Do you feel uncomfortable rec'g a <0 thread?

[clear eye]

(edited to shorten the title. The questions reamained the same.)

[Buzz Clik]

1. k&u

[Robb]

2. Don't blame me, I rec'd Kucinich. nt

[Warren Stupidity]

3. can we stop with the MJ threads now?

[JonLP24]

4. I usually go around recommending threads that are less then 0

Try to balance these things out. I only recommend a thread at 0 or above if they deserve it but very few threads deserve a less then 0.

[Maru Kitteh]

7. You have described a mindless system, but then again you're as entitled as anyone

to waste your time here in frivolous ways. I suppose we all do to some extent.

[JonLP24]

9. I don't make it to every thread. Just the ones I'm interested in clicking on

It's just like how I normally view DU but if there is a thread that is less then 0 I give it a recommend to level the playing field so to speak and it takes less then a second to click 'rec'. If I like the thread or it is important news story or topic I give it a recommend. It's not exactly any more time wasting then I normally do and I usually avoid GD most of the time I do spend on DU so it really balances out.

On edit/ This is an example of a thread I don't bother giving a recommend. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6145732&mesg_id=6145732

[geckosfeet]

11. Me too - now I ONLY rec <0

[Maru Kitteh]

5. I never concern myself with the rec # when deciding to rec or unrec.

I think most people are perfectly capable of forming and acting on their own opinions regardless of the rec. #.

[lindisfarne]

6. Why can't this topic die? Why would pushing a virtual button on a computer screen make someone

uncomfortable? Simply ludicrous.

[clear eye]

8. I created this poll after reading a comment

saying that the person would rec but didn't b/c it would be "masochistic" to rec something that had negative numbers.

[Telly Savalas]

29. After recommending such a thread once

the cruel futility and alienation of modern life became so overwhelmingly apparent to me that I was having problems breathing.

I'm hoping that with a few years of therapy, I might find peace.

[Vickers]

10. I just tried it on this thread.

I feel no difference whatsoever.

:rofl:

[clear eye]

12. LOL. n/t

[HughMoran]

13. I brought one back to zero, another is +17 now

So no, I don't let the vote of some of our new Freeper friends (you may have noticed) influence me.

[dgibby]

15. Bingo!

I think unrec is just another way to screen out Freepers and disrupters. And gawd knows I don't give a rat's ass about what anyone else does with rec or unrec. Of course, I'm pretty ornery, but :wtf: I'm old.:evilgrin:

[tavalon]

14. I refuse to use the new system or even acknowledge it's existence

If I would have recommended a thread in the old days, I still do. I don't even look at the number in making my decision. I never did and this new and I think, stupid innovation, isn't going to change that.

[cherokeeprogressive]

22. You just acknowledged it's existence.

I'm thinking that refusal to do same would preclude you from weighing in at all.

[tavalon]

25. Caught me

Hoisted on my own damn petard. Ow.

[seabeyond]

16. what would it say about a person that would allow something like this to effect their decisions

at all.

i think this is a totally insightful type question that anyone would be effect on an anonymous board doing something totally anonymous to allow a peer type pressure effect one behavior. so very very odd

[JTFrog]

17. Aren't these threads getting locked yet? n/t

[clear eye]

18. Why? n/t

[rucky]

19. With certain members, and certain topics - they always start in the negative.

[Inspired]

20. I barely notice these things. I recommend a thread if I like it, if not I don't.

Who really cares about this stuff? I've only had a couple of threads ever make the greatest page. I could give a rats ass if people like my threads or not. I don't understand all this vanity over something as insignificant as threads in a message board.

[TexasObserver]

21. The vote total has no impact on my vote.

I'll unrecommend a thread that is +30 if I don't think it is recommend worthy. And I'll recommend an thread I want to recommend, even if it is below zero.

[winyanstaz]

23. so wHY cant we see the number of - threads???

[UTUSN]

24. Answer: No. Other answer: Same as most of the posts above.

That is, the # of Recs (or now UnReKKKs) has never been a factor. And I never look at the "Greatest" page (I see it as for Visitors/Media-types who don't have time to linger). I have always, however, used the Rec based on Merit and to drum up attention for topics that might fall through the cracks.

In fact, I'm pretty much convinced that I am who coined the "K&R" coinage thingy.

AND I will be Rec-ing to UNDO the clearly nasty, vindictive <0 things (only on the threads I frequent and think are being flamed that way), although this will only work when there is ONE UnReKKK. Very, very often the <0 is NOT somebody's "opinion" based on merit and IS a nasty, vindictive thing.

The next, worst thing will be when individual posts like mine here (as opposed to O.P. threads), will be similarly UnReKKKed.

Notice, I'm coining "UnReKKK."

[WI_DEM]

26. No, too many people around here worry about what there recomendation count is than

anything else it seems. Just give your opinion if the majority of the other's don't like it--too bad--and move on.

[Naturyl]

27. I routinely rec

Often, trolls, closeted right-wing sympathizers, and people with personal grudges against the OP are behind the unrecs.

I'll often rec a <0 thread even if I don't care about it too much, just to get it out of the hole.

[omega minimo]

28. You overlooked those who mostly quit Recking or UnRecking at all --

[Lorax]

30. I don't care what the status is

I rec' or unrec' based on my own opinion. Why would a <0 make second guess myself?

[Confusious]

31. no & unrec

[SleeplessInAlabama]

32. No, and I think it's ridiculous to feel that way

The Rec and Unrec functions are closed ballots, and there is no reason to feel compelled to vote one way or the other by the total.

The functions, when used properly, are the closest thing to little-d democracy on DU. They're not perfect, they're like those little CNN text message polls in that they only capture the opinions of the viewers during the time when voting is open. Being driven by this herd mentality, however, completely ruins the poll.

And just like the Greatest Page, it is not possible for everyone to agree on every opinion. There's no reason to feel uncomfortable rec'g a <0, or unrec a thread with +20, and a total of 0 isn't a reason not to vote.