Boards Help

What does thumbs up or thumbs down mean?

Thumbs up or thumbs down is a simple way of either expressing support or agreement, or signalling your disagreement with what is being said. It is not the same as reporting a post to Christian Connection for review or removal.

Why do we have this system?

Voting on board posts is a popular system among websites because it allows for additional participation from those who normally wouldn't post, and helps to moderate extreme posts and encourage positive ones.

The votes received by posts gives a good feel for member opinion and helps to highlight situations where things may be getting out of control. If a topic is clearly generating a lot of negative reactions, we may have to step in and issue warnings or lock the topic. On the other hand, positive votes can be great to encourage posters and show agreement with minority views.

Why don't people just write back saying what they think?

People don't always want to end up having a debate with somebody of very strong opinions. They may not have time or they may not want to take on somebody who could be quite argumentative. Not everybody wants to post but people do appreciate the opportunity to express their agreement or disagreement.

Why is it anonymous?

In order to avoid drawing people into unwanted debates, those who have given specific thumbs up or thumbs downs are not identified.

We do make aggregate voting information available, visible if you hover your pointer over a user's name in the boards. This shows the total number of thumbs up or down that the user has given, although it does not identify specific votes. We find that this gives a good overall picture of a user's interaction with the boards whilst allowing them to stay anonymous.

The administrators can monitor when certain members vote negatively or positively on a repeated basis.

Isn't it persecuting people?

Some people may feel persecuted if they receive several thumbs down. However, each member can only vote once for each post, and each thumb down can be cancelled by a single thumb up. It is difficult for members to group together to vote a post down, as other members normally react quickly by voting up posts that they consider to be treated unfairly.

If you receive a large number of negative votes on your posts, it is worth considering why this might be happening. Your opinion may simply go against the flow, and others may just disagree with your opinion. Sometimes multiple negative votes may be an early warning that you need to tone your posts down before they alienate too many people. Make sure you are following the board rules and treat others with the same respect that you would wish to receive.

If you quote scripture and find that your post is receiving multiple thumbs down, you should not assume that people are voting down God's Word (they almost certainly are not). They are most likely to be disagreeing with your interpretation or use of the quote - be careful that you are not using scripture to make an aggressive point against another member.

Won't it make people afraid to post?

There is no evidence for this. There are still plenty of posts! But people need to be mindful of the sensitivities of others, and of the effect words can have.

Making controversial points can be done without being inflammatory and hostile - the boards are a place for positive debate.

If a post is offensive or breaks the board rules, report it!

Some posts are really problematic and break the board rules. If you see a post that is offensive, disrespectful or otherwise inappropriate for the Christian Connection boards, please click the 'Report post' link and let us know so that we can review it. If you simply don't agree with the opinion expressed, please do not report it - we will not remove posts purely because of a difference of opinion.

When should I vote a post down?

It is up to you how you use your votes, but please consider the circumstances before you click the thumbs down button. Please DO NOT vote posts down because:

You don't like the person who is posting, regardless of what they say.
Somebody asks you to join them in voting a post down.
You are having a bad day.

Common reasons for voting a post down might be:

You disagree with the viewpoint expressed.
The post is aggressive or hostile towards others.
The post does not show respect for the differing opinions of other users.
Scripture is used inappropriately.

However, if there is a real problem with the post, please report it to us, don't just leave it others!