[GTO]

Three more points:

1. In the last 7 - 10 days, what junk threads have you seen? Please PM me the list so the OP of that thread isn't offended.

2. It is not that we will agree 100% of the time. But let's say you spot 1 thread out of 10 that you feel is zero value, best to ignore that 1 and focus on the other 9.

3. From the last week or so, here are some other wonderful threads that you could gorge on. Just some random pickings of top-class stuff:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...i-quattro.html (My pre-owned Audi A6 3.0 TDI Quattro)

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ns-kabini.html (Cars, Wildlife and Photography Lessons at Kabini)

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modif...ia-vrs245.html (KW Street Comfort & handling/suspension mods on the Octavia vRS245)

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...undai-i10.html (Kolkata to Delhi solo drive in a Hyundai i10)

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...-ecosport.html (Pre-worshipped car of the week : Buying a Used Ford EcoSport)

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shift...-gym-home.html (My Home Gym: A guide for anyone wanting to set up a gym at home!)

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...lder-cars.html (Representing against the new Re-registration & Fitness Tax hike proposals for older cars)

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...re-smiles.html (Pre-owned Toyota Corolla | Two more shades, many more smiles)

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ping-trip.html (Chennai to Ooty in a CBR250 & RE650 | Camping Trip)

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...nts-india.html (Changing contours in the past decade | Car sales trends & growth segments in India)

[roamer012]

Originally Posted by lonetraveller89

I have said this before - we ought to get rid of the 'Thanks' button permanently. Trust me, it's going to be beneficial in the long run.
And as for a way to mark an important post, we seriously need another marking/sorting system. The best threads in here are obviously some of the older ones which have run to around 50-100 pages. Going through them to gather just the minimal essential info is downright time-consuming, tedious and frustrating.

Good, gracious Lord, NO! Take back all I said about the 'Thanks' button. You can keep it or even make it golden in colour. But the day a downvote button comes to this forum, death knells will ring. Egos will clash, be hurt and it will rain bans and reported posts. Might as well prop up the funeral garlands while members downvote moderator posts.

Please do propose a solution, As per you, positive notations are not required, negative citations are even lesser required, Rock>me<Hardplace anyone?

Earlier, thanks button was disabled in Shifting gears thread but it has recently been enabled. As of now, the only semblance of getting some meaningful information in threads which run in hundreds of pages is thanks button

Option of reporting a post is still there, but as a reader how do you come to know whether a post has been reported or not? Till the time that particular post is corrected or taken down, it continues to bring down reader experience. Why not introduce a downvote button with a reason for downvoting box to dissuade casual downvoters just like it is done while reporting. Alternatively, say if a post receives more than 5 down votes, it gets automatically reported and a message appears "This post is under review" and if the mods deem fit, they can restore the post and disable report button on such posts.

Enough with the downvoting button from my side. I honestly request all the readers to do suggest better ways of marking/sorting posts.

In my opinion, in this day and age of short form social media, if this forum has survived, it is because of meaningful moderation and discipline of forum members. I am sure, as an experiment few of the ideas proposed can be rolled out in phases or on some specific sections of the forum. Until we try, we will never know.

For forums like this, systems should work with minimum / zero intervention from individuals.

Originally Posted by lonetraveller89

This is the bane of today's opinion-driven internet. I don't think there will ever be a good solution for this. Even the strictest moderation has it's limits.

, I was just pointing this out why I feel and as shared by you a well, another marking / sorting system is required and not for moderation.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by EightSix

[*] The option to tag members. Some members highlight while some use ‘+’ or ‘+’ some link their username with their profile page. But none of this is guaranteed to get the attention of the intended member. I miss quite a few posts because of this.

+1

[*] More reactions to a particular post. Sure, the thanks button helps. But we could have more reactions. This is because BHPians like me use the Thanks button to show that we have read the post. The meaning of the ‘Thanks’ button is too messed up. Something like ‘like’ ‘dislike’ or even more like ‘Meh’.

Like @lonetraveller I'd say get rid of the 'Thanks' button altogether. But I suspect this is a minority opinion.

