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After slogging through yet another round of ad hominem garbage cluttering an otherwise fine thread, I had a few suggestions for the forum. Maybe some of this already exists and I just haven't tried hard enough to find it.

1. Is there a way to "ignore" posts by certain members? That would let the individual skip all posts by someone they view as overly antagonistic. Some other sites have this feature.

2. Some sites let users assign "reputation points" to other users. This could get very interesting on a site like this, I guess. However, it could be useful to let new posters see something other than a post count.

3. Is there a way to subscribe to certain discussion threads without having to post to them? I see the "add topic to my watched topics" below the post dialogue box when I type this, but I don't know a way to do that without posting.

4. Would you ever consider public "warnings" that lead to bannings for personal attacks? Maybe you've done that before. I think letting those actions be public on a profile could create some additional deterrent. I've seen it work elsewhere. FWIW, I've also seen such warnings used for direct solicitation, too; that'd make life here a bit more interesting.

Anyway, these are little things, but I was just wondering.

Overall, this is a great place. I really appreciate the knowledge here, and there are many helpful members. But the constant bickering by certain parties really gets old fast.

Some good ideas. I've have to admit though that sometimes I'm most engaged reading the threads that get the most heated, with the most bickering. But I suppose that's something I should take up with my therapist:)
I DO like the idea about rating points.

Before the last updating of the forum, it was possible to give ratings. However I never liked the idea of this. I was very happy to see that the present forum does not support ratings.

I agree that the constant juvenile bickering gets very tiresome and is a definite blight on what is otherwise a very informative forum. Unfortunately it always seems to be instigated by the same usual suspects.
AJF is correct however in saying that unfortunately those threads can be somewhat engaging. Sort of like being forced to watch a video of a slow motion gory car crash over and over.

The most recent rating system was applied to threads, not individuals, and these ratings gave no useful information. Many years ago we had a star system that applied to individuals. Posters could be rated on a one to five star scale. That too gave no useful information. Anyone who had anything interesting to say would get zapped gratuitously by opponents.

You're right P*D. The rating system became a means with which people bashed each other. Someone's rating could go from 5 to 1 simply because someone didn't like what they had to say.

I believe there was a popular outcry to remove all the ratings.

You could always have the moderators rate posters. Everyone starts with 5 stars
and when you end up with no stars, out ya go. I can only see it being used for a very few posters since most here post with honesty and integrity.
Can you imagine how a poster would act if he/she only had one star left.
O the peace!!!!!!

Yes, there is a way. Don't bother reading the posts/posters that don't interest you. One would be sitting here all day every day, if one read all the postings on the various forums here.


Yes, isn't that human nature. And a part of what makes PW the interesting place that it is. How boring it would be if we only had nice and agreeable things to say about everything. Imagine some of the opinions we'd hear here from some of the piano "greats" from the past. I'm sure it wouldn't be all pleasant!

Mike,

You are too much!

The thread which you very recently departed in order to offer this treatise was called something like 'Chinese pianos ... opinions invited" It was not entitled "Let's yuk it up about Chinese pianos!"

Your observation after Mike Carr posed nagging questions about Hailun that have lingered here for years was........



As I wrote on that thread, Mike's questions are legitimate. You may not like them. You may not like Mike's style. You may not like that his name is also Mike. You may wish that we could all just join in your long-running celebration of your Rittmuller purchase. I really don't know what exactly is 'nice' to you, but whatever it is, I guess you assumed from what I quoted that it was also 'nice' to everyone else on the thread except Mike (the other one ).

There's a problem with that. This is public forum. It's not a country club with dues or a private school with stiff entry requirements. Think public library, public bus, public rest rooms. The mod squad is here to keep it within bounds that the management considers acceptable. It's not their job to see that everything posted is regarded by you or anyone else as 'nice'. That would be an utterly impossible job.

