Earnest pronouncement on the dire consequences for DU of the unrecommend function

[BurtWorm]

Handwringing about the loss of freedom of speech, the fragmentation of the community, the destruction of the greatest page.

Tacit dare to unrecommend this thread.

[Renew Deal]

1. I disagree with the loss of freedom of speech

and agree with the rest.

[redqueen]

2. The destruction of the greatest page?

Really?

[Renew Deal]

3. Yes

Well maybe not destruction, but degradation. A lot of interesting topics that don't "toe the line" will lose exposure.

[redqueen]

7. Well I completely disagree.

I think this will ensure there are no idiotic topics (K&R if..., FUCK whatever, etc.) are kept off it.

I think the results bear that out already, actually. IMO at least.

[Renew Deal]

11. Why do you think those threads were popular?

Because most people here liked them. That's not going to change. In the end threads like that will be a wash. But the less "popular" opinions or topics will be lost.

[redqueen]

13. Same reason Miley Cyrus is. (nt)

[Maru Kitteh]

52. So which is it? Do most people here the idiotic threads - or

are they "less popular."




Alright you hayseeds it's a stickup! Everybody freeze. Everybody down on the ground.

Well, which is it Young Feller? You want I should freeze or get down on the ground? I mean to say, if'n I freeze I can't rightly drop. An' if'n I drop, I'm a gonna be in motion.

[Spazito]

31. Here is a link to the Greatest page...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=greatest_threads

It seems to me there are many very valid, interesting threads being 'showcased' there. Do you have a concern with what is currently on the Greatest? If so, would you please point out the threads that concern you?

What do you see as 'toeing the line'? What line?

[noamnety]

45. The concern I've heard

is not so much about which threads will now appear on GP, but rather which types of ones will now be absent.

[BurtWorm]

5. Before unrecommend, the Greatest Page was the Feelgood Page of DU.

Now it might have too much substance for that.

[Renew Deal]

10. Is it opposite day?

It's exactly the opposite. Before unrec, the greatest page was a wealth of information. Now it's going to be the "feelgood page of DU." Get your pom poms.

[BurtWorm]

16. The "Recommend this thread if you agree with me" posts are history.

That's a good thing. Those were never truly the greatest things about DU.

[Renew Deal]

20. But they're not history.

Because most people wanted to "rec those threads." They're still going to get lots of recs.

Personally I thought the "rec this thread if" was an abuse of the function, but DU allowed them. That hasn't changed.

[BurtWorm]

27. I see only one "Rec this thread" thread there. And it's barely there.

Recommend this thread if you like pie (so Skinner will eat his hat).

[Renew Deal]

30. Don't worry

There will be a "Rec this thread if you want to see Cheney imprisoned" sooner or later.

[Renew Deal]

33. ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6035865

[BurtWorm]

36. 1 thread

If memory serves, there used to be a lot more threads like that in there. Do you agree that if only one "recommend if" thread gets on the list once in a while, that's an improvement, no matter what caused it?

[Renew Deal]

37. They come in bunches

I would love it if there were none, but this feature doesn't target that. Those threads will be popular in the future for the same reason they have always been... Because people like them. :shrug:

[moggie]

4. Invocation of George Orwell

Comparison of DU to totalitarian state.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

6. INVOCATION OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS!!!!

Stick that in your fife and smoke it!

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Subtle insinuation that the thread starter belongs to a clique

and is dreading the downgrading of their own position in an imagined 'Greatest Page' league.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

Implies that this poster is a fasicst DLCer the likes of which haven't been seen since Hitler.

[gkhouston]

14. Invocation of Godwin's law. n/t

[BurtWorm]

17. Ignoring of Godwin's law, Hitler.

:nuke:

[Stinky The Clown]

15. I am in no clique, I am disliked by many (often with full reciproctiy), and post any damned thing ..

.... I feel like. This morning I had five different posts on the Greatest Page. So, by at least one poster's measure, you're all wet.

That said, I think this unrec thing is not a good idea. Too much room for abuse and gang fights.

[muriel_volestrangler]

22. Gentle suggestion that poster may have not recognised a DU tradition

of parodies of stereotypical threads.

[moggie]

23. Stick-up-arse response

Niemoeller gambit.

[redqueen]

9. Reminder that simply not appearing on the greatest page

does not equal being silenced.

