Politics or Other Controversial Topics and the DRS of myLot - Opinions, please?
@CherylsPearls (1269)
United States
October 25, 2008 12:05pm CST
How many of you think that the DRS in myLot actually works the way is should? If you post in Politics or Religion, do you think that others who merely disagree with you will rate you positively for keeping on topic? Do you think they will refrain from rating you at all, or do you think they will automatically rate you negatively because they disagree with your opinions?
I have seen the stars and the DRS numbers of almost everyone posting regularly in Politics go down, even to the point of losing a star altogether. Do you think this is fair?
I, for one, have never seen such childish glee in rating people negatively before. It reminds me of something my former employer came up with one time. At the time, we had a Merit Pay System. Our supervisors, however, were the ones to rate us on the MPS. Then someone got this grand idea to have employees rate other employees. I did not like the idea of that to begin with. After we got the paperwork to do it and it was explained to us, I thought it was both a waste of time and a bad joke. We were given people to rate that we did not know; people we had never worked with at all. There were over 300 employees where I worked. We were in many different buildings, some on different sides of town. Yet, someone thought we could honestly rate another employee we couldn't even recognize if we saw them. I rated all of mine with the highest rating. Not out of the goodness of my heart, but because I wanted to prove how stupid it was. Thanks to the letter that I wrote to th Director, the County dropped this idiotic idea.
I think the DRS at myLot works about the same way. Anyone who doesn't like your opinions can rate you negatively. They don't have to explain why. I think they should have to explain why, either by answering a set of questions or at least giving an explaination to myLot. I think this would stop of a lot of the negative ratings done for spite. Believe me, there are plenty of negative ratings being done for no other reason.
If you don't like what I say, if my opinion of something is the opposite of yours, why would you think you have the right to rate my discussion/comments negatively? According to myLot rules, you don't. However, I don't think that myLot has any way to enforce their own rules. I think this should change.
I really don't care if I even have a star or not; that is not the point. The point is that some people, a great number it seems, only want a hallelujah chorus in myLot. Now, honestly, wouldn't that make the discussions pretty boring? Differing opinons are what make discussions interesting. If I wanted someone who agreed with me all the time, I'd just talk to the dog. He never argues.
So what do you think? Should myLot have more of a responsibility where ratings are concerned? Should they put something in place that at least makes someone explain why they are rating negatively? Should they just do away with the DRS because it has too many ways to be abused?
I'm interested in any and all opinions on the subject. Thanks!
6 people like this
10 responses
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
25 Oct 08
For over 2 years my rating was a perfect 10. Once I starting posting and replying to political discussions, my ratings started to go down.
I've never insulted anyone or done anything deserving of a lower rating. But for some reason my ratings went down. The only conclusion I can come to is that they disagree with my support of a particular candidate.
It's ashame that some people choose this route to show their displeasure with an opinion, but I guess they feel they have no other option.
At first I was a little upset at what I consider childish behavior, but I'v gotten used to it since there's nothing I can do about it anyway.
My only wish is that myLot could come up with a rating system that holds the person giving the rating accountable.
Lloyd
4 people like this
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
26 Oct 08
I've seen that person who has no star at all. I couldn't believe it when I saw it.
I don't think things will get that bad for you. Since I like your post and agree with it, I've just given you a positive rating.
Hope it helps.
Lloyd
@CherylsPearls (1269)
• United States
26 Oct 08
I know, Lloyd, it is really frustrating when it happens to you. But, hey, you are still a 9! Have you seen my star? Or Taskrs? lol I'll be like someone else on here and lose it altogether soon. lol
No, there really is nothing we can do about it. I agree, I wish myLot would rethink the process. It's not working like it is.
1 person likes this
@missybal (4490)
• United States
25 Oct 08
I think it's silly to have the star at all. I would do away with it and only have it so abuse can be reported. I had a ten for a long time until this election when I got interested in the politics section and just noticed I am now an 8. I really don't care though because it is more important to help get information out there and to learn from this site.
My dog always agrees with me too, but sometimes I wonder if she's really listening to me at all.
4 people like this
@CherylsPearls (1269)
• United States
25 Oct 08
I agree, it is silly since it doesn't work like they meant for it to.
lol Yes, your dog is listening; she just always thinks you know what you are talking about! lol That's what makes dogs so nice. They don't judge us based on what we say, just how we say it.
3 people like this
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
25 Oct 08
I completely agree with you, CherylsPearls. I have for long ignored the value of the stars. Actually, if I see someone with a 10 I either think they only just got it or that they wouldn't let butter melt in their mouth!
