headingwest

I somehow missed this, so thanks for the reminder.

I think it's a good idea and have voted in favour. It could be particularly useful in indicating how helpful a thread is even when members don't see the need to comment or simply don't have time.

Incidentally, after posting on a few other boards on Flyertalk I have come to realise how fantastic the BA board is. The input and interaction between members here is top notch and extremely helpful. Plus a few members here really do put a lot of time and effort into making it what it is, and from me it's really appreciated. ^ I couldn't believe that even the AA board seems to lack the humour and energy that we all witness here.

Flexible preferences

Well the tables have well and truly turned since I voted!

LondonElite

Yes, I was a bit surprised at the current standings.

T8191

Voter turnout is rather low! Regardless of the shading of opinion, it's really not conclusive and in my mind argues for maintaining the status quo

CMK10

This is a problem we on TalkBoard have to face. Very few people are active in our public forum and even fewer actually vote for TalkBoard members. It makes it hard to gauge sitewide interest at times.

uk1

I remain unclear as to whether the poll is input or the decider.

A viable and realistic interpretation of the results and the complete lack of interest and participation is that the majority of FT'ers aren't bothered to see a like button and any change.

nsx

It's input, especially since we are pretty far from a detailed specification of how and in which forums reader feedback would work.

I regard the poll as a gauge of member sentiment. If the result had been strongly in favor or strongly opposed, that would have surprised me and caused me to increase or decrease my efforts to find the best version for a trial run.

CMK10

I agree with my esteemed colleague here. I remain on the fence about the like issue and the poll as well as comments in this thread and in the public thread are all pieces that will help me make my eventual mind for the vote.

SkiAdcock

Bumping this up as the poll is open until Sat morning. If you're opposed or in favor, please vote in the poll. Also, if you have thoughts pro/con, please post them as TB members will be reading both comments and the poll.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/talkb...ke-button.html

Cheers.

SkiAdcock

Wow - this forum is busy. Had to go back 5 pages to find this thread!

I created a wiki from the posts in the thread in TB. Again, if you haven't voted yet in the poll or if you have some input you want to provide, click on the link in the post just above this.

"Some FTers are supportive of like/helpful button. Some are not. Some on both sides of the issue have questions, concerns and/or need more info. This wiki attempts to highlight them in bullet format/"cliff notes" version from the 566 posts in this thread. More detailed information regarding the pros/cons/questions/concerns/info can be garnered by reading the entire thread, where FTers on both sides of the like/helpful button have been eloquent/provided valuable input.

Pros:
* Makes Flyertalk more modern/more like Facebook
* A like/helpful button would minimize unnecessary replies such as +1.
* Streamlines posts
* Positive feedback incentivizes quality content/FTers will post more
* Some people won’t take time to write a thank you but will post a like
* Those with more likes/helpfuls are considered knowledgable

Cons:
* Makes Flyertalk more like Facebook/dumbs it down
* FT had rating system here years ago and it did not go well
* System can be gamed/cliques develop
* Clutters up posts/takes up valuable screen space
* Will not eliminate +1s/+1s also provide positive feedback
* Posts that have inaccurate info can also get likes/doesn't mean poster is knowledgable
* If FTers post info & it doesn't get likes/helpfuls, less incentive to post more
* Some who might have posted info in the past will now just post like, so less information provided to other FTers.

Questions, concerns about how it will work, and/or information based on brief internal trial already done
* If implemented, can FTers who prefer not to utilize the like/helpful button turn it off so that they don't see it?
* Is there a software way to separate likes of posts from posters? (Limited trial indicates no; don't know if software can be changed to do so)
* Can a post/day count be implemented before implementing for FTers, similar Omni/CC? (Yes)
* Can certain forums have it turned off such as Omni? (No, current software is it's either all forums or none)
* If a sitewide trial is created, what are the metrics for success or failure?
* What is the goal of this/how will the data be used?
* If customization of current software is required, will this take away from development on other projects such as a better mobile app?
* Will or can there be a dislike/unhelpful button?
* What happens if a post that is "liked" gets its content edited and ends up having a different meaning than it initially had at the time the post was "liked"?
* Can threads or individual posts deemed helpful be bookmarked/saved?"

uk1

Whilst I agree that the comments are useful input to support the development of arguments for and against, the poll itself does not provide in anyway an objective gauge of member sentiment except that there is very clearly not an appetite whatsoever for change amongst the very vast majority of FT'ers.

Only 600 participated put of (as I understand it) 600,000 members. 99.9% aren't fussed.

The numbers imply "leave well alone".

Prospero

My own thoughts:

In favour

• posts marked by the community as helpful could assist others with the task of identifying valuable content for inclusion in wikiposts and other resource threads
• potentially declutters busy threads - reduction of duplicate comments etc. We've discussed several big issues in this forum in recent months. New short haul cabins springs immediately to mind and I'll admit even though I'm travelling regularly on short haul and have still to set foot in the new A319, I lost the will to engage in the discussion long ago. If this tool can reduce the tedium of reading the same points recycling over and over, then it can only be good.

Downsides

• the user feedback plug-in selected by Internet Brands for last month's short trial lacked elegance IMHO. However that's not say this was the only plug-in available. There are plenty of forums with user feedback enabled that avoid over dominant "like" tags

Other thoughts

• I'm not convinced by claims that the user feedback tool will be gamed. As far as I have read there's no benefit to be gained by using the tool insincerely.
• if adopted, my preference is for universal adoption. No forum opt outs. We trust members to post responsibly so the same goes for providing user feedback to posts
• im not convinced that the tool will create or encourage cliquey behaviour although it may highlight existing cliquey behaviour
• personally, I believe this function should be given a proper trial run. It works on other bulletin boards, we have Internet Brands support and experience to guide us through this process

T8191

I remain fascinated by the ongoing perception of 'cliques'.

Perhaps I'm just old and dim, but the sensation I get is of a BAEC community, at all levels. OK, some of us [like me] are more verbose. Some are a bit acerbic at times [redacted] But I just don't register any 'clique-ness' here - just familiar posters sometimes posting at each other, whilst at the same time engaging with the rest of the community. What am I missing? I'm sure the Mods have a greater overview than us common mortals, with their access to additional "tools", but is/are there really a clique[s]?

If there's a clique with benefits, how do I get to join it? Or am I in one already, but nobody sent me my membership card?

Prospero

i think the reason some mention the presence of cliques is perhaps because they somehow feel excluded or an outsider. I'd say that 99.9% of the content I read here are individual thoughts. Views will converge just as they diverge.

uk1

I originally used the word clique, and with the benfit of hindsight I regret it because it wasn't an accurate description of exactly what I meant.

As Garrison Keillor might have said if he was an FT'er, all the people posting on FT are more intelligent than average .... however ...

I simply meant that in other places I have seen such things, it seems to work some of the time in the way intended, but an unintended by-product is that it seems to morph into a mutual support system where people start supporting the people posting rather than the posts's content. There are then "return favours" and "mutual support" starts. The patterns do start to become clear over time that certain people will always vote for the same people, and this facility in my view makes that natural but currently unmechanised tendency, worst and polarises it. It becomes more a tool of mutual poster support than of support of individual posts. It becomes a pointless distraction that adds an unwanted and unintended consequence. Not a clique ... that is too strong a description, but something not completely unrelated.

Of course, many of us genuinely feel we are poster blind ... nevertheless many of the same people, myself included, would also claim they can read many posts and know who likely wrote it before checking the name.