Implemented [Suggestion] Thread voting / rating feature

[Erik]

As I'm browsing through the suggestions forum, I constantly find myself liking posts that I agree with and want to voice my approval for. While this is great (and intended behaivor) it would be really great if you could create a thread voting feature where users can "upvote" a thread.

This would be really helpful for this very forum, where users could vote on suggestions and then you guys could see the most-requested features/issues. Not only that, but it would allow forum owners to create a Digg- or Reddit-type section in their community where users can vote on news/stories/threads/whatever. A simple sorting option would allow you to bring the most-voted threads to the top, etc.

I would think this would be relatively easy to implement, as simple as adding another field to the database table and writing the code to increment votes, as well as the required permission handling.

Also, this should be an option you can turn on or off forum-by-forum, not implemented globally.

It would also be nice if you could provide administrators the ability to turn downvotes on or off. I know a lot of people would want the ability to downvote a thread but the concept of a downvote has inherent negativity that I'm sure a lot of communities would want to avoid.

Thoughts?

 

[kkm323]

That sounds like the best solution but might start to confuse people, we'd have post likes, thread likes and facebook (thread) likes. I think it might take a bit of thought to make this all really clear but really like you're icons/positioning.

you wouldn't use a different system. it should use the same system ! just change the placement of the icon at the top of the thread . where the first posts is recognizable to be the thread.
the reason? we are on page 3 in this thread in order to vote for this thread you'll have to go to page 1 . you get my point
what about facebook ? to me facebook is social thing some people like it other don't . its just to publish thread in facebook. \

 

[Digital Doctor]

TIP - If you agree with a suggestion and want it implemented, "LIKE" the first post!​

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There is some great irony in noticing that a thread that is dedicated to making "Thread Likes" more usable was not liked by Peggy who's signature is the pink text above.​

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xenForo *NEEDS* Thread Likes.​

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Here's a mockup I made:​

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[Erik]

Digital Doctor, you already posted the same image earlier in the thread. No need to post it twice.

 

[Digital Doctor]

Obviously the "Like Thread" near title location ... could be right beside Watch Thread.

 

[dutchbb]

If we're going to add more clutter to the thread page, then I'd rather see a 'best answer/solved' or 'helpful answer' functionality, much more useful than a thread rating system (which IMHO is one of the most useless vB features).

 

[Digital Doctor]

If we're going to add more clutter to the thread page, then I'd rather see a 'best answer/solved' or 'helpful answer' functionality, much more useful than a thread rating system (which is one of the most useless vB features).

I think people find the Post "Like" feature of Xenforo to be helpful.

Why wouldn't you want that extended to entire Threads ?

In a forum that has suggestions for features in it, wouldn't you want to be able to sort the suggestions by how much people liked them ?

I'd rather see a 'best answer/solved' or 'helpful answer' functionality

That would be Post functionality, not thread functionality. You would mark a post in a thread that best answered the question.

 

[Nick]

In a forum that has suggestions for features in it, wouldn't you want to be able to sort the suggestions by how much people liked them ?

You already can. Change the sort options below the thread list to "First message likes" ordered "Descending".

Personally, I think this is all that is necessary. Adding a separate "like this thread" is redundant, and has been mentioned already, the "thread rating" feature in vBulletin is totally useless.

 

[Netsultants]

I like the idea of Thread Voting. It does seem like if people click the "like" button in the first post it will function the same way. But is it intuitive for people to understand that's how you show that you like a thread and not a post? It's conceivable that someone could want to like the thread and not like the first post.

Also, regarding Facebook, Facebooks "Like" button javascript tracks everyone who has a FB account and hasn't logged out. They don't have to even click the "like" button to be tracked. If you have a FB account and you go to a web page that has a FB "Like" link they track where you've been. I don't think most people want to be tracked, but I could be wrong. Websites might want to consider disabling the "Like" button until this issue is resolved. My point is, I wouldn't look at it as redundant to a FB "like" button.

 

[Digital Doctor]

You already can. Change the sort options below the thread list to "First message likes" ordered "Descending".

#1) No one will ever do that. Ever.
#2) We've already mentioned that people aren't going back to the first post and clicking like, so the First Post Likes is very inaccurate - essentially useless.

Personally, I think this is all that is necessary. Adding a separate "like this thread" is redundant

IMO: It isn't redundant.

the "thread rating" feature in vBulletin is totally useless.

Yes it was, the implementation was terrible.

xF's "Like Post" in combination with the Alerts has proved very powerful.

A hybrid idea might be this:
-- edit pendiing.

 

[Nick]

#1) No one will ever do that. Ever.