Here's another thing. Controversy creates page views. Page views help to pay the bills. IOW controversy sells well as a forum product. On some recent threads sparked with controversy, page views piled up incredibly fast. Some of those views were by members who posted on the threads that they found the thread(s) disagreeable and overly contentious. However, they viewed and they posted, so they themselves joined in the controversy and more importantly, the buildup of page views.

If you really think that Mike (the other one ) stepped over some forum line in his colorful request that Norbert function as a de-facto spokesman for Hailun, then file a moderator report.

If you want stars next to your name, just change your forum identity to mikeheel *****. Then you'll have a reasonable facsimile of the way things were here a few years ago when members who found someone or something 'un-nice' attacked a member's or a thread's ratings to extract punishment. One difference though. No one will be able to attack you for being 'un-nice' if the stars are part of your member identity. You'll be bullet-prooof.

Let me second Dara's points above and also -- let's NOT go back to the ratings systems. They were distracting and truly irrelevant to any kind of meaningful discussion.


Sophia

Turandot, I'm guessing you hadn't read my reply on the other thread before trying to argue points with which I agree, but that's ok. I enjoy your writing enough to read it twice, even when you're inaccurate.

Controversy may generate page views, but continual personal diatribes (even if seemingly warranted) run people away. Even in my brief time here, I've seen many folks say they had left the forum because of such antics. Disagreement is one thing; acting like spoiled children is quite another.

When that happens, it does become a cliquish country club with the same tired players repeating the same dance over and over.

Ken,

I still remember years ago getting a PM from a member who had joined when I had. He was despondent because after all his work (6 months of posting to please) to build a 5-star rating, his rating had crashed overnight to 4 stars. He was sure that someone terribly vindictive had brought him down.

In recalling that, I recalled a suggestion that I made years ago: the institution of a chili-pepper icon. I'll make the suggestion again.

When a thread gets spicy with a vigorous exchange of fisticuffs views, but it doesn't quality for the dreaded threadlock (or is it threaded dreadlocks), the moderator (that's you ) adds a chili pepper icon next to the thread title in the listing of threads.

This results in the following two advantages.

1)Just like an R movie rating, the chili pepper will warn the supposedly squeamish to stay away. (Can anyone remember The Legion of Decency? )

2) Most of the supposedly squeamish won't stay away. Although the forum is clearly supporting their need for genteel behavior by all concerned, they will be attracted to the thread. Spicy threads will pile up page views even faster than now. Those who love a good streetfight debate will also appreciate the chili pepper icon as a useful shortcut to quickly navigate to where they want to be. Members of the Holier Than Thou Church of Moral Superiority will crawl from under their front row pews to click that hot little red icon.

It will be a ratings bonanza. Frank B will buy the bloody mobile home park and install a different grand piano or digital board in each unit. You'll get a raise.

If I'm wrong, I'll send you a bottle of bubbly.

Ah, see, I figured if I started a thread, someone would have a better idea.

I wasn't here for the prior rating system, but I've seen it work well on other boards with lots of very opinionated (or, more accurately, contentious) users. Of course, because it works somewhere else doesn't mean it works here. But I wasn't here then; that's why i asked.

I appreciate the replies on the ideas. It's even better when it sparks a better idea.

Yes, click on the users name, then "view profile". You will find an "ignore user" option.

At the top of the thread there is a box that says "Topic Options" or something really similar. Click on the arrow to the right of it and you will find an "add this to my watched topics" option.

Cool. Thanks, LBE! Can't believe I have never noticed those.

apple* and Piano*Dad

careful, you've only got one * left



Well, this chile looks a little to friendly, to scare anyone away, with that leek geek mop top and silly grin, - besides, I already ate it.

TDot - "Mod Squad"?!? hahahaha! You have such a way with spicy verbage. Chili Pepper is a great idea, definitely would boost the ratings.

Great pic, Dara.

Sounds like the TV show where you start with a million dollars and lose money for every wrong answer.