Information organization within Threads

[Rybolt]

Just wanted to toss out couple ideas I had for sifting through large quantities of data.

1. What do others think of having something of the likes of "thumbs up/down" on each post. So when you go into the thread, you can skim through posts, and only read the ones that have high ratings. A visual indicator could be as simple as red/green circle or 5 star bar.

2. Wiki style summary for a thread. For ex., thread that especially lend well to this feature would be machine comparisons. The idea is here, after the OP's first post, you have a Wiki section, were all the pertinent information is gathered by the users, into a nice condensed, informative summary.

Thoughts?

[ira]

1. What do others think of having something of the likes of "thumbs up/down" on each post. So when you go into the thread, you can skim through posts, and only read the ones that have high ratings. A visual indicator could be as simple as red/green circle or 5 star bar.

Any you get to decide if the thread will be interesting to me? Personally, I think that would harken the end of HB as we know it.

Ira

[HB]

There's already a few elements of Antonio's ideas in place. The FAQs and Favorites is the moderators' collective list on noteworthy threads (not specific posts). The Announcements include "quotable quotes", which can be added by any member, though I have added the majority of them (specific instructions are provided when you post in the special Announcements forum). The MVP scores identify, in an abstract fashion, those who are solid contributors, but intentionally avoids the thumbs up/thumbs down/karma approach to avoid rewarding chatty posters or cronyism.

I've toyed with wikis a couple times. At one point I started converting all the articles to wiki format so they could be updated. What stopped the project, besides the work effort, was the general concern among Team HB that it would be challenging to maintain. Wikipedia benefits from an army of volunteer editors and there are those who live to excise the slightest error. An HB-based wiki would not benefit from this level of oversight, though I still find the idea of "thread summary" wikis an interesting idea. DaveC's coffeetime wiki has used this approach effectively.

[Rybolt]

@HB

The Wiki summary does take some commitment to make effective. But if you can implement it well, and you have buy in from the community it is a beautiful thing.

@Ira
Members would rate the posts within the thread, the thread as a hole is not nec. rated.

I don't think you quite understand what I am proposing, you would still have the ability to read all posts, even if they were deemed worthless. Go at it, I just don't have that kind of time, so I've honed in on my skimming abilities and taken adv. of what Dan mentioned in his post above.

By no means, would my proposal hurt HB, it would only add to the value in my opinion.

[cafeIKE]

I'd have to up my anti-depressants with all the I'd collect

[Rybolt]

I'd have to up my anti-depressants with all the <image> I'd collect

I just assumed you already upped them b/c your MVP score is 0.

[cafeIKE]

Actually 9 but I've disabled it.

[ira]

@Ira
Members would rate the posts within the thread, the thread as a hole is not nec. rated.

I don't think you quite understand what I am proposing, you would still have the ability to read all posts, even if they were deemed worthless.

I promise I understand what your asking and I promise it would be the end of HB as we know it.

Letting me mark all your messages as worthless after you annoy me would accomplish exactly what?

Ira

[Marshall]

Dreadful idea.

[sweaner]

To me, for what it is worth, these threads are like a conversation. Not an encyclopedia. During a normal conversation there will be important info as well as fill. It all fits together perfectly.

I say, leave everything exactly as-is.