Rant: Thanks button sucks..

by 95 replies
113
Ok,

Im a deep thinker and read theses forums regulary.

Let me start by saying I have always backed the underdog.

What do I mean by that ?

All through my life I have backed and stood by those people that for some reason or another couldnt defend themselves.

Its a trait that has pissed me off in the past and indeed got me into a fair few fights.

I am now 43 years of age and still I do it, no testosterone going on, I just hate bullys and cliques.

I have read a few threads lately and found them to be quite frankly embarrassing.

Many people posting good information without a single Thanks, followed by the regular posters gving each other thanks to each other in the same thread ( all been here a couple of years). They could as well have told everyone they just broke wind.

I appreciate there are many here who DO know their acorns But dont turn it cliquey and assume newbs are brainless.

Its like a "Ill slap your back if you slap mine"

Give Thanks because a post deserves it, not because it might gain you a minute degree of kudus.
#off topic forum #button #rant #sucks
  • I totally agree with this post. Let me jsut say though that most people dont even know the thanks button exists.

    If you really want to build up your thanks count, at the end of each post or thread you can casually leave a " Don't forget to hi the Thanks button"

    Don't forget to hit the Thanks Button!
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [2] replies
    • I do agree with the OP that more 'Thanks' go out to more seasoned Warriors for meaningless posts, but I don't agree that people should be asking for thanks.

      Sorta like asking for rep on DP...which isn't allowed.

      Thanks,

      Kevin
    • Asking for thanks looks foolish, IMO.

      Last I checked thanks doesn't put money in my bank account. I appreciate thanks when given but I don't determine the value of a post, or the value of my contribution, by the number of thanks given.

      It's better to give than to receive
      • [ 3 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply
  • Spot the ball, although you're right, this thread is a waste of time. We in fact had a similar thread not too long ago.

    The people who "scratch each others backs" will not suddenly grow a conscious and stop doing it.

    The thanks button is a good idea overall, yet if it was gone you won't see me shedding any tears.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Actually, as I understand it, the official ruling is "give thanks instead of writing a stupid one-line post in the thread."
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • I don't put a whole lot of emphasis or weight on the "Thanks" button. It is merely useful as knowing people appreciate what you have provided them with information wise.

    Your posts on the forum should speak for themselves. You more times than not will be judged more by the content you provide rather than your post count or thanks tally.

    Asking for thanks is no better than going the "slap each others back" route. Your thanks are more valuable when you know the person giving the thanks is genuine... and not clicking the button, because you left a line at the end that said "please thank me so I feel appreciated".

    If you want respect you have to earn it. Most times it won't be overnight either... especially with the age of this forum. You have to pay your dues like everyone else. Keep providing solid content on the forum and you will through the natural course of things gain respect.

    Dennis
  • I'm having a hard time with this.

    I mean to say, just because long term people Thank each other perhaps more often then they thank someone newer, that doesn't change the fact that ALL OF US have the option to thank who ever we want, whenever we want.

    This isn't about cliques - it's about free will.

    How you can make the leap that you know what people are thinking about others because they choose NOT to press a Thank You button strikes me as illogical if not absurd.
  • I'm not a fan of the "thanks" thing and other similar tools on various forums such as points systems.. etc. I think it's all pretty silly and some people take it way too seriously.

    That said, I do agree with you. I can't stand bullies and the back scratching around here gets obnoxious at times.
  • Thanks on forums and rep systems are all a bit mysterious. I've been around the block enough to see that they can be honest or total bs. Is it lazy? Is it better to write a good content post in return explaining why you want to thank the person for their post?
    Ease
    Bandwidth
    Acknowledgement
    The thanks you feel but can't explain

    They all have a place but should be used sparingly.
  • I agree with the Spot (original poster), I see a lot of posts that give a lot of value go unthanked. Probably because they're by a newbie or by someone not so established on the forum. And the posts also just die down without much acknowledgement.

    Not very nice really.

