Comment Voter Identity and Anonymity

GnarlyKnuckles on 10/01/2021 - 02:15
Last edited 10/01/2021 - 02:16

I am sure that similar polls have been run here on OzBargain in the past re the usernames of post voters being shown. Nevertheless, attitudes can change over time as can the demographic composition of users, so I have decided to run this simple poll. It includes all four possibilities; everyone’s votes on comments anonymous, no one’s votes on comments anonymous, etc.

I am reliably informed that I can be somewhat ‘overbearing’ or ‘incessant’ in my commenting in forums, so to make sure that has zero influence on this poll I will be not be commenting in it at all. I promise.

Poll Options expired

  • 117
    1. All votes should be anonymous
  • 39
    2. Usernames should be shown for all votes
  • 14
    3. Usernames should be shown for + votes, but not - votes
  • 5
    4. Usernames should be shown for - votes, but not + votes
Site Discussion

Comments

  • elgrande on 10/01/2021 - 02:43
    +1

    I will be not be commenting in it at all. I promise.

    How can I be sure?

    • AustriaBargain on 10/01/2021 - 03:36
      +3

      I will be not be commenting in it at all. I promise.

      GnarlyKnuckles routinely lies to us all. If he makes a single comment here to dispute that, then you'll know it's true. Catch-22, your move Gnarly :D

      • Scrooge McDuck on 10/01/2021 - 13:16
        -2

        Are you from the future? Is Catch-22 next year's pandemic?

  • Scrooge McDuck on 10/01/2021 - 03:44
    +1

    1, 2, 3, 4, I declare a thumb neg war.

  • AustriaBargain on 10/01/2021 - 04:04
    +6

    If it's just a forum poll then why should vote id be shown at all? If it's for a deal then sure maybe there's a need for transparency. But if I vote on a poll about who is my favourite Pokemon, I don't necessarily want everyone else to know it's Jigglypuff.

    • whitelie on 10/01/2021 - 05:22

      On comments I believe, not so much deals or polls…

      • AustriaBargain on 10/01/2021 - 05:26
        +2

        Oh, then that's none of anyone's business. Scotty probably has advanced AI or something to detect if someone keeps liking posts coming from the same IP addresses or whatever. Maybe it was me who liked your comment just now, maybe not. Why does anyone need to know.

  • ozhunter on 10/01/2021 - 08:40
    +13

    Identified negs caused more arguments so the mods have made it anonymous.

    Just think of it as someone disagreeing with you.

  • Hithere on 10/01/2021 - 09:25
    +2

    A small forum I used to belong to had complaints about posters receiving negative votes anonymously and it ended up with Admin removing the vote option completely.

    It's good to be able to neg a post for whatever reason, and also anonymously, without the possibility of the poster's 'clique' turning on you.

    • papachris on 10/01/2021 - 19:49
      -1

      It's good to be able to neg a post for whatever reason, and also anonymously, without the possibility of the poster's 'clique' turning on you.

      Why is it good? Why should people be able to hide when voicing negative opinions? I've negged plenty of comments that I've strongly disagreed with, not because it's anonymous, but because I disagree, and would do so openly.

      As I see it, you only want anonymity if you don't back your own opinions, or if you are a vindictive person who holds grudges. The only other reason I could see would be if people were worried that they could be traced by some lunatic if OzB is hacked. But I think Fancy Bears and the CCP may not care too much about OzB…

  • follow on 10/01/2021 - 09:47
    +5

    it's better for ozbargain that downvotes are anonymous so users don't hold grudges

    • Ughhh on 10/01/2021 - 12:03
      -1

      Some times is obvious who negged, by just looking at who + voted the opposing comments.

  • holdenmg on 10/01/2021 - 09:56
    -1

    I'm disappointed I can't vote (or not vote) to impeach.

  • Ryanek on 10/01/2021 - 10:43
    +2

    I am reliably informed that I can be somewhat ‘overbearing’ or ‘incessant’

    I had to check you weren't my ex

  • avoidfullprice on 10/01/2021 - 10:52

    There are historical reasons why the site keeps comment neg voters anonymous.

    We will never know why a comment is negged

  • iforgotmysocks on 10/01/2021 - 11:33
    +2

    Any bargains

  • tsunamisurfer on 10/01/2021 - 11:40

    Make all votes known.

