unrec was the dumbest idea DU has ever come up with

[busybl]

There seem to be people here whose hobby is unrec-ing whatever doesn't agree with their vision.

[AllentownJake]

1. K&U

[slackmaster]

2. Auto-Unrec for being anti-Unrec

:nuke:

[vadawg]

4. +1

[Zix]

20. What did this actually acheive?

[slackmaster]

A little entertainment

The Internet abhors anyone on a high horse.

[Zix]

70. Unrec devalues communication.

Why didn't you just say what you thought?

[slackmaster]

78. No, Unrec is a way of flagging communication as inaccurate, frivolous, narcissistic, etc.

:hi:

[Zix]

88. It is MORE frivolous and narcisstic in itself.

You can't wash a dirty door with black paint.

[slackmaster]

92. I see it as tearing the roof off the building so everyone can see the dirty floor

YMMV

[Zix]

100. ...?

Bu... you're just pressing a teeny button...

I get that you might think a thread's genuinely misleading but saying WHY is surely always better? I think if you provide avenues for people to express themselves that actually DON'T let them express themselves in terms of content but simply provide them with the FEELING that they've expressed themselves all you've got is a communication block.

I'm going to mangle your metaphor - I don't think it's like tearing the roof off I think it's like putting a sign in from of the house saying "this building has a dirty floor, honest"...

:shrug:

[slackmaster]

103. You're the one giving that teeny button so much power by reacting to it so strongly

I get that you might think a thread's genuinely misleading but saying WHY is surely always better?

False dilemma. I often do both.

[Zix]

106. You only need to do one.

And, well, if the teeny button's so unimportant, why have it?

[Shell Beau]

177. I think some that unrec are actually unrecommending the

content of the post becuase it is sad, etc., not because they don't think it shouldn't be read, if that makes any sense.

[busybl]

37. you're so mature

[slackmaster]

41. You made this bed

Have fun sleeping in it.

[Zix]

73. OP is not responsible for your actions. You are.

[slackmaster]

79. Please point out where I have ever said that I was not responsible for my actions

:hi:

[Zix]

86. Check the post I was responding to.

[slackmaster]

94. I said the OP did something and now has to live with the response

It's not about me.

[Zix]

102. Nah, dude,

What *you say* IS about you.

Unless you're taking the stance that the message you were responding to could not reasonably be expected to be answered with anything other than your response.

Which *I* would contest, dude.

[Retired AF Dem]

114. Dude?

Someone needs to grow up.

[Zix]

122. :D

So long as that's all you're taking exception to, I will happily concede, sir.

[Retired AF Dem]

125. Dont mind me

I hate dude, yada yada, whatever. My hangup.

[bobbolink]

192. Too bad we can't unrec a response....

Or a whole judgemental mindset.

"HARSHNESS---It's the new progressivism".

[HughMoran]

156. Thank you

:eyes:

[CJCRANE]

3. Unrec magnet

[snagglepuss]

108. LOLOL nt

[Barack_America]

5. I'd rather have somebody unrec my thread than flame it.

Though, honestly, neither hurt my feelings.

[Zix]

23. I think actually answering the point might be the best thing yet, though.

No?

[Barack_America]

84. Yep. Which is exactly why I did just that.

[Zix]

90. Well, I wish more were like you.

:)

[SoCalDem]

174. I think they do both sometimes

a double whammy..

[Ineeda]

6. I unreced quite a few yesterday, but never before. n/t

[Jeramy]

7. Would you like only a reccomend then?

If its a bullshit thread, it should be called out on it.

Either none ore both. Ah, equality.

[snagglepuss]

109. Welcome to DU Jeramy.

:hi: Glad your here.

[old mark]

8. I certainly agree with you, and I did rec this thread, but it came back unrec anyway.

I guess the unrec shitheads have been playing again.


mark

[guardian]

9. As opposed to

the people here whose hobby is rec-ing whatever agrees with their vision?

