Let's do our best for the Forum

Hi everyone,

As you probably know I don’t ‘do’ polls, but I was wondering what everyone’s reaction to the ‘The Best Answer’?? Was.

I mean, I posted a thread about my Father dying, and Medhelp sent me an email asking who I thought the ‘Best Answer’ was - not very fair, IMO

I didn’t choose anyone, because I personally thought that they were all very good answers.

Many of you have such good knowledge about MS and other medical health issues, that I don’t think it is fair for them to ask us to select a ‘Best Answer’

I may well be wrong, in my opinion, but it would be interesting to know what my Forum friends thought about this new ‘update’ was???

Also the stars:/  Well now if it just down to replying to postings, saying anything you want just to gain  the ‘stars’ do you think that is fair??  I don’t – I mean we could say anything, without any real knowledge and hey ho, we have more stars against our name!  

This appears (from what have I learnt) is the reason for the stars:/

So, from what I have discovered  over the weekend it doesn’t matter what you say, as long as you reply, then you gain stars – duh:/

I hope I have not started up a Hornets nest, but it would be interesting to know what we all think – and I promise I will not put a ‘Best Answer’)))

So, if Medhelp - you get to read this – let’s hope we have plenty of IMO))

Maybe they should be looking at a spell check instead;)))

Hope your all having a good one,

Hugs and love,(and I hope that I have not offended anyone - if I have, then I will say sorry in advance ok?)

Debs xxxxxx

[supermum_ms]

I too think its based on number of posts, when i saw my stars i thought maybe i should get a life lol for a few days i actually didnt post anything, why? well i think because i didnt know what it meant i was confused and inhibited, i didnt want anyone to think because of the number of stars i had, i could be mistaken for someone with as much credability as the other people. I know i'm just a chatty person with a lot of time on my hands lol sheesh i actually dont post many cause i loose my brain so if it doesnt make sense to me it sure wont make sense to someone else lol

I just ignore the stars and such, i have deep respect for many many people on this site, you cant rate how it makes me feel, i have learned a lot and continue to take strength from those that know and understand, i try to give back if and when i can but i dont think i should have those stupid stars!!!

If i'd had a vote i would of said thankyou but no thank you, we dont need stars or best answers. Its reminisant of a little kids star chart, are we not beyond that?!!

:-) cheers........JJ

[essdipity]

I don't think anyone could be offended by a frank discussion of this issue. As CLs, some of us got advance notice of the changes, and I for one was not happy about them, though I have lots of company. Check out MH's Social Forum, also MH Suggestions. You may have to go back a bit, but it's all there. There's also a forum that only CLs can read and post in, and the new stuff has generated lots of protest there.

I was concerned that our generous, harmonious forum could be disrupted by some kind of competition, and I didn't want people 'judging' each other, something that had never happened. Also, the idea of 'expertise' was very disturbing. I am far from an expert in MS, and I am clueless in other aspects of neurology. That was one area that MH did revise--Top Answerers replaced the idea of expertise.

So what do the stars and top answerers status really mean? MH says it has various criteria, but it seems clear that number of posts is basically it. But there's also a component of time. To retain stars and move up, should anyone want to do that, you must answer frequently *now*.  Old posts count less, apparently. There's no earthly way MH can evaluate the quality of posts, and any formula would be incredibly crude. For one thing, there are hundreds of forums and groups, and millions of posts. It's simply impossible for MH to read and monitor everything. Even more important, the person doesn't exist who has sufficient medical qualifications to know how good all individual posts are.

As to Best Answer issues, this is something that the original poster gets to decide. As you point out, Debs, lots of posts don't even lend themselves to this kind of thing. Is there a Best Answer to 'What's happening for you this week?' Crazy. Also, MH has been sending PMs to original posters within hours of their posts. Many members have not even had a chance to read and comment, and they might be discouraged and then not offer what could be very helpful info if someone else's post has already been chosen. Or even if this hasn't happened, they might be scared off for fear their answer wouldn't be good enough. It takes courage for some people to post at all. So both originator and responder can lose from this setup, IMHO.