[*] An inbuilt photo editor on Team-BHP. We should have an editor on Team-BHP where all posters can 1) Change the dimensions, colors, rotate, flip, etc., and other standard features. 2) Add watermark to scoops. 3) Put the TEAM-BHP.COM on their car’s number plate (that is used in official reviews) 4) Blur faces, blacken confidential info and highlight important info.

We need this.

[*] An AI that suggests the most important posts to visitors from each thread. (Or an option for mods to pin the few most important posts to the first page).

+1

[*] Social Media presence for Team-BHP - doesn’t exist. We do have a Facebook and Twitter, but nothing like other automotive publications do. A good social media strategy would help Team-BHP grow bigger. Do we even have an Instagram?

Interesting point. My view is that using Instagram/Twitter/FB etc is like sinking to a way lower level in the filth and floatsam. Just one man's view though. I guess not a popular one these days.

Originally Posted by lonetraveller89

I have said this before - we ought to get rid of the 'Thanks' button permanently. Trust me, it's going to be beneficial in the long run. I don't think I need to explain the effects of dopamine

+1. Agree. Dopamine drives the quality of content on social media to the lowest common denominator {read IQ & maturity}

And as for a way to mark an important post, we seriously need another marking/sorting system. The best threads in here are obviously some of the older ones which have run to around 50-100 pages. Going through them to gather just the minimal essential info is downright time-consuming, tedious and frustrating.

My youngest who is doing an M.Phil at Oxford thinks team BHP is for old men like me who have the time to type and read endlessly. And this from a bright young person who is no stranger to long readings and dissertations.

Knowing how to use the search function only works if you know what specifically you're looking for.

Our search function desperately needs an upgrade. I find it easier to key in my search words into Google and ad Team BHP at the end to get to the right few pages on Team BHP rather than our search function which half the time will state 'nothing found' or will not accept short words. Content is one of Team BHPs greatest assets it should not be so well hidden. Also the answers thrown up need to be in some order of quality or relevance or most read otherwise you are once again winding your way through reams of posts.

Although most people still have the patience to go through each and every post and page, this will change. A couple of years from now, a curious enthusiast will open one of our car detailing threads, see the number of pages, close it and scoot right over to YouTube. You either get with the times or get out, period.

[*] Video reviews need to be out there. Only BHPians like us have the time and interest to read through 7-8 posts of long reviews. Besides, video reviews by other publications get way more interaction than our text reviews do.

Exactly. I suspect that is happening already. And because all social media tend to become an echo chamber we don't realize it. Keep the written word - it has a sublime & timeless value. But we need to move to video and voice to stay with the times. I say tis even though I am barely a consumer of videos - not even of aircraft videos.

Originally Posted by GTO

Point taken, suggestion accepted & action taken. This was also brought up by Mr. Boss & V.Narayan in the forums are dying thread. We have now become a lot stricter with what new topics are allowed.

Thank you.

What you can do to REALLY HELP = Report any zero value thread . Help us maintain the forum's quality!

Maybe we need a category of members who are like junior moderators who are trained for taking on some of these functions of moderators to thus free up time of the moderators for quality control. If content crawling for quality, grammar, punctuation, and rule infractions are not automated {or at least partly so} our Moderators will be way too overloaded already for the volumes they have to distill. Hypothetically if I were an investor in team BHP this is what I would push for - significantly greater automation using AI. With the boom in the car industry over the coming 20 years in India our volumes could {or should} go up geometrically.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by lonetraveller89

I have said this before - we ought to get rid of the 'Thanks' button permanently. Trust me, it's going to be beneficial in the long run. I don't think I need to explain the effects of dopamine and how the 'Thanks' button here is no different from how rudimentary 'Likes' are being used on Instagram, Facebook or YouTube.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

+1
Like @lonetraveller I'd say get rid of the 'Thanks' button altogether.
+1. Agree. Dopamine drives the quality of content on social media to the lowest common denominator {read IQ & maturity}

I fully hear where you are coming from. My limited counterpoint is for those who are inclined to be polite, the Thanks button takes away the need of a needless post in response. Ideally of course people should simply choose not to write anything if they have nothing other than Thank you to say. But I suspect they will engineer another point or two just to thank the poster. I would personally rather live with the Thanks than additional posts where we are already suffering from "lowest common denominator" content overkill.

