From: CurtAdams@aol.com
Date: Wed May 02 2001 - 01:11:28 MDT
In a message dated 5/1/01 11:02:39 PM, spike66@attglobal.net writes:
>Nowthen, if we had an somewhat analogous
>with extropian poster reputation. Each person
>would be rated from -2 to 5, where 5 is a person
>who you read every post and -2 is you have
>killfiled that person. You would assign numbers
>to each person in the matrix.
I'm very much coming to the view that rating would be
very valuable for open lists. I'm particularly biased
by sci.bio.evolution, which is overrun by three nutcases.
I'd like the system to be set up so that people automatically
knew about it. An example would be a web-board where you
could click through to the ratings. Rating on the current list
would lose much value as newbies and casual observers
wouldn't know what they were.
The problem I see is activating social conflict. First, there
are some perfectly decent people on this list who just don't
post much that interests me. If they got a -1 from enough
people, that would discourage participation. We all want to be above
average; I thinnk there would be a tendency for below-average
posters to quit in emarassment even if their posts were worthwhile.
Second, I worry that a group may split into warring factions
along ideological lines. We've seen some nasty stuff relating
to a certain phallic self-defense device. I could see AI vs.
artificial stupidity, nanosanta vs. nanoskeptic, etc. The problem
is that downgrading intellectual opponents will probably
occur naturally, be seen as a personal attack inciting
counterattack, etc., until intellectual disagreement becomes
personal vendetta.
In the end I say go for it. I think the members of this list mostly
want to really change things. We see some interesting stuff here
but in the end it's just a list and nothing earthshaking. A
functioning list rating system could be a real earthshaker.
So I'd accept a substantial risk of this list flaming out for
a small but meaningful chance of solving a profound communication
problem in the internet age. YMMV
Let's see that system, Spike.
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