All this has been hashed and rehashed repeatedly with MH moderators, and they've made it plain that this is the way it will be. No explanations, and lots of stonewalling. Maybe I'll be removed as CoCL for saying this, but c'est la vie, if so. You deserve an honest response.

We always have the option of ignoring what we want to ignore. I don't want to choose any Best Answer, so I won't. I don't care about stars either. Our forum has functioned so well for 3 years now, and I want that to continue just the way it has been.

It's taken me quite a while to write this, and so there may be lots of comments in the interim. If so, good. We already know we can discuss anything here with respect and goodwill.

ess

[HVAC]

I personally do not pay attention to stars. When I answer a question I try to simply give the best answer from my experience and nothing more. The beauty of the forum is we have all had different experiences.

Alex

[Sparkysarah]

As a relative newcomer to the site, I did not even notice the stars or understand their significance until I read someone else's post about them. Personally I agree with all the replies above. Also I was asked my opinion of best answer before I had received all the responses and I really think best answer is not necessary or helpful.

I reply to someone if I think I can add something that may help, or give empathy...and I leave all the technical stuff to the many experts on the site. If I want to say something more personal by way of thanks then I just send a private message.

Everyone who is a member of this site is equally valuable and it does not matter if someone responds 100 times or just once...we all have one thing in common and that is MS and  by sharing our different personal experiences we are all helping each other..that is what matters.....

Love Sarah xxxxx

[shermay]

Hi JJ,

Your right, it's like being in Kindergarten all over again.  Stars for being good, and the major one being for 'The Best Answer'

Medhelp, listen to us - please?'

Thanks JJ for your reply,

Debs xxxxxxxx

[twopack]

I don't see a poll so I'll just give my opinion.  First, I've never understood the purpose or point in collecting so-called friends on-line.  I do understand that it gives me fuller access to interact with people, so I have specifically requested some online friends.  I consider myself to have a special bond with all the members of this forum.  Perhaps 'friend' is too charged of a word for me to be comfortable using it in an internet (facebook) designed numbers or popularity game.  I'm sure the younger generations would roll their eyes at me saying, "It's just FUN."  Maybe they are right.

IMO, counting stars has even less meaning than counting friends.  They are nothing but bling - pleasant decoration without meaning.  It doesn't take a new member long to realize who's response will likely be helpful on specific subjects.  I have found a wide range of forum members to be knowledgeable and/or supportive and it's had little to do with their background, education, number of past answers or join date.  I listen to what people say.  If I have questions I pull up their profile or ask them a question directly.

Best answer is also all but useless the way it is used.  The only benefit I could see would be on a topic that has an unusually long number of responses.  Those sometimes get off tract besides.  Having the ability to pull one (or more) answers to the top could help people in the future to find answers without having to wade through the fluff.  Having an option to mark if an answer is helpful might be more useful.

More helpful would be:
The spell-check already mentioned.
A chat area where we could talk about the social stuff without having it clog the information board.
A little more variety in text and emoticon symbols to make posting more fun and the plain printed word easier to understand.

All in all I try to ignore what I find useless and hope it's helping someone else.  MedHelp has been wonderful for me and the MS forum as far as I can tell.  The CLs have molded a great commuity using the tools available.  THANK YOU!!

Mary

[shermay]

Hi Ess,

Thank you for your really thoughtful post.

I don't think that for one minute that MH would want for you to  be removed as a CL, they would be really out of order doing that.

However you are right about it being a competion (sp) to see who has the most stars and Best Answers, and if MH remove me too, alorsl c'est comme ca !!!  

Bissous,

Debs xxxxxxxxxxx

[shermay]

Hi Mary,

I'm not saying that MH is not a good - in fact - brilliant Forum, it's just that they have changed their aspect too much this time - imo.

We have a lot of new members now, and they see so many stars that they think that the persons with the most stars who reply, have the most knowledge, can you see where I am coming from?

Love,

Debs xxxxxxx

[Mike_Shuswap]

This is an important and informative forum, but.......

...lose the stars, please. I don't need or want to be recognized for participating in a forum that means so much to me. Somehow it cheapens it (i'm sorry MH)

and i cannot see the usefulness of the "best answer" function....maybe it's more for the "expert" forums.  At least we can choose to ignore this option.

Very good questions Debs! Thanks for this post.

