ANSWERS: 11
  • If you were an honest person, you would leave a comment explaining why you down-rated each one. That way that certain person would benefit from your vast wisdom. Downrating them without a comment just makes you a sniveling little coward.
  • It's actually called "Justice of the unicorn" or something. Go for it, dude.
  • If you felt that all the answers sucked after reading them thoroughly, then nobody can argue that your downratings aren't justified, however, many will argue about how and when downrating should be done. Such as, downrating isn't justified if you disagree, or it can only be used if the person is being offensive. (Which I thought flagging was for.) And, usually, downrates are done out of spite towards someone, which is what I personally define as trolling, though it's easy to make the accusation even if it isn't the case. Of course, it would help your cause as a non troll if you explained why you downrated, but chances are, you'll be met with what I explained before, troll accusations or just plain and blatant retaliation. For people who don't care, a lot sure make some reactions. :/ On the other hand, and I totally stick to this, nobody ever explains why they uprate, so I don't see why it should be explained if they downrate. Does it really matter if the rating is good or bad, if the person with the subjected answer really believes in what they say? People say they don't care, so it shouldn't matter. While I admit wondering why I've been downrated, I can't deny otherwise, I guess it's a human reaction thing from positive to negative reactions...people should still be allowed to be discreet about it, because giving a comment, in most cases, probably doesn't do anything good anyways. But if this was too long, I hope you skipped to the end, in short, people will find reasons to call you a troll if you hand out constant downrates, no matter how justified you are, and even if they admit it to themselves that you were. It's pretty much a given around here.
  • Ahhh... Talim you are too funny!! Nice to see you tonight.
  • Don't know. Probably. Because even if you hate the answers, doesn't make them 'unhelpful'. Which nobody cares about anyway, but there you go. I think some people actually like being 'trolled' anyway. because they get to act all victimy. I got loads of -3's the other day and was a bit 'fuck off' before I came to my senses.
  • I guess. But, it's pointless to troll someone who will whine about it. The whiners end up getting a lot of points from sympathetic AB'ers and then they feel loved by the whole AB Community. Not good.
  • I guess it will. To me there is a difference whether an answer sucks or is nonsense. If the question asks what do you think, and I tell what I think, than nobody can downrate me for that. But if the question asks what should I do, and the answer is counter productive, I can downrate and explain why. But most of the questions ask the AB ers idea about the subject. If it sucks, don't give points. It sucks to me and maybe not to the others.
  • I totally just got trolled! Someone gave this question -4 and now it's only got 200 points left :( :( :( :( http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/285676 Actually...THIS is trolling: http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/1707599
  • If you consistently Down rate the same persons answers or questions just for the sake of it I would call that not only trolling but harassment .
  • Hahaha, I do it to people who ask questions that are offensive and or disgusting, as well as answers. If you were to answer all my questions with the same stupid answers I would do it to every single stupid answer. However I draw a line between stupid and amazing, if you were to answer all with "An aplle a day keeps the Guodmaster away", I would give you uprate you if I kept my attention on here for long enough. :D
  • An interesting question. +5, if for no other reason than having the guts to stand up and say you DR and why. I thought I'd get that out of the way right up front, as I'm gonna be a little wordy and you'll probably fade out on me right about..........now. I've looked at your profile before, so I know you've been around AB for a while. Certainly longer than I have. So you probably know what the whole rating system is SUPPOSED to be for and how it evolved into what it is today. According to AB, the rating system is used to allow AB members to rate how useful (or NOT useful) a question or answer is. Presumably, this would mean whether or not a given question is accurately phrased or applicable to the catagory at hand, or whether or a given answer is technically correct, and so forth. But, humans being what they are, it soon evolved into something that some people used to deliberately cause hate and discontent among members. It used to be, from my understanding, that whether or not you uprated or downrated something, the person who posted the material would see who did it. But again, human nature being what it is, many felt slighted by a DR (justified or not), and this lead to DR wars between members. <sigh> So much for brotherly love, right? Personally, if someone DR's my stuff, I can usually figure out why: sometimes the material is controvertial or is of a nature that you just KNOW there are a lot of people out there who have strong feelings no matter WHICH side you take on a given subject. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about: things like religious questions, political questions, animal rights questions, vegetarian/anti-vegetarian questions...you name it. Sometimes I can pretty much guess that, given the technically correct content and phrasing of my questions, the only reason I was DR'd was just to get a rise out of me. My opinion on my stuff getting DR's is this: If a person truely thinks my material deserves a DR, have the decency to drop me a comment explaining it. I HAVE been known to screw up an answer a time or two. And regardless of the reason, I won't retaliate because that's BS in my opinion. Like it or not, other people are entitled to their opinion, whether or not I like it. Even if it turns out they are wrong. But, given the history of the bad feelings and past battles, I'd have to say I understand why very few people leave a comment claiming responsibility for their DR's. I usually laugh at them and leave a link to one of several videos I have for just such an occasion. I figure either they will get the point about what I think of cowardly trolling (they know who they are) or they will simply watch the video and laugh thinking "Boy, this guy doesn't let anything get to him!" But for serious topics, I'd rather have the comment any day. I like to talk about things we disagree on...as long as people can ultimately walk away agreeing to disagree, even if they personally think the other one is an *ss. Myself, I don't DR. I'd rather skip onto the next question without DRing or making any comment at all, if it's something I just don't like. And for nonsense or truely offensive questions, that's what moderation is for.

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