This is supposed to be a fun, positive pinball website. Focusing on the negative will quickly cause people to move on from Pinside. Just my opinion

Pinside should get rid of the thumbs down all together. Seems antithesis to the positive environment Pinside promotes. If anything I think serial thumbs downers should get a temp ban.

You're headed down my friend...

Really, what's the point? Thumbs down means is you "disagree" with a post. If I say I like apple pie, and you don't, you are free to disagree with my opinion. So a thumbs down can be earned for something as innocent as that. Look how easily you earned a few.

because there are people out there that having the most thumbs down is a badge of honor, why reward being a jerk?

I read that too, seems crazy to take your points because I don't like apple pie.... But that's the system. Only thing I use it for is to award points to people that do great things, or negate someone who gave an undeserved thumbs down.

While I agree with the comment about positivity, I'll offer that if you really want to create the wall of shame you'd list the "most ignored". But I'd still vote against posting it, even though it'd be fun to see how my ignored list compares!

Thanks for suggesting something that could make the site better... However, If you ask me, I'm actually leaning more towards the removal of the thumbs down feature than I am thinking of having a top-x thumb-downed posts/posters on the frontpage.

Pinside is supposed to be a positive pinball forum (as most of us are in this hobby to have FUN and because they LOVE the game and the hobby). And although I know that some negativity or drama is inevitable (and sometimes maybe even needed) I just don't want to focus on that.

I'm all ears for suggestions, especially on how we could decrease negativity and conflict in our growing community!

How about you have a separate board where people can just rip on each other, no holds barred? "The Bangback Sub Forum?"

leave the thumbs down fetaure robin... it serves a purpose...

I like it the way it is as well. Helps me know when I'm getting unruly

Love the holiday spirit of this thread

And by the way, I just gave this thread my first thumbs down ever...and it felt good

Ditto. When someone creates a thread or makes a long-winded post and I see that it has several thumbs down, I don't read it. If you took thumbs down away (which has no negative impact on that post's karma points) then I imagine we would all be wasting a lot of time reading negative posts that do not deserve the attention. In my opinion, because of this very reason, leaving the thumbs down feature is a good way to keep Pinside positive. The negativity gets less attention.

Case in point... this thread, and the countless others with vague titles designed to get click bait.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/yall-aint-gonna-believe-this

Maybe, thumbs down should not remove karma (as it currently does NOT)..But,that being said,
to hold in check those that "post" something so anti... that maybe, every (5) down (from others) removes a bunch of karma points from that poster?

Edit: clarification. currently does NOT.

Maybe an option of blocking certain posters from your threads? This is mostly needed in for sale threads where the same people crap on the sales and derail the threads. An option of blocking certain people from being able to post in your own thread would be great. I can't imagine it would be negative at all, the blocked poster would simply get a message "sorry but you can't post in this thread, now go play some pinball!"

You know...That's not a bad idea!

Quit thumbs downing him, people. He's the Underlord. He feeds on negative energy. And just before Christmas....when he needs it most!

That's called RGP. Although it seems pretty tame these days.

Pinside has the best forum software exchange site that I have ever seen. I recognize the high quality of information, transparency and clarity that exists here. What Pinside does so well is the ease of which we are able to find previous posts, both good and bad, we are all better informed when we are able to express our thoughts and free speech with out restrictions.

However, vulgar and malicious posts, including personal attacks are unacceptable, and should be monitored, with restrictions for people who violate Pinside policies. But I'm not sure that this is what this post is addressing.

The thumbs up or thumbs down is really useful in the huge threads (such as the TBL refund thread)...I for one use the red or green colors when I scan a thread that is too long to read every post...if there is no red or green I dont read it when Im scanning

Does thumbs down remove karma? I thought you just don't get any.

Not "Currently " as I said...well, I could have said that better...I'll fix that..thanks

Thumbs down does not change karma points in any way. We discussed doing away with it before, and the overwhelming response was to keep it as a way to show disapproval/"I disagree." People said they use that as a way to get a point across without having to create another post to verbally disagree, which usually leads to more negativity.

Of course some still abuse the system and stalk people giving every one of their posts a thumbs down, or do it to provoke others. I think the way we have it now is a good balance, but listing the ones with the most thumbs down is not a good idea as some on here relish the attention and purposely post stupid crap to get them.

This entire thread is proposed solutions to a problem that doesn't exist.

Can we all unite and thumbs down OPs first post on this thread.

It would be ironic that he asked for a list with the most down votes and he himself became the one with the most down votes.

I think we need to keep thumbs down. It prevents people from having to spam their strong disagreement with an absurd or offensive position.

That said, we don't want to rank thumbs down either as that would turn it into a competition between the various trolls...

The current system works and should not be changed in my personal opinion.

Yes please do this, then I can be # 1 at something

Like that one topic - Do black people play pinball?

I voted for all three because I could. Thanks!

I'm divided on this subject. You have people who genuinely disagree and people who do it because they're assholes. I'm guilty of both at times, but I'm getting better.

Indeed it does. If anything, it can have a slight impact on self moderation.

I've never understood how/why so many people seem to get so easily butthurt over a simple thumbs down. As has been said a million times before, as seen by hovering your cursor over the thumbs down button, all it means is "I disagree".

I just gave you a thumbs down, not because I disagree with you...
just wondered if your butt hurt because of that.
Test..this is only a test.

It is safe to say that I passed the test with flying colors!

When you ignore someone, they can still up- and downvote you.

That is something that needs a change. If someone choses to not have to deal with a guy, then they should not be able to vote on any of your posts.

I'd rather see karma and the thumb up and down parts go away and to be replaced by ifpa rank and time someone's been a member. I'd put more faith in that when talking pinball related things (the non drama stuff like tactics, strategy, tech, etc). I actually think some of this is driving the problem here as people are fishing for thumbs up and karma points.

Not going to go over as too many people are not ranked, enjoy their privacy. Plus I don't know if you could link those 2 together. PLus tech ability has nothing to do with ranking.

it is a good thing that my tech ability outstrips my playing ability, otherwise i'd be screwed...

The little blue box next to your karma count is how many years someone has been a member. Hover your mouse over it and will tell you approx when they joined.

yup. rather than me quoting a post to tell someone i disagree with them, and potentially causing a thread to devolve, i just hit the "thumbs down"....

i too don't understand why the butthurt comes in... i don't expect everyone to agree with me (even if they SHOULD! )...

while i agree that pinside should be (and realistically, compared to many other forums, is) a friendly place, i also don't think it really does anyone any good if we are all just blowing sunshine up each others asses...

Yeah, I know that. Thanks though.

should be easy enough to link for those that would want it. I understand player skill and tech skill are not a 1 to 1 ratio but neither is karma score and tech or player skill. I'd rather hear someone speak that is ranked 2000 than someone with 5 million points due to smart-ass comments and breast post.

realistically, I think we would all be better off without any "scoring" system.

I agreed with your earlier post, but I disagree with this one.

Thanks, pinside thumbs up / thumbs down system!

edit:

Tried to edit, double posted.

Thanks, White Russian!!!(and Stoli)

IMG_20141224_134019.jpg

What is a thumbs down?

It's what I just gave you.

Thank you! I'll put it in the bank..

Looks like I should be having x-mas at your house.