How To Make A Great Forum Better

One of the things I notice is, that while there is a lot of GREAT information here, there's also a lot of superfluous entries (and that's ok too, some are community and connection building, some are venting, some are humorous, it keeps the forum lively and inviting).

BUT (now to negate everything I just said) there are a couple of things I think the site could really benefit from.
On another technical forum I participate in, they have a "helpful tip" button on posts that lets the poster know their advise was useful, and lets others know this is where the "meat" of the thread is. It would be great if this could be implemented here.

Conversely, there is a "red flag" button that lets moderators and admins know that something is inappropriate. That may just be posted in wrong topic, or it could be someone's just spamming the forum (or is saying something that is inflammatory or worse).

These two features help the community "self police", and is a BIG help to moderators (especially the red flag option) for posts that need a little extra attention, and do those seeking the useful posts.
PLEASE PLEASE as a Big Contributor, PLEASE consider these. They make the community work so much better.

I certainly hope this forum does not "devolve" into something like the other forum.

I second the first idea, but I think we already have the "red flag" button - right bottom of every post, called "send note to staff".
It works, I have used it to report Spam

Peter

Please leave it alone. Please.

'
What rogdcam said.

"Self policing" means that each person polices themself. It does not mean other people policing them with red buttons, red flags, or red anything. That would be the exact opposite of self-policing. The advantages you describe sound unconvincing to me.

The first would allow people to point out which posts they found useful, but in doing so they would also be noting which they found not useful. Why do that to other people? In any case, we can all read quickly or skim to find what we need to know without giving stars or medals to comments we liked more than others -- for whatever reason, bad or good.

The second suggestion I find a bit creepy.

As a former teacher, I'm always leery of any system to celebrate the best and the brightest people at the expense of the others, and I certainly would never be in favor of a system that allows people to "red flag" people or comments they dislike. I know this is well-intentioned, but it smacks of a weird kind of policing, to use your own word, that would stifle comments rather than encourage them.

Sorry Classic...have to continue the seemingly unanimous opinion that these things should not be done here.

Certainly things can always be improved. Yet I don't feel either of your suggestions - once of which already exists? - would be improvements.

Don't know what other forum you're talking about - guessing it isn't stamps? But compared to all of the other stamp forums, this one - without question - works best.

Let's not fix what 'aint broken...

Tricky stuff, this self-policing. Here, I could get away with with belabouring myself with a truncheon, whereas in the US, I suppose I'd have to shoot myself.

Cuts down on posting by at least 20%. People just hit like and don't feel the need to post something and posting is the heart of any community. Will never happen here, this is not Facebook.




Already there and has been since our beginning.

I would add that I do not agree with making it 'easy' to self-police. My opinion is that the ease of a simple click allows people to react without thinking; the current solution (Note To Staff) requires people to think. Thinking is good, lazy is bad.
Don

I wish I had not used the words "Self Police" now... that seems to be what everyone has grabbed onto.
I think the "Send note to staff" button helps to solve that issue, particularly around stuff that's not so good.
So we have that solved.

The second part isn't about "Like", and you may notice I didn't suggest such terminology at all.
The intention of "Something useful" in a thread is to quickly find the stuff that was useful. To be honest, these kinds of "useful" flags are only planted after the discussion has really run it's course. It also serves to provide some feedback (particularly from the OP) that their question was answered. Some threads linger without answers...

When implemented this way it doesn't just become a "Like", and what's the point of jumping in with a "Me too" post instead, that just floods up the thread with people who feel like they have to contribute because they're trying to reach their 50 post minimum (which I have to say, also think is a bad idea...).