[busybl]

21. this is interesting to me since I've never had an unrec

before this post, but from some of the ones I see that are unrec'd (we're inventing words as we go along)
some aren't unrec'd on their merit but for some arbitrary reason unknown to the rest of us.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

136. Who are you to determine "merit" for DU as a whole? (n/t)

[HamdenRice]

10. Waaaa... waaaa... waaaa

[Zix]

24. This post doesnt do anything.

What's posting this going to do?

[Iggo]

40. It made me laugh.

That's something.

[bigwillq]

52. It made me laugh too.

:rofl:

[Zix]

93. So why aren't you posting on 4chan?

:shrug:

[bigwillq]

97. Why would I?

:shrug: I just thought it was funny.

[Zix]

105. ...bfffff, okay....

I just don't think it helps anything. If you said something about what you thought unrec was for and why it was good for stuff, fine, but I don't get this poking buttons for fun on a political website, to me it's irritating and I can't see why you would think it any different from spam...

[bigwillq]

120. It's a feature that's part of this website.

I am free to use it whenever I want to.

[Zix]

123. It shouldn't be

And saying "but it is" isn't an answer to that.

[bigwillq]

126. We just differ on the usage of this feature.

I unrec threads when they complain about getting an unrec. I unrec whiny posts, like this one. You don't. Fine. Nothing wrong with what you're doing, nothing wrong with what I'm doing. There are many posts on here that do not, in my opinion, deserve to be on the greatest page, so I will unrec accordingly.

[Zix]

134. What bothers *me* about it is that it just expands the already huge toolbox

Available to disruptive people wishing to cause disruption.

There are FAR TOO MANY possible motivations for its use for it to help anything.

I'm not accusing you of anything, per se...

[snagglepuss]

111. +1

[busybl]

11. see, I told ya.

[slackmaster]

16. Of course you have no problem with people giving Recs to posts they do agree with

:dunce:

[Orwellian_Ghost]

12. Geez

That got urecc'ed quick. Kinda proving your point.

I think mostly though the UNREC thought patrol is doing it's job rather well. Wouldn't want factual and detailed critiques to gain a foothold here thusly challenging the hagiography of the latest political personality.

K&R

[Warren Stupidity]

22. proving what point? That people have opinions about OPs?

Why is that bad? Why is that stupid?

[Iggo]

46. This is not a factual and detailed critique.

[busybl]

51. the reason I brought this up is

this morning I saw a post that had only 2 views and it was already unrec. geez people

[TexasObserver]

165. It isn't GOOD threads that get Unrecommended.

Your claim that it attacks "factual and detailed critiques" is utter nonsense.

The ONLY reason we are still discussing this is the injured egos of those who like to start threads, but don't like seeing their threads roundly rejected because of their lack of substance or quality. Every weekend, another one jumps up to start a thread, weeping and bemoaning, as if the feature is anything more than a thumbs down vote by posters.

I recommend a lot of threads. Start one that doesn't suck, and I'll recommend it.

[SIMPLYB1980]

13. Unrec. nt

[lamp_shade]

14. It's only 2 or 3 people. They're up early every morning and they unrec every post,

apparently without even reading them. They need to move out of their mother's basements and find something useful to do.

[elocs]

25. However many it may be, threads which merit many Recs get them

and go to the greatest page. There may actually be those who disagree with the OP and are expressing that displeasure by giving it an UnRec. Imagine a thread with the title of "Dennis Kucinich sucks!" I am willing to bet there are many, many DUers who would be anxious to give that thread an UnRec and they do not live in their mother's basements and they have something useful to do.

[lamp_shade]

61. You're right and that's why it doesn't concern me. When things are busy around here they

are quickly lost. However, I'm up verrrrry early every morning when things are slow around here and at least one person (and I suspect 2) are unrec-ing nearly every single post regardless of it's content and they're doing it the instant the post comes up. I'm not kidding. It's harmless, I know.

