Originally Posted by
Flyertall
1. The people who oppose the like button are so vociferous in their stated objections, it is difficult to gauge from reading this thread what the general community of Flyertalker's would prefer based solely on reading this thread.
2. The poll, last I checked, suggests a 54-43 majority in favor of some type of Like button, yet a few active posters here seemingly stand guard over the discussion's progress, on alert with shoe already in hand, ready to smash any cockroach of an idea in favor that dares to venture out on the forum floor.
3. These ever active voices of dissent are reason enough not to incorporate any kind of like button here, because the costs in moderator and Talkboard time to administer the system, and adjust and adjudicate the sure to be found faults with what ever system is ultimately devised, is just not worth it. Yes, as one person posted a month or so ago, giving up on the idea can be considered as caving in to being bullied, but there is a bigger picture:
4. I'd rather the moderators devote their time to parsing out tangents from wandering threads, creating new threads from the removed remnants in order to preserve the information posted, while making it findable to others in the future by moving it to a forum where the topic can be expected to be found. This happened to some topics I participated in a while back, and I was quite impressed at that level of forum horticulture.
5. It takes time, effort and dedication to cultivate a high level of usability in an open forum with as broad of a scope as FT, and I'd rather see these Herculean efforts the moderators make to keep it all together devoted toward managing content, rather than managing the feelings of those who are fearful of a Like system.
5. In most forums I've participated in where a Like system is implemented, it is simply done and it is no big deal. Nothing like the federal case the decision has evolved to here at FT, apparently over many YEARS, as long time FT'ers have noted. The idea of "gaming" a Like system? It just doesn't come up. Period. There is more to life!
6. Here on FT however, any kind of Like system appears doomed to be a black hole sucking away moderator and Talkboard brain time from other duties that make FT the vanguard of airline travel forums. For example, the ongoing editing of the Wiki's at the top of many topic threads to incorporate new information as presented and subsequently vetted by other users in the relevant discussions. That is really cool. I don't see that very much in other forums. And I imagine that it takes a lot of time to keep the topic wiki's updated like that.
7.At this point in the discussion, I think the distraction of trying to find a consensus on a Like system is not worth the benefit. Part of me simply can't believe that policing a Like count is such a big deal to some. On the other hand, FT has many other mechanisms to manage and highlight good content (two of which were cited in this post) that require moderator attention in order to work. I'd rather see the moderator's focus remain on the good job they have already been doing in those regards.
1. BS. Both pro & con's are allowed to express their opinion. To imply that both FTers & TB members can't read & understand both is simply BS & a disservice to both.
2. The poll was actually much against until a week ago, when in a 48 hr period it switched, and then since then the poll has basically stayed the same. It's not the norm for polls to move one way or another that fast & that much (true re: whichever direction it goes). The poll is also open for another 2 weeks.
More importantly you evidently missed where this was brought up ago last year & it had 50/50 support & died a year until a TB member decided to make it his platform & bumped it up & it still was 50/50 & quite frankly even a bit ahead now is not an overwhelming platform.
Most ideas that have lukewarm or split support don't normally move forward - especially (and this is critical to this particular issue) -
when so many questions & concerns don't have answers.
And you're new to FT, so I'm guessing you don't realize that TB members also read the threads for pros/cons & not just polls. They don't just base it all on 1 thing. I served on TB for 4 years & have total faith in current TB members that they review everything (whether it's this issue or another).
3. Your # 3 doesn't make sense in any universe. TB just approves (or doesn't) any idea. The CD & IB decide the final yes/no & mods (normally) have input on how everything works. But if it does get implemented, then it's not really a mod issue. After all it's just a like button.
4. The mods already do that.
5. They already do that & your fearful comment is (IMO) just stoo-pid. No one is fearful of a like button.
But not to point out the obvious you've been on FT for 6 weeks & others have been on for many years & have experience you don't. So when they say they've experienced people gaming things, it means that's happened. You can do all the kumbaya all you want, it doesn't mean it didn't happen & won't happen again.
6. Wikis ARE cool - and can be edited by anyone & are a great tool. It doesn't require much attention by FTers, mods, IB or the CD.
7. Hallejuiah to your first sentence. Let me phrase this another way (IMO).
It's a problem searching for a solution. There's not a huge clamoring for it by FTers. It was dormant for a year until a TB member who really wants to see it happen bumped it up.
And let me close by quoting
YOU 8 days ago "That all being said, after being a resident on FT for going on two months now, I no longer believe a like system of any kind should be introduced on this forum"
Cheers.