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by Stillme FBB on February 9th, 2008

Stillme FBB

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What good reasons do have for giving neg points? I thought neg points were for not good advice or not a clear, good question. Instead I find they are given to people that some AB users don't like. Doesn't that show lack of intigrity?

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Answers. 14 helpful answers below.

  • by iwnit on April 3rd, 2008

    iwnit

    1) We are supposed to downrate submissions that we find "not useful". But is downrating itself useful?


    2) There are other things that we can do if we find a submission inappropriate. First we can flag it:
    - as spam / offensive
    - as nonsense
    And for the questions, we also can flag them:
    - as a duplicate
    - as wrong category
    However, it is important to use flagging with great care.

    Moreover, we could report the user with a "Feedback".


    3) Although the downratings do not influence one's point total, they change one's "+%" quote on questions or answers. And they change one's questions and answers overall rating.
    The effect of low "+%" quotes is that you get the image of someone doing bad submissions.
    The effect of Q&A negative overall ratings is that people *could* assume that your submission is bad, and approve this with a supplementary rating. As far as I could see, it happens quite often. (Of course, some people also correct the ratings).


    4) In my opinion, the most important effect of a downrating is also a strong negative feeling of rejection. It is just harmful.
    You could just ignore it, forget it. But actually, it it only refusing to see the reality.
    You could not take it too seriously, just keep cool. Or if you are not able to do this, you could just disable your ratings display. But in the end, if you always ignore them, you do not get all the also useful feedback from the ratings. And you might get a bad image throughbad ratings where you did not react.

    And this is the main reason why I never downrate, and often help people who have received overall negative points on their submissions.


    5) I think also that if it not a candidate for some kind of flagging, any submission is better than no submission. (but that's just me).


    6) My theory is that flagging is used by two kind of people on Answerbag:
    - beginners, or people who never discovered how painful it feels to be downrated. Maybe because they do not feel the pain themselves, for various reasons. The beginners do it because Answerbag officially states: downrate what you don't find useful, so they just follow this rule.

    - people who need a strong, always effective (and anonymous) way of showing their disapproval.
    Because if they would flag those submissions, the flagging would possibly (or probably) not be accepted.
    They probably think that if someone gets -30 on a submission, this person will get the idea that their submission is disapproved from many (at least 5 people). If the submission got rejected, 2 people would be sufficient.

    For instance, downrating would mean:
    - you are wasting my time
    - you are not able to write a single sentence correctly
    - do your own homework
    - I cannot hear any of those questions about pregnancy any more
    - don't post always the same kind of questions
    - don't post the same question 5 times until you get a response
    - we don't need an other variant of this question: "Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find line 4, What does it say?"
    - don't use caplocks
    - don't tell me about Evolution, I believe in Creation (or: don't tell me about Creation, I am an Atheist)


    7) I could understand that someone has to express some kind of disapproval.
    But why always use the biggest caliber that you can use for those things? Some people above the Sage title seem to make a regular use of -5 ratings.

    It could also be the idea: why not do it when I can and it is "legal" (in the rules).
    Well, I don't always do everything just because I am allowed to do it.

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  • by Shopping Sheryl - home from the hospital on February 9th, 2008

    Shopping Sheryl - home from the hospital

    The definition you use is the correct one as I understand it.

    I give negative ratings only for grossly incorrect or truly offensive answers.

    However, you are correct that there are many (in my opinion)immature people here who hide behind the minus button to show that they don't like someone, or disagree.

    I think that negging because you disagree, don't like someone, or to carry out a personal vendetta is foolish, a complete abuse of the downrate system, and indeed, as you say, shows a complete lack of integrity.

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  • by Doggie S on February 9th, 2008

    Doggie S

    Yup, I agree with you, stillme. The negs aren't really given because of faulty questions or answers, they're usually given out of spite. I've experienced that so many times.

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  • by redcatt63 is around here somewhere...... on February 9th, 2008

    redcatt63 is around here somewhere......

