The recommend feature on DU kind of sucks

[BrentWil]

The recommend feature on DU sucks. I am relatively new here and this is what I have noticed. Threads that are cheer leader threads get a lot of recommendations. However, if you post a thread that gets a good debate going, there is a good chance you will have a big goose egg in the recommendation column.

The problem I have with that, is that many times, these threads are NOT "the greatest". A thread that is nothing but K&R kind of sucks. I like debate and an exchange of ideas. This feature discourages it, to some degree.

I think there should be some way to highlight a thread that causes debate. Even if unpopular, those threads are sometimes very good.

[EarlG]

1. Try this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=greatest_threads&topten=1

[seabeyond]

30. wow earl.... isnt that a clever way to take care of the issue. very creative

kinda pisses me off cause the threads that really are sexist and attack women, that men like to get high rec wont be able to be kept off front page.... but in all

very creative and clever

[Nye Bevan]

43. I didn't think DU allowed "threads that really are sexist and attack women".

I would think that any such threads would be locked or deleted, not make it to the front page.

[Obamanaut]

44. When such a thread is seen, press the alert button at the lower left

and lo! there not only is a category in the menu that fits, but there is also a block to explain why the alert was pressed.

[Swede]

32. How do I add it to my "my forums" list?

I never new this was even here.

[BrentWil]

42. That is very good..

THanks

[wtmusic]

2. The flame animation is what to look for

on good debate threads.

Sometimes the best, most thoughtful threads not only don't get recced but don't get responses. Plaid Adder used to post some amazing threads here but they were too long for most people so they would die unread. Unfortunately, most want soundbites.

[EFerrari]

3. It took me a little while to see everything that was here

when I first logged into DU. And after that, DU spoiled me for less well organized sites like DKos and HuffPo.

And then, there's the culture, too. Sometimes posts that are action threads don't have much discussion on them at all but they're still valuable because people are trying to do something. That might not be obvious right off the bat.

[tpsbmam]

47. THAT drives me batty. I don't come here nearly as much as I used to. Part of the reason

is that there's lots of complaining & then I've posted a few action threads that go nowhere fast. I've noticed the same with other action threads. I don't mind the complaining so much but when it's done to the exclusion of acting to make things different and hopefully better, I get tired of it and stop reading. I know there are people here who do act, and have done so for many years. But I see very little interest in action threads and that just plain pisses me off.

[EFerrari]

51. It can be frustrating when one of those threads gets no action.

But the next time someone complains about your issue, you can always use the thread as a bludgeon.

J/k :)

[habitual]

4. i agree, and what i even more hate

is that every once in a while i come across a great thread that really really deserves to be rec'd and i try and am told that i am not allowed to recommend threads in that particular forum....

every time that happens i have to wonder why..... why is it that these very important conversations are not allowed to be promoted (and they are only a certain type of discussion)... it seems so skewed and biased and fixed. I know there must be a good reason for it, but it pisses me off to no end.

[old mark]

5. Rec. The "unrec" sucks as well - the whole thing should be eliminated. nt

[leftstreet]

6. The recommend feature on DU is excellent

It lets users show solidarity - it's a quick efficient community pulse-taker.

And the Holy unRec keeps stupid sounding shit off the Greatest page

What's not to like?
:shrug:

[HuckleB]

8. Recs and unrecs often happen based on who the poster is, not the content of the thread.

I don't see that as actually building true community. It serves to help produce mindless cliques that divide community.

[leftstreet]

9. Is that such a bad thing?

:shrug:

If poo-flingers can't get their posts on the Greatest Page, there could be some valuable insight there...

[HuckleB]

11. I have no idea what that means.

But, yes, I don't think it's helping DU build true community. In fact, I think it helps make more and more divides, and it keeps worthy information from many DUers. Cliques suck.

[BrentWil]

40. The unRec keeps threads that have a good debate but an unpopular OP off the Greatest Page...

I would argue that some of those threads truly are the "greatest".

