Thanks/recognition...

[CADman_KS]

Is there anyway that we could add something to the forum that would allow us to react to posts, even if that is only for thanking, that is visual for everyone to see?

There a lot of posts that I would like to thank, and I do occasionally send out the thanks, but that doesn't let others know that I thanked that person. The reason that's important is because if multiple people have thanked someone for a post, it lends a little more credence to it being a valid solution.

I do also understand that can be misused, so I don't know if one outweighs the other.

Thanks!!

[BB_TX]

Something like a Facebook post that shows how many “Likes” it has?

[CADman_KS]

Originally Posted by BB_TX

Something like a Facebook post that shows how many “Likes” it has?

Yeah, that would even be a good idea. The whole like, mad, love thing like FB has, is not necessary either. That just kind of muddies things up. I would think that if you wrote a post and it had 9 likes, that would be thanks enough, at least in my mind...

[kowbra]

Originally Posted by CADman_KS

Is there anyway that we could add something to the forum that would allow us to react to posts, even if that is only for thanking, that is visual for everyone to see?

There a lot of posts that I would like to thank, and I do occasionally send out the thanks, but that doesn't let others know that I thanked that person. The reason that's important is because if multiple people have thanked someone for a post, it lends a little more credence to it being a valid solution.

I do also understand that can be misused, so I don't know if one outweighs the other.

Thanks!!

Other forum platforms have this and you can give "reactions" such as Like, or Laugh, etc. I do like this and agree it would be good here also.
I also see some that track that for a user, so you can see how many posts and how many reactions a user has. Not sure if that last part is needed.

OTOH, it may not be a function of the software platform used here.

Brad

[CADman_KS]

Originally Posted by kowbra

Other forum platforms have this and you can give "reactions" such as Like, or Laugh, etc. I do like this and agree it would be good here also.
I also see some that track that for a user, so you can see how many posts and how many reactions a user has. Not sure if that last part is needed.

OTOH, it may not be a function of the software platform used here.

Brad

On another forum they track it under the users name. A user that has a lot of likes, is GENERALLY giving helpful/good advice. On another forum they track it, but you have to go to your profile to see. That's way too much trouble, and I never go to my profile to check.

I personally don't think that it needs to visibly publically by user. I'm more about the individual posts. But I'm fine with making it public by user as well.

YMMV...

[Carl n Susan]

I am unaware of such a function in the Social Knowledge software underpinning the MOC. But things like that are way above my pay grade. I have sent a PM to our contact to find out if there is such a thing and/or is there a process to request an enhancement.

[CADman_KS]

Originally Posted by Carl n Susan

I am unaware of such a function in the Social Knowledge software underpinning the MOC. But things like that are way above my pay grade. I have sent a PM to our contact to find out if there is such a thing and/or is there a process to request an enhancement.

Thanks!!!

[RMcNeal]

Carl, on a side note...I have noticed that some members have a moniker under their name like "Montana Master" or "Montana Fan", etc. In my observation, this seems to be related to the number of posts, activity or something along those lines. Is that correct?

[wjg315]

Following

[CADman_KS]

Originally Posted by RMcNeal

Carl, on a side note...I have noticed that some members have a moniker under their name like "Montana Master" or "Montana Fan", etc. In my observation, this seems to be related to the number of posts, activity or something along those lines. Is that correct?

Every other forum that I have been with, this has been the case. The number of posts dictate what "level" you're at.

One forum that I frequent, that recently changed forum software from vBulletin (which appears to be what's used here) to something completely different, totally dropped that functionality after the upgrade. Now, all it says is how many posts you have, and no ranking/level.

Does anyone even look at those rankings? I can't recall that I've "used" them for anything...

[BB_TX]

Originally Posted by CADman_KS

............
Does anyone even look at those rankings? I can't recall that I've "used" them for anything...

Never pay much attention to them unless I happen to notice that someone is a "New member". Then I may give that person's questions a little extra attention remembering when I was a newbie and had lots of questions and few answers. Otherwise, it doesn't matter if a person has 500 posts or 10,000 posts.

[CADman_KS]

Originally Posted by BB_TX

Never pay much attention to them unless I happen to notice that someone is a "New member". Then I may give that person's questions a little extra attention remembering when I was a newbie and had lots of questions and few answers. Otherwise, it doesn't matter if a person has 500 posts or 10,000 posts.

That's basically the same MO that I use.

But, I wouldn't pay attention at all to how many thanks that person had, if it was listed there, or I wouldn't pay attention to see how many I have either. It's not something that I personally keep track of, or care to know.

At the end of the day, I hope that most of my posts are beneficial to the OP, and ultimately the whole community. We all get off on tangents or soap boxes occasionally, and that's fine too. Sometimes I learn things in rants I had never thought about as well.

My personal goal is to be as good a netizen as I can be, and I fail that at sometimes too...

[kowbra]

Originally Posted by CADman_KS

That's basically the same MO that I use.

But, I wouldn't pay attention at all to how many thanks that person had, if it was listed there, or I wouldn't pay attention to see how many I have either. It's not something that I personally keep track of, or care to know.

At the end of the day, I hope that most of my posts are beneficial to the OP, and ultimately the whole community. We all get off on tangents or soap boxes occasionally, and that's fine too. Sometimes I learn things in rants I had never thought about as well.