    When I encounter people who are being vicious and offensive, I will DR them...and flag them, and send feedback to AB. But, I know there are the "trolls" who do it out of spite and hatred. It's really sad. Whether it's because of your politics, your orientation, race, religion, culture...if a troll decides they hate you for one or several of those reasons, they DR anything you post. So childish and juvenile.

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  • by macdjug-Paxvobiscum on April 3rd, 2008

    macdjug-Paxvobiscum

    There is nothing wrong with it if used with discretion. Unfortunately the trolls will down rate for no logical reason. I don't think much about it anymore. I've had quite a few DR's for what I thought were intelligent answers and questions and have seen the same for others.

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  • by Mr. Meaulnes on February 9th, 2008

    Mr. Meaulnes

    If you ask me, there's no good reason to downrate (Just as there's no good reason to uprate).

    If something is bad enough that I'd actually downrate it, it's usually best flagged anyway, and if something is good enough that I'd bother rating it up, I usually do so as an afterthought and focus on leaving a positive comment instead.

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  • by Gnome of Kevonia is a Cheerwine junkie on July 11th, 2008

    Gnome of Kevonia is a Cheerwine junkie

    I have discontinued giving negs.

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  • by shammers still slogging along on February 10th, 2008

    shammers still slogging along

    When one answers a question sincerely and gets negged . . . that has been so infuriating to me! The answers aren't supposed to be based on popularity I don't think!

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  • by killdrphil - reasonable for a madman on February 9th, 2008

    killdrphil - reasonable for a madman

    I only give negative ratings for lack of effort.

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  • by BagOfAnswers on May 13th, 2009

    BagOfAnswers

    Thank you so much for the information! I am new to answerbag, I used to be on yahoo answers but the community there was cold and cared more about high scores and reporting people than good answers.

    I am happy to be on this site! Sorry I didn't find it sooner! :)

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  • by Quirkie on April 26th, 2009

    Quirkie

    To iwnit, as far as I am concerned, downrating is for primarily one purpose, when the best answer has been usurped by a stupid unhelpful answer, and uprating isn't enough to fix it.

    I might also add a -1 to questions and answers which are intended to annoy, so as to add to the disincentive for doing this.

    I think being allowed to give +6 or -5 is unfair. The one person who should be able to give more than +1 is the person whose question it is. Only they can say whether the answer answered their question.

    I can't really complain, because the existing point system is partly due to a discussion I had with Joel. But the multiple points idea was supposed to counter flaws in the old "marks out of 100" system, which no longer exists.

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  • by EvangelineOFire on July 26th, 2009

    EvangelineOFire

    Yes Stillme. Not only does it show lack of integrity, but as I've said many times before, it's just LAME. I don't believe in giving neg points. If I really don't like what someone has to say, I ignore them altogether. For some people, though, giving neg points probably gives them a sense of power or control for the moment. They have issues that I don't need to deal with. I have enough of my own.

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  • by Firebrand on December 5th, 2008

    Firebrand

    Yes total lack of integrity.

    The dishonesty of some members is made obvious by their whining about being downrated and then you look at their Positive percentage figures and you realise just how many they downrate themselves. The strange thing is that you never see their names on a comment thread explaining why they have downrated because with the anoniminity that this system provides they can be as devious and two faced as they like.

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  • by VSPrasad on May 22nd, 2008

    VSPrasad

    Our minds are as different as our finger prints - no two are alike.

    A person who posts a question or an answer feels it right most of the time, or he wants to know the opinion of others.

    I give my plus points if I find some one with negative points. My philosophy is this:

    Your joy is the source of your smile. But sometimes,
    a smile can be a source of your joy.

    If you find some one without a smile,
    give him one of yours.

    It will touch his heart.

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You're reading What good reasons do have for giving neg points? I thought neg points were for not good advice or not a clear, good question. Instead I find they are given to people that some AB users don't like. Doesn't that show lack of intigrity? - which can also be phrased in the following ways:

  • What is the usefulness of downrating on Answerbag? (I give my opinion in my own answer)

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