The unrec feature is simply a tool to keep divergent opinions off the greatest page

[FLAprogressive]

It's as simple as that.

The Chris Crockers who have been complaining about objective criticism of the president now have their wish. Welcome to OU.

[FiveGoodMen]

1. Agreed.

[POAS]

2. Rec but disagree

[Oregone]

3. For the most part today, this seems to be repressing the Chris Crockers

(and Ive posted his pic within the last hour with an unrec :) )

[Mojambo]

4. I don't think that was Skinner's intention, but that certainly will be the result.

It's unfortunate, but perhaps it can be modified into something better over time.

I think placing weekly limits on both recommends and unrecommends is an idea with some merit.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. In the same way that the rec feature is simply a tool to keep convergent opinions on the greatest pa

"The Chris Crockers who have been complaining about objective criticism of the president now have their wish."

The Perry Logans who've been lauding the virtues of open criticism now have their comeuppance.

[FLAprogressive]

8. LEAVE BARACK ALONE!!!!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

9. LEAVE OBAMA HATERS ALONE!!!

This is all going over your head, isn't it?

[FLAprogressive]

13. sit and spin

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

Stop trying silence my dissent!

I'm a patriot and I'm exercising my free speech!

:rofl:

[Luminous Animal]

6. Agreed, as well and K&R

I wonder how many people will publicly admit to unreccing a post.

[leftstreet]

7. In Before The Un-recommend!

K&R

[FLAprogressive]

11. herrre they come.

and now you're givin' me....givin' me....nothin but DLC...DLC

[Laelth]

10. Agreed.

It will do exactly what it's supposed to do. It will squelch controversial threads.

The Greatest Page will become very boring.

I think this is a terrible idea, but that's just my opinion.

:dem:

-Laelth

[FLAprogressive]

17. welcome to OU....

[Bobbie Jo]

12. Dupe

Unrec

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

14. It's also a way to keep knee-jerk, craptastic threads off as well.

2 steps forward...

[lamp_shade]

27. +1 (wish I could recommend your reply)

[islandmkl]

15. there is an old question about democracy:

why can you only vote 'YES'?...what if there were 'YES' and 'NO' votes tallied?...would maybe that not reflect more accurately the will of the people?

on edit: for the challenged: conceive a ballot with:

Barack Obama < > YES < > NO

John McCain < > YES < > NO

count all the yes' and no's and do the math...

[AllentownJake]

16. On the other side

It keeps un-necessary cheerleading off there as well.

[FLAprogressive]

18. not necessarily.

[AllentownJake]

21. I don't know

I've used it about 12 times today. It feels good. :evilgrin:

[SpartanDem]

26. How so?

Seems to me that now that threads will reflect the true feeling of board.

[cali]

19. what a crock of PI bullshit.

and no I didn't unrec your silly paranoid thread. I

[The Magistrate]

20. This Is Awfully Silly, Sir...

The previous 'recommend' feature gave a voice only to people who liked something; now those who do not like it have a voice also. Under the earlier system, a quite small clique could readily push its views onto the Greatest listings, even if most people who saw the items were moved to wince at the sight of them. Now, that wince can be registered. What you are complaining about is the end of a system that worked to provide disproportionate representation on the Greatest listings for imflammatory and divisive comments.

[FLAprogressive]

23. aw....the wittle cheerleaders winced so they whined to Skinner.

[cali]

28. pathetic, dear. not surprising, but pathetic.

[AllentownJake]

24. Agreed

There is about a 10% group who will get angry at anything negative a 10% group who will get angry about anything positive and the rest of us fall somewhere in the 80%

This keeps the 10% from pushing something as popular.

[The Magistrate]

25. Exactly, Sir

The reason the various 'ten percents' are squawking in this case is that they enjoyed the appearance of being more substantial an influence than they actually are, and understand that cheering fiction is going away. They are going to have to confront now the fact they speak for no one but themselves, and most cases to no one but themselves.

[TexasObserver]

47. "They are going to have to confront now the fact they speak for no one but themselves,

... and most cases to no one but themselves."

Nailed it!

Their anger is palpable. People who have become accustomed to the ego-feed of seeing their thread on the greatest page with a dozen recommends are now getting a dose of REAL feedback, and they do not like it.

