Re: Red dots
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19rVKy_pfFU

You agitating my dots?

Re: Red dots
 

JVN doesn't agitate the dots.

Re: Red dots
 

I knew this guy, who knew this guy, who knew this guy's cousin, who knew this other guy that agitated the dots. Yeah... You do NOT agitate the dots.

-Vivek

Re: Red dots
 

Personally, I have never given out negative rep, but like some others I have come pretty close in a few circumstances. To me, it just doesn't seem like that useful of a tool; many of the posters on CD are intelligent people who will take constructive criticism if it is provided. It also seems to me that someone is more likely to take advice as constructive criticism and follow the advice if it is offered neutrally, instead of being accompanied by negative rep, which is part of the reason why I use neutral rep to convey a message that otherwise would have been accompanied by a red dot.

The other major reason why I don't give negative rep is a matter of scale. Many posts that are, in my opinion, candidates for negative rep come from newer users with smallish rep totals; my rep power is high enough that if I gave a newer user negative rep, it would represent a significant portion of their overall total. Wiping out 10% of someone's rep for a single mistake is not particularly high on my list of things to do, and is, in my opinion, disproportionate to what they actually did. Personally, I would like a feature that would let you choose to give someone just a single negative rep point instead of blasting someone's rep total, but I might be the only one.

On the other hand, I think the green dots are a very good feature to have. They give new members a positive incentive to make polite, helpful posts, which is always a good thing.

Re: Red dots
 

I like the green-dot system very much. It definitely helps people new to CD feel more comfortable posting. It's a little nudge; a way-to-go-chap-your-post-adds-flavor-to-the-mix. It's nice to get feedback that your thoughts can be insightful.

The negative rep points have their pros and cons. One of the bigger pros I see is that it lets the people of CD inform others when they might be a tad out of line, and should maybe reconsider their actions. However, a PM could do the job just as well, I suppose. The red dots should definitely be used sparingly, as I believe they are.

Anywho. From a [relatively] new user...all you Chief Delphi-ans: Keep on, Keepin' On!! :)

Re: Red dots
 

my thought is that if they do something as awful as you have given reasons for, why not just boot them? they usually are only around for a short time anyway.

Re: Red dots
 

Professional...but I'm not sure it's gracious.

One time I thought about giving red, there was a member who had only been around a short time. He'd started just fine, but then got really obnoxious. Later, he was helpful again. Turned out that someone had gotten on using his account, which... was frowned upon by this member. If he'd been given the boot, would he have been around to help others?

Re: Red dots
 

Oooo, ya want some? We can arrange that! :ahh:

Re: Red dots
 

To give or not to give that is the question. Red dots have been given by me and taken as well. When I got them (it was a whole bunch by only a couple of people) It made me think and reconsider my approach. Red dots were good. I have given only a couple of times (once just to smarten a team member up) and followed up with a PM.

When I see a person get lots of neg rep I read their posts, Give positive rep and try to help the person out with what went wrong. So far this has worked pretty well. Again, red dots good.

They are just dots but can be a great tool if used properly. My vote keep it as it is.

Re: Red dots
 

First off, I'm tired of the GP comments. If I say it or do it, I obviously believe it to be GP.

Secondly, accounts are easy to make. If mine got deleted, I'd make another and attempt not to get deleted next time. Besides, I'm not saying that this power should be given to everybody. Just to a few of the head moderators. If he made a second account, his friend or foe(not sure which) would not be able to get the password again. Also, he would still be able to do just as much good with the second account as he does with his first.

Re: Red dots
 

If you're banned and we later find that you've created a second account, that will likely be banned as well.

Since we began using vBulletin, I think we've had to ban less than five users for their behavior -- ignoring spammers and JVN's self-imposed ban. People grow tired of antagonizing strangers on the internet with time, so most folks either grow bored and disappear entirely or don't immediately realize that CD isn't Fark or Something Awful or 4chan and clean up their act later. The reputation system is great, discrete way of nudging folks into a better attitude.

Re: Red dots
 

I second that

Re: Red dots
 

I realize that. However, you have to take both parts together. Separately, you can make a case for doing anything you want to. I'm agreeing that it's professional, but I'm not sure it's gracious. You obviously think it is, and you may be right. I think it isn't, and I may be right. Because either of us could be right, and because we have opposite views on that, where do you go from there? Do you a) ban a potentially helpful member who hasn't learned the norms yet or b) allow a troublemaker to stay until further trouble is caused or c) let 'em stay and guide them to the safer roads/methods?

Or, to put it another way, is it more gracious to let us all talk without worrying about people who cause trouble or to help those people see why they're causing trouble and fix their behavior?

Re: Red dots
 

I'll take your word for it, but I don't believe it to be true for everyone. I've even seen occasions on the forum where someone apologizes in advance for forcing everyone to read an ungracious post, so there are definitely people who intentionally do something "un-GP".

I occasionally find myself pondering the distinction between the "proper" action and the graciously professional action. When the person you're interacting with will not respond to anything short of a conceptual whack on the head with a club, you either mute the GP or you abandon trying to reach that person. Sometimes a club to the head is the right thing.

Back on the "red dot" topic, I choose to employ the reputation system as a *reputation* system. If someone shows consistent or exceptional knowledge of a topic, I'll toss him some green. If someone authoritatively declares to be true something which is not, I'll probably hand him some red. I reward rational and critical thought. I occasionally (though rarely) penalize stubborn illogic or willful ignorance.

Re: Red dots
 

Thank You Alan.

Wild speculation given as absolute fact is the easiest way to push my buttons.