It's in the nature of discussion to be somewhat controversial at times (though, hopefully, not deliberately so!)
Hmmm ... so you think your dog never disagrees with you? Oh, sorry ... you said he never argues ... a very different kettle of fish! Mine used to argue all the time, especially when the words "Bath" or "Home" or "Bed" (in a particular tone) were mentioned. You could almost see my star going down from a 10 to a 7 to a 3 in his eyes!
2 people like this
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
25 Oct 08
Thinking about the rating system in general, it would make a lot more sense if there was only a '+' rating and that that would have some contribution to 'Best Answer'. It's the discussion 'owner's' prerogative, of course, to finally choose someone as a 'Best Answer' (though some people don't bother and others feel really mean to have to choose only one 'Best Answer' when several people may have made really good contributions).
You see the same abuse of a ratings system wherever a forum has one (and most of them do). I regret that I can't honestly say that I'm entirely blameless of having abused it myself at times, though I try to keep a check on it. When one is tired and maybe a bit jaded, it is sometimes easy for the mouse to slip a little.
2 people like this
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
25 Oct 08
Well I'm obviously one of those whose star was butchered for posting in religion and politics. The system works extremely well in mylot areas like computers, pets, relationships and such where people actually want and respect differing opinions or sometimes just specific answers.
Unfortunately, when you get into an area that people primarily post opinions and interpretations on subjects where they can be VERY emotional, you'll have people who rate you negatively out of spite. It bugs me because people can do it for any reason and you have no recourse. Unless you pay close attention to your rating and at exactly what points it goes down, you'll never be able to extrapolate who's responsible because it's anonymous.
There is also no recourse to deal with people who stalk your threads and drop your star from a 9 to a 6 in one day as happened to me.
Either way, I doubt mylot will ever change it. People who don't post in religion or politics likely have absolutely no clue as to the problems with it. I didn't even realize there was a star until I saw someone say theirs went down and I suddenly realized I had a 9. That 9 stayed steady until I posted in religion and politics parts of mylot.
4 people like this
@CherylsPearls (1269)
• United States
25 Oct 08
Taskr, your is one of the cases that I had in mind when I posted this. You went from a 9 to a 6 in one day? Wow. I didn't realize that. Mine goes down a bit every day; which makes me know that it's got nothing to do with what I am saying, and everything to do with who disagrees with my opinions. It's not right and it needs to change.
I agree with you about people who don't post in religion or politics. You can look at their stars and see that they have no clue. Every time I see someone now with a 9 or a 10, and they post something in politics, I think, boy, you're going to lose that rating! It's just ridiculous. And so small-minded of the people doing it.
Having no recourse is the thing that is bothering me. Believe me, I have felt like doing the same thing to the people I think are doing it to me, but I don't want to join them in being as narrow-minded as they are.
Don't you think we can come up with a way to get myLot to change the DRS? If you have any ideas, I'd be glad to hear them.
2 people like this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
25 Oct 08
hi cherylspearls great discussion I was on my way back up on my star 8 when I took the terrible chance of stating that I had voted for Obama, wham, I went from 90 to 78 in rating but still have my star 8 it seems if you do not vote republican on here all those republic an mylotters will minus you every time they see your posts, and they are doing it out of spite , not because I had been insulting or had flamed but because I did not vote for McCain. this is wrong it breaks mylot rules about minus hitting. wish those who have to minus for spite would grow up and respect all of us.We all have the right to our own opinions regardless of what other mylotters think, and we should all respect each others opinions, we might not agree but we dont hit minus because we dont agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2 people like this
@CherylsPearls (1269)
• United States
26 Oct 08
Thanks, Hatley. I know, if you say what you think someone will nail you for it. But I'm too old to stop doing that now! I know what you mean about Obama; those of us for Obama are a minority on myLot. But, to be fair, the Independents and even the Republicans have taken plenty of hits, too. It's just not a very fair way of doing things, is it? It certainly would help if the spiteful people would grow up. Some of them act like bad children! I'm glad they are not mine! lol
I hope that myLot will change it in the near future. It's enough to cause some people to just give up and leave.
1 person likes this
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
25 Oct 08
I definitely agree that negative ratings should come with an explanation before a determination is made by Mylot. Like you, I had a high rating before I started posting on this board and, also like you, I don't care what color my star is or if I have one at all. What does bother me is that people use the ratings system as a weapon to simply punish those with differing viewpoints. People who post irresponsibly, who post outright lies that they are aware are lies in an attempt to inflame the board, should be given a negative rating but not just because they support Obama or McCain. I posted something last night that the problem with online discussion boards and campaign rallies is that people don't know each other and they definitely don't know the folks who don't share their political views...so they loes their humanity. We're just names on a screen and I do believe that Mylot needs to take better control over the systems they put in place.