    Thanks,
    Adam
    • [1] reply
    • This brings up another point, (at least for me).

      Sometimes I read a post where I'm thinking to myself I'm going to leave a 'thanks' for the poster taking the time to write it up and post it.

      But then I get to the end of the post, and either the conclusion is flawed, or a tangent is added that I wouldn't thank, or a number of other reasons that cause me not to hit the thanks button.

      This isn't rocket science, but the tendency to reward posters who continually produce posts worth reading goes up over time, (as well as post count, evidently )

      @OP
      "I appreciate there are many here who DO know their acorns But dont turn it cliquey and assume newbs are brainless."

      This is just a personal opinion...

      A lot of new people come on here to share and learn. But at any given time there are a few 'new people' here that feel the need to always have one or more of their threads on the front page. Mostly pontifications that this forum could do without (imho). They're easy to spot in most cases (time since joining/threads started)

      Once a pontification pattern is prevelent it's counter productive to encourage those particular posters by giving them the proverbial pat on the back with a 'thanks'. Ironically, if they hadn't worn thin with all the other tripe they post I would give them a thanks. Again, I'm only speaking for myself.

      And as others have said, sometimes it's just easier to thank a post that would be very similar to a response one would add if the other post wasn't there. It's better than being repetitive, or leaving a "thanks for sharing" one liner.

      Personally, I like the thanks button.

      ~Bill
      • [1] reply
  • The thanks button has earned me exactly $0 today. I don't worry about it.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Interesting topic. Thought I'd chime in given that I am fairly new to the forum. I think as a new member you sort of want to belong. It's a funny feeling given that it's a digital world. I mean really, should we give a crap if we get a thank you or not? But we do. We do. It's as much an affirmation of belonging to something as much as it is an affirmation that we provided a contribution.

    I made a few contributory posts and thought "sheesh, not a single thanks". Then I thought "who gives a crap, my post was useful, that's all that matters".
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Banned
    [DELETED]
  • Spot:

    You put waaay too much emphasis on that thanks button.

    Here's the way I see it: A thank you and two bucks will buy you a cup of coffee at a local Starbucks, which if you know the price of coffee at Starbucks, means it isn't worth the space the button is displayed on.

    Want to

    Take the time to visit their sig, and if they are selling something you like, buy it.

    Yeah, I know, sounds greedy. But hey, if they are nice enough to provide something you find valuable, maybe you should at least considering giving something of real value in return.
    • [1] reply
    • Well, I guess the powers that be got sick of all the bitching about the
      Thanks button because it's gone.

      My oh my...what on earth will we bitch about now? :rolleyes:
      • [5] replies
  • Is it just me or has the thanks button vanished ?
    • [2] replies
    • It's just you.


      Unless of course you read the thread and learn that it's not... At a minimum read the posts by the guy with the cigar
    • Welcome to 30 minutes ago

  • So where is the thanks button? I want to thank you Rant nice speech.
  • Banned
    lol ... can't believe that people even think about checking who is thanked and who is not thanked and if they thank back or if they thank underdogs or overdogs ...

    I use it when I feel like it ... often when someone makes me laugh or tells me something I find really useful, but I don't just randomly use it for everyone who starts a thread that I read. What's useful to you might be old news to me.

    I assume that people are posting because they're social and they want to give something to the forum rather than they praying people will hit the thanks button.

    Now ... where is that pesky thanks button? Darn ... you can't thank me for this post.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Thanks but no thanks.

    The thanks button is nothing more than a way to reduce the amount of pointless posts in the forum allowing people to thank each other without having to post it.

    Now if only there was a thanks button for EMAIL the world would be a better, and less cluttered place.
    • [1] reply
    • Darklock Messager had that. There were four buttons at the top of every email for "yes," "no," "thanks," and "spam." If you clicked one of the first three, it automatically either marked the message read or deleted it, and responded with that one single word. (The spam button worked a little differently, for obvious reasons.)

