Downrating Threads

[dukedogsmom]

Originally posted by molucass
What peeves me is that there are other people that can post pics of their pets and get TONS of replies, and yet when I post pics of mine, I may get 3-6... That's what will make your feelings be hurt!!

I highly agree!! I try very hard to reply to everyone so as not to hurt anyone's feelings. However, it's happened to me, as well. I just don't understand. That's why I don't post too many pics other than holidays. I have rated threads before but only for 5 stars.

[Karen]

Every time you post about someone's downrating of threads bothering you, you are giving satisfaction to the person doing it. Honestly, I never look at how a thread is rated. Isn't one star better than no stars?

This is Pet Talk, where everyone is special. Who cares about stars?

[anna_66]

Originally posted by Karen
This is Pet Talk, where everyone is special. Who cares about stars?

You are so right Karen

I have to admit I have rated a few threads if I've found them to be very informative or say someone got a new pet.
It's just people trying to tick you off, just ignore them.

And as to the people who get their feelings hurt if not many people reply to their threads....
I've been pretty bad at that myself lately, as I haven't had much time. It's not that I care for some more than others, I just see some first and reply to them. But I did take some time last night and tried to look at everyones pictures and reply. I hope I didn't miss any!

[primabella]

Originally posted by anna_66
And as to the people who get their feelings hurt if not many people reply to their threads....
I've been pretty bad at that myself lately, as I haven't had much time. It's not that I care for some more than others, I just see some first and reply to them. But I did take some time last night and tried to look at everyones pictures and reply. I hope I didn't miss any!

The same goes for me. I have been pretty busy with schoolwork and other things, I just don't have the same time and patience to read through posts. I should though seeing as how if I were to post some Mickey pictures (probably soon anyways ) I'd like to get a good amount of replies. Besides, its nice to get attention from other members.

I hardly ever rate and if I do, it's a 5-star rating. I have learned to just block out the right side of the board to ignore those stars. They mean nothing to me.

[G.P.girl]

probably whoever is downrating the threads is just doing it becasue they like to see you get worked up about it. if you don't even mention it then they won't have any reason to do that. i never really rate threads(except in potd, dotd and cotd, but those are all 5 stars) and i don't look at them either. like someone else said, i don't think people are going to not read your thread because it has low rating

[CathyBogart]

Originally posted by Karen
Every time you post about someone's downrating of threads bothering you, you are giving satisfaction to the person doing it. Honestly, I never look at how a thread is rated. Isn't one star better than no stars?

This is Pet Talk, where everyone is special. Who cares about stars?

My sentiments exactly - just ignore it!

[slick]

Originally posted by Karen
Isn't one star better than no stars? This is Pet Talk, where everyone is special. Who cares about stars?

Exactly Karen. You know, I've started a few threads in my time and I've never had a star rating at all and you know what??

I DON'T CARE!!!!!

Why is it soooooo important to you Kay???? There are more important things in life to worry about.

[Randi]

I hardly ever notice if threads have any stars, or none, as I usually go straight to "Todays active threads" and they're not shown there. However, I find it pathetic that someone would downrate a thread just to hurt the person posting it. Someone on this board must be really bored!!

The best thing is to ignore it and get on with your posting!

Edit: I presume the rating was supposed to "guide"new members to the most popular threads, but on this board it seems that all it shows is, that some members don't like other members.

[Cataholic]

Sit down everybody, I am about to support Kay!

I think it is mighty easy for some of us to sit here and say, "Oh, Kfamr, don't worry about it, stop caring, what's the big deal.." etc...as it hasn't happened to most of us like I have seen it happen to/with her, and a few other selected people. Things always sting more when it is, or seems to be, directed to us.

It is one thing to say that who cares what the ratings are...when they are 5 starred! Quite another to say that when one can see that someone/ones purposely rate Kfamr's threads low. It IS a direct attack against her, and I do think it is hurtful. At 38, I know dern well I would have been crushed if someone rated down one of my many, many threads on Binx. I most likely would have left PT. So, to have that sort of thing happen to Kfamr, not once, but more than once, well, it isn't right.

Not to detract from Kay's thread, but, I also find it sad when I look at the POTD sections and see that some, but not all, are rated 5 stars. What a sad thing that would be for me to see my kitty on COTD, and see everyone else's kitty get 5 stars, and I get none.

I think the star rating should be removed...because it causes hurt feelings.

[honor_fl]

Fortunately, or unfortunately, the online life is just about the same as real life. There's always going to be people who piss you off, hurt your feelings, and just generally make your life miserable. And just like in real life, you have to learn to deal with it, because even if that person goes away, someone else is just gonna pop up and take their place. (And on the bright side, just like real life, there are many wonderful, caring people who will be right there to support you and wish you well.)