Maybe I'm missing something, but I'm pretty sure people certainly would. How would it be any different with any other rating system? People will still have to manually set the sort option because no normal forum would naturally sort threads by the most popular.

#2) We've already mentioned that people aren't going back to the first post and clicking like, so the First Post Likes is very inaccurate - essentially useless.

This is true. In the past, I suggested a way of calculating a thread value based on how many likes have been given in the thread (all posts) divided by how many posts are in the thread. For example, a thread with 20 posts but 50 likes would be rated more popular/liked than a thread with 20 posts but only 5 likes.

 

[Digital Doctor]

well, agreeing with #2 makes #1 moot anyway.
My hybrid idea will keep LIKES as they are but increase the "First Post Likes" response rates.
Will post soon.

How to enhance / boost "First Post Like" response rates.

This idea does not add a Thread Voting feature. (an idea which still has merits on it's own).
This simply boosts First Post Likes by having more than one place to click the First Post Like.

see my attached image for potential locations.
- essentially at the end of the thread
- just above where you post a reply

 

[Digital Doctor]

This isn't really related to the thread's topic, but "a few weeks" isn't an official comment.

Hey Mike, what do you think of my "tweaks" to help improve "First Post Liking".

 

[kkm323]

How to enhance / boost "First Post Like" response rates.

This idea does not add a Thread Voting feature. (an idea which still has merits on it's own).
This simply boosts First Post Likes by having more than one place to click the First Post Like.

see my attached image for potential locations.
- essentially at the end of the thread
- just above where you post a reply

like it

 

[Digital Doctor]

Anyone want to see "First Post Likes" improved ?

Do you think this might help ?

 

[Grover]

Yes, but alot of thread likes don't get the likes they deserve. People might read through 7 pages. Really like the thread, like a lot of posts in the thread, post a reply even, but not go back to the original post and hit like ! Why ? (1) they dont know the importance, (2) too lazy. We've already seen Original Thread starters say, "Hey, if you like this suggestion go to the first post and hit like".

It does seem like if people click the "like" button in the first post it will function the same way. But is it intuitive for people to understand that's how you show that you like a thread and not a post?

Those are exactly the reasons why I proposed this: http://xenforo.com/community/thread...ng-of-a-thread-as-a-guidance-to-like-it.4183/

How to enhance / boost "First Post Like" response rates.

Digital Doctor, it has also been made clear that staff over here is not interested to improve the first-like process (on this very site, where 'liking' is actually a key part in the whole customer suggestions evaluation process):

The instructions are clear on liking suggestions, if people don't read them or follow them, tough.

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I do understand your points, DD (although I do not need a thread-voting system as such on my site). From 10 years of experience with managing webforums I can tell that not much people read manuals/instructions/house rules.... you name it... buried somewhere in a sticky thread. Using the software itself to stimulate people to follow a certain work process proves to work much better, but I thought this would be obvious. Of course everyone has different points of views.

 

[Paul B]

Digital Doctor, it has also been made clear that staff over here is not interested to improve the first-like process (on this very site, where 'liking' is actually a key part in the whole customer suggestions evaluation process):

Check the date I posted that and you will see why your statement is entirely inaccurate.

 

[Grover]

Check the date I posted that and you will see why your statement is entirely inaccurate.

Ah, I don't keep track of the actual date when someone becomes a staff member overhere . But thanks for pointing it out, that places your initial remark in a different light for me.

 

[Digital Doctor]

Make it easier to Watch Thread and Like First Posts - see suggestion here.

 

[Morgain]

+! = Like this thread

I think Like Thread should also mean Watch Thread.
If you really like a thread in its root topic you'd generally want to Watch it.

 

[D.O.A.]

this seems pretty stupid to me if the first post is the gauge of anything about how popular a entire thread is. Threads get more interesting as they go along, it's a overall kinda rating, that's the whole point of it being called a thread rating.

Why is this is even debated alongside personal likes for posts, that's something else entirely.
Of course, you can rank the most liked threads, but is it going to be the most entertaining thread on the forums?

Not saying Kier is un-entertaining, but if you ranked xenforo threads here using likes as your base all you would have is kier threads, because let's face it, he only has to announce he mowed the lawn to get 400 likes.

I like your post, so I clicked I like your post. This thread has been entertaining for the last 7 pages, so I'm gonna go like the boring guy who started it. Yeah that makes sense...

5 star thread is a five star thread , shown with stars at the top of the page.
All this "like" based stuff will only encourage people to click like on every inane post in a thread to boost the overall rating of it, which is what they call ur doin it wrong.