OMG....you always get smited for offering your opinion!

[Jamesy]

@scaleusa - as we're talking about karma here, what's the reason you've got so much negative karma? You're not offensive, etc. If admins collect it so much, then maybe there's something wrong with it from start?

As administrator, I've had to do some unpopular things, like giving warnings, bans, etc. Undoubtedly some of those start giving smites whenever they can. It comes with the territory.

Unfortunately, the Karma system is not very flexible, and modifying it requires third party software which might make us venurable to hacking, or just plain be incompatible. So, its all or nothing.

My vote would be nothing - it detracts from conversations about Canon gear. Let's face it, 99% of the people on here are loyal Canonites. Let's get on with posting about Canon related stuff and leave the school yard antics behind us.

 

[marekjoz]

@scaleusa - as we're talking about karma here, what's the reason you've got so much negative karma? You're not offensive, etc. If admins collect it so much, then maybe there's something wrong with it from start?

As administrator, I've had to do some unpopular things, like giving warnings, bans, etc. Undoubtedly some of those start giving smites whenever they can. It comes with the territory.

Unfortunately, the Karma system is not very flexible, and modifying it requires third party software which might make us venurable to hacking, or just plain be incompatible. So, its all or nothing.

I understand, thanks for clarifying.

 

[nitsujwalker]

Yes... I'm new to this forum and haven't been rude and am -2 for Karma Oh well... Offer your opinion in a civilized manner and if people Smite you, so be it! haha Anyways, I love reading everyones opinions here and enjoy talking about gear and rumors. Have a great Sunday everyone!

 

[marekjoz]

Yes... I'm new to this forum and haven't been rude and am -2 for Karma Oh well... Offer your opinion in a civilized manner and if people Smite you, so be it! haha Anyways, I love reading everyones opinions here and enjoy talking about gear and rumors. Have a great Sunday everyone!

Come on, not everyone smites you

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Yes... I'm new to this forum and haven't been rude and am -2 for Karma Oh well... Offer your opinion in a civilized manner and if people Smite you, so be it! haha Anyways, I love reading everyones opinions here and enjoy talking about gear and rumors. Have a great Sunday everyone!

I looked at your posts, and I saw nothing even remotely asking for a smite. Too bad that we have a kiddie paying with daddy's computer, or even worse, he has a computer of his own.

I gave you a + to help even it up! Hope the others do as well.

 

[marekjoz]

Yes... I'm new to this forum and haven't been rude and am -2 for Karma Oh well... Offer your opinion in a civilized manner and if people Smite you, so be it! haha Anyways, I love reading everyones opinions here and enjoy talking about gear and rumors. Have a great Sunday everyone!

I looked at your posts, and I saw nothing even remotely asking for a smite. Too bad that we have a kiddie paying with daddy's computer, or even worse, he has a computer of his own.

I gave you a + to help even it up! Hope the others do as well.

+6 for @nitsujwalker in 10 minutes - it can be new positive karma record

 

[RC]

@scaleusa - as we're talking about karma here, what's the reason you've got so much negative karma? You're not offensive, etc. If admins collect it so much, then maybe there's something wrong with it from start?

As administrator, I've had to do some unpopular things, like giving warnings, bans, etc. Undoubtedly some of those start giving smites whenever they can. It comes with the territory.

Unfortunately, the Karma system is not very flexible, and modifying it requires third party software which might make us venurable to hacking, or just plain be incompatible. So, its all or nothing.

My vote would be nothing - it detracts from conversations about Canon gear. Let's face it, 99% of the people on here are loyal Canonites. Let's get on with posting about Canon related stuff and leave the school yard antics behind us.

+1

 

[CanineCandidsByL]

My vote would be nothing - it detracts from conversations about Canon gear. Let's face it, 99% of the people on here are loyal Canonites. Let's get on with posting about Canon related stuff and leave the school yard antics behind us.
[/quote]
+1
[/quote]
+1

Shame we can't keep positive Karma and ditch negative.

 

[dbduchene]

Yea I just got smited for saying that the 7D is not a dressed up Rebel and that I have never had a problem with my 7D using my EF 85 F1.2 and sigma 50 F1.4. So I am a bad person I guess because my gear works. As someone has said if you do not agree with someone else than you will be smited. I have been on a lot of forums over the years and have left all but one of them. The one that I staid on is owned my a couple and they have a simple rule. It is our sand box and NO ONE says anything that is against or aimed at another person. You can have YOUR opinions as that. I will probably not be sticking around here as the short time that I have almost ever thread ends up with someone being attacked personally. Yea I know a lot say that it is just part of the internet. Well it is part of it because it is so Anonymous and just deal with it.