One poster, one vote. What could be more DEMOCRATIC?

[Laelth]

29. You are absolutely right in your description of what the new system will do.

Under it, few, if any, of my threads would have ever made it to the Greatest Page. I don't author many OPs, but when I do I issue a challenge to my liberal friends, usually calling to their better natures and asking them to be the liberals they claim to be.

Remember these threads?

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Laelth/28 (96 votes)

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Laelth/22 (79 votes)

They would have never made it to the greatest page under this system. Too controversial. Too challenging. They probably would have been ignored because they wouldn't have been seen by nearly as many people. In other words, dissenting opinions (that are supported by a large minority--look at all those votes) will be squelched. The greatest page will become very boring.

Is that what we want?

:dem:

-Laelth

[The Magistrate]

30. If You Say So, Sir....

The one dating to the primary season seems pretty routine to me: that sort of thing was a dime a dozen then.

Personally, it would probably be possible for me to name something that engaged my interest less than the late Mr. Jackson, but it would take a moment's thought to bring them to mind.

[Laelth]

32. You don't think Hillary supporters would have un-rec'd the second thread to oblivion?

I do, and I am certain the MJ haters would have un-rec'd the first thread out of existence.

DU would have lost (and missed) two very interesting discussions.

But, to each one's own. I suppose lots of people don't want to read controversial threads. Without them, DU might as well be a news feed.

:dem:

-Laelth

[The Magistrate]

33. You Over-Rate The Greatest Listings, Sir

The imflammatory titles and content would have netted some numerous response. The primaries were one extended wrangle, with the same players appearing on every thread to say more or less the same things; it is hard to see anything being lost if they did not cluster at one particular point rather than another. And that leaves aside the questions of whether anything worth reading was ever said on the subject here in that mad season....

[Laelth]

34. I think threads on the greatest page get a lot more exposure ...

... and are read by a lot more people.

I don't, generally, spend my time crafting an OP unless I want to have it read by a lot of people.

But perhaps you're right about how this will work out. We'll see.

But I predict that my threads will be unpopular (even though my views will often be shared by a significant minority). After a while, because my threads are always unpopular, people might just begin to ignore them all, regardless of what I might have to say.

Or, perhaps I will start crafting threads that I believe will be popular. How boring will that be? I can hardly wait.

:)

Thanks for the responses.

:dem:

-Laelth

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

35. Sounds like you're arguing in favor of the unrec to me.

One thread's fluff, the other's shit.

Neither deserve greatest thread status.

[Laelth]

36. Thank you for your kind opinion.

A significant minority disagreed with you (as you can see by the recommendations those threads got). Do we want that significant minority to have a presence on the greatest page or not? If not, the current system (with unrecs) will work, but if you want controversial topics that generate significant discussion on the greatest page, the old system (without unrecs) is better.

:dem:

-Laelth

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

39. I'm of the old-fashioned notion...

that the significant majority overrules the significant minority.

[Laelth]

42. I'm of the old-fashioned notion ...

.. that the weak must be protected from the strong, and that the speech of the minority must be protected from censorship by the majority (as was, of course, the purpose of the 1st Amendment).

Obviously, both points of view have merit.

:dem:

-Laelth

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

46. That's not an old fashioned notion.

That's a loony misinterpretation of an old fashioned notion.

[Laelth]

48. You are one of the most pompous people I have ever encountered online.

Ignore earned.

:dem:

-Laelth

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

50. I thought you just said you were against censorship.

:shrug:

[Tan Gent]

56. The First Amendment has absolutely nothing to do with private conversations.

If they told that in "law school", you really should sue for a refund.

[Laelth]

58. DU is not the government.

Therefore, DU can not violate the 1st Amendment. However, I can still defend the voice of the minority, even on DU, and that is exactly what I am doing. I can still defend the weak from the strong, and I am doing that too. I can still resist the tyranny of the majority, and I still feel that it is right to do so.

:dem:

-Laelth

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

60. You're defending the minority? The weak from the strong? God bless you, Laelth.

[anigbrowl]

62. .

