Everything needs your help! Voting is all fine and good for regulating the nodes, but it's just plain not enough. If you feel a node needs to improve, it's your job to tell the author so. /msg them, email them, whatever. Heck, put your own node on it and chalk it up as a victory. The bottom line is that it's not enough for Everything to grow as it is, it must have correct and concise writeups. A mere downvote is usually only discouraging to the author, and sends the wrong signal.

Now, if the node is terrible and you want it gone, that's another story. And I'm not advocating the disuse of downvotes. Use them all you want. Just tell the author somehow WHY you did it. Make the nodespace a better place to live in.

Thank you for your time.

We instructed you with Node for the Ages

We scolded you with Softlink for the Ages

Now, we befuzzle you with -

Vote for the Ages!!!!!

What I do is, I use up all my votes as soon as I get them. I don't vote immediately on anything in New Writeups, they get too much temporary attention (the same with Cool User Picks!); if I remember the title of the node the next day, then it's definitely worth an upvote. Now, Chong ching!s Chang 'cause Chang chung! Chong is an example of a node that I remembered the next day (and the day after). A node I visit because it's brand-new is not as good a measure for how it will last the ages, as a node I visit because it crops up while browsing an interesting subject. I also browse randomly; the Random Node link and Random Nodes section are entertaining, and can be a stimulating way to use votes. Writeups that I think will stand the test of time get an upvote, and insulting or inconsistent nodes get a downvote. I don't vote on every writeup in a node, there are some I don't understand well enough to make a judgement call, and there are others which simply (IMHO) are not good enough quality nor bad enough quality to deserve a vote either way. I have upvoted writeups that I disagree with, because they were well-written and reasoned, and contributed to the knowledge base of E2. I have downvoted writeups I agree with, because they were too childishly obvious and short, and did not contribute anything of value. I /msg authors if I see a typo rather than downvote, trying to keep it friendly by saying "This can be improved by fixing the tpyo" instead of "There's a stupid typo in your stupid writeup".

Hmmm. This got way holier than thou than I intended. (Everyone do what I do and you'll all get into heaven!) Take it or leave it, I think it's the best way to go, but diversity is what makes the world go 'round.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.