- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
Posted by: x Foman123 x
Interestingly, I actually agree with everyone in this thread so far. I agree with Sonic in that the feedback systems are too focused on the negative rather than the positive. Like Sonic, I've noticed that this is a problem that pervades throughout many of the activities we go through on a daily basis.
Not to say that humans are equal to dogs, but I have had four dogs in my lifetime and have learned (sometimes in very smelly and difficult-to-clean-up ways) that positive reinforcement is far more effective than negative reinforcement. When you encourage positive behavior rather than merely discouraging negative behavior, the subject of the encouragement does not merely keep out of trouble but is rather inspired to both keep out of trouble and do positive things.
I took several psychology and sociology classes in high school and college (they were required for my degree). In one of them, we did an experiment on positive versus negative reinforcement. We had a volunteer place a blindfold on and then picked a random spot in the room that they were supposed to reach. First, we provided negative reinforcement by booing at the volunteer whenever they were moving in the wrong direction. It took the volunteer almost ten minutes to find the "spot." Then, we chose another spot in the room and provided positive reinforcement by clapping whenever the volunteer was moving in the right direction. It took the volunteer less than a minute to find the correct spot.
These experiences, in my life at least, have taught me that positive reinforcement is far more effective than negative, and I have made many posts in favor of positive systems on these forums to encourage better behavior and change forum culture. Too often, I think, many people here are focused on punishing or deterring bad behavior. For this reason, Sonic, I agree with you that more positive systems are needed here.
Unfortunately, a "karma" system of the type you mentioned would be far too easy to manipulate -- so easy, in fact, to the point where it would actually positively reinforce bad behavior by providing rewards for doing things such as creating an alternate account and rating, bumping, or otherwise boosting a person's own thread. There would also be other possibilities for manipulation. For example, notice the screenshot groups in the files forums, that encouraged the bumping of their own group members' threads marked with a special tag in the subject line. I would expect that other groups that are either already formed or would be formed would do the same thing with a rating system.
So while I agree with you that more systems are needed (I've seen many good ideas posted here in the past that I agreed with, and I've had a couple of ideas of my own), I don't think that this particular idea would work.
You are aware that you could potentially have relayed this exact same message in about, um, one eighth of the words, right?
I come onto an internet forum, only to be confronted by the kind of fluff-filled, and overwrought literature I would expect in a bad novel or a Florida Voting Ballot.....
Never mind....
I do agree with what you have said though.
Which is, in short:
"Positive Reinforcement=GOOD
Negative Reinforcement= SOMETIMES GOOD"