@CherylsPearls (1269)
• United States
25 Oct 08
Yes, myLot does need to take better control over the system they put in place. The way it works now, or doesn't work, makes no sense at all. myLot is an excellent idea, but someone needs to pay attention to the parts of it that are not working.
3 people like this
@genihanna (358)
• United States
26 Oct 08
Actually I don't see the point of the rating system at all! What point does having a star of a certain color with some number in it mean anyway? Does it mean that I should treat that person differently? Or that I shouldn't respond to someone's discussion who has a low star or none at all? It's meaningless! I was under the impression that if their response contributed to the discussion then they should get a positive rating. If I don't feel it was beneficial to the discusiion, I'm supposed to give it a negative rating or none at all. WHAT PURPOSE DOES THIS SERVE? I don't want to discourage a newbie who hasn't quite caught on yet by giving them no rating or a negative - yet, I don't want to give them a positive rating for not staying on topic. It's stupid and worthless. I see no reason to have any kind of user rating system at all!
By the same token, I hate how they award the earnings too! How are we supposed to know if we're doing it right or how to increase our earnings if we don't know what's expected of us? I give what I think are meaningful responses and start interesting discussions yet I might only get 6 or 7 cents! Do the folks giving out the money just award you at random? That's what I'm beginning to think!
1 person likes this
@CherylsPearls (1269)
• United States
26 Oct 08
Actually, I have read discussions where others have stated that they wouldn't accept someone with a low rating as a friend; so it must matter to some people.
I don't pay it any attention, either. It's just that every day my star has gone down and my ratings are down. It gets to be exasperating! Plus, I am not so sure it doesn't affect your pay; I really have no idea about that, though.
I love myLot. I love discussing things and don't expect everyone to agree with me. I have no idea why someone would abuse the rating system to the point of being spiteful. I do wish that myLot would change it, though. It's not working the way it is.
2 people like this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
31 Oct 08
Yes I agree. I avoided the two areas for a long time because of the attitudes of some people but in the end decided that I would risk my star to express my opinion. Then my partner said that having a falling sign was a badge of honor that showed that you were not afraid to be controversial.
He is correct but it should not be that way. I can understand people reporting abuse but negative stars were supposed to indicate that the response was not relevant to the discussion. It was not supposed to be used by people to show that they did not like what was being said. Since I started posting in these two areas I think I have lost 7 points and I have never abused anyone. I do have views that many here would consider controversial though.
I think the whole star system fails. However, if a person reports abuse of discussion violations it should be investigated before deletion. We do not know what mylot does. I sent a message months ago asking for help and never got a reply.
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
25 Oct 08
I don't I think the star thing is stupid. I have seen many discussions about stars and I have seen many Republicans on here saying that it's only Democrats that rate negative and that really pi$$es me off because if that were true that I would still have a red star right? lol But, I guess if they have to have the star then when someone marks negative there should be some type of explaination.
1 person likes this
@CherylsPearls (1269)
• United States
26 Oct 08
Great posts, both of you. All sides of the political arena on myLot are spitefully rating negative, or else the majority of us posting primarily in politics would not be looking at stars with 2's, 3's and 4's on them. It's not just one side. For all I know it's someone who just hates politics and they do it so we will all shut up. lol Anything is possible!
1 person likes this
@philjas (1134)
• United States
26 Oct 08
I am pro-Obama and believe me, the more I post in Politics, the more my star rating goes down. I was also told when I first started posting in Politics that I wouldn't have to worry about my star going down because conservatives don't negative rate opposing viewpoints. Uh huh.
But I do agree with the people who've said we shouldn't even have the whole star thing to begin with. I mean really, it means nothing to have a high rating or low rating other than that you can brag about it (if it's high.) What do new people think when they first come here, that you can't "trust" the opinions of people with lower ratings? That's not right at all. I wish MyLot would just gt rid of it.
2 people like this
@UtopianIdealist (1604)
• United States
26 Oct 08
I have not been on mylot very long, so I didn't even realise people could rate you in a negative matter based on just your opinions. I think that will limit debate, as if you care about your ratings, you will not want to upset the herd if your views differ. I think that is a loss for everyone. Unfortunate. But can be fixed, atleast.
1 person likes this
@CherylsPearls (1269)
• United States
26 Oct 08
Yes, they can. For most of us it doesn't limit debate; you can tell that by our stars and numbers! lol I've done a pretty good job of upsetting the herd! lol
2 people like this