[elocs]

91. It takes a little time for Recs/UnRecs to pan out. You can't tell at once or early in the morning.

When more people are up and see it, then you can tell which way it will go, but by midmorning you can pretty much tell it will go one way or another.

[TexasObserver]

166. You're letting your imagination get away from you.

Here's what happens, as opposed to the conspiracy of two ever vigilant random Unrecommenders madly at work:

There are many readers here. They click on threads at the top of the board in the morning. They quickly see if the thread is one of those two sentence screeds that is about nothing. They predictably hit Unrecommend and move on.

You click on the thread the next minute. OMG! It's already Unrecommended!!


MOST posters rate most threads Unrecommend. Look at the numbers. We have many threads on which DU generally agrees, and the votes prove that. Just because you have a very low standard for judging thread quality does not mean everyone here does.

[theophilus]

15. I strongly disagree. The lunacy (sorry ol' moon) here was getting

out of control. It is still present but in much reduced form, imo. I welcome the unrec. I think it has been berry berry good for the DU.

[Warren Stupidity]

17. rec was the dumbest idea DU has ever come up with

There seem to be people here whose hobby is rec-ing whatever agrees with their vision.

I unrec on principle all threads whining about people voting 'nay' on their precious OPs.

[elocs]

18. I make it a point to UnRec threads which complain about UnRec.

Funny thing, Skinner (you know, the actual "owner" of this discussion board) didn't think it was a "dumb" idea and has chosen to keep it. You could always PM him with your displeasure, but for now UnRec is here to stay.

[Zix]

28. Why?

[bigwillq]

19. I unrec any post

that complains about the rec system, or questions why a thread was unrecced.

For example, if someone complains "How could this thread get an unrec?"

I automatically unrec it.

Loser, am I? Sure. But it's fun! :) :P ;) :rofl:

[Zix]

31. Fun?

[elocs]

38. Actually it simply expresses my point of view. My choice, just like giving a Rec.

I have given threads a Rec without giving a comment and that was simply expressing how I felt and "fun" didn't have anything to do with it.

[bigwillq]

45. Yes, I always have a blast

no matter what I do. :hi: I just had fun!

[elocs]

34. How about those who complain about UnRecs in the first minutes of a thread?

There was one the other day about DK who did that and that thread went on to have hundreds of Recs and would up on the Front Page.

DU needs to stop obsessing about Recs and UnRecs.

[bigwillq]

39. I agree that the obsession needs to stop but

are *you* freaking serious? It amazes me that people really complain because someone unrecced their thread on a freaking message board!!! :rofl:

[elocs]

48. Especially an OP postive about DK. You can guarantee that is going to the top.

This was early in the morning and I predicted that before the day was up it would have more than 100 Recs and it passed that in that afternoon.

[busybl]

36. and you two don't see how petty you're being?

My point is a post should be rec'd for what it says, for it's relevance to our needs. To give it a wider audience, but there are people here unrecing just to do it. How about this, we unrec any posts of yours we see? Would you like it?

[bigwillq]

43. Go ahead and unrec me.

Who the fuck cares? I can't believe their are people that actually complain that their thread got an unrec on a freaking message board.

[busybl]

68. I've read a lot of your posts before and you seem a very unpleasant person.

[bigwillq]

72. ha ha

:rofl:

Thanks for your diagnosis.

[Warren Stupidity]

54. rec/unrec for content is the point of rec/unrec

So if your content is whining about the rec/unrec system and I think that content is stupid and should not go to the greatest page, then unrec it will be.

Rec/unrec for author is a popularity contest. We have some of that too. There are some people here who get the digital equivalent of a stinky wet close quarters fart rec'd just because they are popular and some people who write like Cicero and have the opposite experience. Oh well...

What I think you are missing is that the system works. The content of the greatest page has, in my opinion, improved. I think the board owners agree, which is why they are keeping it.

