chicago
- Contact:
Re: Why not add a "like" button to Boglehead posts?
For the record, I'll compile my previous posts on this topic.
How Community Feedback Shapes User Behavior, Cheng et al, arXiv.org, 6 May 2014
Perhaps someone will someday devise a system that can't be gamed and provides useful information with no drawbacks, so I won't say we'll never have such a thing. But until then I'm not going to inflict a reputation/vote/thumbs system on our users. Aside from the philosophical problem I have with judging posts by their author rather than their content, all such systems are subject to manipulation that makes them of dubious usefulness. Partly because of this, ratings also lead to endless meta-discussions over the ratings themselves, which further decreases the signal-to-noise ratio.
Open ratings systems are too easy to game. A post or thread typically gets very few responses so a small group of dedicated people (or 1 person with multiple accounts) has the ability to hijack any ratings system to fit their particular outlook. We've already experienced attempted "raids" by groups of insurance agents, insurance and software company shills, and commissioned financial products salesmen. Since they have to post to have any effect, we've been able to keep them at bay. I don't want to give them any tools that lets them influence threads here while staying in the shadows. And then there are the homegrown issues. For example, any political posts would receive multiple ratings that would serve only to highlight items that should not be here at all.
I belong to a forum that does this and is much more similar to this forum in terms of length and depth of threads than what is seen on FatWallet. What has happened is that most people never click, presumably because it's not anonymous, and many of those who do have ended up in sort of mutual admiration societies where they automatically uprate each other's posts. Maybe FatWallet's typical thread structure negates or masks this problem, but I believe it could be a real issue here.xerty24 wrote:On FatWallet for example, you can rate both threads and individual posts, and in addition, you can see the list of all users who have rated something either + or -.
The scholarly consensus on this appears to supports my position. The dynamics vary depending on the type of site and type of rating system, but it is now taken as given that these systems lead to distortions in contributor behavior in what I feel are negative ways. For example:It's not going to happen here. I participate in many forums that allow different forms of voting and there are two issues that can not be overcome. The first is that these things are too easily gamed. It's quite common for certain posters or topics to get automatic up or downvotes, regardless of the quality of a particular post. Worse, it also changes the character of the conversation as posters start pandering for up-votes or avoiding posting after a downvote. For most posters, this happens subconsciously, but it absolutely does happen.
How Community Feedback Shapes User Behavior, Cheng et al, arXiv.org, 6 May 2014
Social Influence Bias: A Randomized Experiment, Muchnik et al, Science 9 August 2013Social media systems rely on user feedback and rating mechanisms for personalization, ranking, and content filtering. However, when users evaluate content contributed by fellow users (e.g., by liking a post or voting on a comment), these evaluations create complex social feedback effects. This paper investigates how ratings on a piece of content affect its author's future behavior. By studying four large comment-based news communities, we find that negative feedback leads to significant behavioral changes that are detrimental to the community. Not only do authors of negatively-evaluated content contribute more, but also their future posts are of lower quality, and are perceived by the community as such. Moreover, these authors are more likely to subsequently evaluate their fellow users negatively, percolating these effects through the community. In contrast, positive feedback does not carry similar effects, and neither encourages rewarded authors to write more, nor improves the quality of their posts. Interestingly, the authors that receive no feedback are most likely to leave a community. Furthermore, a structural analysis of the voter network reveals that evaluations polarize the community the most when positive and negative votes are equally split.
In case you are wondering why sites use these tools even if they negatively affect the quality of the content, it is important to to keep in mind that they do tend to increase page views. This is the primary concern of commercial sites, but ranks no higher than third in importance to us (behind providing useful information and fostering our community).Abstract:...Prior ratings created significant bias in individual rating behavior, and positive and negative social influences created asymmetric herding effects. Whereas negative social influence inspired users to correct manipulated ratings, positive social influence increased the likelihood of positive ratings by 32% and created accumulating positive herding that increased final ratings by 25% on average. This positive herding was topic-dependent and affected by whether individuals were viewing the opinions of friends or enemies. A mixture of changing opinion and greater turnout under both manipulations together with a natural tendency to up-vote on the site combined to create the herding effects.