What you are doing when you recommend a thread? Intention versus consequences.

[Boojatta]

Suppose that the author of a thread chooses a secret multiplication factor to be associated with the thread. It could be changed for as long as the Original Post can be edited. When the Original Post can no longer be edited, the secret factor could not be changed.

For example, one could have a "fund" of factors available such as: 17/9, 16/10, 15/11, 14/12, 12/14, 11/15, 10/16, 9/17, and ten copies of 13/13.

The software could secretly multiply the number of recommendations by the chosen factor. If the result is larger than 5, then the thread automatically goes to the Greatest Page.

If you run out of factors or if the product of the factors that you used up is less than or equal to one, then you have the option of erasing what remains of your fund of factors and getting a brand new fund consisting of the same assortment of factors.

[lonestarnot]

1. And I choose a secret munchie factor

:popcorn: but shhhh it's a seeeeecrit!

[scarletwoman]

3. Do you know what the hell the OP is talking about? 'Cuz I sure don't...

:eyes:

[lonestarnot]

4. vote theiv'n machinery, my guess.

[scarletwoman]

5. Vote thievin' for recommend votes on DU threads? Nope, still doesn't make any sense.

Are people THAT hard up for fame and glory on DU?

[Boojatta]

9. Is it particularly hard to consider alternatives to the traditional system?

If you read carefully, you will observe that the system is balanced. You get the option of making it easier than it traditionally has been for one of your threads to get to the Greatest Page. You also get the option of making it much more difficult than it traditionally has been for one of your threads to get to the Greatest Page. As always, people have the option of ignoring a thread or starting an alternative thread. So the power of the thread creator to set the thread trigger point is no burden on others.

[Boojatta]

6. I suppose that I could simplify the proposal and avoid arithmetic.

You get a fund of Greatest Page "Trigger points."

For example, the initial assortment always consists of: 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 15, 20, 25, and an unlimited number of copies of the number 5.

Now, you only get a brand new collection of that same assortment when you've used up everything except for the 5s (which can't be used up because there's a bottomless cup of them).

Nobody but you knows the trigger point for a given thread that you started. So a single recommendation (if someone has enough boldness to give it) might put your thread onto the Greatest Page.

However, no longer would people assume that they can put a thread onto the Greatest Page by simply recommending a thread that already has four votes. A thread might need 25 votes to get there. No longer is there a big popularity contest to get lots of votes above 5. Suddenly a given thread may require more than five votes to get to the Greatest Page.

[scarletwoman]

8. Nope. Still have no idea what you're talking about, sorry. (nt)

[lonestarnot]

10. LOL

Reommendations, greatest page fever. He'll be OK.

[salin]

11. I think s/he is proposing a randomizer

on DU per the number of recommendations needed to get a thread onto the greatest page instead of the standard five recs. That each new thread would have a secret number of recs required to go to the greatest page.

That said - its a silly idea.

[Boojatta]

12. The thread creator chooses the multiplicative factor or trigger point.

Where did you read a word that hinted at "random"?

[salin]

15. That just makes the whole thing sillier

what i took from one of your other posts was that if people didn't know what it would take to get a thread up on the greatest page then it would make less of a popularity contest - thus I took that not knowing to include the OP poster - thus infered randomizer.

The whole exercise, imo, is both hard to follow and sounds ridiculous.

[Boojatta]

16. "thus I took that not knowing to include the OP poster"

Okay, but in this proposal it remains a fact that the thread creator cannot recommend the thread. Therefore, the people who recommend the thread are people other than the thread creator.

There is an obvious possibility of bias that provides a good reason for the thread creator to not be able to recommend it.

In a real election, you don't know whether or not you will cast the deciding vote. Is that silly? Should the voting booth include an electronic voting machine and an electronic display that shows the voting totals? Then it would be safe to jump on a bandwagon. You wouldn't have to be afraid that you made an unpopular choice such as for Nixon's Democratic opponent.

[Boojatta]

13. Note: there's a secret ballot, not a random ballot.

Unless you happen to vote by flipping a coin.

[Boojatta]

14. I agree that a random trigger point or random multiplicative factor...

is a silly idea. If it were my idea, then I would retract it. Given that it's not my idea, I'm not sure what you want me to do.

[AlCzervik]

2. kicked but not rec'd.

[Solly Mack]

7. Recommend Lotto!!

Always keep them guessing

[Buns_of_Fire]

17. It might be easier just to bribe everyone.

My recommendation is up for grabs. Make an offer.

[Boojatta]

18. I would offer to read your DU Journal, but I don't see an icon for it.