[snagglepuss]

115. How exactly do you know the motivations others may have for unrec?

How are you able to discern that people hitting unrec are doing so irresponsibly?:crazy:

[Coyote_Bandit]

26. Oh, please

I appreciate the opportunity to rec thoughtful posts that contribute to the dialogue here.

And I got no problem giving an unrec to posts which are a waste a bandwidth.

[Cleita]

27. I haven't said much about it, but I'm not liking it entirely.

On one level, it does the job, on another it gives the trolls a new toy to play with. Maybe unrecs should be PM'd to the mods first with an explanation as to why the unrec'er thinks the post shouldn't be rec'd, for instance that it's frivolous, flamebait, etc. before it is allowed. I know it would be extra work for the mods but it's only a suggestion.

[Zix]

29. I agree. It's farcical. Instead of explaining why they disagree with someone

people just press a button. It's the lowest possible form of communication.

[Iggo]

56. So it's okay to agree with no explanation...

...but disagreeing with no explanation is right out, eh?

(I spel gud)

[Zix]

124. I'm not particularly fond of "rec", either

But at least it isn't the electonic equivalent of standing around other people's conversations going "ppbth" ppbth" at moments when someone says something you don't like.

[Iggo]

Okay. I'm actually with you there.

[merh]

30. .

[Vinnie From Indy]

32. I would NEVER join a club that would have me as a member

Thanks Groucho!

[Iggo]

33. AUFWAU

B-)

[busybl]

53. hunh?

[Iggo]

58. I just made it up. You like it?

It means Auto Unrec For Whining About Unrec.

AUFWAU. Keeps our dirty laundry off the front page.

[Vinnie From Indy]

K&R

Yeah!

[SidDithers]

35. Auto unrec...

Sid

[busybl]

42. cool, now I have a complete list for ignore

[Warren Stupidity]

55. and who is being petty now?

[busybl]

60. there are some people here whose posts I haven't liked

because of rudeness etc and sure enough some of you have turned up on this thread. Makes it easier for me.

[CJCRANE]

64. Then surely a polite unrec is better than a rude reply?

You ask for replies instead of unrecs...but you can't handle the replies. What's the point?

[Zix]

127. unrec isn't polite. and what's wrong with a polite reply?

Not that I'm the most polite person on DU, I'll confess, but I don't see how unrec is polite.

[CJCRANE]

140. If DUers were polite then this place would be over-run with RW talking points.

If an unrec isn't polite then a rec of a divisive post also isn't polite.

Rec and unrec are both open to the same abuses. If you don't like unrec then lobby to get rid of rec too.

[Zix]

143. You've convinced me. Down with both!

[Iggo]

67. So the whole point of this little exercise...

...is that you're fishing for people to add to your ignore list?

COME UP FROM THE BASEMENT. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY.

[G_j]

96. maybe we all should put

you on ignore..
:hi:

wouldn't that be deliciously ironic?

[snagglepuss]

104. LOL. Touche. nt

[busybl]

182. fine with me

[A HERETIC I AM]

158. OOH! OOH! Pick me! Pick me!!

[Obamanaut]

170. I want to play. unrec. nt

[the other one]

44. Wrong. K & U

[Wiley50]

47. Once It's wrecked it's wrecked, you can't un-wreck it

If you could I would have used it on a OLDS 442 I used to be involved with.

[Vinnie From Indy]

57. wrecked 'em?

It damn near killed 'em!!!

[CJCRANE]

49. Unrecnophobia

On edit: some trolls rec, some unrec. It all balances out in the end.

[MH1]

50. Waaaaahhhhh!!!

did someone have one too many of their posts unrecc'd this morning?

it's a community discussion board and unrec is just another way for the community to vote on what gets prominence. You can keep kicking your own thread if you really want people to read it. If enough people in this community find it valuable, the recs will outweigh the unrecs.

