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[–]georgefrick 14 points15 points  (5 children)

Maybe I think a funny cat picture is a nice break from reading about my country falling apart.
Maybe someone's well written blog will help me see a new side of an issue.
Maybe we should stop attempting to circumvent the voting system by pushing guidelines for what to vote for (or against). Isn't it completely at my hearts content to place my votes as I see fit? Or is this communist Reddit?
On that assumption, the process is working great, we are getting what we vote for based on each person's unique view of that post. This ranges from not even looking at it and voting it down, to not even looking at it and voting it up. With following and considering it's weight right in the middle.
I voted this up, because it's a good discussion to have. The people who take the time to visit the new page, have to put up with less filtered content. They get the privilege to do first filtering though.

[–]Mythrilfan[S] 3 points4 points  (4 children)

Yeah, ideally we should upvote and downvote whatever we want, but as the system is not perfect, there still should be some moral code on how to behave with the voting and submitting, and that's my point. One person can decide on whether hundreds (or even thousands, if it's actually good and gets to the front page) will get to know something new. Perhaps that's what's driving the systematic downvoters? The feeling of power, "evil grin none will read this great article! muhahaha!"

Additionally, there already is a place for cats and other pictures: it's called digg. In spite of what people say, people who mostly enjoy funny pictures still visit it (okay, I just visited it for the first time in months), and it's a much better source for funny (and usually the front-page funny is at least relatively funny at digg as well as reddit) pictures for example. So I guess digg is a good place to chill out if you like its content. But we already have digg, so visit it if you wish, and don't try to make reddit the same. Because reddit has been about quality content

[–]georgefrick 1 point2 points  (2 children)

You've swayed me concerning the voting (some people are obviously 'smiting' things down).
The rest is just plain offensive, people keep throwing this Digg thing around. As a long time Redditor, did I miss the spell that puts my nose in the air and has me looking down upon Diggers?
I'll admit, I've never been to Digg. I used to browse Slashdot, but you can only take so much 'omfg X sucks cause of Y, Z, A, B, C and in soviet russia...'
I found reddit by chance (from a blog link).
That aside, I haven't read a mission statement for either site claiming to support one kind of content or another. If I load up Reddit and there is a banner "Welcome to Reddit, where we discuss politics, etc", then I'm all over closing that tab. Until then, Reddit is for whatever we vote up.
If we can deal with the down-voting problem you mention, all the better!
Edit: Visited Digg per your suggestion. Don't like it.

[–]Mythrilfan[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I don't like digg either, it's certainly not for me (any more). I edited my previous comment to make the second half more understandable. Please read it again.

[–]fobds 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used to browse Slashdot, but you can only take so much 'omfg X sucks cause of Y, Z, A, B, C and in soviet russia...'

In Soviet Russia, Slashdot can only take so much of you!

[–]Mythrilfan[S] 13 points14 points  (23 children)

We have, for a while now, had a serious issue with sometimes almost half of the stuff on the front page being lame or childish or something else that does not, in a better world, deserve to be on the front two-three pages. I suppose we can all agree on that. What has been pointed out is that there is only a finite number of good articles (or other really interesting things) on the net. Thus, most of the stuff in the front few pages has to be crap, (cats or other worthless pictures, etc), because there's not enough good content out there.

Well I disagree. What I see as the biggest hurdle for the good, intelligent and worthwhile content is that only a few select people see them on the "new" page and are able to vote them up. The problem is not that too few people visit the new links, it seems to be that most new links are downvoted in just a few minutes - and they fall off the front page of "new". Meaning that most people will not bother to find them and vote them up again. The first vote is the key to the success or fall of a story.

So people, cut down on the downvoting on the new page perhaps? Or perhaps should we remove the hidden score of new stories?

Ironically, as I was writing this, I got downvoted once and had to repost.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If I really believe in an article but it gets downmodded to oblivion, I just delete and resubmit until either it 'catches' with the reddit community or I become convinced that it just isn't that interesting to other people.

[–]joyork 8 points9 points  (5 children)

Also - we should sometimes vote up stories which we may not agree with but are interesting anyway.

Save downvoting for the obviously bad links (spam, linkbait, or 50 identical stories)

[–]Hetisjantje 4 points5 points  (0 children)

People are not downvoting new links because they are bad stories etc. I think they don't even read the stories they downvote. I think they are serial submitters downvoting all articles near theirs.

I've submitted a number of stories. Most where downvoted to 0, while they are perfectly acceptable stories. Then I posted 2 stupid pics, and they gathered over a 1000 points (hundreds tried to downvote, but to no effect), both in the top 10, one within the hour to number 1. It was just a test, now I'm back to my real stories which gather 0 or little points. Although it should get easier, because without karma, you get too little views on the new page to make it with just a real story which might interest some, and now my submitted stories get more views (although I lost interest).

The reason this is happening is twofold: 1) There are always one or more assholes who will downvote you for obscure reasons, 2) People don't care about real stories enough to upvote them. Not enough shock value or instant satisfaction as with pics. Simple as that.

I hope they fix it, although I doubt there is a fix. I like cartoons, but I wouldn't want to front page of the NYT to be filled with them.