    Are people going to be impacted when challenged for their votes?

    • avoidfullprice on 10/01/2021 - 13:56

      Mods have to step up to resolve the challenge, so more work for mods (as explains in previous mod answers to this kind of question)

      • tsunamisurfer on 10/01/2021 - 14:30

        If you write the sky is blue and I neg it saying no its black.

        Is any resolution or reconciliation required?

        Can't two parties disagree?

  • JetLi on 10/01/2021 - 12:06
    +2

    i'm here for the bargains not votes

  • holdenmg on 10/01/2021 - 12:22
    +3

    I think we need a recount… lol

  • Clear on 10/01/2021 - 14:08
    +1

    Make them all show. It'll be interesting to see who the hundreds of anti-vaxxers are in the COVID vaccine post.

    • brendanm on 10/01/2021 - 17:04
      -4

      Rent free.

      • Clear on 10/01/2021 - 17:07
        +1

        Oh hey it's the guy who thinks people that'll get the COVID vaccine have an IQ less than 100.

  • PAEz on 10/01/2021 - 15:10
    +2

    I like it as it is.
    Its nice to see who agrees with you and hiding the neggers makes perfect sense. Most people I find cant handle negative or critical opinions, they will take it as a personal attack and then feel the need to defend themselves which typically just turns into a useless argument, because their intent is not to find an answer but just to defend themselves.
    Artists are the worst at it. If an artist asks you what do you think about it, they actually mean what do you like about it.

  • Jabba the Hutt on 10/01/2021 - 16:36

    Negs shouldn't just be anonymous, but be completely invisible until the threshold that greys/hides a comment is reached. Small numbers of negs carry zero useful information (for the poster or the reader) and needlessly invoke butthurt. Above the threshold, there's the important community moderation benefit, but I think it'd carry additional weight if each vote were independent of influence of existing negs, with less of a sense of the community just piling on.

    For positives, not sure. Doesn't seem to matter mutch.

    • papachris on 10/01/2021 - 19:59

      I'd neg you for this Mr Hutt,
      But I wouldn't want to hurt your butt ;)…

  • WreckTangle on 10/01/2021 - 18:29

    How can we ensure that dead people haven't voted

  • tallkid123 on 10/01/2021 - 22:46
    +1

    Only cowards downvote.

    • wisdomtooth on 08/04/2021 - 19:53
      -1

      Only cowards downvote *anonymously.

  • Lysander on 15/01/2021 - 12:11
    -1

    The anonymity certainly contributes to the sheep mentality and makes it easier for a lot of people to simply just downvote merely because the comment already has downvotes.
    While it could cause more work for the mods, having non-anonymous negative comments will greatly increase accountability and will make people think twice about simply nilly-willy downvoting someone.
    Also, as with a neg vote for a deal, I think there should be a requirement to write why a downvote occurs.
    However, in my opinion, the best way forward without causing extra work to the mods is to simply abolish comment voting altogether or at least negative votes for comments as this way the great comments can still be seen while everything else are just normal comments.
    I believe just because someone has a minority opinion that person should not have to run the risk of getting negged to oblivion. Again, this and the sheep mentality leads to people not expressing their opinion and participating due to fear of negging and nasty-ish comments.
    I think the solution is either to make the neg votes non-anonymous or abolish neg voting on comments altogether.

    • tallkid123 on 18/01/2021 - 19:22
      -1

      Some loser downvoted your valid opinion. I evened it up again.

      • Lysander on 18/01/2021 - 20:15

        Thanks. It is a bit sad how this comment voting developed on this site over time.

    • Quantumcat on 21/01/2021 - 10:49

      makes it easier for a lot of people to simply just downvote merely because the comment already has downvotes.

      Personally a comment having several negs already will make me less likely to neg. Why use one of my only 5 negs on a comment that already has them? If it is just a bit wrong, and not really obscene and awful, that would be a waste. Visitors will already know some people think a comment is wrong when it has a few negs already, adding one more won't make much difference. I'll save mine for comments I really disagree with or ones I only mildly disagree with but that don't have negs already.

  • Geekomatic on 08/05/2023 - 21:26

    Upvotes are a positive = agree. Not detrimental to the member.

    Downvotes, however, which are negative to a member, should require a stated reason.

    There's no point not to other than to protect someone who might have a grudge for anything, & not to do with the post in question.

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