Thursday, June 02, 2011

Regressive Bloggers?

Progressive Bloggers has always been a fairly tribal, divided site, bordering on periodic bursts of nonsensical. As a blogger, I'm not really afraid, or give much concern to stepping on toes, offending other partisans. However, when you have a site which uses voting as a measure of prominence and stature, this approach isn't necessarily ideal. I know the game well, I've been blogging for years, I can guarantee which posts from certain people will get high vote rating, it isn't rocket science how da Prog Blogs works. I also know that the system on Prog Blogs lends itself to esoteric reaffirmation, as well as a certain alienation should one take opinions outside of majority want. That's fine I suppose, the nature of a voting system will always degenerate, not necessarily a statement on substance, more about agreement. I remember the days when any post that slagged Jason Cherniak was sure to solicit high votes, rationale or strength of argument completely and utterly irrelevant. I see the same thing on that site now in reverse, but I'll refrain from being more specific.

Why? Well god forbid I make another enemy, because the new Progressive Bloggers now allows people to give out ONE'S to posts, not just vote for what they like. I suppose you can convince yourself this is an advancement, but given how that place operates, the pitfalls are glaringly obvious. Oh, there is that asshole Steve V again, I hate that pompous windbag, no way he is getting a top post for the day, here's a ONE nimrod. Oh, there's my ally slagging the Liberals, it's important that gets prominence because I actually think a score on Prog Blogs will help our cause, here you go sister a FIVE. Anyone who doesn't think this is not how the site will operate is kidding themselves, we already have evidence of such with the current system, this one will only put more focus.

Progressive Bloggers looks like a popularity contest now from here, and not necessarily based on merit, but rather affiliations, alliances, political bias and agenda. It's simply human nature to vote up what reflects your personal opinion, heap scorn on anything that challenges or contradicts your sensibilities. Are we looking to create a circle jerk of self congratulating confirmation or a healthy debate, that respects opposing points of views? You can already see certain bloggers who choose their subject matter with voting or the acceptance that translates to, in mind.

The new system puts even more emphasis on voting that prior, which means more energy spent on voting wars as political proxy. In my world, getting votes on Prog Blogs is about the last consideration when I post, who I piss off or offend equally irrelevant. It's all about your opinion, and self censoring to avoid conflict or ranting in the name of perceived reaffirmation, what's the point really?

I predict this move will be regressive in the end, so colour me somewhat disappointed. That's my opinion, ONE it up :)

9 comments:

bigcitylib said...

I haven't seen any of my own posts appear yet, so you've got a leg up on me.

Steve V said...

When they do, I will shower you with fives, because I like you :)

Tof KW said...

Just wait until the Reformabot sockpuppets show up and bless you all with 1's.

Anonymous said...

Plus the interface is butt ugly now. Sorry, the thing looked better before. -1 for design. Because you know it's all about aesthetics for me.

Frunger said...

The logos are brutal. Somebody using Microsoft Paint?

CuriosityCat said...

A giant leap backwards!

sassy said...

I don't care for the new way of voting either. Not all the links are working yet so, being a work-in-progress, perhaps it just a matter of fine tuning the site and reconsidering some of the new additions.

That being said, it's so easy for me to sit here and play armchair site designer / self appointed critic. :(

Jerry Prager said...

Frack them too then.

Anonymous said...

I ran a test yesterday and voted down a Dawg post. He had fives at the time so I hit it from three devices with 3 IP addresses and voted a 1.

The post ended up as the most voted, but moved it off the highest rated and what ever the other list was. If I had not voted the post would of been on two of lists.

This new voting gives the reader an opportunity for a negative vote. Maybe we have now discovered the best vehicle for strategic voting.