I actually agree. Reputation was fine once the anonymity was lifted. It was such a great way to express a quck encouragement (or "Please stop") without wasting space in the thread. Do the same for ratings!

I imagine we all have our suspicions and they may well not be the same ones that others have.

In my post on the other thread I made it a point not to give the slightest indication of who I imagine to be among the dingers. I have done the same thing here. I could well be wrong.

I truly hope that Randy not only discovers who they are but publicly identifies them as well.

Frankly, I am sick of having all FlyerTalkers pay the price of for the misbehavior of a few. First it was the "reputation" feature which had to be removed. Then it was the signatures. Now people are talking about closing Omni. The thread ratings could well be next on the list.

It is time that instead of getting rid of FlyerTalk features, we get rid of the offending FlyerTalkers.

Can you explain how I could independently come to the same conclusion? While I do communicate with Dovster on occassion, I have never said a word to anyone about my suspicions. Only today in my post above when I discovered I wasn't the only person noticing this did I speak up. Maybe others have and they will also speak up.

As for who is doing it, well, I have my thoughts, but haven't said anything about that either. Randy said he can see it and will be looking. I'm curious to know what he finds out, not that I expect him to say anything publicly.

I agree that it's only about 5 or 6 people - the same number of single stars on some of the threads I've seen.

This isn't any kind of a hunt... several people have noticed what's going on. The last straw was the birthday threads.

If I'm wrong about this I'll gladly retract every word I've said and apologize. I don't think I am - the pattern has been noticable for several months.

Mary

I don't have an iron in this fire. But, I think that it is quite a jump to go from "...the point of the rating threads is to give an indication to others if a thread -- in your opinion -- is particularly worth reading or simply a waste of time..." to stating that the ratings are a condemnation.

My opinion is that mixing an OMNI-type board with the primary reason that the large majority of visitors to the FlyerTalk site was a mistake to begin with. And then that mistake was repeated...sorry Randy.

But that is exactly what happened.

Imagine that you take a stand on a local issue in your town. It is an important issue and subject to a lot of intelligent debate at a town meeting. The next day, an editorial in the newspaper describes the debate as "well thought out by both sides."

That editorial would be the equivalent of a five star rating.

On the other hand, you might take a stand on an issue of no real consequence. Others would make foolish remarks on both sides. The editorial the newspaper would run about it would be the equivalent of a one star rating.

Here, we have a completely different situation. This is the equivalent of you stating your position on some local political issue and having a birthday a few weeks later. Some of the people in your neighborhood wish you a happy birthday where others can hear it. That night, under the cover of darkness, the "others" put up an unsigned poster on the local bulletin board condemning people for wishing you a happy birthday.

Dovster,

I realize that I'm not going to change your opinion, but what I'm hearing you say is that you (or whatever other poster wants to put their two cents in) are defining how the rating system is supposed to work and how people's opinions are defined by this rating system.

I don't agree with your analogy because it assumes that the "editorial" is going to match with your opinion or the vast majority's opinion.

For me, I don't give a flip. It seems that there are always a handful of members here who want to define how posters should use Flyertalk. From my perspective, if I had the time (not that any of us do), I would give almost every OMNI thread a 1-star rating because IMO they don't provide any information that I am utilizing this website for. Others of the same mindset as I am would probably agree with this 1-star rating. However, for individuals that enjoy OMNI, they would definitely disagree with this 1-star rating. I don't believe that a difference of opinion means that either rating is wrong.

As far as the foolishness that is being described here with the happy birthday wishes, it sounds like one group of people has too much time on their hands and probably has a few screws loose if they are getting their jollies from rating happy birthday threads. On the other hand, I don't think that Flyertalk was established to be a children's board (for the most part), just accept the fact that some people don't like other people and that some people just rub other people the wrong way.

OMNI only encourages this type of immature behaviour.

:D

Bigjim, on this point we are in complete agreement. In fact, on the thread which I started about this birthday business, I used a similar expression: they get their virtual jollies by rushing to give one-star ratings to threads.

I plan to. But then again, I'm not the one demanding answers... :rolleyes:

What I find amusing is that every time someone "misbehaves" anywhere on FT, Omni gets the blame. (this is not directed specifically at Bigjim).

FWIW - Every major online community such as FT has a place for off subject posts that don't fit anywhere else. The big difference is that those communities have very strict rules about what is allowed in that off-topic area. FT does not.

The real issues here don't have anything at all to do with Omni.

Mary

Sean, like you, I won't ask any particular FlyerTalker if he (or she) was one of those who participated in this sick little game of one-starring birthday threads.

However, it strikes me that not one of the people who did it has had the courage to stand up here and announce that fact.

Surely, if they participated, they must approve of it -- and even be proud of their participation.

Why not, then, post "Analise has a different political opinion than I do, so she should not have a happy birthday"?

Or is it possible that deep down inside they know that what they did is the work of sick, disturbed, people?

Wasn't that, after all, the reason that a certain group of very intolerant people used to hide their identities under white sheets?

Or maybe they just don't read ORP and don't realise its being discussed? My personal philosophy (formed after years of working for a government ;)) is that cock-up is more likely than conspiracy :D

Jenbel, I guess it is possible that six people, working independently, went to Analise's birthday thread and accidentally gave it a one star rating.

I would not, however, bet money on it.

Sorry I meant that them not owning up to it may not be conspiracy. Should have made that clearer :(

With that, I agree with you. I doubt that their failure to own up to it is the result of a conspiracy. I think it is the result of moral cowardice.