Mike (oh oh, I think my star count just increased)

[shermay]

LOL

You got it sunshine :)))

Maybe if we all chime in MH will listen to us and our beloved CL???? and  let's be honest, they mean the World to us - true??

Hugs,

Debs xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[sllowe]

I ignore them too - Don't get me wrong - I think the "looks" of the stars is jazzy (the graphics, bright-to-dim, super cool, etc), and they catch my eye, but I certainly dont' look at them to see who is tops in terms of answerers in our community.  

I've always felt we are each dependent on one another in many ways. Each offerering such a variety of knowledge and support and experiences to one another.

Maybe I'm just bias, but I feel we are so advanced in our MS forum they don't apply to us like they may in some others.

I mean, thinking of it for example......if I went to another forum seeking a solid answer, I may 'peek' at those responses of people on the right with LOTS of stars 1st to get a feel for the lay of the land.

Aw heck,  I'm just thinking out loud here, trying to put myself in another environment's shoes. Just saying if that were the case, I may do that.

Why be modest - We're ALL stars! We're the best, bow, bow, bow..:)

(((hugs)))
shell

[twopack]

Yes Debs, I did see where you were coming from.  At least I thought I did and that's why I took a considerable amount of time for my reply.  It would have been much easier to check a poll indicating I would prefer NOT to have either the 'stars' or 'best answer' options.  

I didn't think this was a survey about MH in general.  I certainly didn't think you were bashing the place.  Now I just think if there are things we don't like we should let the management know directly.  I highly doubt they scan the forums looking for suggestions or complaints.  My answer was probably a waste of time.

On reviewing your post I noticed the mention of your father.  I apparently missed the sharing of his passing when it appeared.  Please accept my delayed offer of sympathy on your sad loss.

Mary

[ack65]

I also ignore the best answer option and will not select "one" because they are all good answers.  The fact that people reach out to each other to share their info and knowledge and comfort one another through this difficult journey makes every answer important!

As for the stars, I agree with the others - it is like a reward chart for who can give the most answers and who is the most popular.  I am having flahbacks to childhood! lol  

I vote we lose the stars or at least all take a stand and refuse to pick a "best answer".  Anna

[shermay]

Hey Guys,

We all spoke.:)))

Let's hope that MH HEAR US !!!!!!

My friends, you are the best, and I don't know what I would do without my MH.

Let's all hope that MH pay attention,

Hugs and love to all,

Debs xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Mand125]

Hi Debs

It looks like everyone is pretty much in agreement with you here.

I must admit that like JJ I find something inhibiting about it, both the stars and the best answer.

Hey maybe they'll start taking stars off us for typos! I will be in trouble then. :)

Mand

[Weakandfalling]

Hey, Shermay,

Thanks for bringing this to my attention.  I never ever even noticed there were stars after our names!!  They won't matter to me - I just read the posts - not the accoutrements.

As for their asking you what you considered to be the best response to your post about your father's death, I consider that question to be symptomatic of the crass insensitivity that has invaded our American media over the past decades.  Giving them the benefit of the doubt, maybe they didn't really notice that you were posting about your father's death.  Maybe it was just a pat question they routinely ask.  But such insensitivity appears routinely on our talk shows, reality shows, and other media.  

In short, in the future I suggest they pay attention to what the post was about before they ask the poster's opinion regarding the best response.

WAF

[Valerie64]

all I can say is me too!

I don't like the stars at all, I find them a bit intimidating and I'm probably using  PM a lot more,

I have limited med knowledge but I like to support people if I can and personally for me it helps when people share their experiences - stops me freaking out with every new symptom.

Val x

[tonyad]

     ******   I would like to add that "We have an Awesome group of people on this Forum and stars or no stars, one star or 10 stars......Everyone is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!.
I personally value each and everyone of your thoughts as well as commitment and sharing personal information that we share with each other!


     WE ARE ALL SHINING STARS MY FRIENDS!!!!!!
Group Hugs!!!
~Tonya

[lovemy6monkeys]

I'm so glad to see I'm not in the minority with regards to the stars and the "Best Answer" changes!

