Okay I am getting it now.. all the "unrecommend" angst is about the "greatest page"

[Peacetrain]

Because I am still a little unsure of it myself..but it seems to be playing out just fine.

Well most of my threads that get 5 or more recs, never make it to the greatest page, anytime. I don't see what all the juice is about if your thread does not get there.

[cherokeeprogressive]

1. 100% correct. It's ALL about getting your post to The Greatest Page.

Many posters on DU pride themselves on how many recs they get. Few of those people have ever considered that their posts might get negative feedback. The horror! They're also concerned that once promoted to The Greatest Page, their post might get DEMOTED to its original forum if enough people disagree.

That's where the "censorship" and "silencing" arguments come in. Some of the more popular posters here EXPECT that their threads will get rec'd and promoted. To think that they can't be read on the The Greatest Page, and that their posts might have to be recognized amongst the great unwashed in the regular forums is just too much for them.

Look at those who dost protest most loudly and you'll see what I mean.

[scheming daemons]

3. +1. You said it better than me

[Bicoastal]

4. Man, and I thought *I * had no life...

...I can't fathom an existence where getting 5 Democrats to agree with me on a Democratic website was that important to my ego.

[polichick]

5. Reminds me of junior high school. nt

[Laelth]

6. Guilty as charged.

I write very few OPs, but when I do, I usually want them read by a very wide audience, else I am probably not going to waste my time writing it.

I also like challenging people--speaking up for a vocal minority that has a good argument. Threads like those (that generate a lot of discussion because they are challenging and controversial) will have to be majority positions now to make it to the Greatest Page. Minority voices will be slightly less visible.

And if that's what the admins want, then fine.

:dem:

-Laelth

[Deja Q]

7. Since I don't think I've ever made it up there, what makes you think that's my motive for mocking?

:shrug:

Though I won't speak for anyone else; no doubt there are plenty who will have their narcissistic little tantrum -- that's their life.

[omega minimo]

8. That is such fucking bullshit. Who knew so many people were so petty and meanspirited about Recs?

and jealous of those who get on the Greatest.

It's really sad and a reflection on THEM. Good to know, I guess.

[BlooInBloo]

11. Yah, but those posters really weren't all that popular. Dissenting unrecs just weren't allowed...

So they're DISCOVERING that they're not really that popular. It must be very shocking for them.

[TexasObserver]

13. THAT is it! Suddenly, egos aren't getting fed.

If one lives to see their screen name as the thread starter on threads with Recommends, this new system is a bucket of cold water in the face. They have to accept that most readers DON'T recommend their threads, and for some, that's the launching point for a tantrum.

[LynneSin]

19. Amen and Alleluia

Seriously - that's what it all boils down to.

God forbid people have a way now to disagree with them other than a reply that says "No I don't agree". For years the REC system was nothing more than a popularity system that says "OOOOO lookie at me - look how many agree with me!!" but no way of giving those with opposing viewpoints a chance to say their piece too.

[cherokeeprogressive]

20. If you ever noticed, it was the same DU members, k & r'ing the same DU members.

For some, posting ANYTHING at all was a guarantee to have a post on the GP.

Strange, that. What's not strange though, is it's those same people, those who're destined for the GP with anything they post, and those who send them there, who are the loudest detractors of this new policy.

I, for one, love it.

You may have noticed that I'm not here to post things DU'ers will fawn over. So, this new policy doesn't really affect me one way or another.

[scheming daemons]

2. Because certain niche groups with specific agendas that aren't that popular can't get to the GP now

...and they're pissed about it.


They used to be able to dominate the GP with threads about their pet issue that 99% of DU didn't give a damn about...

..now they can't.



Specifically... I'm talking about Naderites, Greens, and anti-nukes. They were used to getting any old thread about their pet issue to the GP.

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. If 99% of DUers don't care about those issues, then how did they

get to the GP anyway?

Sure it's not hard to get 5 recs and officially make it on there, but it's a lot harder to get to the 5 star rec level which I think more people look at than the 1 star level.

[BlooInBloo]

12. Because 5/136,000 < 1% .

[omega minimo]

10. You don't know what 99% of DU cares about.

[scheming daemons]

16. Well... the new model will identify MUCH BETTER what most of DU cares about

...and that's a good thing

[Political Heretic]

14. You don't speak for 99% of DU.

You speak for yourself and that's about it.

[Orsino]

15. Yeah. And since my first stop at DU is always the Old Lobby...

...I rarely look to see what's Greatest. Perhaps many members also avoid it in their typical traffic?

I understand that passsersby, especially, are more likely to see the Greatest as representative of DU, so I don't mind a little angst. People want their own opinions to matter, and it hurts that a larger minority might be able to overrule a smaller one. Presumably, the Greatest page will change more slowly, and that at least sounds appropriate.

I'm not sure what this will do to the public face of DU, but it is small-d democratic.

[Posteritatis]

17. I check MyDU, then the specific subforums I read

I look at the Greatest page seasonally at best. At least from where I'm reading, nobody is getting "censored." If the posts were actually being removed from the site then they might have room to complain, but having a post bumped off the Greatest page because - gasp! - people may disagree with it is considerably tamer than conspiracy theory posts getting moved to the dungeon (which doesn't get rid of them either, so I'm fine with that too).

[Posteritatis]

18. Self-delete - dupeity doo-dah...