I've posted a ton of dud threads. I don't care. If I think it's important I'll add it to my journal and duly note (in my mind) that the citizens of DU don't give a f*ck about this important issue, and move on.

[busybl]

75. I've never been unrec'd till now

have been on greatest a few times tho'.

[MH1]

77. Cool - congrats

I actually don't know if I've been unrecc'd, I don't look for it. Some of my threads make Greatest but many of them sink, and like I said I don't worry about it (other than a self-kick or two if I think it's really important).

[scubadude]

59. I agree. nt

[busybl]

62. see post 57

uncalled for and so 8th grade.

[G_j]

63. well, some unrecs

show conclusively that there are always RW trolls around.

guess it works as a reminder...

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

65. No It Wasn't. Allowing You To Join Was...

[busybl]

66. see what I mean?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

76. Nuh Nuh Nuh... Wait A Sec... See What IIIIIIIII Mean?

[busybl]

85. what's your problem?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

89. Right Now? Abdominal Gas Cramping. No Biggie Though, It Will Pass.

[Iggo]

101. .

:rofl:

[busybl]

121. get your doctor to give you cholestipol.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

148. Nah. The Toilet Solved It Just Fine.

[Zix]

128. I see exactly what you mean.

[SidDithers]

80. +1. Well said...nt

Sid

[BlooInBloo]

135. (snarfle)

[Heidi]

69. Do you complain when your threads are recommended? (nt)

[stray cat]

71. And people who think the sky has fallen if someone disagrees and unrecs

[rd_kent]

74. Unrec for complainng about unrec.

[G_j]

81. does that mean STFU?

[Warren Stupidity]

82. no it means this OP is unlikely to get to the GP but will make the Top Tens

STFU is a moderator function

[rd_kent]

157. I never said that. But if you want to see it that way.......

[busybl]

83. I guess my hope with the unrec feature was that

people would use it thoughtfully and not use it to diss someone they don't like or just as a joke. I hoped
we were mature enough for that. oh well.

[SidDithers]

87. Thoughtful and mature Original Posts often rise to the top...

narcissistic asshattery gets smacked down.

Seems to me like the system is working as hoped.

Sid

[slackmaster]

98. I didn't Unrec this thread because of how I feel about you, busbyl

I Unrec'd it because I thought it was lame.

It seems like you are working hard at taking this personally.

[Zix]

132. Yeah, and now you're explaining why you unrecced it.

Check this out - if there was no unrec, not only would you not have to unrec threads complaining about unrec, you wouldn't have to explain why you did the unreccing further down in same thread!

It's a just useless distraction! Says I.

[Zix]

130. I don't see how it could ever POSSIBLY have been used that way.

It's always quicker and easier just to go "pppbth", isn't it? Still, respect to you for placing your faith in others. I wish I was less cynical sometimes.

[LWolf]

95. It doesn't have any constructive, useful purpose.

It's a waste of time and space, and indulges (and highlights) the lowest common denominator.

:shrug:

[G_j]

99. now, if we could only unrec

your post!

:sarcasm:

[LWolf]

118. Horrors.

I'd just be totally disabled by all those unrecs raining down. ;)

:hi:

[TexasObserver]

187. If all it did was make the whiners come out and howl once a week, it's worth it!

Unrecommend is the greatest feature DU has.

It accurately rates all these posters whose desire to start threads far exceeds their ability to start threads that don't suck.

[LWolf]

189. Not from where I sit. nt

[TexasObserver]

191. Unrecommend is the greatest feature DU has.

[LWolf]

193. No, it's not.

:D

[TexasObserver]

194. And all the really cool people agree that Unrecommend rocks!!

[LWolf]

195. THAT might actually be true.

:rofl:

[Arkana]

107. Somebody's thread got unrec'd.

[nolabear]

110. Would people here rec or unrec if it wasn't anonymous?

Just curious. I think I would, but I very, very, very seldom unrec.