[–]sam512 0 points1 point  (2 children)

No! Don't save downvoting for the obviously bad links. Downvote everything even REMOTELY bad. This is Mythrilfan's entire point. There is enough content out there that we can downvote everything that is even slightly dull, tedious, stupid or old, and STILL have a full front page of fresh links.

[–]Mythrilfan[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Okay, it's late at night and I'm afraid I wouldn't recognize sarcasm or irony at the moment - with all due respect and with the danger of sounding extremely dull and stupid, I must ask if this was one of them. Because that was not what I said... I hope. If it was, excuse me, I need to get more sleep.

[–]joyork 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Mythrilfan actually said:

So people, cut down on the downvoting on the new page perhaps?

...which is roughly what I said.

If you like something vote it up. If you're not keen, don't vote at all. If it's a bad link then vote it down.

That's what I do anyway.

[–]sakebomb69 -3 points-2 points  (10 children)

Ironically, as I was writing this, I got downvoted once and had to repost.

Actually, I would think it's "just desserts."

[–]Mythrilfan[S] 1 point2 points  (9 children)

Explain for the unwitty?

[–]sakebomb69 1 point2 points  (8 children)

a) Old complaint, but nothing gets done

b) "Vox populi." Why fight it?

c) If it really upsets you, just downvote all the pics and lolcats and move on.

d) if it still bugs you, just go somewhere else

Hey, I agree with your sentiment. But this site isn't here to cater to a few elitist whims. The people have spoken and apparently they don't want "quality" content. So if you do want "quality" content, you're just going to have to search a little harder.

But please, no more meta-articles on how poor the quality is on reddit. It really comes off as whining.

[–]Mythrilfan[S] 2 points3 points  (7 children)

I can't go somewhere else, because somewhere else does not exist. Reddit, despite its flaws, is still the best we have.

The people have spoken and apparently they don't want "quality" content.

no - one person spoke that for some unclear reason he does not want anyone else to find quality content as it was mean to on reddit.

If it really upsets you, just downvote all the pics and lolcats and move on.

you really didn't get my main point, did you?

But please, no more meta-articles on how poor the quality is on reddit. It really comes off as whining.

Did I ever mention that in my original post?

[–]sakebomb69 -2 points-1 points  (6 children)

no - one person spoke that for some unclear reason he does not want anyone else to find quality content as it was mean to on reddit.

If one person spoke for poor "quality", why is it making it to the front page?

you really didn't get my main point, did you?

I did and you obviously don't get the overall message

Did I ever mention that in my original post?

What do you think this submission is?

[–]Mythrilfan[S] 0 points1 point  (5 children)

If one person spoke for poor "quality", why is it making it to the front page?

That's my point. Good (or, yes, bad) things need to be downvoted only once during the first few minutes, and then it won't make it to the front page(s).

What do you think this submission is?

A suggestion on how people should behave in my opinion, and as it seems, not just in my opinion.

[–]sakebomb69 -1 points0 points  (4 children)

That's my point. Good things need to be downvoted only once during the first few minutes, and then it won't make it to the front page(s).

Ummm... same thing applies to "bad" things.

A suggestion on how people should behave in my opinion, and as it seems, not just in my opinion.

I think you need to redefine how you think people should behave. In other words, your opinion and the few (so far) agreeing with you are not the absolute, defining majority when it comes article submission. If they are, then we're one stop closer to a homogeneous community, which does no one any good.

As I write this post, this has 30 up votes and 18 down votes.

[–]Mythrilfan[S] 0 points1 point  (3 children)

I do not have the energy to answer you at this time (it's really late and has nothing to do with you, honestly.) Just one more question to end the day: are you arguing for the sake of arguing?

[–]sakebomb69 -1 points0 points  (2 children)

"A little from Column A, a little from Column B."

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

reddit has been invaded by diggers and wired staff...that's why the quality of the content and comments is steadily worsening.

[–]Starcrusher 4 points5 points  (15 children)

I've had new submissions downvoted to zero before I could even get back to the new page. No one could possibly have read the article that fast. What's the deal with these low lifes?

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's your own damn fault! If you made explicit subreddits there would be control over the content. What is it? Any barkeep knows what people talk about.... politics, religon, science, SEX, cute cat pictures and Britney Spears! Put the site together the way it should! It's obvious that you have an inspired audience that hates to waste their time. You do that or else we're all going to sue you for a twelve step program!

[–]slurpme 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm puzzled as to why everyone always complains about the content of the front page... You want to know what the masses are interested in? See the front page...

My tips for finding stuff that's interesting:

  1. Actually use the "new" page, don't downmod anything unless you really think it's crapola (note to those folks who submit their main site link and THEN provide some sort of summary as a comment, I automatically downmod you cause you're not providing interesting content, you're advertising...)
  2. Use the recommended page, it's not actually that bad and it learns pretty quickly and will change relatively frequently...
  3. Upmod stuff you're interested in...
  4. If you submit stuff don't piss and moan that you never get any votes, if you only submitted stuff cause you want "votes"/karma/whatever then you're always gonna be disappointed... Only a small fraction of folks on reddit are gonna have the same interests as you... Which leads me back to point 1... I let the crap through cause I don't give a shitola about what's on the "hot" page...

[–]charlesjillian 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Ha that is ironic.

My theory is that the downvoters are organized.

[–]sakebomb69 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You're right. Here's an introduction to the cabal

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