The stars I don't mind either way. I don't take them into account. But, the Best Answer....I'll just never, ever be able to bring myself to pick one. I'm so thrilled, humbled and grateful for anyone who takes the time to read my questions, and those replies from any you are just icing on the cake. And, I know that ice cream is the dessert of choice here on MedHelp, but darn it I like cake! And I absolutely LOVE frosting. And I *really* think these steroids are making me obsess about both cake and frosting in a wholely unhealthy manor. LOL

So, in conclusion...thank you all who have helped me in so many ways! Just don't try to touch my cake. I'll stab you with my fork. In a loving way, of course!
~Jess

[biowham]

I think the stars are silly...what is this, Girl Scouts with badges? But they don't bother me much. The "choose the best answer" thing, on the other hand? Not cool. I ignored it when they asked me.

Bio

[doublevision1]

I don't feel strongly one way or the other.   I'm not impressed nor offended.  

I like Bio's comparison to Girl Guide badges.  I was thinking along the same lines, those behaviour mod charts used to reward kiddies for 'good' behaviour and in doing so, IMO, instilling an addictive pursuit of praise rather than teaching the idea of being good just for the sake of being good and not for the attainment of reward.  But I digress.....  

So maybe somewhat patronizing, but as others have stated, we are mature adults and it's unlikely this will create a disruption to the group.

[Cosmobirdy]

Whew - I feel the same way as most of you guys, and I'm so glad I'm not the only one!  

When I first noticed the "star" thing, it took me a bit to figure out what it was.  (I am here in a very hit and miss way, depending on how I'm feeling, so I often don't catch things when they first happen.)  I don't pay any attention to it ... as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't make anyone's post more valid or more helpful.  

That's what has ALWAYS been so great about this group - each and every response and post is helpful in one way or another.  I always enjoy seeing so many different ideas and suggestions, and the posts and questions from new people here, or people who don't post very often, are no less important. I find that I always learn from the other people here, whether they post alot or not.  The wonderful thing is, this is such a great group that I don't think it will make everyone more competitive and it won't cause any divisions.  Seems like most of us just ignore them ....

As far as the "best answer" thing - I was totally shocked the first time I got that little email!  I just ignored that as well, but I found it more irritating, lol.  If I post a question, I consider each and every response to be helpful, and I am just so grateful that other people took the time to comment or give me suggestions or offer me support.  

I have been a member of this forum for a long time ... since before I even got diagnosed ... and that has always been one of the best things here - this group is like a family in many respects, and each person is a valuable member.  And like alot of you, I would hate to see anyone here become reluctant to post, because they may in any way feel their answer wouldn't be good enough or valuable enough, you know?  To me, each person, and their unique thoughts and opinions, are important - and I always feel so blessed to be part of such a wonderful group.

And seriously ..... when ARE they going to get a spell check here??? LOL!  It would help so many of us in such a big way ...

Grateful for ALL of you,
Rita

[cainer]

gosh-  thought this was  2   - learn  and have  someone 2  talk 2!!!
  they have made a game of it???


i ought of here  its  disgusting!!    love ya all     tick

[meg321]

Thats what i don't like...i just lost my whole post and it was too long to repeat..any stars for lost posts?

I agree with everyone and its already been said..its not really important to us.  Maybe someone knows, but I don't think this is pointed towards our forum.. There are so many forums on here that are not at all as active as ours.  I have tried some and never stay. Sometimes people ask questions and noone answers.  What good is that?

btw, i didnt know about the ice cream..

keep coming back, love all of you....meg

[Nancy T]

I am very unhappy about the stars. I don't think it's a coincidence that shortly after they showed up, I got a "friend" invitation from someone (not a person on this forum) that made me very uneasy.

I don't like having attention called to my name in any way. I just want to read, answer, and ask questions without being singled out as a "top answerer," which--regardless of Medhelp's explanations of what that means, which may or may not get read--will inevitably and unjustifiably make some people think the starred folks have a special expertise or status, and may draw unwanted attention to them as well.

Despite the disclaimers, the chosen wording of "Top Answerer" could well lead to an expectation by new or less-experienced forum users (or the desperate, demanding, maybe even malicious types) that these starred people SHOULD answer their post.

I wrote to Medhelp a few days ago and asked to opt out of the stars. I got no reply.