[leftstreet]

45. If something is 'unpopular' with the majority should it be on the Greatest?

I thought that was the function of the Greatest page, showing popular opinion

:shrug:

[petronius]

7. I don't know if it sucks, but it doesn't add anything to my experience, so I ignore it

What the admins need to do is develop a system that plots us all out in an n-dimensional space of opinion and intellect. Then, they construct an algorithm that categorizes each thread by the root-mean-square distance between all posters in that thread, within that n-space. Weighted of course by post count, number of contributions to the thread, words in posts, and so on. Threads with large overall distances between posters would get the 'interesting debate' flag.

That doesn't sound to hard to me; frankly, I'm not sure why they haven't done it already... :)

[hunter]

31. Yeah, what petronius said...

;)

[realisticphish]

10. Honestly, it all shakes out

it doesn't hurt anything, and it allows certain excellent posts to rise to the top. In all my time here, I've maybe gone to the greatest page once or twice

[HuckleB]

12. I think it did more, when there was no unrec feature.

I don't think it "shakes out" for the benefit of DU as things currently stand. Too many good posts die because some posters have a whole band that unrec every thread they post.

[pipi_k]

26. Unrecs don't kill threads...

Not posting in threads is what kills them.

[HuckleB]

33. A lot of people miss threads because they don't make the greatest forum...

... and often the reason the thread doesn't make it is because there is a group of DUers who always unrec the threads posted by particular posters.

[BrentWil]

41. Or it is an unrec based off of an unpopular opinion in the OP...

There is something to be said for debate

[realisticphish]

27. posts don't get shoved down in GD, or wherever, because of unrecs

they get pushed down the greatest page, perhaps, but hot topics stay kicked up at the top of the forum. That's the way this place works. The greatest page is an additional functionality that may be in need of a tweak or two, but it doesn't impact the way the forums function internally

[HuckleB]

34. Exactly, and a lot of people start a visit to DU at the greatest page.

At this point, the greatest page does not come close to representing the greatest threads, with the current system.

[cherokeeprogressive]

38. I think I can figure out a solution to that problem.

I'm not gonna tell you what it is though.

[HuckleB]

39. OK then.

[HuckleB]

35. Exactly, and a lot of people start a visit to DU at the greatest page.

At this point, the greatest page does not come close to representing the greatest threads, with the current system.

[hfojvt]

13. usually the rec is not about the THREAD

it is just about the OP.

[HuckleB]

15. Or just about the individual who posted the OP.

[TorchTheWitch]

14. I agree

People don't rec or unrec for the right reasons, and all it does is make people start an OP for every single thought in their head instead of replying to discussion threads already open just so they can get rec's and get an ego boost to see their OP on the Greatest Page... or whine and cry that it didn't get on the Greatest Page.

Rec's are supposed to be for when you think the OP is worthy of being on the Greatest Page... not that you agree with the opinion in the OP. Unrec is supposed to be for when you think the OP is not worthy of being on the Greatest Page... not that you disagree with the opinion in the OP. But people use the rec/unrec features to express agreement or disagreement with the opinion in the OP, which is not what was intended.

Frankly, I think the whole Greatest Page/rec and unrec thing should be done away with.

Popular threads that have a lot of replies are noted by the icon of a flaming folder rather than a plain folder, so popular threads are highlighted somewhat.

[KittyLover]

16. I'm kind of new myself.

I also have poor vision. I don't even know if I can recommend posts or not. Sure would help if I knew if I could, and if I knew where to do it at.

[muriel_volestrangler]

22. I think you can recommend threads

(but it is possible that there's a short period after you join before you can, just like there's a short period before you're allowed to start a new thread - this is just to stop people who join just to disrupt. If you can't yet, make a few more replies to people, and you will be able to - it doesn't take long).

What you should see (and it is in small print, which may be a problem with poor vision - there is a 'switch to large fonts' option at the top left of each forum screen that you may want to use) is, at the bottom left of the first post in a thread, is a line reading something like:

Alert | Hide Thread | Recommend +2 votes Unrecommend

And you click on 'Recommend' or 'Unrecommend' - then that section will change to read

Net recommendation: +3 votes (Your vote: +1)
or
Net recommendation: +1 votes (Your vote: -1)

Only threads that are less than 24 hours old can be voted on.