My personal goal is to be as good a netizen as I can be, and I fail that at sometimes too...

Well said and agree with all of it, thanks!

I do agree with others that seeing "thanks" or "thumbs up" types of reactions to individual posts is where extra value could potentially be added.
Currently handling thanks is often a mix of:
-say thanks privately
-add another post just to say thanks, to a thread that may already be long especially if several people all want to say thanks for the same thing
-say nothing because even though you are thankful there have already been several people who already said it as above

Brad

[DutchmenSport]

I don't know about Facebook and how it functions. I've never done Facebook and never will.

But, a post by the original poster in the existing thread is really all that is necessary.

CADman_KS, Thank-you so much for your response. You hit the nail right on the head. I did what you suggested and it worked. Thanks again. You are the best.

What this does is

1) When someone comes to read the thread, they can see the original poster's question or problem was resolved.

My pet peeve on these forums is the original poster's NEVER come back and say what their solution was, or even if their problem was actually fixed. Why don't people who start threads ever come back and state how their problem was fixed? so this type of acknowledgment goes a long way. It lets people know they do not need to make additional responses.

2). It gives acknowledgement WHO actually gave the best advise, who had the right answer to the problem, and who was most knowledgeable for the situation.

3) It brings closure to a thread

So, why not just acknowledge those who help you, those who had the right answer, those who gave you the best advise, right in the thread itself?

That's my solution.

And by the way CADman_KS, thank-you for letting me vent about no closure responses from the original poster, instead of a thread just simply drifting off to the nether-land.

2)

[CADman_KS]

Originally Posted by kowbra

Well said and agree with all of it, thanks!

I do agree with others that seeing "thanks" or "thumbs up" types of reactions to individual posts is where extra value could potentially be added.
Currently handling thanks is often a mix of:
-say thanks privately
-add another post just to say thanks, to a thread that may already be long especially if several people all want to say thanks for the same thing
-say nothing because even though you are thankful there have already been several people who already said it as above

Brad

Brad, this is all spot on, and mostly where my thought process is as well. 2 things, the adding a post to a lengthy post in some ways muddies it up all well, especially if it's long, and the second is not saying something because those before you already did. That doesn't let the poster of the solution, let them know that you appreciated their input into the forum.

I think that liking and thanking people fulfills an innate human desire in all of us. We all want to know that we're appreciated. If we have the worlds best solutions, but no one is ever acknowledging them, your enthusiasm to be helpful can diminish quickly.

Originally Posted by DutchmenSport

...

My pet peeve on these forums is the original poster's NEVER come back and say what their solution was, or even if their problem was actually fixed. Why don't people who start threads ever come back and state how their problem was fixed? so this type of acknowledgment goes a long way. It lets people know they do not need to make additional responses.
...
And by the way CADman_KS, thank-you for letting me vent about no closure responses from the original poster, instead of a thread just simply drifting off to the nether-land.
...

I do agree with you that it is frustrating when people don't come back and report, but I have noticed this behavior in about every forum I've been on, that OP's have great intentions, but they often don't follow thru.

I'm on another forum that I don't frequent all that often, but I told the community that I would write a report on how I fixed something. Life got busy, and I forget, and then almost 2 years later, I received a note from that post about what the solution was. I quickly apologized, and put up the solution. Shame on me, and I try not to do that.

As for the thanks thing, as I think about it more, in my mind, there are 2 kinds of thanks: likes and thanks. I can like something, and that signifies that I'm in support of that, as a solution, as good post, as whatever. But there is also thanks, and that denotes more of a "thank you for posting, and you're a good netizen". I can respect not doing the FB thing, and that's fine, but this is really one of the things that I personally think drives, and makes FB the platform that it is.

BTW, no worries on venting in the post. As an example, I could "like" that post from you. I don't have to thank you for that post. And, by my liking that post, it's a quick communique between you and I that I'm OK with you venting on the post? Does that make sense???

[Carl n Susan]

Originally Posted by RMcNeal

Carl, on a side note...I have noticed that some members have a moniker under their name like "Montana Master" or "Montana Fan", etc. In my observation, this seems to be related to the number of posts, activity or something along those lines. Is that correct?

Yup, the number of posts drive which "tag line" you see. I don't think I have ever used them for anything.

[DutchmenSport]

Originally Posted by Carl n Susan

Yup, the number of posts drive which "tag line" you see. I don't think I have ever used them for anything.

With this and other forums I frequent, I don't bother with the "Label". I look at the join date and the number of posts. If I'm really inquisitive about someone on the forums, I'll look at their profile.

[CADman_KS]

Originally Posted by DutchmenSport

With this and other forums I frequent, I don't bother with the "Label". I look at the join date and the number of posts. If I'm really inquisitive about someone on the forums, I'll look at their profile.

My MO exactly...

[Janet H]

The forum software doesn't have the function being asked for; avisible like option. There is the thanks button which allows you to send a semi-automated PM to a poster but that's sort of different.

In the next year the forum will get a software update and this feature should available.

[CADman_KS]

Originally Posted by Janet H

The forum software doesn't have the function being asked for; avisible like option. There is the thanks button which allows you to send a semi-automated PM to a poster but that's sort of different.

In the next year the forum will get a software update and this feature should available.

Janet,

Thank you for that update! We'll look forward to upgrades/improvements in the future.

Thank you for your support of a great site and community!