# vote up/down comments **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 22, 2013, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-up-down-comments/658983 "2013-05-22T03:01:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cougar58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@cougar58](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cougar58)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-up-down-comments/658983/1 "2013-05-22T03:01:58Z")
how difficult would it be for SDMB to add the option for voting up/ down comments? ---
**Author:** ![R3d\_Anonymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@R3d\_Anonymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3d_Anonymous)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-up-down-comments/658983/2 "2013-05-22T03:12:03Z")
The Dope just doesn’t want to overcomplicate things. That is why we don’t have thread ratings, reputation, or any of that shit. I completely understand it and subscribe to the opinion that most message boards just have too many features which detract from the desired simplicity of having a discussion. This is one of those boards where the actual main part are the discussions, not ratings, reputation, avatars, etc. Embrace it while you can. It is a needle in a haystack probability that you will find other boards this simple and professional (the moderation here is very fair and of high quality). ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-up-down-comments/658983/3 "2013-05-22T03:20:22Z")
> [@cougar58](#): > > how difficult would it be for SDMB to add the option for voting up/ down comments? I believe it’s a standard vBulletin feature that can be turned on or off from the admin panel. It’s not something that is likely to happen here because it’s really not wanted or needed. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-up-down-comments/658983/4 "2013-05-22T03:24:10Z")
It’s very easy. Step 1. Get all Dopers to agree to do this. Nobody ever reached step 2. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-up-down-comments/658983/5 "2013-05-22T03:35:59Z")
Not cluttering up the Board with the doohickeys is one reason the Board rarely suffers any technical problems. Oh, wait … ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-up-down-comments/658983/6 "2013-05-22T12:54:23Z")
I find such things to be almost utterly meaningless, even if it is on a 5 point scale and not a simple yes/no option. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-up-down-comments/658983/7 "2013-05-22T14:25:13Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Not cluttering up the Board with the doohickeys is one reason the Board rarely suffers any technical problems. > > Oh, wait … I doubt it would add that much load to the board. It would be obnoxious and pointless, however, and would essentially make each post a popularity contest. Or more likely, a way to “reward” or “punish” anything said by a fellow poster you like or despise, regardless of the actual content. Call me antiquated, but I prefer deciding for myself whether a post is teh roXXorz or teh suXXorz. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-up-down-comments/658983/8 "2013-05-22T14:36:29Z")
We’ve had this discussion before. As has been said, we prefer that posts stand on their own merits rather than be subjected to a popularity contest. We don’t see this feature as adding any real value to the board, and have no plans to implement it. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-up-down-comments/658983/9 "2013-05-22T14:42:52Z")
Thumbs down ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-up-down-comments/658983/10 "2013-05-22T14:43:56Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I believe it’s a standard vBulletin feature that can be turned on or off from the admin panel. > > It’s not something that is likely to happen here because it’s really not wanted or needed. +1 ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-up-down-comments/658983/11 "2013-05-22T15:12:34Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > It’s very easy. > > Step 1. Get all Dopers to agree to do this. > > Nobody ever reached step 2. And now my coworkers want to know why I can’t quit laughing. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-up-down-comments/658983/12 "2013-05-22T15:26:55Z")
Because any right-wing post will immediately have 3 +1’s and 74 -1’s. Reverse it for a left-wing post. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-up-down-comments/658983/13 "2013-05-22T16:46:51Z")
I post on other boards that do this. I find it annoying, even though I do use the feature occasionally myself. I find I tend to concentrate more on the approval rating of the comment, especially of my own comments, rather than on the conversation itself. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-up-down-comments/658983/14 "2013-05-22T17:14:40Z")
I’d be totally in favor of it if I were the only one to have it as I can’t trust any of you yahoos not to abuse it. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-up-down-comments/658983/15 "2013-05-22T17:29:28Z")
Could we at least compromise and have a “get off my lawn” button? I also can’t see how this does any good and certainly could be bad. Though I suspect stuff like talking about which book to read or how to cook X and the like might benefit from it. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-up-down-comments/658983/16 "2013-05-22T19:46:37Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > +1 This. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-up-down-comments/658983/17 "2013-05-23T01:52:16Z")
What about “pokes” and being able to send other members childish, pointless images of cupcakes and snowballs as “gifts”? Such things are proven to add a sense of community. A very obnoxious and annoying community. ---
**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:** [May 23, 2013, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-up-down-comments/658983/18 "2013-05-23T02:21:21Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I believe it’s a standard vBulletin feature that can be turned on or off from the admin panel. > > It’s not something that is likely to happen here because it’s really not wanted or needed. Not this version. Even so … no. We’re really cranky in that we want you to use your words. I guess you say we’re the antisocial social media. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-up-down-comments/658983/19 "2013-05-23T02:38:31Z")
How about just a +1 button and a LOL button? Thumbs down or ‘no’ votes are just asking for bad blood and abuse. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-up-down-comments/658983/20 "2013-05-23T12:22:43Z")
How about an “Eject” button that will transport you to another site that has those buttons? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vote-up-down-comments/658983.md?page=2)