You know, sometimes I feel like a kindergarten teacher and I really don't like that. I also try to avoid posting posts like the one I'm going to post now. But sometimes.....

There is this new feature in the BOINCstats forum which allows you rate a post on BOINC or tech quality. The idea is that you can see how useful somebody's post is.

Unfortunately, some people don't know how to use these buttons, so I'll explain it here:

• If you think a post was a good tech post, you click the '+' behind 'Tech support quality'
  
• If you think a post was a bad tech post, you click the '-' behind 'Tech support quality'
  
• If you think a post was a good BOINC post, you click the '+' behind 'BOINC support quality'
  
• If you think a post was a bad BOINC post, you click the '-' behind 'BOINC support quality'
  

Quite easy, right?

Now, what you don't do, is:

• click any of these buttons, either '+' or '-' when the post is not a BOINC or a tech post
  
• use these buttons to bully another user
  

You guessed it, some people do the "don't" stuff. They login to BOINCstats, look for some posts of a certain user, then click the '-' button regardless of the content of the post. That's at most primary school behavior, yet, according to their profiles they are all grown ups (or at least should be, regarding their age).

Let me be clear: abusing these buttons will lead to revoked forum privileges. Continued abuse after the privileges have been returned will result in a IP ban for some time. And after that, a permanent ban.

So, if you read this, and you know damn well who I'm talking to: think again before continuing this behavior.

To all other persons reading this post: have a nice weekend!

Edit: forgot this: I'll post names here from users who continue abusing this feature. Name them and shame them.

Some people's behavior is absolutely childish!!!

Might I suggest you try to improve the situation at least somewhat by NOT allowing people to rate their own posts?

Reminder to self: limit height of signature part of post.

And then to your post: nice of you to come forward as one of the bullies. Takes a man to do that. Hopefully you behave like one in the future as well.

I changed Sids' rating in the database. Nobody else can change his own ratings. I figured that if I put in a high enough number that you would have a day job getting it negative again.

yup - but probably not such a bright idea to have ratings for 'BOINC support quality' on threads which are by definition not BOINC related. almost everything showing up there cannot be of any use in BOINC support and therefore can only be rated - .

next thing - how would you rate mot of the posts in shoutbox?

i dot not know who came up with that idea, but in most places it's simply missplaced.

It's as simple as not rating when the post doesn't meet the qualification. I think you are bright enough to know when it meets it, you knew how to find four of the '-' buttons within 2 minutes after you logged in today -> which to me means you searched for posts to minus.

that's a pretty wild guess - if i had been able to find something usefull, i'd have used the "+" button.

but it is as allways: NOLI NECARE NUNTIUM!

No guessing when there are logs.

you read your logs - i read all the posts which were flagged as new. that's all. you are accusing me of something which simply is not there.

That is ABSOLUTE NONSENSE

I just this minute tested again and I was able to rate MY OWN post !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In that case you found a bug. Congrats.

BTW: it's not that hard to use a normal size font. Try it, just don't click font-size. I read it anyway you know.

Edit: bug fixed

Personally, I think you are being VERY KIND to yourself in classifying this as a bug, myself I would call it more a design flaw, but whatever. You know Willy, you could have avoided this whole foofoora if you would have just fixed the BUG when it was first pointed out well over a week ago. But now that it's taken care of, this will be my last on the topic -- all I ever wanted was for it to be fixed. Too bad we had to take it to extremes before you decided to pay any attention. But then why should I be surprised at that ... it was no differrent when I was on the team and one of the PRIMARY reasons why I left the team.

[EDIT And don't bother posting back that this was never posted in the bug reports forum, it was pointed out DIRECTLY to Sid, and as Forum Moderator, I fully expected him to report it to you for resolution. But then, again ... why should I be surprised that it was not [/EDIT]

Don't want this to drag on, but where was this bug reported before? I just checked the bug report forums, but I don't see it. Please post a link to the thread so I can close it.

Check my edit on my previous post.

just tried to rate one of my own posts with a "-" : "There was a problem recording your vote in our database. Please try again later."

nice quirk...

Really?

. . . surely not a PM, and don't assume I read everything on the forum, much less yours.

Fear I may have just stepped into a mine field here and am about to get a leg blown off. I think you will soon know what I mean Willy. I may have abused the + button before reading this thread. Apologies to all involved. Apologies also to any veterans whom my initial analogy may offend. You have my utmost respect and gratitude.