Good / Bad Posts

[cupoftea]

Not trying to be a party pooper here but I have been on forums where there is a thanks button and it records the amount of thanks a person gets beside his/her personal details and user name, in theory this is fine but I have my reservations.

A perfect example of this is the largest N Scale forum in the USA, a wonderful forum with lots of great information and membership but it is a nightmare to negotiate and IMO totally overdone.

I believe the best forums are the ones that are easy to negotiate and its the content of the messages that count, also would we have people take offence to five thumbs down, I think that would be enough to make some people think "what's the point of posting here nobody cares what I think anyway", they will leave the forum and the forum may be left with an elitist group of people.

I think these forums are for everyone with the same interest and as with Photography forums we are here to help beginners and experienced alike, I like the use of the thumb but only when it is used in the right context, example I just bought a new loco or I got a loco on eBay and it doesn't work but not as a way of judging a thread.

Sorry but after being a member of Railway and Photography forums for over 15 years I think I have seen it all, that's just my two bobs worth though.

PS
I would like to add that IMO this is the best model railway forum I have been a member of and look forward to my browse around the threads every morning before breaky and SWMBO is still snoozing.

I agree Sir!