For what it is worth the rattings have been abused and have added nothing to any site that I have participated in. I have addmined for a few and we found that it is a lot better to just disable them. In every case that we have the site was more civil. Maybe the owners here will think of trying this to.

 

[D_Rochat]

The OP shows up as a guest now so they must have deleted their account. I'm sure this is what CR envisioned with implementing the karma system........

CR did not delete him, I rather ebjoyed his posts. I checked the log, he deleted his account)

Bans get issued for spammers, and for making unacceptable comments about other members. If a member has been making reasonable posts, I usually just remove a post that is out of bounds, but I also issue warnings, 10 day bans, and complete bans.
Right now, we have had more trolls than usual that apparently just signed up to make stupid comments, they might be banned immediately. This sometimes quickly spreads to a flame war. Don't respond to a stupid post by calling the poster names, I know its hard, but I can cause things to get out of control quickly, thats why lots of deleted threads and posts happen.

I wasn't implying that you banned him, rather he left because of the Karma system.

*EDIT* I just realized it was the "they must have deleted....." that made you think that. I used they as a gender neutral term and not they as in CR.

 

[wickidwombat]

I think there's been alot of smiting going on lately I seem to have jumped quite a few over the weekend
I didnt even post much because i spent most of it building my studio.

People shuldn't let gettind a smite or 20 bother them, I've said before if the worst thing in your life is getting smitted by some anonomous user on a web forum then you have a pretty great life so be thankfull for it and laugh off the smites.

Just give your opionions information and advice just dont get abusive and let your behaviour fall to troll level or be drawn into idiotic arguments with trolls as they will beat you everytime with experience

the 5D3 vs D800 has definately caused a stir anyway!

 

[Admin US West]

I wasn't implying that you banned him, rather he left because of the Karma system.

*EDIT* I just realized it was the "they must have deleted....." that made you think that. I used they as a gender neutral term and not they as in CR.

Your post was clear enough, I just mis-read it. In any event, we did not delete him.

I wish we could only have positives, it just is not a option. We can have a total, or positive and negative, or none.

The total would be the net, so if a person had 10+ and 11-, the net would be -1. It would not stop abuse. The ultimate decisions rests with Craig, He did a 10 day poll, but only a few responded. I suspect (but do not know) that he feels the system has overall helped to keep things under control.

 

[unfocused]

We've been through this discussion several times on several threads.

This is a forum for people to entertain themselves, share information and share opinions. Many people on this forum may not remember what it was like before the current system was put into place. Like too many other sites, it was positively brutal, with a handful of bullies making drive-by comments that were not only insulting, but often had more than a little tinge of racism, sexism and name-calling, often using derogatory terms for persons with disabilities.

Since the current system has been in place, the number of these incidents has dropped significantly. Sure, there are still some jerks on the forum who take delight in denigrating other people's viewpoints. But, as internet forums go, it is one of the more civil ones out there.

I'm not saying that the Karma system is the sole reason, or even the main reason. But I don't think it is purely a coincidence. I believe the fact that everyone can see a participant's total score does encourage civility.

If some discomfort with the Karma system is the price we pay to keep the forum generally constructive, while allowing vigorous debate, it is well worth the price in my opinion.

As I've said in previous discussions, the Karma system is a bit like a public opinion poll. And, like any poll, it isn't valid with a small sample size. If your total applauds and smites aren't well over 100, I wouldn't worry the least about the numbers. I would say, though, that if after a year on the forum, you've collected 150 smites and 20 applauds, you might want to look over your posts.

There are no doubt a handful of people who are incapable of accepting other peoples' opinions and they probably go on smiting attacks every once and awhile. Unfortunately, a few participants on the forum have been victimized by some targeted, personal smiting attacks. That's wrong and my sympathy to those who have suffered these attacks. On the other hand, I think some of these victims know that they are just being targeted by an individual or two and take it in stride, recognizing that as attacks go, these are fairy innocuous.

Most of the participants on the forum use the Karma system constructively, as a passive way of signalling that a person's demeanor could use an adjustment.

I've never had any problem issuing a smite to someone who is rude to others, posts drive-by attacks or otherwise engages in trollish behavior. It is a handy way of saying I disapprove without engaging in a long, frustrating, fruitless dialogue with persons whose mothers never taught them any manners.

 

[Pyrenees]

I wish we could only have positives, it just is not a option. We can have a total, or positive and negative, or none.

