Shoutbox

I always was pro-comments

mean reasons:

• The eBay-comment system works perfectly and clear. The 3rd party (for whom the comments are afterall meant) can clearly see when a negative vote is not justified (this is _not_ always possible without it, even if the reciever had only 1 negative vote among 5 pos. ones)
  
  
• You can not see the view of both sides in the current system (thus without the comments) when one party decide not to retaliate with a negative vote back (which is a smart thing todo°).
  ° it is smart, however, the reciever looses in both ways with the current system: when he retaliates, he is accused of retaliation. If he don't, he has no public means of defending against a possible unjustified vote and bystanders may wonder about the validness of the vote.
  
  
• The main issues which are discussed in this and other threads will (almost) be solved: flaming, overreacting and complaining because of negative votes:
  • the reciever can comment on a not-justified vote. And even if the vote was justified and the reciever comment on that, it will be picked out because of the other negative votes...
    
    
  • the reciever will not have to retaliate with a negative vote back, he can comment on the vote recieved. Often the case of negative voting, voting negative back, flame starting is because one of the two sides overreacted.
    
    
  • PM's don't always help and don't always (often) justify or are fair as a comment to a negative vote. Again, many flames and grunges start when someone is voted negative upon and the reciever has no alternative to justify it other then making a thread about it or to vote negative back, then, shit hits the fan.... Problem: the vote is public, a PM is not. Many times the reciever wants to share his view of the negative vote in public <= this is VERY important...
    
    
  • eg: I could've voted negative for some people, I simply don't because I know what the result will be if they take it wrongly again or overreact. Instead I can do nothing (btw, the opposite has happened also. Doing your everyday forum bussiness and all of a sudden you get a negative vote saying you're always rude and personaly picking on someone, just because the person seriously overreacted or can't read between the lines. I'm not going to vote negative back for that, although I could, and with a valid reason, because I know this will only put more oil on his/her fire. However, this is frustrating and a comment system would be perfect to deal with this: the negative vote stays (it is afterall a view of that person towards you), and you have a way of defending yourself in PUBLIC, WITHOUT casting negative votes back/flaming/etc...)

Rules for the comment system:

• comments are public
  
  
• only reciever can make 1 comment to a vote (comment can be changed/deleted, just as normal votes)
  
  
• comment will be deleted if votes changes (yes, this implies that one could delete a vote and revote to clear a comment, but then again, nothing is perfect. But the benefits are far greater then this one minor point; if you realy want, leave comments when votes change or get deleted. But I dunno how that will look like in the end  tbh, messy I would think)
  
  
• No comments on comments on comments on .... allowed (start a flame-thread in T&T then and get banned both )

damn, I wasn't going to write much on this issue