It would be nice if everyone was sweet and wonderful, but that's not realistic. So what do you do? You can ignore them, you can fight back, or you can run away. Hopefully, we're not going to run away, so find a different way of dealing with it.

I think most people agree that the stars mean absolutely nothing, so that should make you feel better. And please remember that this is just one idiotic person, out of how many who post on this board?

[tatsxxx11]

Karen commented that perhaps receiving 1 star was better than receiving none at all. The problem is, if you read how each star is described...1 star="worst," well, I'd have to say I'd rather have no stars next to my thread than 1, which in essence describes it as "worst." It's not the downrating per se that bothers me as much as it is the immature, hateful thinking that motivates it. Trying to ignore it is about all you can do, KayAnn. That person(s) is obviously trying to get your goat, but she also knows how we all feel and perhaps she/he will eventually "go away," like a bad headache! We've already lost one very loved, original Pet Talk member because of this idiotic ack of sensitivity. I'd hate to see us lose any more! Hang in there Kay and try and ignore it, hard as that is.


molucass wrote:

What peeves me is that there are other people that can post pics of their pets and get TONS of replies, and yet when I post pics of mine, I may get 3-6... That's what will make your feelings be hurt!!


I (and I know of many others) who try very hard to post daily on all of the pics threads. I know how I would feel if I posted pics of my kids and only a few replied. Maybe I'm lucky that my computer's not allowing me to upload pics at the moment Problem is, the majority of threads in Dogs General are now picture posting threads and it can take some time to get to them all, but I do eventually Honestly, I've found that given a day or so, most people find them and post a nice response. Everybody loves seeing pet pictures! It really hurts me to read someone comments, i.e. that no one responds to their posts when that thread is only an or two hour old Some of us can only get online at certain times. Often I spend most of the time I have available to be on PT, responding to pics, birthday and pillar congrats, health threads etc. We're a big family and some days, that can take a while, but I love doing it and love seeing your pics, so I hope everyone here knows how special I think all of you are, and of course, your "kids."

I've seen a separate catagory on other forums, just for posting pictures. Maybe that would help to direct people to new photo threads; and it might help to initiate more topics of conversation on the D,C,P "General" catagories too.

Johanna said...
Not to detract from Kay's thread, but, I also find it sad when I look at the POTD sections and see that some, but not all, are rated 5 stars. What a sad thing that would be for me to see my kitty on COTD, and see everyone else's kitty get 5 stars, and I get none.

I've posted about this before, with almost the exact same words, when the "downrating" subject first came up. Downrating a D,C,POTD thread is the epitome of cruelty, especially if you consider that there are only a few people who take the time to comment on them at all, especially on the POTD who rarely gets more than 2 or 3 congrats. There's no reason anyone would do this other than to be hurtful. I've often called on some of my PT friends to bump back up a downrated D,C,POTD thread; I know how hurtful it would be it were my pet's special day that got a "low" rating.

[K9soul]

I highly agree with how hurtful it is. And I would much rather have no stars by my threads than 1, because often means someone is going out of their way to be spiteful and hurtful personally. I think if I came to PT every day and saw that anything and everything I posted got 1 star, it would hurt me enough to avoid posting after awhile.

Some would say I'm being too sensitive, letting one person get to me, etc, etc, but there is no denying I would feel a stab in my heart when I saw my pictures and words always targeted in such a way. With a posts, at least you know who it is, if they post something nasty all the time to your posts, you can ignore them, but there is no way to put the stars on ignore...

I would personally be happy to see the rating system go.

[aly]

Originally posted by tatsxxx11



I've seen a separate catagory on other forums, just for posting pictures. Maybe that would help to direct people to new photo threads; and it might help to initiate more topics of conversation on the D,C,P "General" catagories too.

GREAT suggestion, Sandra!

[Cookiebaker]

I agree, but also disagree.

I agree that when one specific person's threads are down rated no matter the content, and this happens time and time again; this is a personal attack. It is hurtful, and it is on a first grade level. Somebody needs to grow up.

HOWEVER, I do like the rating scales. When someone posts pictures are that especially funny or awesome, I like to rate them 5 stars! And, in the rare instance of someone being a troll, I will rate a 1 star to warn others that this thread isn't worth wasting their time on.

And Kayann, you have *tons* more friends than you do enemies here. That's why all the threads get bumped back up to 4 or 5 stars. Hopefully you can find comfort in that fact.

[Miss Meow]

Originally posted by WolfChan
My sentiments exactly - just ignore it!

I'd be upset if someone took the time and effort to downrate a thread of mine with one pissy little star. It's nice to say ignore it, but if it happened to me, I'd take it very, very personally.

I pretend to have the hide of a rhino, but I take things to heart.

The one star rater hasn't been posting much lately, so hopefully this activity will slow down.