[KittyLover]

49. Much abliged

for the help, Muriel. :)

[tpsbmam]

50. Do you know how to enlarge the print on your monitor?

I use a Mac so I'm not sure if it's the same on a PC. On a Mac, I simply hit command & the + button at the same time and voila, the page enlarges. My vision problems are mainly associated with age and a glasses prescription that needs updating, but I almost always need to enlarge web pages using this method. (If you enlarge too much, just hit command & - (command and the minus key) and it makes the print smaller.

If this isn't the way to do it on a PC, perhaps someone who knows how on a PC will jump in and tell you.

To recommend a post, go to the bottom of the original post (not the replies). You'll see on the bottom left of that post along the grey line and you'll see recommend & unrecommend. Just click on one of them and your vote will be added -- you'll see in parentheses (your vote: +1) or if you unrec, (your vote: -1)

And welcome to DU, KittyLover!

[apocalypsehow]

17. UnRec. n/t.

[rucky]

18. What Earl G said.

The Top 10 Page has the liveliest.

[TexasObserver]

19. Because it's so hard to figure out which new thread has 200 replies in four hours.

Really? No way to figure it out?

Really?

The rec and unrec features allow posters to signal something about how they feel regarding a thread. General agreement on a topic results in many positive recommends. Strongly disputed threads result in negative recs or a small positive number of recs.

If a thread has 110 recs and 90 unrecs, it shows +20 recs, which is nominal, and means it is slightly more recommended than unrecommended. Sure, some people recommend anything that remotely says something they like and that is a problem, but you have to take that into account.

[Obamanaut]

20. If it is a thread that generates a lot of interest/responses, it will be on

page 1 of whatever forum it is posted in. Some readers only go to specific forums (my first page when logging in is GD)

If it *also* gets numerous recs, for whatever reason - good thread, interesting topic, popular OP - it will not only get a lot of responses, but it will go to the greatest page because of those recs. Some readers start out at GP as their first page.

There was recently an OP re taking benefits away from veterans that generated many responses and stayed on page 1 of GD for quite some time, yet rec'd very few (if any) recs. Seemed to stay a 0 for a long time.

Unrec because this is a thread about rec/unrec.

[JTFrog]

21. "cheer leader threads"

/facepalm

[muffin1]

24. I find it odd

That that word is forbidden, but yet it's perfectly alright to call some people "whiners" and "losers". :shrug:

[QC]

29. Don't forget "haters." n/t

[muffin1]

46. And the ever popular...

racists. :evilfrown:

[USArmyParatrooper]

23. I think Dailykos has it right

You can Recommend or "Hide Rate" threads and posts alike. You can see who Rec'd and HR'd every post - and there are strict guidelines for why one is allowed to HR a thread or post. You're not allowed to simply do so because you disagree with the post or don't like the poster.

[Javaman]

25. Why won't this topic ever die?

if you start a thread regarding the unrec function, be prepared for it to be massively unrec'd.

If you whine why one of your own threads didn't just make us all squirm with delight, then be prepared to be unrec'd.

If you come across with an attempt to sound reasonable regarding the unrecing of one of your posts, be prepared to be unrec'd.

If you shout, "I'M BEING SILENCED", be prepared to be unrec'd.

If you feign ignorance as to why your post was unrec'd, be prepared to be unrec'd

And lastly...

If you start a thread regarding unrec, be prepared to be unrec'd, flamed mercilessly, and alerted to the mods as being a freep, troll, moron, in need of a pizza, etc.

Just a few of the simple facts of posting about the unrec function.

[scheming daemons]

48. I won't die because people who have a goal of disunity and disillusionment among Dems don't like it

..and they want it to go away.

They want to be able to spread Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt without being unrecced.

[seabeyond]

28. in the scheme of things, it is really irrelevant. nt

[cherokeeprogressive]

36. A big unrec for a thread whining about recs. As posted above: look for the flame icon. n/t

[NeedleCast]

37. This is the most valid criticism of the feature I've ever seen