Danpola

ChelseaBlog and BlueChampions have been my favorite internet-based Chelsea resources for the past few months. I enjoy reading and commenting at both, and have been a BlueChampions reader for probably more than two years now.

Let me just say that the improvements you’ve so imperiously set about, BC, have been utterly fantastic. This identicon thing will be especially good at encouraging intelligence and accountability in the comments section.

Keep up the good work. This is also the most professional and solid theme you’ve had yet. Don’t change it!

ChelseaBlog is a blog that I respect very much. I admire those article writers and the way they write. Basically, I wanted to give you more variety and stuff to read. You know me already, what I like and what I don’t. What my allegiances and preferences are. I thought of bringing in more writers so that there is some variety of views on this blog instead of just mine. It should make it more vibrant, if not anything else.

But BC:
You wrote:”I’m proud to say that I deal with a much better crowd here than most other bloggers have to. Of course there is this occasional glitch and that’s what brings in additional controls, like the identicons. ”

But if you start importing people from other blogs, particularly ChelseaBlog, frequented by a pub type bloggers, ( I should know, I have read it but never wrote ) youn soon will diminish the value of the bloggers in here.
I cannot see whats so special in inviting someone else from that blog.

Here are my responses.

You want to know what makes me think people are rational and level headed? That’s the very point, that’s the fundamental of the whole idea. I want to believe that people are sensible and can be rational enough to admit when they are incorrect or to evaluate an opposite line of thought. There are many readers in this blog who have changed their point of view in due course and have been pretty frank about it. There are many many people who say, when someone with an opposite point of view, puts in their comments very nicely, sensibly, with respect, without abuse, “good argument mate but I beg to disagree” and that’s when they can vote thumbs up. Voting someone thumbs up does not only mean you support someone’s argument, it also means that you appreciate the way they have commented. So, basically what I’m saying is, I don’t think I’m dealing with irrational people. No. I’m proud to say that I deal with a much better crowd here than most other bloggers have to. Of course there is this occasional glitch and that’s what brings in additional controls, like the identicons.

With regard to non-commenters, you got the math wrong here. I’ve done enough background analysis of non-commenters, thanks to my site host. My analysis says that only a small percentage of non-commenters happen to be clubs of other fans. Mostly, they are Chelsea fans who are visit the blog regularly. Just for argument sake, let’s assume they are all non-Chelsea fans who want to play around. Please realise that even sabotage can be boring and cannot be sustained. This blog has always been open for comments by unregistered users, which includes ‘mischievous’ non-Chelsea fans too. Of course, there is occasional trouble but on the whole, it is all Chelsea fans – 99% of them. All opinion polls in this blog are open for anyone to vote. Non-Chelsea fans can vote mischievously to skew the results. Do we ever bother? no. The reason is their involvement could be there but negligible when compared to the genuine voters.

I strongly believe that even the non-commenters (I said they don’t comment for various reasons, one of which is time) do spend a lot of time on the blog reading others’ comments. While it would take them time to comment, it only takes a one-second-click to hit the karma button. And I strongly believe I’m not biasing the new reader. Everyone has a brain of their own and think for themselves. What you say boils down to this. If there have been 30 votes on an opinion poll for options A and B and all 30 votes are for option A only, someone who comes in to vote will also vote for option A because that’s what the previous 30 voters have done? No. If he thinks option B is correct, he will be the first voter for option B. The way I see it, this works exactly like the opinion polls – they are free, anyone can vote, you can stay without voting too, you can see the results.

You seem to have a very wrong understanding of the whole idea. This is NOT a report card on the commenters or you cannot encash the points earned. It is simply a vote on specific comments. it is a simple and uncomplicated way of applauding (a ‘well said mate’) a commenter on his specific comment. The future ideas around this also includes an ability to filter comments based on karma points. I don’t expect to see each and every comment being voted on. In a post with say 70 comments, if 4 or 5 posts that have good positive karma ratings, then this thing has paid off. The karma system is prevalent on various popular forums and it has been working fine. I hope that it works here. It would be a shame it doesn’t.

Thanks for your feedback.