Thumbs Up

Thumbs-up, is the "non-verbal" positive acknowledgement of another's work. From the Python development community, the equivalent of "+1" expressed on the mailing list.

...A suggested WikiTag for voting others' comments. Perhaps the community will comment... -- MarkJanssen

No FaceBook "like" or equivalent, please. No.

No way, I'm stealing it back for us.

Let's not. It's an awkward way to vote. For example, how do multiple people reliably express approval? A string of ThumbsUp ThumbsUp ThumbsUp ThumbsUp? Or ThumbsUp * 4? Historically, a simple (for example) +4 has sufficed where such mechanisms are warranted, but they rarely are. The surrounding (hopefully) intelligent discussion is a far more illuminating "vote" for or against a comment than a ThumbsUp or equivalent. It conveys information and subtlety that a ThumbsUp does not, and Wiki favours consensus, balance, and equal voice rather than the majority domination that voting implies.

A number system or ticks marks are insufficient: when people put ticks marks, someone will come along and add them up and then it no longer looks like one can add their vote. ThumbsUp *4 actually would work, without losing the information that it represents a vote and a new user coming upon the page can add their voice. It's only temporary anyway, until we have the real GlassBeadGame.

In short: If you agree with something and feel it needs support, add evidence in favour of it. If you disagree and feel it needs deprecation, add evidence against.

That not only adds useless work, it decreases the signal to noise ratio.

This is a ContentCreationWiki, not a GlassBeadGame, so voting is rare and usually pointless anyway, given that any individual can put "ThumbsUp *134" anywhere he likes.

What does a ThumbsUp add to the text? Nothing, other than the fact that some anonymous person -- of unknown credentials and authority -- wandered by to carelessly add a "Like". What does a "Like" tell us? Nothing. It's as pointless as the mindless "me too" postings that sometimes infest Internet fora.

Therefore, ThumbsUp is noise. However, adding evidence or support (either for or against) that is meaningful, readable, and understandable adds signal. It provides content and viewpoint. Rather than being "useless work" or noise, content and viewpoint are precisely what a ContentCreationWiki like WardsWiki is all about.

There are at this moment nearly 36000 pages on this wiki and they are added to at about 40 to 50 pages per month. A lot of those pages don't get edited for years but that does not mean they are rubbish. They are a resource which anyone can look in and add to if they wish. People can learn, think, agree, disagree, compare and go away without having changed anything. I seldom come here without learning something. I often add a few links, join in a discussion, update something, add some new thoughts. Most of the people who wrote here over the years are not here, so trying to talk to them is not going to get any answer at all. I don't think ThumbsUp adds anything to this process. -- JohnFletcher

See PerItemVoting

CategoryVoting