[bertman]

112. Anonymous and undefended undermining of others' ideas is an American ideal. Didn't you know??

What's sad is that the site administrators would have to admit they made a huge mistake if they decided to rescind the Unrec option.

The UNrec feature is just one more admission that Democrats have become such a bunch of wimpy-assed cowards that they can't actually stand up and say what they don't like. They have to do it under cover of anonymity. No wonder we have "leaders" like Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.

Recommend.

[Zix]

144. thank you! +1000!!

[Name removed]

113. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[City Lights]

116. K&U for an annoying whiner. nt

[demoleft]

117. i didn't like it and never used it. but this has been discussed in the past, over and over... n/t

[michreject]

119. Unrec for whinning nt

[Deja Q]

129. Yup. I usually hold the function to a set of rules and circumstances.

If others are using it for their whims, I may as well too.

But since the unrecs ARE being tracked, we're all better off not using them. Let those getting their jollies with their whims cook themselves for all I now care.

[shadowknows69]

131. I agree. Sucked the first time they tried it and it sucks now

But people do love their tools for childishly, as long as it's anonymously, poking at their fellow DUers. Must make them feel special to be able to invalidate somone's opinion in their mind without having to do the work of coming up with an actual debatable position on it. Not to mention the tool it gives to the trolls. Apparently it's what the majority of us wanted, despite several posted polls to the contrary.

[Texasgal]

133. I still am amazed

that after all this time...people are still whining about it!

Who really CARES about the greatest page?

[Blue-Jay]

139. The only time I've ever clicked on "Greatest" was by accident.

[Texasgal]

142. I'm with ya!

I think I saw it once... and yeah, it was by accident.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

141. The controversy had died down, but the attention-seeking OP...

brought it back to life.

Agreed -- I rarely go to the Greatest Page. And Top Ten sounds like a PITA -- I haven't even checked it out.

[TorchTheWitch]

168. So am I

I still think the Greatest Page should just die. All it seems to accomplish is a huge popularity contest and not one that has squat to do with the popularity of content but of members and their petty egos.

[Ikonoklast]

137. Unrec with unashamed glee.

[Blue-Jay]

138. OP earns a solid 9 on the poutrage-o-meter.

Happy to unrec such butthurt drivel.

[question everything]

145. It was. It allows DUers to by-pass the "rules

about not stalking or calling up others.

It is cowardly. It is very Republican-like. We are supposed to be the group that allows dissenters, that is not afraid to debate. Instead, we have people who, as you point out, just U anything posted by individuals, or who are too lazy and coward to explain why they disagree.

The only way to fight it - and I do it often - is to just search for threads with "less than 0" and to recommend them, regardless of the topic (almost) and without even bothering to read them.

There are obviously many DUers who agree with you. I think that if all of us will take several minutes to R the ones with "less than 0" we may be able to change the tide.

I have also noticed that when I manage to catch a thread at the beginning and bring it to 0, that it stays there.

There is a herd mentality on DU that when others see a "less than 0" they quickly pile more Us.

[muriel_volestrangler]

146. SO you think reccing a thread you haven't read is better than someone unreccing

a thread that they have read?

Wow.

[Iggo]

147. Oh snappety friggin snap! (n/t)

[Zix]

149. Neither is particularly laudable.

And if nothing else the post you're responding to demonstrates how easily "rec" and "unrec" can skew things - they're not much better than polls. Actual content is preferable, surely?

[muriel_volestrangler]

161. Of course content is what's important

But so many threads are started on DU each day that no-one has the time to read even just the opening posts of every single one. The title line can give you an idea of the subject matter (though often doesn't), but you get very little idea of the quality of either the opening post or the replies from it.

So the recommendation system gives a way of getting a feel for what might be worth spending your finite time on - using 'the wisdom of crowds'. It'll will never be anywhere near perfect; no-one has 'average' taste in everything, and many people pay no or little attention to it. But some find it useful. It doesn't detract from the content; it's just one more column on the forum page, and a 'greatest' page yo udon't have to visit at all if you don't want.

