Negative Reputation - Red Bricks

[alex margou]

Reading through some posts here, you sometimes read where members feel they have been given Negative Reputation in a spiteful and/or vindictive manner. So it occurred to me to consider whether or not it is a good thing to have this Negative Reputation - Red Brick system here.

I note that not all social networks have it. For example, on Facebook you can "like" what someone has put there, but you cannot "dislike" it. There is no facility for doing that. Another example a bit closer to home is a forum, somewhat similar to Living in Indonesia, called Balipod. It deals mainly with matters for expats in Bali. Like Facebook it has a simple facility for "liking" a post or comment, but not for "disliking". (Technical note - Balipod uses vBulletin Version 4.2.0).

Now I am aware that the whole topic of reputation was discussed here between March and May of 2011, but that was then and this is now. I'm sure there are many newer members who did not take part then but who may have an opinion on this matter that they would like to express.

Perhaps, therefore it would be useful to know what members currently feel about the concept of Negative Reputation - should we have it here, or not?

So I invite members to take part in a simple poll, and to add positive constructive comments here as they think fit.

[PhilippeD]

All this rep thing is ABSOLUTELY NOT useful on this forum.

Someone with red rep can still have valuable information to share and the one who come here only for trolling get ban fast.

[fastpitch17]

I can't answer the pole above due to the way it's worded. Need?
How about asking if ones finds benefits or not or if it's objected too?

I have given red bricks as well praise. I can not ever remember giving a red brick out of spite. I am sure some posters have but I would think that they would be a small minority. I have probably received some red bricks myself. I couldn't tell you because I have never checked or even taken the time to figure out how to check.

As for Facebook. I think they should have a different system. Myself, I always wondered why they didn't have a dislike.

Facebook Posting: My Father died today. I am so sad.
Likes: 55. Comments: 8

[Anglian]

Oh, I just voted NO, but only 2 people have voted and so far a 100% NO, but it also says Ive already voted,?? does that mean Ive voted twice, Ive seen the red blocks and often wondered why they have been given as it isnt always apparent, Ive often seen sarcastic comments by certain individuals but they arent always red blocked, so it seems a bit of a hit and miss system,

[alex margou]

Oh, I just voted NO, but only 2 people have voted and so far a 100% NO, but it also says Ive already voted,?? does that mean Ive voted twice, Ive seen the red blocks and often wondered why they have been given as it isnt always apparent, Ive often seen sarcastic comments by certain individuals but they arent always red blocked, so it seems a bit of a hit and miss system,

Yes, the poll mechanism is a bit odd - I am aware of 3 people who have voted NO but the poll above says that it's only 2 ! Don't know why?

Let's see how it develops.

[rabbit_39]

I'm not voting because I don't agree with how it's phrased. And as with any poll, the outcome can be predetermine by a smart poll maker by choosing the right words to ask.

In any case, forget the red bricks as a way to "dislike" someone or a post. Look at it as a way to "report" a post to the mods. Simple as that. Spam? report it. Offensive words? report it.

We're all adults, who sometimes misbehave. As adults, why would anyone care about redbricks?

[lantern]

Someone with red rep can still have valuable information to share and the one who come here only for trolling get ban fast.

Personally I don't pay any attention to the color of a posters bricks as I have been on the forum long enough to know that they don't necessarily reflect the value of his/her posts.

[Jaime C]

I think that red bricks are especially helpful with new posters. Sometimes they may just be spambots, trolls or people who just don't know how to function on an online community.

Giving red bricks to established members rarely shows up to the public and only to the poster, if they decide to check their own stats. I don't do this often, as I usually just report the post. Sometimes a nudge is necessary for an otherwise good poster, though.

[Berlarutlarut]

to be fair those who get the red bricks usually deserve them

[Nimbus]

I have never liked the negative rep system, I'm more into reinforcing positive behavior than punishing negative one. I don't remember using negative rep to voice my disagreement, I use it to flag spammers and scammers so others are forewarned. If the entire rep system is taken down tomorrow I wouldn't miss it.

