# Now we have polls how about thanks? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 26, 2009, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-we-have-polls-how-about-thanks/511607 "2009-09-26T01:59:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Happy\_Poster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Happy\_Poster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Poster)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-we-have-polls-how-about-thanks/511607/1 "2009-09-26T01:59:34Z")
There’s an option in vbulletin where a user can “thank” another for a post. Please could we turn this on? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-we-have-polls-how-about-thanks/511607/2 "2009-09-26T02:01:14Z")
What’s the difference between using this feature and just saying thanks? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Poster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Happy\_Poster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Poster)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-we-have-polls-how-about-thanks/511607/3 "2009-09-26T02:03:14Z")
A lot of people can say thanks without cluttering up the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-we-have-polls-how-about-thanks/511607/4 "2009-09-26T02:38:44Z")
> [@Angry Lurker](#): > > A lot of people can say thanks without cluttering up the thread. I don’t think that many people say “Thanks” or “This” or “+1” without actually having some comment of their own to go along with it. I don’t see that cluttering up a thread with such responses is really a problem here. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Poster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Happy\_Poster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Poster)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-we-have-polls-how-about-thanks/511607/5 "2009-09-26T02:41:08Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I don’t think that many people say “Thanks” or “This” or “+1” without actually having some comment of their own to go along with it. I don’t see that cluttering up a thread with such responses is really a problem here. It isn’t a problem because most people have the sense not to make a habit of it with the tools we have. Given this tool I think you’ll see it get used plenty. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-we-have-polls-how-about-thanks/511607/6 "2009-09-26T02:42:32Z")
Don’t think we have this in the version of vBulletin we use. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-we-have-polls-how-about-thanks/511607/7 "2009-09-26T03:14:01Z")
> [@Angry Lurker](#): > > It isn’t a problem because most people have the sense not to make a habit of it with the tools we have. Given this tool I think you’ll see it get used plenty. Given that (per **TubaDiva** above) it’s a moot point, I still don’t get the point. Most of us here are an opinionated lot, and - dadgum it! - we’re delighted to share our opinions. I don’t see a reason to enable anonymous responses to posts. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Poster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Happy\_Poster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Poster)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-we-have-polls-how-about-thanks/511607/8 "2009-09-26T03:14:12Z")
It’s been around for about five years at least though? ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-we-have-polls-how-about-thanks/511607/9 "2009-09-26T05:07:51Z")
> [@Angry Lurker](#): > > It’s been around for about five years at least though? That’s quite possible. We’re not known for being “early adopters” when it comes to changes. ---
**Author:** ![Claire\_Beauchamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@Claire\_Beauchamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claire_Beauchamp)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-we-have-polls-how-about-thanks/511607/10 "2009-09-26T16:40:38Z")
I’ve seen this implemented on only one other board, and frankly I thought it was just a waste of space. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-we-have-polls-how-about-thanks/511607/11 "2009-09-26T16:57:26Z")
Yeah, this really sounds like a cure for which there is no disease. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Poster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Happy\_Poster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Poster)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-we-have-polls-how-about-thanks/511607/12 "2009-09-26T21:06:36Z")
There are a lot of posts _I_ would have liked to thank; PM isn’t convenient. But if this is how everyone feels so be it ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-we-have-polls-how-about-thanks/511607/13 "2009-09-26T22:43:46Z")
> [@Angry Lurker](#): > > There are a lot of posts _I_ would have liked to thank; PM isn’t convenient. But if this is how everyone feels so be it Too bad you didn’t make a poll, so you’d know for sure… ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-we-have-polls-how-about-thanks/511607/14 "2009-09-26T23:16:20Z")
> [@Angry Lurker](#): > > There are a lot of posts _I_ would have liked to thank; PM isn’t convenient. But if this is how everyone feels so be it How does the feature work, exactly. I know you said that it would prevent the thread from being cluttered with “thanks” posts, but how does your suggested feature make a difference? How does it notify the poster that s/he has been thanked? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-we-have-polls-how-about-thanks/511607/15 "2009-09-27T00:31:14Z")
> [@Claire\_Beauchamp](#): > > I’ve seen this implemented on only one other board, and frankly I thought it was just a waste of space. What? It’s probably on more than half of the other boards I visit, and it doesn’t take up any space at all. It’s a tiny little button. It’s usually called something other than “thanks”-- reputation, or points, or esteem, or accolades, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-we-have-polls-how-about-thanks/511607/16 "2009-09-27T00:32:15Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > How does the feature work, exactly. I know you said that it would prevent the thread from being cluttered with “thanks” posts, but how does your suggested feature make a difference? How does it notify the poster that s/he has been thanked? It shows up in your User CP. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-we-have-polls-how-about-thanks/511607/17 "2009-09-27T01:05:09Z")
Oh. You mean the ability to give or take away points to people. The problem is the same as anywhere else: it creates a higher class of people who have more friends than others, as “thanks” are usually public. This board is [Serious Business](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SeriousBusiness), so people probably care about that. Compare [http://www.idlemafia.com](http://www.idlemafia.com), where it’s all just fun and games. (They use the word exault.) ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Poster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Happy\_Poster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Poster)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-we-have-polls-how-about-thanks/511607/18 "2009-09-27T01:10:38Z")
No, you don’t have to enable points. That wouldn’t fit in at all here. It’s the leaving a quick message part that would be good, possibly the thanks underneath the post as well. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-we-have-polls-how-about-thanks/511607/19 "2009-09-27T01:38:41Z")
> [@Angry Lurker](#): > > No, you don’t have to enable points. That wouldn’t fit in at all here. Hey guys, Angry Lurker says we don’t even have to bother. You can go ahead and close the thread down now. Have a good night, everyone. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-we-have-polls-how-about-thanks/511607/20 "2009-09-27T06:29:05Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Hey guys, Angry Lurker says we don’t even have to bother. You can go ahead and close the thread down now. Have a good night, everyone. But now how can I thank him for his comments? ☹ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-we-have-polls-how-about-thanks/511607.md?page=2)