Comment Ratings

By popular demand, we’ve altered the comment rating system such that comments that receive very poor marks continue to be color coded but are no longer “hidden” and thus requiring an additional click to view. For the most part, the old system achieved what I hoped it would: signal to readers which comments were outside the acceptable bounds of the debate in the OTB community. It occasionally got abused–although almost always when a lot of outside traffic came to the post from another major blog–but it was rare, indeed, that a cogent comment was downgraded so often that it was hidden from view. By removing that option, commenters still see when their contribution is unwelcome but the comment itself remains for all to judge.

FILED UNDER: Blogosphere, OTB History
James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. The comment hiding was CLEARLY Obushma’s fault!

  2. Al says:

    Cool! Stormy’s got the first (and therefore most down voted to see what happens) post!

  3. @Al:

    That was kind of my intent. I want to set the record!

  4. ernieyeball says:

    Not that I ever thought it was much of an ordeal to click yet one more time to reveal a hidden comment, this change will remove the opportunity for some posters to cry victim!

    And that’s why I don’t like the “thumbs down” option here leading to the hiding of unpopular comments. It’s like the authors here are allowing a bit of “mob rule” to impose their own form of orthodoxy.

  5. Tillman says:

    Now I’m conflicted. Do I rate it up ’cause I like it and find it helpful, or do I rate it down to see what happens?

  6. mattb says:

    @Tillman: @Stormy Dragon’s already volunteered to be our guinea pig.

    Beyond all of that, big THUMBS UP to JJ and co for making this change.

  7. G.A. says:

    Hippies use the red button………….

  8. john personna says:

    FWIW, I was down on ratings before they were introduced, but came to like them. They seem mosly fair to me, and even were in the like/dislike days. I still prefer the old labels, because we do all just get “dislike” down-votes each day. Truth in advertising.

    There was one poster who seemed a bit full of himself, and probably believed that his personal guarantee on each issue was sufficient. In that case down-votes to oblivion should have been an education.

    Building a case really is a stronger way to comment than to just say “I know, because I’m me, and you should all just listen!”

  9. An Interested Party says:

    There was one poster who seemed a bit full of himself, and probably believed that his personal guarantee on each issue was sufficient. In that case down-votes to oblivion should have been an education.

    Exactly right, but obviously that person thinks that he is educated enough…little does he know…

  10. Neil Hudelson says:

    In this thread, I have given a thumbs down to every comment I like in celebration of this new policy. You are welcome Stormy D and G.A. 🙂

  11. rodney dill says:

    @Stormy :

    Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.

    I can’t reply any more, but the comment gets hidden. Back to the old IT workshop.

  12. Hoyticus says:

    @john personna: Are you referring to our resident Romanov who claims to be a professional in many fields? Also, the only time I had my comment hidden was when I criticized Prof. Reynolds Manichean “Makers Vs. Takers” articles what was simplistic/awful.

  13. Hey Norm says:

    I’d still trade the whole deal for an EDIT button.

  14. Tillman says:

    Frankly, we’re doing this backwards. We should be hiding the good, substantive comments so people can skip to them.

  15. G.A. says:

    I’d still trade the whole deal for an EDIT button.

    I like the Facebook one where you can remove the stupid crap that one writes before to many people see it:)

    @only for your own crap at OTB……..

    But hey, I don’t mind apologizing…it helps me to rethink a lot of things and slows my juggernautish A$$aholic momentum…but sometimes it does make me feel double alone around here…

  16. ernieyeball says:

    @Neil Hudelson: So did you give a thumbs up to the bad posts or no vote at all?

  17. ernieyeball says:

    @G.A.: If you are lonely here there’s got to be a site you can love. As Homer Simpson said “It’s only the internet, how many pages can there be?”

  18. Should be fixed now!