New Ratings System

I've seen many forum software formats, and this one is by far the best.
Thanks for keeping it updated and useful.

The mobile version works great, too.
 
After using it a while I think it's great to have something beyond "like" - letting you leave a more nuanced response with a single click. I especially like the "agree/disagree" buttons. I'm starting to miss it on other forums I'm on.
 
These are essentially the same suite of options my football forum has been using in my 2+ years there,
so it's pretty familiar. I eventually had to contribute my own addition--a mushroom--to represent:
"It would appear that hallucinogens contributed to this post."
Give that nutty stuff makes up such a large share of this site, I guess it would be exhausted after a day.
Mushrooms.jpg
 
I know there are some problems with the ratings system currently (mostly visual, but maybe sometime not immediate showing up), probably to do with me being too hasty in updating.

Should get ironed out next week.
 
Interesting to discover this thread: I'd been thinking about additions to the ratings system and I see they've already been mentioned here ("facepalm", "bad spelling", "vague").

I also didn't realise that the system was intended to lack negative-sounding ratings - I've always considered 'dislike' and 'disagree' quite negative, and normally hesitate to use them. Maybe 'disagree' isn't as negative as I'd assumed, though - and maybe it's more to do with the bright red cross, which comes across as quite strong and even aggressive. I wonder if it was changed to something 'gentler' it would be both less confrontational and used more?

The spanner really does look like a carrot: I'd probably use that more if it didn't. Though I wonder if "informative" and "useful" kind of cancel each other out?
 
and maybe it's more to do with the bright red cross, which comes across as quite strong and even aggressive
yup I agree. which is why I'm going to remember you gave me TWO of them over your semantics of "sitting". :p and females never forget. :)
 
The spanner really does look like a carrot: I'd probably use that more if it didn't. Though I wonder if "informative" and "useful" kind of cancel each other out?
It's a SPANNER? I've been wondering for these past two three years why the symbol for "useful" is a falling bomb. Seriously.

upload_2017-10-5_18-20-16.jpeg


Now, where's that facepalm button?
 
which is why I'm going to remember you gave me TWO of them over your semantics of "sitting". :p and females never forget. :)
Lol. That's HILARIOUS! (Another rating button I would use - for beyond funny.)

I hope you noticed that I removed ONE of them yesterday. :p

(I also wish all the smileys were yellow. I'd use the grinning green guy more if they were. But maybe I'm just showing my age. ;) )
 
I've learned a lot from this site - the latest bit of knowledge being that a "spanner" is a wrench. Reminds me of the last time I was in the U.K. and ask someone for a Band-Aid and another person who overheard my request said "Oh! I speak American. She wants a plaster!"
 
The spanner really does look like a carrot: I'd probably use that more if it didn't.
Every time I see it, my mind asks: "Why a mechanical carrot?!?" before I can correct it...




ETA: Figured it couldn't hurt to Google "mechanical carrot."
Mechanical carrot.jpg
Was wrong: It did hurt.
 
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I've learned a lot from this site - the latest bit of knowledge being that a "spanner" is a wrench. Reminds me of the last time I was in the U.K. and ask someone for a Band-Aid and another person who overheard my request said "Oh! I speak American. She wants a plaster!"

A plaster, not...

download.jpg

Lucky escape there
 
I've seen lots of spanners in my time, I don't think I've ever seen one with a grip.

Prepares to be debunked.....
Here you go - and in the right colour too:


https://www.tester.co.uk/itl-general-use-insulated-spanner-choice-of-size

Not quite the same, though. Adjustable spanners have grips, but as we can clearly by zooming in, rotating, and carefully observing in freeze frame, the one in the icon isn't adjustable.

It does seem, as Deirdre points out, that the one we've been using is based on a toy.
 
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To throw spanner out of the discussion, 'Useful' icon could be a 'can opener', Russian style:
450-3501361-claw-shaped-opener.jpg
Opens any can, or tin, or, here, a bunk claim.
 
What about merging spanner with informative? Spanner's probably the least used positive rating, and pretty much everything informative is useful, and probably vice versa too (I naturally expect disputes of that, of course).

I was also thinking that if the disagree icon was a little more gentle, I'd use it more often. The best I can come up with is maybe something like Reddit's up and and down arrows, in more neutral colours (say green/grey, or green/blue).
 
I was also thinking that if the disagree icon was a little more gentle, I'd use it more often.
I was thinking what might be best is the same green check mark as agree, with either a black x over it or a red slash through it. But adding new graphics might not be possible. The dislike icon could be title changed to disagree. Which is probably a bit confusing since it's a thumbs down type thing.. 'dislike' and 'disagree' is kinda redundant. But I thinkt he thumbs down is 'nicer' graphically.
 
...if the disagree icon was a little more gentle, I'd use it more often.
I agree. That big red X is so rarely used, I'd feel like I was calling someone a monster if I did.
(I can't remember last time I went that way).

I'm not always the most politically correct guy (I proposed the colorful mushrooms upon arriving here #44 in Feb. '14)
but I do try to be polite, while honest...I'm guessing a helmet, as in: "Don't forget your helmet" would be uncool...
Screen Shot 2017-10-06 at 8.13.42 AM.png

Which reminds me: The football site I frequent, that uses this same Xenforo software,
is set up so that using the "Thumbnail" option actually yields a thumbnail sized visual
(which I tried, unsuccessfully, to use here for the helmet...I wanted a tiny helmet).
So if we're doing tweaks, I'd love to see the thumbnail option produce significantly smaller pics. :)
 
So if we're doing tweaks, I'd love to see the thumbnail option produce significantly smaller pics. :)

I changed it to large pictures a long time ago to solve a problem which has never really come up again. I'll change it back.
 
So if we're doing tweaks, I'd love to see the thumbnail option produce significantly smaller pics. :) [08:15 PDT]

I changed it to large pictures a long time ago to solve a problem which has never really come up again. I'll change it back. [08:19 PDT]

The thumbnail size was 512, and is now the default 100 px.[08:26 PDT]
Well, as an American, I'm irritated that that change took 4 minutes...
but still, thanks Mick. :)
 
I agree. That big red X is so rarely used, I'd feel like I was calling someone a monster if I did.
(I can't remember last time I went that way).
Neither can I, but I can check:

no party.JPG

There you go: you've never ever ever used it - ya monster! ;)
 
Neither can I, but I can check:
no party.JPG
There you go: you've never ever ever used it - ya monster! ;)
Now, you know I didn't say I'd "never ever ever used it..."
Well, it's definitely true that "I can't remember last time I went that way" so I looked it up.

It was 93 "Likes," "Agrees," "Informatives," and "mechanical carrots" ago that I last used an X.

I quickly scanned through the last 500+ "Ratings" I'd given, and there are only 3 more
uses of the X, all pertaining to non-regulars who were just posting ridiculous stuff.
(one was Mr. Cook who some may consider a 'regular' but...) :oops:
 
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Now, you know I didn't say I'd "never ever ever used it..."
Well, it's definitely true that "I can't remember last time I went that way" so I looked it up.
38? you must not have been around during the Hiilikeyourbird days :)
 
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