[RESOLVED] Another question about user ratings

Ok, i think the user rating system is great how it shows the people who are helpful very well.

But one question i have often wondered is negative reputation, could somebodies rating go into negatives? and if so, should their account be restricted in some way?

I guess what i am getting at is the starting of threads. The rating system seems to allow you with a query to choose "who to trust" when you are answered. But i see perhaps its not just the people answering posts we should be worrying about, but those asking.

You see i notice people abuse the forum by starting a thread over every little problem they get in their program, and basically have the people of the forum write their program for them, and often not even a thanks (or even closing the thread) is done in return, the thread just left hanging.

I feel people use the forum as their own personal tutor as if they pay for the service, posting without checking the help, and sometimes without even checking constructors etc within their compiler, and expecting completed coded solutions handed to them.

I don't mean to sound negative here but perhaps you could advance the thread system where if a thread has idled for a certain time and not set as resolved that it should perhaps harm their 'query rating' and limit how often they may start threads? I guess its a silly idea since people could cheat by opening multiple accounts, but surely there has to be a way to help identify people whom abuse the good nature of the forums. Maybe i am being too critical.

What are everyone elses thoughts on this matter?

Yes a person's reputation can go negative. And actually if it ever goes below 5 (which everybody starts with) their power is reduced to 0 so they can't affect anyone else's points.

I could argue the merits of your "idle thread" idea, but we wouldn't implement it in any case since it would take a major modification of the underlying forum software.

Thanks for that info.

But preventing them from effecting others ratings doesnt help us in the way in which i mean. I was wondering is there a way to look at a new thread and see that, i shouldnt bother helping this person because theyve been abusing the privilege and im better off going to the next question.

Of course if you have a good enough memory you will not help people in the future, but this still doesnt help if youve never seen them before (same theory as the good rated people).

I guess i am really just after others views on this matter?
how many people agree, and how many disagree.

Should i start a poll?

Some people will always answer any post they can no matter if the original poster posts simple questions over and over and some people don't. While I often try to encourage people to do some of the work on their own I don't think it's our job to "punish" them if they don't. So start a poll if you want, but as I said it would be too much work for us to implement.

I guess you're right, it's just annoying, but i'll survive.

Well, it's your prerogative to reply or not to reply to those queries being asked. :)