The advantage of being able to unrecommend something is that it differentiates between "I haven't even seen this" and "I have read this, and think there are better threads on DU". When a question is put in a referendum, after all, people are asked "are you for this, or against it?". Asking the question this way gives a much better idea of the mass opinion than "are you for this?" on its own.

[question everything]

151. DU rules which you, as a moderator are expected to enforce

do not say anything about praising other DUers, but it does spell about going after, attacking, and stalking. So, yes, U by pass these rules. Not only that, when first installed - perhaps still is, I don't know, I don't U - it was not limited to 24 hours post. So some DUers went to other forums, where older threads were still active and Ued several months old threads.

If this is not mean spirited, I don't know what is.

So, yes, I will do what I can to battle this. I am a liberal, after all. And if R those with "less than 0" is the way to do, so be it.

Of course, I could be banned by the owners. I have seen others banned for really petty reasons, if at all.

[muriel_volestrangler]

159. Unrecommending a thread is not going after, attacking, or stalking someone

It is the DUer saying that they think the thread does not belong on the list of the 'greatest' threads on DU.

Here's a clue: you unrecommend a thread. Not a DUer. You cannot stalk a thread. There is no bypassing of rules involved. But someone who reads a thread, and then unrecommends it, is using the feature in the way it is intended. You, on the other hand, seem to think that the total is what should be recommended or unrecommended. It's not. DUers write their posts to be read, and treating them as a number to be pushed up or down does them a disservice. I must admit we thought it was clear recommendations are about thread content, not totals.

Perhaps you can now see that your 'battle' is against something that doesn't exist. Your idea that recommending something without reading it is characteristic of a liberal is novel, to say the least. Knowledge is generally held to be a good start for a liberal action, and blind recommendation hardly fits that.

Unless you have been a moderator, you will not know the reasons why people are banned. Posts that contribute to a banning are frequently deleted, and you have no idea if you have read them all for a member before they were banned.

[question everything]

171. Just as there are DUers who get every single post recommended

when they just sneeze, there are other DUers whose posts get a U regardless of what they post. And they get a U within seconds after posting, posts that are not controversial, posts that are longer, which means you will need more than a few seconds to actually read them.

If you do not recognize these ugly realities then you are either in denial or are choosing to hide the truth.

A few weeks ago I posted a thread about someone with only 8 posts, all in the same day, all in one thread. He was not a troll or a RWer but he challenged some groupthink here. And he was banned the very same day.

Here is the thread, of course, you are the one who locked it. I did not even go back to read all the comments.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=6648293#6649608

As for addressing the administrators - a waste of time. They will never admit that they are wrong, made a mistake, or even provide a thoughtful respectful answer.

[muriel_volestrangler]

175. He said, in that thread, there is "too much government", "too much taxation"

and "maybe some more Republicanism" would be good in his region. And you think he wasn't right wing?

[TexasObserver]

188. If you would read Skinner's comments, you'd know there is no truth to your post.

Why do you post things you know are not true?

Unrecommend is a feature given to us by the site owner, and he explained in detail the original configuration, the immediate change to it, and the most recent change to the use of data generated by the feature.

And your charges about STALKING are disgusting. Anyone here who openly accuses others of stalking should be banned. If you think anyone is being stalked, you should notify the admins ASAP, and not post about it. When one person responds to another, that's a conversation. It's not stalking. And when someone votes Unrecommend on OPs that suck, that's not stalking.

There are some thread starters here who NEVER start a thread worthy of recommending. I do mean NEVER. These posters who start a thread with their angry two sentence screeds that wouldn't even be a decent post in a real thread can count on me Unrecommending their thread. Every thought that pops into your head is not material to start a new thread.