Those stupid stars have the effect of making me wish to NOT post and participate here. They just make me nervous. (And I wish I'd never used my real first name.)

Social media are great, but when the owners start classifying people and drawing attention to them without letting them opt out, it really gives you pause about using such forums. I'm sure the owners don't care if a few disaffected people leave, but it's hard to leave behind a community you've come to know to some extent.

[Nancy T]

Also, it it just my computer, or has this forum slowed down a lot recently? It takes forever to load pages.

[Lulu54]

Hello Everyone,

Earlier this week I saw this post but didn't have the energy or time to respond since I was in the midst of funeral activities for my mother-in-law.

I just spent quite a bit of time reading your responses and am not surprised by your reactions to stars, best answers, and questions needing to be answered.  

We co-cl's here already know that we have the best community at MedHelp - you are all wise and compassionate, and extraordinarily well versed in MS and its various manifestations.

To single anyone of us out at more significant than the next is counter-productive to the open atmosphere we have here. I personally feel great heartburn each time I see my name at the top of the top answerers list.  Yes,  probably I write more responses than anyone else around here; I have great access to computers through out the day and am able to pop on and off of the forum and give quick replies and welcomes to our new folks.  As your "social director" here, that is what I do best.  

When it comes to quality and content, Dr. Q trumps everyone.  I do wish there was a way to put her at the top because this is a community that she has built with her love, sweat and typos!  LOL   Yes, we do need a spell checker, but I have long ago given up worrying about the errors and figure you all know what I mean, anyway!

I will let the moderators at MedHelp know of this thread, give them the url, and invite them to read your comments.  It may surprise them to know that this group has already figured the new system is pointless for our community, and that you ignore the stars, ratings and best answer queries.  

Thanks for all of your inputs - I believe this is an evolving system for MH  and perhaps it is early enough in the process that they will rethink the idea.  

be well,
Lulu

[greenlydia]

Absolutely loved that you opened up this discussion on your forum! What a great idea. Actually, I DID consider doing basically the same thing on the Anxiety Forum, but I just wasn't sure it would work as well as it did here.

I would like to have a friendly disagreement about who has the "best community" on MH, but isn't this whole "BEST" crap what we're railing against? You have, without a single doubt, a great forum and I believe the same about mine. We can't compare apples and oranges and instead should just be EXTREMELY proud of both our forums and our wonderful, caring, compassionate members who don't give a rats rear about how many stupid stars they have, but only in giving the "best" of themselves to help others.      

I agreed with everyone here who wrote in with their opinions on the new apps. There was one poster that I had a VERY slight issue with and it's something that I mentioned in my original post on the CL Forum. I will just cut and paste the line I'm referring to as I don't want, or mean, to single this person out or make them feel bad. The rest of her post was excellent.



She wrote:

"Best answer is also all but useless the way it is used.  The only benefit I could see would be on a topic that has an unusually long number of responses.  Those sometimes get off tract besides.  Having the ability to pull one (or more) answers to the top could help people in the future to find answers without having to wade through the fluff.  Having an option to mark if an answer is helpful might be more useful..........."

This poster made an excellent point when she said that long threads can, and often do, get off track at times. But for those that DON'T get off track, in all those posts there is a wealth of information, advice, empathy and compassion, suggestions, encouragement and support. When she says that "pulling one or more answers to the top could help people in the future find answers without having to wade through the fluff." If I misunderstood this statement, if by "fluff" she meant pull the off topic posts so people don't have to wade through those, I would agree with her 100%. But as so many people are saying, and what is MY biggest complaint with this "Best Answer" BS is that not only is EVERY single post worth reading, it may take 3 or 4 or 8 posts for the OP to obtain the answer or the reassurance they are looking for. Her suggestion to have the ability for the OP to respond if a "chosen" answer was helpful is not a bad idea, in and of itself, but I fear that it once again brings in the aspect of competition and hurt feelings. Perhaps like on some other sites, we could ask the OP if ALL the information was helpful............just make it a general question rather than name any ONE post as the "BEST" and risk the rest being ignored.