[waarmstrong]

Need or not need ... How about use or don't use, or find helpful or useless, or .... (make up your own dichotomy). Its not as the OP suggests, irrelevant that this has been hashed and rehashed ad nauseum. Perhaps the poll should ask, "useless surveys, needed or not?"

[PhilippeD]

to be fair those who get the red bricks usually deserve them

In most of the time, it's a matter of opinion.
Many people believe anyone with a different opinion than them deserve a red brick and most of the time they don't even have the guts to talk/explain their own opinion.
At the end, it's simply mean someone may have a different opinion... still don't mean he is wrong!

[ScooterIndo]

I have never "red bricked" anyone and i havent been "red bricked" either. We all have our good and bad days and i dont feel that unfairly giving someone a negative reinforcement is a good thing based on just one post or comment. I have locked swords with a few people on here about a certain subject matter, but like adults, we can engage in a healthy debate or disagreement, yet on another subject i am 100% in agreement with their point of view. So personally i feel that the red brick system is a little unfair as its too generalised. As for the FB style of like or dislike - thats just lazy, if i really disliked something to that extreme, or indeed liked something submitted by another poster i would actually comment - thats what this forum is all about - content.

[bad_azz]

@Anglian, even if some users were redbricked half a dozen times it might still not show by their avatar. Its all about quantity of points & the power of the punch I guess... example a new user who has only made 30 or 40 posts would probably not have enough "power" to make a dent in the greens accrued by long term oft greened posters.
So unless it is a newish user without many points eg 1 or 2 greens who then goes on to do/say something really dumb & get hit with reds , then it won't necessarily show up publicly.
I reckon that for example if I were to red you it would make no difference to your public profile, only you & I would know that it had happened.
For those who do not know where to find their red/green donations - click on settings, its there underneath all the unread subscribed posts.
Personally, i use them sometimes if I can remember or if I can be bothered. I am ambivalent re them. they can be a good way to sort of warn other users that a poster is not well respected... they can be used to bully people- if anyone actually chooses to take them seriously.
I have not voted either... need is not the word I would have used- a more honest way would be do we want them. Cos to be honest there is very little in the forum that we need.

if the admin wishes to remove them- then all well & good by me.

[pip]

Whether they are needed or wanted I suppose depends on each member, maybe some need to fly/throw red bricks. maybe some want to fly/throw red bricks.

Should red bricks be available to fly or throw?

Maybe some members who are "freudian frustrated" school teachers enjoy marking the others on the forum up or down ?

Maybe some people look around the forum to give +ve or -ve reps that allows them to give the required rep points given to others so that they can then give the necessary +ve reps to their mates here?

I don't know what goes on in peoples minds.

To my belief I have recieved two red bricks, one was from a member who in my opinion was vindictive in that he sent it calling me an arsehole because I disagreed with him. I returned his favour with a red brick.

The other sent me a red brick because I had posted "bugger all" and he deemed it to be rude. LOL.

He also sent me this red brick 6 weeks after my offending post was made. That I found unbelivable that someone sends red bricks out 6 weeks after posts suggests in my opinion that some members are trawling posts looking to give the red or green bricks out to make the numbers up to allow another brick of whatever colour to be thrown. I gave the sender of this red brick a green brick because I thought he was a bit sad and needed cheering up a bit.

Fortunately most members are not vindictive and if there is a difference of opinion they will post as such and ask, rather than post nothing at all on the thread,(but post bricks 6 weeks later).

Does the forum need red bricks NO for sure, it can exist without them.

Do the members want red bricks so they can mark each other like Adult Shool masters, then that of course depends on each member.

I vote NO, I am not another members schoolmaster nor judge.

-ve Discipline ought to be a collective decision not an induvidual one and perhaps a biased or misunderstood opinion because of lack of knowledge over each induviduals language on a multu cultural forum.

Give people green bricks because they have helped you along your way or to find things you could not.

Give someone a red brick ... why? If it is offensive, report it.

If you don't like it personally or it disagrees with what you believe that it is no real reason to red brick. Ask the poster instead as fortunately most members on this forum do.

I would keep the green bricks and leave the red bricks to the moderators who hopefully are in a better and more unbiased make a "non personal" decision.