Voting system - Page 2

[Reverend Jim]

Most users have a lot of experience with tooltips so when I hover the mouse over the up-vote, the comment field appears with what seems to be a tooltip to the right saying "up-vote & comment". I leave the mouse where it is and type a comment then click the up-arrow to complete the transaction (based on what looks a lot like a tooltip). The fact that it changes to "down-vote & comment" when I move the mouse over the down-arrow only reiniforces the belief that it is, in fact, a tooltip and not a control that should be clicked to submit the comment.

[Dani]

That being said, I did take your advice as to help eliminiate confusion when undoing a vote (as it no longer allows you to comment since the comment will just be discarded).

It's always confused me why it's called up-vote and comment / down-vote and comment. By leaving a comment the vote counts towards rep - is that right?

With all the talk about 'rep', it doesn't seem to be written anywhere on the voting/commenting system. That right or am I off-target again?

I agree, additionally bugs were meant to be fixed. This makes much more sense now. Thanks.

[Dani]

The word "rep" was intentionally left out because the aim is for people to vote with a comment without consciously thinking about how their reputation power will affect a member, etc.

[Reverend Jim]

So do I have it straight now?

Simply clicking up-vote or down-vote affects only the number displayed between the arrows without altering rep.

Typing a comment and clicking up-vote or down-vote does the same as above and the comment is discarded.

Typing a comment and hitting ENTER or clicking the tool to the right of the comment field enters a comment, alters the number displayed between the arrows and alters rep either up or down depending on the text in the tool to the right of the comment field.

[Dani]

YES.

[WaltP]

Reverend Jim: So do I have it straight now?

Simply clicking up-vote or down-vote affects only the number displayed between the arrows without altering rep.

Typing a comment and clicking up-vote or down-vote does the same as above and the comment is discarded.

Dani: YES.

--

Dani: It makes sense to me that when you fill out a form, that form is submitted either via the submit button immediately following it, or by hitting Enter.

Of course it makes sense to you. You designed it that way. What makes sense to me (the user) is that if I take the time to write a comment, it isn't thrown away when I cast my vote, either Up- or Down-.

I remember during a discussion about whether full working code given as an response to a question should be deleted or not you responded with (paraphrasing) "I would be upset doing all that work and having my post deleted" therefore, we do not delete cheating posts. But here you have no qualms about "deleting the work making a comment" (and with no warning at all) even though there is an argument againt it.

[Dani]

Because IMHO it is standard design practice that there is a form followed by a submit button. I would expect that filling out a form, and then clicking on another link before hitting submit, would not submit the form.

How about disabling up/down arrows when rollover form is displayed? Would that sort it? And comment is kept there if user clicks anywhere else on the page. Trivial js? You could still have the button change (upvote <-> downvote) when mouseover the disabled arrows.

[Dani]

Then how would one vote without a comment if the arrows were disabled? Also, I see no difference between disabling the arrows and disabling every other link on the page, while we're at it.

I agree with dani diafol, you wouldn't want to hide the arrows, plus it gets complicated if you want to undo it.

I think everything works just fine atm but in honesty if it wasn't documented I wouldn't understand. I'm sure newbies would struggle to understand.

The problem is two fold because do you have to click or mouseover? Only by experimentation would you realise. For argument's sake if for WaltP could you allow both, you either click the submit button or press the up/down arrow?

That way he'd be happy and all the other users who were using the system bug as an ACTUAL feature would also be happy - but I'm not sure if the jquery made any sense.

[Reverend Jim]

The up/down arrows could continue to function as an anonymous voting scheme AND as a way to vote with a comment via the following test on click

if Trim(comment) is null then
    apply anonymous voting (no change to rep)
else
    submit comment and alter rep

Wouldn't that eliminate the confusion as well as preventing lost comments?

Actually, that's a damn good idea. How did I miss that?

Unless of course the Jquery might be difficult because of the undo thingy. I don't know.

Also, I see no difference between disabling the arrows and disabling every other link on the page, while we're at it.

I get your point on the the arrows - due to the fact that the form doesn't disappear when your mouseout (I thought it did). Also I now notice that the trigger mechanism would be problematic. Fair one.

[Dani]

Reverend Jim, that's actually the way it was working, thanks to some leftover code from when I was initially designing the system. The bug was that I was only doing the proper clean up and auto-displaying the new comment when using the button, since by the time I coded that part, I didn't realize it would work upon clicking the arrows. Ultimately, that's not the way I meant for the system to be designed ;)

[Reverend Jim]

@waltp. You are correct. That's the same suggestion you had made a page or two back. I had to go back and reread it all to remember that. I'm going to go back and (hopefully) up-rep you for that.

[logo32design]

No i have no idea about it. I am thought many time but can't understand this voting system..

[happygeek]

In which case, logo32design, I seriously suggest you scroll back to the top of this thread and read the postings from the start. If you still do not understand the voting system then I fear we will have to break out the picture book version of the explanation :)

[deceptikon]

If you still do not understand the voting system then I fear we will have to break out the picture book version of the explanation :)

See Spot. See Spot vote. Vote Spot, vote! :D

[BitBlt]

Up votes, down votes
Smile votes, frown votes.

Votes for good posts,
votes for bad posts
Even votes for some Geek's Lounge posts.

Votes give good rep
Votes give bad rep
Good and bad and sad and glad rep

Members vote posts as they should,
Infraction points for "not so good".

If everyone would read this thread
Then voting wouldn't spin their head.

With apologies to Dr. Seuss...

[Mike Askew]

If you still do not understand the voting system then I fear we will have to break out the picture book version of the explanation :)

Gimme gimme gimme.