Originally Posted by GTO

Point taken, suggestion accepted & action taken. This was also brought up by Mr. Boss & V.Narayan in the forums are dying thread. We have now become a lot stricter with what new topics are allowed.

What you can do to REALLY HELP = Report any zero value thread .

I reiterate that we have started clamping down harder on what new threads are allowed, and what aren't.

This is really heartening to read. I recall reading Mr. Boss' and VN's messages on this and agreeing but didn't want to add an off topic post to that thread, specially since you promptly responded there. I always considered reporting to be a function of outright non compliant posts or something that's an inadvertent error like grammar etc.

However,
.
.
.

Originally Posted by GTO

Three more points:

1. In the last 7 - 10 days, what junk threads have you seen? Please PM me the list so the OP of that thread isn't offended.

2. It is not that we will agree 100% of the time. But let's say you spot 1 thread out of 10 that you feel is zero value, best to ignore that 1 and focus on the other 9.

.
.
.

it is heartening to know that this can also now be reported and how seriously you are all taking this from the two points above.

Threads and posts alike are sometimes bordering on just "really poor quality" and as long as we all appreciate that this is highly subjective determination, moderators open to this kind of reporting is actually quite heartening. Lets see where this takes us.

[lonetraveller89]

Originally Posted by roamer012

Rock>me<Hardplace anyone?

Exactly. If the solution was a simple one, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

Originally Posted by roamer012

Why not introduce a downvote button with a reason for downvoting box to dissuade casual downvoters just like it is done while reporting. Alternatively, say if a post receives more than 5 down votes, it gets automatically reported and a message appears "This post is under review" and if the mods deem fit, they can restore the post and disable report button on such posts.

Good one. How about having a downvote button without a counter display like the ones on YouTube? Only the mods will be able to see this counter and then action can be taken by them accordingly. Just a thought.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

But I suspect this is a minority opinion.

It definitely is. But it'll be apparent in due time. Pretty soon most members will either bother to post only if they're sure the post will rack up enough 'Thanks' or stop posting altogether when they feel nobody thanks their posts.

Originally Posted by Axe77

I would personally rather live with the Thanks than additional posts where we are already suffering from "lowest common denominator" content overkill.

Excellent counterpoint. But if we had this proposed marking system or downvoting mechanism (as mentioned above), all we would have to do is downvote those posts and they'll be removed. Eventually, members will get the message and cease this practice. If the post is helpful for everybody, it should be marked by us (again, no counters please) and highlighted in the thread by the mods. And if you really had to personally thank the poster, maybe just quote and DM?

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

+1
Like @lonetraveller I'd say get rid of the 'Thanks' button altogether. But I suspect this is a minority opinion.
We need this.
+1
Interesting point. My view is that using Instagram/Twitter/FB etc is like sinking to a way lower level in the filth and floatsam. Just one man's view though. I guess not a popular one these days.
+1. Agree. Dopamine drives the quality of content on social media to the lowest common denominator {read IQ & maturity}
.

Agreed 1000%. The thanks button MUST go. Its extremely bad for the psyche, and is akin to a drug addiction. I hope Team BHP stands apart from the rest of social media and rejects this practice.

[Sran]

Originally Posted by Axe77

I fully hear where you are coming from. My limited counterpoint is for those who are inclined to be polite, the Thanks button takes away the need of a needless post in response. Ideally of course people should simply choose not to write anything if they have nothing other than Thank you to say. But I suspect they will engineer another point or two just to thank the poster. I would personally rather live with the Thanks than additional posts where we are already suffering from .

This is how thanks button should be used and not for anything else.

I reiterate my position to not introduce downvote button. It will make this forum an echo chamber. I have been on reddit for almost a decade and have modded different subreddits and have seen it gone downhill over time due to the abuse of downvotes. Likes and dislikes are akin to drugs which alter the thought process. People get high on likes and behave in a set manner to garner more likes and it reinforces others to think alike and people with downvotes become pariah and are mocked. That is why online news portals behave in such manner. They know who their viewers are and cater to only those, instead of presenting various views because it may lower their view count. So they go on to extremes ends to maintain their subscribers and in lieu the readers are exposed to more extreme ideas. Absence of likes and dislikes makes a better option, where a person can put forth themselves without fear of likes and dislikes. The core of this forum is to discuss vehicles, their prowess and shortcomings which should be based on data and facts and not merely on opinions.