I truly hope I have not offended anyone by coming onto your forum and being unable to keep my two cents to myself. I was here looking for an answer for one of  my Anxiety people and saw this post and just couldn't help myself.
If I have, I am deeply sorry and offer my heartfelt apology.

I do hope MH reads this, but I'm afraid I doubt it will do any good. I hate to be so pessimistic, but I think our opinions are pretty far down on the food chain.

I will slink back to my forum now and build a fort to hide behind! LOL
Before I go, I would like to wish all the moms on this forum a very Happy Mother's Day!
Warmly
Greenlydia/CL Anxiety Forum

[Wind_and_Water]

I'm a new poster, but I've been lurking a while.  I found the stars and so on to be clownish and distracting -- a net negative.  But the information is very useful, and that is the core of the forum.  So I registered, anyway.  At the very least, I hope MedHelp will allow us to Opt Out of these features.

MedHelp, thank you for providing the forum, and I hope you find our feedback valuable.

[Lulu54]

Hi Greenlydia,

It is always nice to see another CL pop through and share thoughts.  So I'll give you one - this is one of the best two forums here at MH, ok?  LOL

This thread was started by one of our members and not the co-cl's.  The concensus here seems to be to ignore it all and keep on keeping on.  

enjoy the day, what's left of it.
Lulu

[greenlydia]

LOL!
Indeed................TWO of the best forums! Now let's sit back and wait for all the other CLs to chime in that THEIR forum is pretty dang good, too!

I agree with the concensus that we simply ignore the flags and balloons and stars and check marks and just continue to do what we all do best............try to help others as BEST we can.

Before I go, I just want to share an experience I had yesterday on the forum. I had a personal reason to write to another forum and received two incredibly wonderful and helpful replies. They were both very different in how they were written. One was full of excellent technical information that helped me to interpret some medical reports. It was written so the layman could understand it and it helped me a great deal. The second post was more "personal" and gave me a lot of encouragement and understanding about the fear I was going through. This post was also excellent. Then I got the email asking me to chose the "Best Answer." I won't repeat here what I had to say about that request, but the bottom line was that I didn't chose either one. How could I? They were BOTH great answers. Two people had taken time out of their day to respond to someone who needed help and even if their answers had not been all that helpful, my deep appreciation for them reaching out to me was the BEST of all. If I had been asked "Was the information you received helpful?" I would have been able to answer with a resounding "YES!"
I remain astounded that MH can't see, or doesn't care, that the "Best Answer" feature only makes people feel like "winners or losers." My opinion remains that it's one of the very worst ideas I've ever seen. It may work on "YouTube," but that site is not dealing with sick, terrified and fragile people.
OK, there was my very last soap box stand. (Which, by the way, is probably not true!) LOL
Take care Lulu!
Greenlydia    

[kenkeith]

I agree with last post by Greenlydia and others regarding stars and best answer categories, and it is not coming from bitterness as I have been doing very well from the beginning 3 years ago and 3 years with another heart forum. And I believe the position of all other CL's...the thank you from an OP is reward enough.
Prior to being selected as CL for HD, there never was an issue regarding my work production.  Now, there is a member who started a few months earlier and has been reported to mods and his posts have been deleted  that leads to a more serious interuptions. Other than being a very rude person, a know it all and argumentative, etc. stated in a (pm) to me and another member (new) to watch for (another member) who will stab you in the back and that he was thinking about quiting because the forum is too political...suggests to me he is a former disgruntled member who has changed his user name! He had been a member for a month or so.
I get along well with other members (10 years, 6 health and 4 computer help forum), but now as CL I had a seldom forum participant who directed a post to me stating (s)he could do as well if he could use his 100 links, and accused me of linking to information for my responses.  Then this disruptive individual from the UK as well posted a sole link and stated that he is giving the link because he wanted to be legal and didn't want to take credit for someone else's work, etc. I responded and the mods got involved.  The mods referenced copyright information and how it should be recognized.  I agreed, and after a few other posts it occurred to me they we were not making a distinction wth protected information and public domain information.  I made the distinction and stated most of my responses were public domain information, and if information is protected I would have followed the proper procedure...response from mod was positive. I would think the moderator would know the difference of protected and unprotected information and not make the issue public. Who mods the mods? Why wasn't there an example presented? I may have made a mistake as I have thousands of responses, but no example forthcoming.