[Matariki]

150. HA! It was worth having it just for the satisfaction of unrec'ing all those Polanski threads.

[question everything]

153. You probably don' have a teenage daughter

or don't think that sodomizing one is a big deal, right?

[A HERETIC I AM]

152. Time for "Ode to the Unrec Feature" again

Oh unrec, you message board feature sublime,
Have you simply appeared ahead of your time?
Why is it you gather such silly attention?
When all you want is a little affection.

At times your usage makes some come unglued
when your result is simply nonsense subdued.
Even though your application is most voluntary
the contempt for you is oddly quite scary

It's as if in your absence, a thread that's not hot
still warranted a greatest page-ward swat.
Some will insist the jury's still out
But the job you've done is nothing but stout.

Eliminating crap and gratuitous clutter.
Place self serving bullshit in a well deserved gutter.
"I WON'T POST! I WON'T POST! I WON'T POST NO MORE!
IT'S YOU UNRECCERS MAKING LIFE SUCH A CHORE!"

Suggesting all threads of obscure import
deserve to be making the greatest page sort
is like saying a toddlers crude block construction
earns inclusion in Architecture Today's production


Oh unrec, oh unrec, you feature supreme
make it easy to see if a thread holds esteem
by a majority of our fine message board
instead of just five that are easily scored.


Since many DU'rs seem to think that unrec's are done by "paid operatives" I want to form

D.U.P.O.C.

Democratic Underground Paid Operative Corps.

Any more of you care to be charter members?

[sufrommich]

154. That was beautiful. nt

[Regret My New Name]

155. Forgot that even existed until you brought it up again...

I've been slacking the past couple months. I got some work to do now.

[chrisa]

160. People take it way too seriously.

It's not like, if you get 5 unrecs, your harddrive self-corrupts; or a man in a black suit comes to your door and punches you in the face.

Those are hints for future implementation, by the way.

[rd_kent]

162. And complaining about unrec is the dumbest idea you ever came up with

[busybl]

183. no I've had worse

got married for one

[TexasObserver]

163. Oh, Unrecommend! You bring me such joy!

Unrecommend is the feature that keeps on giving.

Can you imagine all this noise about the HIDE THREAD feature?

[yewberry]

164. Clearly you weren't here for the 'nuclear ignore' festivities.

Unrec is pretty tame in comparison.

Actually, I'd say that removing ATA was way dumber than either of those.

[Behind the Aegis]

172. Couldn't agree more!

[Toucano]

167. The only thing worse than unrec is people complaining about unrec. K&UR&N/T

[Maru Kitteh]

169. K & U!

[SoCalDem]

173. agree 1000%.. It's an obsession with some here.. a post goes up

and 10 seconds later it's <0..when there's not even enough time lapsed for anyone to have even READ it..

It's obvious to me that some here have been "making a list" and are eagerly indulging in passive-aggressive techniques (since it's "secret") against their "least favorite" people:)

I'd like to see a running tally by posters' names listing the number of unrecs & recs they have doled out:evilgrin:

[donheld]

186. disagree 1000%

[Vickers]

176. Unrec'ed on principle.

Not so anonymous, huh?

:eyes:

[JNelson6563]

178. Yes, and with your long tenure here, you would know.

Isn't it fun staying up late on non-school nights?

Oy.

[Doctor_J]

179. My first unrec

:thumbsup:

[AsahinaKimi]

180. Can i unrec... this, just for fun?

Just askin..
:hide:

[mkultra]

181. K&U to support the unrec. helps us see the vocal minority

[busybl]

184. you people are too easy

you've spent all day jumping my shit for nothing. geez

[TexasObserver]

190. It's the topic, not you, people are drawn to.

This topic is guaranteed to get activity, and your OP is only the starting gate.

No one is "jumping in your shit," either. It's called "posting," and it's what we do here.

[Dreamer Tatum]

185. Does it cause you pain to see "

WTF difference does that make?