We've added helpful, funny, and agree buttons for every review on the site. Each person's profile page is now tabulating votes in each of these categories.
The way it's set up, you can only choose one vote per review - for example, you can't vote a review helpful AND funny.
Please be on the lookout for things that aren't working properly with this new feature.
10/7/07
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I don't see a whole lot of difference between "helpful" and "agree." I think I might have gotten rid of "helpful" altogether. I do like getting rid of the "unhelpful" button, however.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty subtle. Here's an example of how agree and helpful might be different: if I post: "I hate the New York Yankees!" it's not a very helpful comment. But perhaps you agree with it. In the old system, these sorts of posts (especially in politics) would rack up massive numbers of helpful votes from those that simply agreed. I'm hoping that by giving more precise voting options, we can put some more meaning back into the word "helpful."
ReplyDeleteFrom "Add 'agree' and 'disagree' Buttons" on "Sugggestions for Improving Rate-It-All":
ReplyDeleteHaving been a proponent of introducing the 'agree' feature, will remind the RIA community that, to a certain extent, the 'helpfuls' - and most especially the 'unhelpfuls' - were misused and abused to vent personal rivalries.
Previously, while numerous comments would introduce fresh insight on diverse topics, from sports to history and science, the deceitful few, to get back at the political or religious adversary who made the comment, would file 'unhelpful' against it - often enough anonymously. A posting that would earn ten favorable comments averaging, say, 3.5 stars would yet rate 2.0 stars cumulatively from all twenty users. Not kosher (almost said "UnAmerican"?).
The English Language is not all that complicated: where a comment or a point of view on RIA about a particular subject is fresh and revealing, even if not shared entirely, there should be no problem in acknowledging its helpfulness should personal reflection come into play. Where the comment is not new or original but shared, perhaps an 'agree' is more fitting than a 'helpful.'
I submitted that the 'disagree' button and/or rating fewer than three stars would demand fairness in that the user should provide his or her reasoning. Altogether better perhaps to leave out the 'disagrees' altogether (for which reason a 5-star rating is not posted here).
Its weird. I don't care about helpfuls anymore. Now I look for "funny." I'll keep you guys posted if I change my mind...
ReplyDeleteFigures, numbah.
ReplyDeleteI liked the unhelpful option. Sometimes responses were just so dumb they deserved to be hit with unhelpful. Otherwise the change is alright.
ReplyDelete