The "Thanks" button is gone.

[oreocookie]

I liked the Thanks button mainly because there was a good feeling in knowing that somebody found something you said useful and I liked to be able to let people know when I found their posts particularly useful to me.

I think the problem though was that not everybody knew how to use it properly. I won't call it an abuse (though for some users it definitely was). I've seen threads where the OP (often a new user, but not always) thanked every single post that followed whether it was useful or not (I have yet to see a context where "lol" is a useful post), and other threads where somebody posts something funny then posts laughing at the joked get thanked.

In my mind there are 2 options involving the Thanks button :
1)make it so Mods can remove thanks from posts that obviously are not useful (possibly too subjective though)
2)make Thanks count private, so those who want to brag can brag but others (new users?)don't get swayed into thinking a given user is more knowledgable than another based on thanks count

 

[santafejoe]

I liked the Thanks button mainly because there was a good feeling in knowing that somebody found something you said useful and I liked to be able to let people know when I found their posts particularly useful to me.

I think the problem though was that not everybody knew how to use it properly. I won't call it an abuse (though for some users it definitely was). I've seen threads where the OP (often a new user, but not always) thanked every single post that followed whether it was useful or not (I have yet to see a context where "lol" is a useful post), and other threads where somebody posts something funny then posts laughing at the joked get thanked.

In my mind there are 2 options involving the Thanks button :
1)make it so Mods can remove thanks from posts that obviously are not useful (possibly too subjective though)
2)make Thanks count private, so those who want to brag can brag but others (new users?)don't get swayed into thinking a given user is more knowledgable than another based on thanks count

Good point you have. BTW THANKS

 

[BHB ScubaTroll]

I liked the Thanks button mainly because there was a good feeling in knowing that somebody found something you said useful and I liked to be able to let people know when I found their posts particularly useful to me.

I think the problem though was that not everybody knew how to use it properly. I won't call it an abuse (though for some users it definitely was). I've seen threads where the OP (often a new user, but not always) thanked every single post that followed whether it was useful or not (I have yet to see a context where "lol" is a useful post), and other threads where somebody posts something funny then posts laughing at the joked get thanked.

In my mind there are 2 options involving the Thanks button :
1)make it so Mods can remove thanks from posts that obviously are not useful (possibly too subjective though)
2)make Thanks count private, so those who want to brag can brag but others (new users?)don't get swayed into thinking a given user is more knowledgable than another based on thanks count

Do you think 54,000 thanks in the same thread for saying something like, "duh" is too much "Thanks"?

 

[mbalmr]

Let's get rid of post count while we're at it, it's a bad reminder of how much time we spend on scubaboard, when we should be doing something else.

NOOOO I like knowing how much time I "waste" on SB!!!

 

[Trace Malinowski]

I thought the "Thanks" button was one of the unique features of ScubaBoard. I found it to be an interesting way of keeping me honest, so to speak, because my private SB goal was to see how many "Thanks" I could receive by taking the time to do my best to compose a post in such a way that it would be educational or valuable. While not all my posts were educational or informative, and while not all the thanks I received was merited, there was a time that I had 100+ more thanks than posts. I was going to try to move that to 200 more by putting a little effort into each post and weaving post brevity (not my strong suit) with information. It was like the SB version of the Wakulla Award for safe cave diving or something ... just a dangling carrot to chase, but a carrot that for some, like myself, could serve to inspire.

In that way, I'll miss it.

In fact, it kind of drew me into SB much like other silly goals of trying to beat the high score of some really dumb online game like Elf Bowling or beat my friends in Facebook games.

It was also pretty cool when someone I'd normally be battling over a topic would give a "Thanks" ... at times, that was like breaking bread or some other gesture that united rather than polarized.

I also think that when lurkers or new members joined in the discussion by posting a valuable perspective, the thanks received could make them feel valued and accepted by the community.

I think the only thing the "Thanks" button really divided was what made SB a little bit more fun than other boards.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

It's not just the Thanks button that has been erased. It is the thanks received, the thanks given, and any trace of thanks being given or received on any post. It's as if the word "Thanks" never existed on SB. Isn't that some violation of the prime directive or something. It did exist...right? A little spooky.

... it's kinda like when Catholics are married and get divorced. If they decide to get married again they can't just say they are divorced ... the church doesn't believe in that. So they gotta make it like they were never previously married in the first place ...



... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[RJP]

As I think about it further, I'm pretty ticked at the half-dozen or so "Thanks abusers" that caused the thanks button to be removed. Admins and Mods know/knew exactly who they are, and it would have been much more appropriate to do a surgical strike by modifying their privileges rather than punishing 100,000 other folks.

ScubaBoard is genuinely diminished - from both a usability and a community standpoint - with the removal of the thanks button.

 

[D_B]

I thought the "Thanks" button was one of the unique features of ScubaBoard. I found it to be an interesting way of keeping me honest, so to speak, because my private SB goal was to see how many "Thanks" I could receive by taking the time to do my best to compose a post in such a way that it would be educational or valuable. While not all my posts were educational or informative, and while not all the thanks I received was merited, there was a time that I had 100+ more thanks than posts. I was going to try to move that to 200 more by putting a little effort into each post and weaving post brevity (not my strong suit) with information. It was like the SB version of the Wakulla Award for safe cave diving or something ... just a dangling carrot to chase, but a carrot that for some, like myself, could serve to inspire.

In that way, I'll miss it.

In fact, it kind of drew me into SB much like other silly goals of trying to beat the high score of some really dumb online game like Elf Bowling or beat my friends in Facebook games.

It was also pretty cool when someone I'd normally be battling over a topic would give a "Thanks" ... at times, that was like breaking bread or some other gesture that united rather than polarized.

I also think that when lurkers or new members joined in the discussion by posting a valuable perspective, the thanks received could make them feel valued and accepted by the community.

I think the only thing the "Thanks" button really divided was what made SB a little bit more fun than other boards.

Good post

It was also useful to view a posters thanked posts or threads .. you could find some insightful info there ..

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I thought the "Thanks" button was one of the unique features of ScubaBoard. I found it to be an interesting way of keeping me honest, so to speak, because my private SB goal was to see how many "Thanks" I could receive by taking the time to do my best to compose a post in such a way that it would be educational or valuable. While not all my posts were educational or informative, and while not all the thanks I received was merited, there was a time that I had 100+ more thanks than posts. I was going to try to move that to 200 more by putting a little effort into each post and weaving post brevity (not my strong suit) with information. It was like the SB version of the Wakulla Award for safe cave diving or something ... just a dangling carrot to chase, but a carrot that for some, like myself, could serve to inspire.

In that way, I'll miss it.

In fact, it kind of drew me into SB much like other silly goals of trying to beat the high score of some really dumb online game like Elf Bowling or beat my friends in Facebook games.

It was also pretty cool when someone I'd normally be battling over a topic would give a "Thanks" ... at times, that was like breaking bread or some other gesture that united rather than polarized.

I also think that when lurkers or new members joined in the discussion by posting a valuable perspective, the thanks received could make them feel valued and accepted by the community.

I think the only thing the "Thanks" button really divided was what made SB a little bit more fun than other boards.

Thanks ...

... no matter what nice things someone offers, there will always be a small percentage of people who will find a way to abuse it. It's a shame that the result is usually that the nice thing ends up getting taken away from everybody ...

... it's a pity we couldn't just disable the people who misuse it ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[mselenaous]

Thanks Grateful, Trace, RJP.
I concur.

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