:spray:

[Warren Stupidity]

53. Hmmm,,, wasn't GDP banned entirely from the GP

during the primary season knife-fight?

Or did I just imagine that?

[TexasObserver]

44. Yes, it is silly, for the reasons you state.

Finally, we have a vote to let people know a thread doesn't warrant reading. Because a person can register their opinion by such unrecommending, all those clique driven "greatest" threads are getting buried in a sea of disapproval.

[Warren Stupidity]

52. yeah but it sure is fun to pretend otherwise

The greatest page is now filled with stuff I actually want to read, with the exception of those posts that are about this recent turmoil. The turmoil will die down and the GP will become more useful. Seems all good to me.

[abumbyanyothername]

22. Well, stay off the greatest page then.

I still haven't been there.

But the full length of my screen is covered with topics discussing unrec, save for three posts of substance.

Still it's better than the Michael Jackson/Sarah Palin-palooza of the last week.

If you need love, work on your relationship, or hire a short-term actor (aka sex worker). If you have something of substance to say, post it and see if the community agrees. Don't seek love on the internet. My cousin got himself arrested for that when it turned out she wasn't a she and wasn't quite that young either.

Edited to change have to haven't in the first line.

[PretzelWarrior]

31. sounds like you're mad your mindless criticisms won't constantly land there

sad...but in a good way...to see you come to your conclusion. Maybe you should focus REALLY hard on why you're even at DU.

[scheming daemons]

38. In other words..

The OP is saying:

"I hold opinions that are not shared by 90% of DUers. I *DESERVE* my Easy-Pass ticket to the Greatest Page when I find 5 other ignorant fucks who agree with my bullshit.

This new system makes me have to formulate an opinion based on facts and arguments that can garner support, or at least respect, by 50+% of DUers. That's not fair! Wah!"

[Renew Deal]

41. Funny thing is both of you share the same mindless criticisms of Obama

:shrug:

[shugah]

37. i predict it won't change anything

in fact, i'm sure that it won't really change a thing except to give those that need it a chance to press a "negative" button. so as you can clearly see, everyone gains!

[Renew Deal]

40. I love how all sides seem to be pissed.

The pro-Obama people think this will hurt them and the less than pro-Obama people think this will hurt them too. Very amusing.

[redqueen]

51. Uh, no... one side is pissed... the other side is pissing themselves laughing...

or already bored with the handwringing DRAMA of it all!

[Warren Stupidity]

55. +1

but my +1 will soon be silenced!

[Teaser]

64. thank you for your PILE OF WIN

.

[Forkboy]

43. Good heavens, have a plum.

[OMC]

45. Get over it

[mamaleah]

49. So...you only want certain opinions on the greatest page? n/t

[Warren Stupidity]

54. I think that was the general idea of the GP to begin with.

[mamaleah]

59. That's pretty stupid.

Apparently no one has a lock on the cheerleading.

[Warren Stupidity]

61. You do understand that this is a partisan political message board, right?

The greatest page was meant to reflect a board consensus view of the world. The Latest Page contains what's new, and you can sort the various forums in a variety of ways reflecting your own preferences. Nobody is having their views suppressed here, as long as they fit within the published guidelines. That however does not mean that you get a free pass to the Greatest Page if you can convince a gang of five to bump you up there, at least not anymore.

[mamaleah]

65. And thats better!

That however does not mean that you get a free pass to the Greatest Page if you can convince a gang of five to bump you up there, at least not anymore.

BooHoo no more free pass to the alleged cool kids page? That's a good thing. It ought to be earned, unless by earned you mean "i get my friends to rec me and voila, uber coolness".

[bvar22]

57. This WILL lead to tyranny by the majority.

...but remember, Dennis Kucinich won the early straw polls at DU by overwhelming majorities.

The early results seem to indicate that the "unrecommend" function will benefit the more Liberal faction at DU.
Those "Centrists" who were cheering the "unrecommend" button yesterday may regret it.

I have personally bumped two "Centrist" threads right off the Greatest Page.
This is good fun!

[seaglass]

63. Absolutely. Imagine a website that grew out of the desire of

so many in the minority to have a voice during the Bush admin now implementing a feature to hide dissent. Damn sad.