We donate our time, and it serves no one's best interest to rank by stars and a percentage of best answer.  But by establishing stars as an approval and recognization of work (no other reason can be drawn) leads to "ankle biting" at least that has been my experience. Thanks.

[Lulu54]

Hi kenkeith, I think we would probably benefit by having this discussion over on the cl's forum -  it is more pertinent to the ears of the folks there.    I'll look for you there.  - L

[shoshin]

I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit that the competitive side of me was disappointed to find out that I only got three stars. I got over that pretty quick--I have a lot of other more worthwhile things to stress about--but it does seem to me that this "feature" has more potential to do harm than benefit.

sho

[greenlydia]

Thank you, shoshin, for making ONE of my points about this idiotic "rating" system stand out like a sore thumb!
Do NOT be "embarrassed" by your competitive nature.............which in my mind is part of who we are, as I truly believe it's "human nature" to be competitive.  
That you felt "disappointed" that you had only gotten 3 stars is EXACTLY what MH can't seem to get through their ***** coporate heads..........and it's EXACTLY the point I was trying to make..................that people ARE going to feel hurt when they give, and keep on giving, but others, for reasons none of us can fanthom, gather more stars than they deserve, in the opinion of many of us. The entire program is based on competition, but MH will dispute that to the bitter end.  
And the "Best Answer" app.........what an absolute crock! There is one poster here who apparently has no life except to respond to posts on at least 10 forums, at last count! And I'm sure she'll be adding her "expertise" to numerous others when she gets the chance. At last count, she had gained 15 "Best Answer" check marks! What CRAP! She is all over the board, and just now I see that she has aquired a "Best Answer" from................get this............DENTISTRY!
Be proud of your three stars because you earned them the hard way AND the right way...........by giving of yourself to an area in which you know and care about and would rather give the best answer you're capable of then just writing hack to gain stars or check marks!
I think Lulu has the "Best Answer" of all...................screw the stars and the check marks and let's just get back to the REAL reason we're here, which is to help each other as BEST we can!
It's obvious we can't fight City Hall, (MH) so let's just not play their game.
Take those three stars, multiply them by a thousand and THAT'S what I believe your worth!
Peace
Greenlydia
CL/Anxiety Forum

[Mike_Shuswap]

bump for Carole and other new members.

Mike

[Lulu54]

Was someone wondering about the "best answer" emails they have received?  Participating in this feature is totally optional - you can not respond to those and it doesn't affect your participation here one bit.  You can also take yourself out of the "expert" categories and receive no questions that need to be answered.

I have done both of those - we have too many questions here that need attention to wander off into other forums to help out.  :-)

One concern the cl's  have voiced about selecting a "best answer" is it bumps that response up and is immediately after  the question.  As most of you know, our conversations here often  build upon the previous answers and moving them out of sequence takes the meaning out of the message.  

Some questions just don't have a BEST answer - like our weekly "what's up" post, but they still send me an email requesting that I select the best answer. They are working on fine tuning all of these features so if you have suggestions please let them know.


that's my two cents tonight!
Lulu

[gypcwmn]

I don`t care about the stars. It took me quite awhile to figure out what they meant. I was here Monday and noticed i had a star, I do not know why. I have had immense help from everyone here, I do not believe i have added anything to this forum with my post. But I love reading all the great advice and the closeness of everyone here.
    
      Lulu: So sorry for your loss.

[Lulu54]

Gypcwmn, we like to think everyone here has earned some stars just surviving the indoctrination to this MiSerable disease.  

thanks for the kind words.  

be well, Lulu

[shermay]

Bumping it up for summan.

[Sumanadevii]

Than you.  I personally see it as a popularity contest.  

[jujuminx]

Old thread but worth a repeat.  

Personally I never saw any of the "best answers" I got as my best answers by a long shot. Often times it just who connects with the orginal poster.

None of it means anything anyway so I pretty much ignore the whole process whether it's me being asked to rate someone or someone selecting my answer.

Julie

[beachcomber13]

Oh how funny. I'm new here and thought maybe I was being rude by NOT choosing a best answer!

There are so many good answers, how would you choose?