[BlooInBloo]

12. LOUD NOISES!!!!

[SidDithers]

18. Invocation of Nazi, communist, corporofacsist...

freeper troll disruptors, if your opinion is different from mine.

Sid

[alcibiades_mystery]

19. Sly reference to Sobibor, the least well-known of the camps

[Warren Stupidity]

21. STORMIN OUTTA HERE!

[alcibiades_mystery]

24. Statement that most people won't like what I have to say

[alcibiades_mystery]

25. Further implication of heroic resistance on my part

[TexasObserver]

26. Yes, the entire brouhaha is about wounded egos.

We all know there are some posters who think getting a thread they started to the Greatest Page was some sort of validation. Now, many of them see that validation gone.

I'm glad for the new feature just so I don't have to read those insipid posts which say "OFF TO THE GREATEST PAGE WITH THEE!"

Just about any crapfest can get 5 recommends. That was such a meaningless standard.

[HamdenRice]

28. I'm gonna Walt Starr your ass

You are unrecommended

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Remember that classic? Something like:

"Skinner, ban me right NOW!"

"OK."


:hi:

[BurtWorm]

29. Bombastic threat to slit my own throat!

:bounce:

[Kaleko]

35. Callous dare to go ahead and do it.

[DCKit]

32. We're Doomed! Doomed I says! n/t

[flvegan]

34. Deleted message.

[bertman]

38. Anonymously undermining a thread without giving a reason is a Republican family value

and should have no place on a Democratic website which considers itself a place for the exchange of ideas.

[BurtWorm]

39. Undermining a thread?!

Is having your thread on the Greatest Page some kind of right? Most threads don't make it to the so-called Greatest Page. Nor should they, or getting to the Greatest Page would mean nothing.

Isn't it a violation of the rights of people who don't want a certain thread on the Greatest Page to have no say in whether or not that thread appears there?


PS: Is caring more about a "thread" more of a Democratic value than caring about the rights of all of the people to have a choice in what goes on the Greatest Page?

[bertman]

40. YOU have every right NOT TO READ OR PARTICIPATE IN any thread, whether it's on

the Greatest Page or not.

All the Greatest Page is is a listing of threads that have more than five recommendations. That means that five different individuals have decided it's worth recommending.

Having a say on whether a thread appears on the Greatest Page or not is every individual's choice who participates on DU. No, it is not a violation of anyone's rights for a thread to appear there.

Your faux concern for "the rights of all the people to have a choice in what goes on the Greatest Page?" is totally misbegotten. The whole point of the Greatest Page is not that "all of the people" recommend it--only five people need to recommend it. If it were really up to "all the people to say whether or not that thread appears there", NO THREAD WOULD APPEAR THERE because no thread would get unanimous recommendations.

This is the Democratic Underground equivalent of censorship.

[BurtWorm]

41. Five different closet fascists can recommend a thread on DU

and that means it should be among the greatest?

[bertman]

42. Who the fuck are you to call people "closet fascists"? Because you have a different opinion

from someone else, they are a "closet fascist"?

You realize that one of the most potent weapons used by fascists has historically been belittling their opponents and calling their opponents names, don't you?

[BurtWorm]

43. You've just made it very clear to me that it's useless talking to you at the moment.

I have to go to sleep.

PS: (Hypothetical argument. Have you ever heard of it? It's used to make a point that, because it holds for an extreme case, must always be valid. Just a helpful hint on how to read my previous post. There was no group of closet fascists I had in mind, for fuck's sake. Good night.)

[bertman]

49. You said it, not me. Bad word choice.

Sleep well.

[BurtWorm]

53. No just lazy thinking and knee-jerk reacting on your part.

Good morning.

:bounce:

[noamnety]

44. It doesn't seem to have eliminated divisiveness. (nt)

[BurtWorm]

47. I don't think it ever will.

But I can live with that. Politeness among people who disagree would be a good addition.

[Liberal_in_LA]

46. The American way of life is at risk

[Greyhound]

48. No point, it is at zero. n/t

[Odin2005]

50. Accusation that the majority of DUers are pair DLC corporate hacks.

[Maru Kitteh]

51. As your sock-puppet, I/you now chime in with very subtle worship of you, and complete agreement.

I/you start a few sub-threads. One will be deleted.