Susan Strict, posted
over a year ago
No. I don't think I agree with most of that.
I think that compulsory registration would lose a lot of the question askers who most need help, and in particular those who are the most nervous and most vulnerable. It doesn't matter to them that their information isn't made "public". It only matters to them that they have to give it - and many of them wouldn't bother. True, it would cut down the trolls and the time-wasters, but at what cost? In any case, it's really not a major problem for the determined disruptors to register with one e-mail address after another. In fact, it makes it more of a challenge for them - a better "game" for those with that sort of warped mind. As you know, there is already a system in place that helps the site administrator identify and warn of some serial offenders.
Similarly, the Aunties need names and need to be known. Firstly it makes it more personal, and secondly it helps people to focus in onto the replies that they know will be on their own wavelength. The help, the genuine help, that this site gives to so many people is not just to the asker of a particular question. It's to dozens or even hundreds of others who also read the question. As the system stands, they can focus on the replies from particular Aunties they know and like, and who they feel are sympathetic in terms of ideas, sentiments and emotions as they are themselves.
Open ratings? Maybe. I'm not convinced it will make much difference. In fact, it may make it worse. Yes I know that some of us probably have one or more "stalkers" who consistently rate everything we write as "poor" and drive down the ratings regardless of whether we write something useful or not, but does it really matter? One "thank you" from a question asker is more than enough reward for many hours of considering and writing. More than enough for me anyway, even if I do sometimes moan and gripe when it's obvious that someone is playing silly beggars with my ratings or anyone else's.
Also, and on a slightly different track, the last thing this site needs is to have a load of Aunties who are only writing what the question asker wants to hear or what the rest of the "voting public" wants to hear - and that's what you risk if you make public the who and the why of the ratings. The whole point is that we can reply with our honest opinion - and on the rare occasions that we know it's going to be highly controversial, we do have the option of replying anonymously, which I admit I have done on five or six occasions so far (as if I wasn't controversial enough!!).
I don't have a problem with change. I only question if it is really needed, and what that change should be. I can't see any real benefit in what you are suggesting (sorry, Waz), but I can see a number of potential pitfalls.
And, sorry to say, I don't have any more constructive suggestions. I'll think about it, and see if I can come up with something. I think it's most definitely a subject that needs discussion and further ideas.
Posted on 27 May 2008 @ 22:37 (London time) - permalink
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