Who's the busy buddy...???

[grandpopswalt]

 Or, do as Vic suggested, every time you open a thread just click 5 stars. Eventually every thread will have a 5 star rating. At least that's how I think this rating system works.

Walt

 

[Greg Elmassian]

So, no one thinks it might be useful? (other than the software company )

Maybe newcomers could see the "great" threads more quickly?

There must be some benefit, most forums seem to have it. I noticed that some threads on MLS are rated.

Regards, Greg

[MTCarpenter]

Greg Elmassian

So, no one thinks it might be useful? (other than the software company )

Maybe newcomers could see the "great" threads more quickly?

There must be some benefit, most forums seem to have it. I noticed that some threads on MLS are rated.

Regards, Greg

 

Yeah, if done right, or fairly, the stars would help lead folks to the "better" threads.  But the problem is: how do you define one thread as "better" than another on a board like this?  To me, they're all great threads, but some of the information doesn't pertain to me, so I don't click on it (from looking at the title) or don't go back into the thread.

For instance, diesel engines don't particularity interest me.  I don't hate them or anything, but when I see a diesel thread, I don't usually read it.  And I wouldn't rate it one star for sure.

I'm a moderator on another message board.  We don't have the stars there, and I think it's for the better.  But YMMV.

I'm blabbing here, but I'm (stupidly) wondering how the system works?  I noticed that when I give a 5 star rating to a thread (which I do for all threads I read now ) that the star rating moves about a 1/2 a star if at all.  I'm wondering, especially in the case of the Captain Bob thread, that someone might have rated the thread a "5 star thread", but the software takes some sort of weird average of users vs. votes.  Or maybe views vs. votes.  It might take a certain amount of votes vs. views to get the rating even to one star.  That might explain the low star count for that thread.

Then again, I might just be over-thinking this whole thing.  

[MTCarpenter]

Rene S

I contacted one of our tech folks, and he said that it's difficult to remove the rating feature--because of the software and the fact that all trains.com forums are under the same software "umbrella."

That's probably correct.  If they disable it for one board, it will disable it for the entire site.

Rene - at the risk of being too nosy, what software are they using?  If they'd prefer not to say, no problem.  I understand.  I'll keep my nose to myself...

[Rene Schweitzer]

MT, they use Community forum software. I believe we are getting an upgrade later this year, but I'm not sure when/which version.