I personally don't give a rat's proverbial about smites/karma. What concerns me is the prospect that this system is stopping some/many people from truly speaking their minds. We want to delve as deep as possible into the topics raised, don't we? Then again, I'm looking at it from a photography enthusiast's point of view rather than from a business/SEO perspective.

 

[wickidwombat]

I wish we could only have positives, it just is not a option. We can have a total, or positive and negative, or none.

I personally don't give a rat's proverbial about smites/karma. What concerns me is the prospect that this system is stopping some/many people from truly speaking their minds. We want to delve as deep as possible into the topics raised, don't we? Then again, I'm looking at it from a photography enthusiast's point of view rather than from a business/SEO perspective.

put it this way.
If you speak your mind but put forward a civil and decent post then sure you will probably get some smite from some purile people but there is no way to know who it is and it will only be a few. however if you put the same argument forward with name calling and abusive language then ALOT more members will smite you. I am sure there are people that smite just becasue they disagree. so getting smites is just par for the course really.
Fear of being smited should not stop you stating a point of veiw in a civil manner more often than not you will get applauds than smites, I quite often applaud posts i dont agree with just because it was a well presented argument, and i'm sure others do too.

 

[Marsu42]

As I've said in previous discussions, the Karma system is a bit like a public opinion poll.

But for a public opinion poll, it would be helpful if everybody would know about. That isn't the case, esp. newbies never heard about it and consequently don't applaud if someone helps them. Furthermore, there is no "take back the smite" button if you misunderstood a post, I'm sorry to say that happened to me both ways.

I cannot dispute that forum got more civilized with the karma system since I'm not around that long, but you don't know what you don't see: How many newer, potentially helpful people left because they felt unwelcome? You might argue that worrying about karma is juvenile and these people rightly left, but somehow other forums I participate in seem to work quite nicely without it because if someone flames or trolls, they get a accountable, verbal reaction instead of an anonymous click.

I didn't participate in the older karma poll, but +1 for dropping it. On the other hand, if my negative karma gets more than double of the positive I'm happy, too, because I'll write less forum posts (trying to be helpful, esp. presenting cheaper alternatives to "get the best gear" for people on a budget) and go out and shoot more

 

[Pyrenees]

put it this way.
If you speak your mind but put forward a civil and decent post then sure you will probably get some smite from some purile people but there is no way to know who it is and it will only be a few. however if you put the same argument forward with name calling and abusive language then ALOT more members will smite you. I am sure there are people that smite just because they disagree. so getting smites is just par for the course really.
Fear of being smited should not stop you stating a point of veiw in a civil manner more often than not you will get applauds than smites, I quite often applaud posts i dont agree with just because it was a well presented argument, and i'm sure others do too.

Wikid, I largely agree with your post above and with the way that you believe people should use the Karma system.

I repeat, smites don't bother me,personally, one little bit. However, I fear that in a not-so-insignificant amount of cases, it limits the extent of debate (even if people aren't aware of that on a conscious level). You get a feel for that with some of the restrained responses on hot topics.

I am not privy to business/operational information on this site. There need to be some checks in place, and the moderators can only do so much moderating. I can envisage that the "total karma" system would be less likely to limit (useful) debate when compared to the status quo.

 

[Ellen Schmidtee]

I think there are two problems with the karma system in this forum:

1. The karma is counted per user, rather than per post.

2. It is an easier (and more attractive to those who wish to remain anonymous) to respond than have an intelligent discussion.

I think it is a given some contributors would rather leave than develop a thicker skin, and therefore it would be best to either improve the karma system or turn it off.

 

[picturesbyme]

I suspect (but do not know) that he feels the system has overall helped to keep things under control.

Riiiight.... it's working soo well.... Now I have -12 : I feel much more controlled...
Obviously half came after I said it is childish -which is true- but what wrong have I done before?

Does this encouraging a user to post/offer help to ppl more?

 

[marekjoz]

I suspect (but do not know) that he feels the system has overall helped to keep things under control.

Riiiight.... it's working soo well.... Now I have -12 : I feel much more controlled...
Obviously half came after I said it is childish -which is true- but what wrong have I done before?

Does this encouraging a user to post/offer help to ppl more?

I've reviewed your posts, and wow man! You really deserved for a lot bad karma...
1. You have far too nice photos published here. Bang!
2. You're not supposed to make these pictures with 60D. Models not with FF? Bang Bang
3. You have access to many beautiful women and you boast about it. Bang
4. You have much too nice backpack. Bang
5. Your nick shows you adore more photos than gear. Bang

I'm surprised I didn't smite you yet...
LOL