Raise the Hammer

Interesting. Ryan, i didn't read all the comments - sorry if this is already covered.

My first suggestion is to consider the system used at i think, the Globe and Mail. By default the comments with the highest score move to the top, lowest to the bottom. One can override the default.

The main reason i hate the Spec and love our blogs, is that i do get educated more quickly than trying to figure out for myself how the Spec lied/manipulated/misleads/judges etc. This works very nicely at the Globe - the best comments have been upscored for a reason - and not just politeness, so i learn a lot very quickly.

I was a bit surprised at your description of how downvoting should be used. I'm sure i've used up/downvoting for a number of different reasons, not just one, ie -

general appreciation /opposite(especially when time is limited),

voting for/against what I might have to live with (ie. I generally downvote any of our expensive initiatives [LRT, stadium, AEGD] not because there is no merit but because AT ThiS TIME, we are facing a looming debt crisis, ergo, I must vote down even the most erudite/polite support). I believe this is justified on the basis that real councilors may be considering how we vote here which sort of stops me from downvoting nastily worded comments that make a point i agree with.

sometimes i just like upvoting an underdog so as to stimulate more consideration, even if the argument presented was weak.

Suggestion 2. As we discussed before, I'd love to be able to upvote an article I have no time or ability to comment on but like. Jason writes such articles - needs no 2 cents from me but always enjoyable/instructive.

Suggestion 3 for all - consider using your real name. I decided to do this partly because of my decision to go public by standing for election, but regardless of this incentive, it does have a salutary effect on expressing one's ideas in (more or less) sociable ways. Which in turn garners greater respect (i hope :-) I believe it's actually hard not to give greater weight to real people.

Finally, while i hopefully have your attention, here are some unrelated thoughts.

Please could you provide in the margin, a reminder listing of the basic editing symbols. All my feeble mind can command are the asterisks! A listing also enables dragging the symbol into the comment. Many comment boxes list the symbols just under the box for this purpose.

Also, I am always missing good stuff in the third column, like this post. I know skimming has a price but since I can't really appreciate the difference between 'recent articles' and 'blog entries', I don't really see the need to keep them separate. Jimho.

Cheers, I hope you understand your work is greatly appreciated. Bob

Comment edited by bobinnes on 2010-11-20 23:21:05