Feedback needed (portal and last 20 posts)

[cute fuzzy bunny]

(sigh) it can be bad and it can be good. Generally half the people being highly ignored dont realize it and its a good signal that they may want to review how and what they post.

Its probably not a big surprise to the other half.

I'm saying all this with a high confidence that I lead the list. By a high margin.

When I've seen this instituted on other boards, theres usually a "WHAT?!?" reaction at first. After that it turns into a nice indicator that usually results in some effective self moderation. "Whoops, after my crazy tirade last week about b33ver che3se I ended up getting on the top 5 ignore list!"

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cute fuzzy bunny (sigh) it can be bad and it can be good. Generally half the people being highly ignored dont realize it and its a good signal that they may want to review how and what they post. Its probably not a big surprise to the other half.

I can think of a few situations where the ignore rankings would be very useful.

The first is a poster like H0cus or JG who sounds very reasonable and even articulate at first. A newbie thinks "Hey, this guy is funny and right on. Great advice, too!" After a while that poster's revealed to be relentlessly pounding a one-key piano and is just plain wrong in a number of areas. Yes, we still have a couple active posters in that category.

The second is the poster who doesn't really seem to talk much about ER but who uses the board to rant about current events & pet peeves. It starts out cute, like Gilda Radner's "Never Mind Lady" on SNL's Weekend Update, but after a while it all turns into Rosie O'Donnell. I can get that in real life anytime-- why would I want to see it on E-R.org? If you're trying to solve a problem and you need advice, great. But if the sole purpose of your post is to breathlessly exclaim "This is unbelievable!!!", well, maybe you need to find a better outlet for all that angst.

Then there are the few who drop by once a month (just before their page rankings are checked against their advertising rates) or whenever they're banned bored at another board. They're just here to flog their blog or to raise a ruckus before they go away again, usually after a moderator PM or a public ban warning. Putting them in the top-five "Ignore" rankings may not cure them of their behavior problems, but depriving them of an audience may inspire them to go over to M* somewhere else.

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

I suggest the "ignored" information go to the moderators only. It is raw data which can be very helpful when deciding how to handle a problem poster. It's not always a bad thing, but my suspicion is that many of the most ignored posters will have offended their former readers.

Of course, it could also apply to someone who only posts on subjects in which the most members have no interest. Or both.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich_in_Tampa I suggest the "ignored" information go to the moderators only.

Now there's an incentive for new moderator volunteers!

[Andy R]

Well here's a twist on this (just brainstorming). What about having ignore reasons, so you could put things like rude, off topic, political, etc. That way we could understand why someone is being ignored.

Also, what do you think about splitting this thread (with the posts about top ignored members as it's own thread). I am pretty much shell shocked and don't dare use a single editing tool at this point because I don't want to be put in front of the firing line. How have you all handled this in the past? Just let it go and remember where to find it later?

[Khan]

Show who is most ignored?

Show who has most on ignore?

If you really want to stir things up, show who has who on ignore.

(I think they're all bad ideas.)

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy R Well here's a twist on this (just brainstorming). What about having ignore reasons, so you could put things like rude, off topic, political, etc. That way we could understand why someone is being ignored.

Absolutely.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy R Also, what do you think about splitting this thread (with the posts about top ignored members as it's own thread). I am pretty much shell shocked and don't dare use a single editing tool at this point because I don't want to be put in front of the firing line. How have you all handled this in the past? Just let it go and remember where to find it later?

Past threads have frequently been split when they start prolonged excursions into different subjects. (In fact it's rare for a thread to stay on-topic as long as this one has.) Moderators usually post a redirection notice in the existing thread and start off the new thread with a link to this one.

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy R Well here's a twist on this (just brainstorming). What about having ignore reasons, so you could put things like rude, off topic, political, etc. That way we could understand why someone is being ignored.

Better make it multiple choice with the ability to select several options, and also have a comment field available so the person being ignored can issue a rebuttal

Quote:

Also, what do you think about splitting this thread (with the posts about top ignored members as it's own thread). I am pretty much shell shocked and don't dare use a single editing tool at this point because I don't want to be put in front of the firing line. How have you all handled this in the past? Just let it go and remember where to find it later?

A little of both and it seems to have happened often without much complaining. Moderators regularly peel off a series of threads when it seems worthy of its own discussion, or when one of the one-note-wonder-trolls takes a reasonable discussion down some unreasonable path.

[ERD50]

Andy, I like the 'portal' page.

The nice thing about it, IMO, is that it is ONE BUTTON access. It seems that too many things in this new forum require multiple actions. Like 'subscribe to this thread' used to be one button. Now it is: click "Thread Tools", wait for menu to drop down, mouse down to 'subscribe', release, then wait for ack page and say 'Yes', then wait for page to come back. Whew!

Can more of the common things be made 'one button' actions?

One thing I would like to see on the portal is the name of the thread 'starter'.

-Thanks - ERD50

[Moemg]

[quote]). What about having ignore reasons, so you could put things like rude, off topic, political, etc. That way we could understand why someone is being ignored.

/quote]

Andy ,Is there some reason you want people to leave .Giving the reasons why people are ignored is like telling a date why you didn't call .Just plain

Tactless.Sure

sometimes we all get sidetracked on other subjects then retirement but that's what makes this board good and yes ,we may not comment on some of the financial

analyzing

that goes on but most of us read and appreciate

it.Unless

another JG shows up please leave the ignore list to the moderators only .