      Unfortunately, we were still debugging the best damn mail filters the world would never see, when every email client on the planet suddenly became free over the course of about three months. Our projected revenue on the project went six-figure negative, so we cancelled it.

      To date, only eight people have ever used Darklock Messager: me, my wife, the four other developers, and two temps we brought in as testers. But it was awesome.
  • I personally don't give a crap about the thanks button, it really means nothing to me and I don't value other peoples "thanks" post count as some sort of importance measuring stick.

    If someone helps me with a question I'll hit the thanks button as opposed to thanking them by writing it, isn't that what its for, as Josh said reduce the amount of pointless posts?
  • Actually -- the thanks button served as a nice way of bookmarking useful posts.

    Yes, some people use it more like a "hear hear" kind of thing when someone says something they like, but others (such as myself) find it useful for thanking genuinely useful posts and bookmarking them. It would be nice to keep it.

    Thanks!
  • Hello,
    maybe it will be replaced by the LIKE button that is becoming so popular these days.
  • Banned
    [DELETED]
  • Instead of a thanks button I think a donation button would have always been better. You liek the post that much why not throw a $1 or $2 to the OP. Guarantee that would cut down on useless thanks and actually rewrd someone who makes a truly worthy post.

    Respectfully,
    Tim
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply
    • Didn't the forum used to have a "Buy me a Beer" button?
      • [1] reply
  • Damn. I'll admit, I'm going to miss the thanks button. Not only would it make life easier when I'd want to express appreciation for a post but didn't have or didn't feel like posting my own contribution, I could easily find useful threads if I wanted to look something up. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted
  • DANG! What a waste... all of those indicators of appreciation
    and those symbols of appreciation I've given to encourage
    people for their useful post and also to show them that they
    helped me in a way.

    The thanks button was there to deepen our relationship with each
    other. In this world of the written word, the thanks button served
    as a mechanism to connect us in this "unconnected" world.

    We humans are a social being, and even if we're all hiding at the
    back of our computers deep inside we still want to feel appreciated
    and show appreciation.

    The THANKS button was an instrument for a more authentic connection.

    Every time you hit that button you are conscious, you are aware that
    you are thanking a person because somehow
    you got value out of what he expressed, and giving
    it enables as much good feeling as receiving it yourself.

    Now we've reduced that instrument to connect with one another other.

    It seems that we've moved backwards, instead of having more tools that
    build bridges, we actually managed to take away one.

    Oh well, lesson learned.
    • [1] reply
    • Savor The Adventure And Enjoy The Taste Of New Cheese!
  • The amount of times a person was thanked helped me decide which wso's to buy.
    • [1] reply
    • At least two people mention the thanks as a way to bookmark the post. Can someone explain to me how that works? Is there a way to see what posts we've thanked somewhere?

      Tina
      • [1] reply
  • I'd love to see a "Middle Finger" and a "Bulls#?t" Button...
    Maybe we should run a poll lol.
    • [1] reply
    • How about a "bullfinger" button?

      "That post was a load of BF!"

      *click*
  • I'd like to see a "NO THANKYOU" button
  • Uh oh... I am 37. Will I be losing my testosterone in the next five years or is this an individual medical problem that you are having?

    Do I get a Thanks?
    • [1] reply
    • I'm 57 and still have all mine.
      Must be a personal problem he was airing.

      By the way, Thanks.
  • I guess I am in the minority.

    I read the forum to get information, learn about something or get updates about X. If there is no value in what I am reading I stop and move on to something else or skip through until I find it.

    What I found that really helped me was to remove any ego or emotions of mine to be tied to the forum. I then did not have a connection of any personal nature to here and was released to spend weeks and even months without visiting.

    Then when I do come here, not only do I not consider any of the things you all are but it never comes to my attention unless ranted about and even then it makes no difference to me because I don't care if the thanks button is there or isn't and that it may or may not be used by good ole boys to make themselves feel good or pump their perceived importance here. I just simply, don't care and it shouldn't to you either.


