Forum Suggestion: Remove Ratings (Star Ratings) from Forum Threads

[Brandon Dawson]

Hello,

I'd like to address an issue I've seen arise over the past month and this has actually been an issue for awhile since I consider it a form of "slander". I've noticed majority of auction threads on the auction forum getting 'down voted' or '1 star rated', then other forum goers usually 'vote up or 5 star rate' in order to keep the thread from looking like a 1 star thread. The ideal purpose of this feature on the forum is to show one's opinion on the quality of a thread's content, yet I don't see the point of down voting someone's advertisement if it's wrote in a formal matter, never the less, down voting all advertisements.

Either way the whole star rating system seems moot and doesn't serve a purpose for the community besides making forum goers feel as if their threads are being 'attacked' (not sure if that's the right word, but you get the point).

I suggest to remove the rating system, if there's an issue with a thread then you can obviously post your opinion or report it to kittycats, but besides that, having a full forum being 'down voted' for the sake of it seems excessive.

Since KittyCats likes to keep the community very civil and orderly, I think this is a good suggestion if this feature could be disabled.

[Deer Thistle]

Amen! While the rating system could be used for productive measures to determine if a thread adds something to the KittyCatS discussion, it really is counter-productive nine times out of ten, particularly in the Auction forum and really has no place there in specific given that forum is just matter-of-fact information on what cats will be featured at said auction.

Please remove this feature! This isn't Reddit or Digg, and really doesn't have a place in KittyCatS in general especially with the ease of abusing it and anonymity involved.

[Ethereal Hurricane]

But if it's removed, what will my purpose on the forums be?!

[Deer Thistle]

(11-19-2012 08:22 PM)Ethereal Hurricane Wrote:  But if it's removed, what will my purpose on the forums be?!

Aha! So you must be that enigmatic rating troll!

[Ethereal Hurricane]

The mysterious entity that strikes fear in the hearts of his enemies! All threads must suffer at the hands of the Enigmatic Rating Troll!

To be fair, I bet that person probably thinks hitting 1 star means its like saying that thread is #1...which is the best!

*edit* I'll be honest here, its a struggle not hitting 1 star on this thread, but that would be too easy!

YOU'RE BETTER THAN THAT, ETH!

[dakillakm Resident]

Agreed 100% Someone else had a thread about this at some point recently and the same issues were mentioned. Taking the rating system away and using STICKIES to mark threads that are agreed to be important or particularly informative would be the best way to go in my opinion.

To counter the Rating Troll, I am one of the rating fairies who just rates something 5 stars if I feel like someone has rated it a 1 star for no reason. Especially threads in areas such as the "Showroom." What possible reason could there be for rating this a one star? If you don't like the cats someone has, don't look? Definitely creates feelings of resentment that could go make someone feel isolated from the whole community when only one meanie gave a low rating.

[Sanura Snowpaw]

I couldn't agree more, I can't honestly see a use for the ratings beyond maybe feedback or bugs.

[Karizmah Avro]

I until this week did not rate period. Now I have to rate my posts and those of the people I support just to keep them from being down rated to a 1 star. Why allow rating on an entirely informative post anyway? It allows an anonymous method for disgracing ones adversary's and nothing more. I can understand rating posts in some instances, but people are using the ratings to discredit auctioneers just because of affiliation, or whatever reason occurs to them.

[Karizmah Avro]

I until this week did not rate period. Now I have to rate my posts and those of the people I support just to keep them from being down rated to a 1 star. Why allow rating on an entirely informative post anyway? It allows an anonymous method for disgracing ones adversary's and nothing more. I can understand rating posts in some instances, but people are using the ratings to discredit auctioneers just because of affiliation, or whatever reason occurs to them.

[Sara Franco]

I feel you, I've opened a thread before about it also as I noticed many auctions threads are down rated (I'm not an auctioneer), and also my threads for advertising my cats gets down rated a lot for no obvious reasons.
I was only asking people to be fair though didn't ask to remove it as some won't agree with that and if you check the thread you will find some think it is better to keep it so not sure what is the solution.

Threads Rating and Fairness

But anyway Anna -as you would see if you checked the thread- made me feel good about it, they are just jealous, that's why they rate low