On Thu, Dec 06, 2012 at 05:11:59PM +1100, Walter Bright wrote: > On 12/6/2012 4:47 PM, Jonathan M Davis wrote: > >What's the voting supposed to do? What are you voting on? Whatever it > >is, it can't have any effect beyond those who use the web interface, > >so unless it's specifically something that only affects you account, > >I don't see how it could really work. > > Also, voting systems are easily manipulated and abused. Fixing that > requires, well, a larger investment in thinking about it, human > moderation, etc. > > Doesn't seem worth it, to me. > > I wouldn't underestimate the ongoing effort forums like reddit and > hackernews put into voting systems.
Voting is one of those things that everybody thinks is a good idea. Until it's put into practice, then you realize it needs further refinement. Which adds yet another layer of adjustments, and then you realize that *that* also has its shortcomings, and needs yet another layer of adjustments, ad nauseaum. But nobody ever takes a step back and wonder, why do we even *need* a voting system? What does it mean for a forum post to be rated X, for some value of X? I mean, this isn't a popularity contest here. We're trying to have a technical discussion. It should be the technical merit of a post that establishes its value, not some arbitrary integer that got randomly assigned to it. And frankly, when you're browsing the archive for past discussions on a specific topic, do you even care how many votes it had? What you care for is the meat: the technical points raised in the post itself. The number attached to it holds no meaning whatsoever. T -- The early bird gets the worm. Moral: ewww...