    - T
  • I joined this forum about a month ago and have been lurking around mostly watching what happens and honestly I think it's extremely childish to worry about who is pushing the thanks button and why. I also don't mean to be rude but seriously can people who do this NOT find anything better to do? Maybe someone should do a WSO on how to fill up your time with meaningful issues instead of made up whiney bulls%it.

    About the thanks button btw.......it's there for anyone to use for any reason they want so quit worrying about other peoples action's and focus on your own. (Yeah I know I sound like my mother I promise I will stop if some of us can quit acting like children.)
  • This thread has immense entertainment value.

    Also, I vote for implementing all of the ideas presented here. Each post should have an extensive dashboard of buttons.
    In case this hasn't come up yet, a "Oh no, you DIDN'T!" as well as an "Oh Snap!" button should also be incorporated.
    I believe that darklock's image above also has button potential.

    Finally, I would like to have a rich, dynamic stats engine that lets me examine and compare all button-pushes given and received.

    (I just like checking stats, is all)
  • Dennis,It's that little triangular thingie with the exclamation point in it.


    Paul
    • [1] reply
    • Ah...but that doesn't show up in the thread. It would have no dissuasive value to make people think twice before whining.

      Don't worry Paul, I use that little triangle thingie to report spammers, and you can correct me if I'm mistaken, but I don't think the mods would really want to be flooded with "this guy is a whiner" reports.
  • Complainers complain about something. Then more complainers complain about the complainers complaining about something. Then someone else complains about the complainer who is complaining about the complainers who complain about the complainers who complain about something. :p

    Dennis
  • Doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of the "thanks" button as mentioned before... to eliminate the one liners?

    There could be several button though... to cover various scenarios all with the use of icons.

    Thumbs Up = Thanks
    Thumbs Down = Negative Rant of Your Choice
    Turkey = The Finger Button
    $5 Bill = $5 Fine for Whining (Tally Located under the Thanks Tally)
    Notebook = Bookmark This Post

    Dennis
  • So all that deep thinking led to this thread? A diatribe about a "thanks" button. And why this was even posted in the main forum? At best this should have been posted in the off-topic forum. Main forum is where we talk about making money not "thanks" buttons.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • it is a great idea! way for like minded members to know the useful contributors.
  • You just earned a Thanks!

    No really, I never really care about the thanks button since I'm more of a lurker anyway. Though I've seen many good posts not thanked and their useless responses thanked - just like you stated.

    Hope it's going to change. The good posts deserve the Thanks.
    • [1] reply
    • Also quite helpful for highlighting the non-useful, I see.

      Statements like this make me wonder why anyone thinks that they get a say in what I think is a good post. If you see a "good post" unthanked, then give it YOUR thanks. I'll hit the button when I want to for my own reasons and guess what? They could be totally different from your reasons and I don't have to explain those reasons.

      @@@

      Of all the reasons people give to whine about the way the WF is run or what they think of the people here, this is one of the dumbest things I've seen to complain about.

      As to the "backslapper" and "old boy's network" references that pop up in every similar thread, anyone notice that those terms are always used by people who get less than stellar reception to their posts or their WSOs?

      "Boo-hoo, I didn't get a bunch of thanks for that incredible post I made. Must be because I'm new and not part of the popular crowd."

      I realize there are some young Warriors here but I would think most would be past this junior high school mentality.

      Tina
      • [ 2 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply
  • Talk about beating a dead horse....................
  • To all of you who thanked me for this post which I wrote in the thread about the Warrior forum being down for a WHOLE day.............

    I'm very sorry, but I appear to have been extremely wrong.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • I think most "thanks" get sent in the marketplace, in those big long offer threads.
    I see I did get a thanks the other day (thanks) & it wasn't in one of the sales threads, but I do see a lot of those really great deals, with 20-30 thanks on one post.
    It is what it is, I like the thanks option on these forums, but I wouldn't base any reputation or trust in a person because of it, I would base that on actual interaction and talking with that person or group.
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