Low effort posts should be deleted in assembly line and which cars to buy segment should never make front page.

[condor]

Originally Posted by Sran

This is how thanks button should be used and not for anything else.

I reiterate my position to not introduce downvote button. .

Thanks, @Sran. From what I know, the points you have mentioned about the downvote were definitely there to Not introduce it.

Also, the thanks button helps to quickly acknowledging a post for it's value than have people making (often) single line posts saying 'Yes, I agree'. This also helps reduce clutter by reducing low content posts.

[papr23]

While video reviews would be good, I still like the Close Look threads and the high no. of pics we have in the reviews. Hope it stays.
All these days it appeared like a huge dump of pics from the mod team after returning from their visit However, I am in the market now on behalf of my father for a crossover and I really liked the Kushaq Close Look thread (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...k-preview.html (Skoda Kushaq | A Close Look & Preview)).
It has all the relevant pics to give a feel of the car and I could absorb the info peacefully
at my own pace. It is much better than the video reviews which have the constant blabbering of words which the OEM want you to hear. Those video reviews also give a feeling of me running behind the reviewer to get a glimpse of the car in a hurry.

If I am not in the market for a new car, a video review would be good.

[JoshMachine]

Originally Posted by Axe77

I would personally rather live with the Thanks than additional posts where we are already suffering from "lowest common denominator" content overkill.

Fully agree. And that's exactly why we SHOULD have the 'Thanks' button, irrespective of the section we are in.

By being able to thank somebody, in my humble view, we are lending our own personal credibility that the post/thread is worthy of being on the forum and we concur with the opinion/ fact that has been expressed.

And even if there are some 'extra' thanks going out, it should be ok. Afterall, its a positive emotion to spread around. No harm done as such.
(Am leaving out the dopamine hormone for now)

However, I am NOT in favor of having a 'dislike' button simply because there comes a negative aura with it. And some harm may be done with it, albeit unintentionally.

And while we are on the topic of likes and dislikes, let's see what Facebook has to say, the guys who are perhaps at the epitome of such decision making:-

The company decided not to add a “dislike” button for one simple reason: It’s too negative.

Source

[swissknife]

I suggest that the thanks button may be renamed to "I agree" . Considering one sentence to convey the same in another post is an overkill, (and not appreciated) it would help readers as well, especially in technical discussions. If there is more to say than just agreeing, I am sure the person would want to say it as a response and this applies more to those who have a different view point.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by swissknife

I suggest that the thanks button may be renamed to "I agree" .

It doesn't just mean that. It can mean so many different things, from thank you for answering my post, to That is really, really useful information, to you have a lovely dog and take great great photos.

All of these things are valid. All can be said in posts, but then we must be permitted to post "one-liners." And I'd rather have a thanks button. Or a thumbs-up button. Or a button with half a dozen alternative responses... some forums do.

But the thanks button we should have. regardless of those with a dopamine problem.

[corvus corax]

Can we have 'how many members have seen your post' function' and 'report user' function?

[AMG Power]

I can’t believe that we have posts to discuss a thanks button! A positive act, an appreciation, an expression of gratitude, an indication of being in agreement. I mean how bad can that be?

Right now we have threads discussing how many cars have similar shaped tail lights and an increase in threads that demean the intelligence of the community.

There are various other pressing issues, so let’s discuss those rather than initiating discussions on removing a thanks button - probably among the better features on team bhp.

As Thad E Ginathom very appropriately puts it:

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

regardless of those with a dopamine problem.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by AMG Power

I can’t believe that we have posts to discuss a thanks button! A positive act, an appreciation, an expression of gratitude, an indication of being in agreement. I mean how bad can that be?

Rule 1.01 of any suggestion box is not to demean any suggestion or phooh-phooh a discussion. If there are some who wish to discuss the Thank You button please permit them to do so without intolerance or looking down the nose. You have a view, thank you for stating it. It is important and valuable. So are the views of others who are equal members.

There are various other pressing issues, so let’s discuss those rather than initiating discussions on removing a thanks button - probably among the better features on team bhp.

Please table them. I'm sure we will all benefit from your thoughts and suggestions. Those discussing the Thank You button are not stopping you from putting forth other issues, or are they?