Brohoofs! Yay or neigh?

[AmberDust 1,118]

Please move this to the proper section if this is the wrong place. Sorry. u_u'

Hello everyone!
I am one of the many members of forums.arlongpark.net (a forum dedicated to the manga/anime, One Piece,) who is trying to get the administrators to implement a "thumbs up" button for posts, hopefully similar to "brohoofs" in the way they work. That's right, they don't have anything like this!

The mods have many arguments for why they think its a bad idea, and they've made reference to the faulty ststems used by reddit and facebook as examples.

So what I was suggesting was something more like our Brohoofs for ArlongPark.
With regards to the "brohoof"'s usefulness, I decided I'd best get information right from the horses mouth...so to speak.

So! My question is this: Have you ever witnessed the "brohoof" mechanic being misused or abused? I'm talking in terms of popularity contests or posting something just for the sake of getting "brohoofs". Has it ever caused you or anyone you know any problems? Opposite that, Have you ever seen brohoofs used admirably? Do you think they're an important mechanic in the forums?

I personally have never run into problems with them, but I was wondering if anyone else has.

Im trying to argue with the mods on ArlongPark that if you can't see how many brohoofs a given post has, it doesn't cause problems like popularity contests. Etc. What do you think?

Edited January 23, 2015 by AmberDust

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,803]

I personally think the system is a bit pointless overall. At least here it kinda is. For one the forum games do not increase post counts for good reason but brohoofs still occur there, meaning many can just make simple responses to simple forum games and accumulate them that way or maybe just post in fan clubs and I have noticed posts in those always get a ton of brohoofs even if it is just a picture with a caption. Nothing wrong with that of course, but I think the Brohoof system is diminished significantly due to things like that.

 

On the other side, if I see someone brohoofing a post I have made, it does tend to feel kinda neat, if my post was something of substance at least. So I am not against the system either, it just isn't all that useful. It is just 'liking' a post as on Facebook and we all know how diminished that is in it's purpose.

[takai 1,060]

The My Little Pony fandom and an anime/manga fandom have vastly different mindsets. MLP has an extraordinarily positive fandom, while anime and manga is extremely negative and hurtful. I know from years of personal experience.

 

I've yet to really see any issues with the misuse or abuse on this forum for the year or so I've been here. They're mainly used for agreements, encouragements, or for quality posts. I can however, see an anime forum using it for a majority of negative reasons.

 

I think they're a nice privilege for mature and civil forums. I hardly think that describes the anime fandoms.

 

I do know of a forum I used to frequent that gave out reputation, and they did hide who gave who rep. You could do that, which would cause a lot less problems, and if anyone posted images or anything about someone giving them rep should be deleted and the user warned. That's probably the best route for you.

[Eloquence 2,076]

I personally think the system is a bit pointless overall. At least here it kinda is. For one the forum games do not I crease post counts for good reason but brohoofs still occur there, meaning many can just make simple responses to simple forum games and accurate them that way or maybe just post in fan clubs and I have noticed posts in those always get a ton of brohoofs even if it is just a picture with a caption. Nothing wrong with that of course, but I think the Brohoof system is diminished significantly due to things like that.

 

On the other side, if I see someone brohoofing a post I have made, it does tend to feel kinda neat, if my post was something of substance at least. So I am not against the system either, it just isn't all that useful. It is just 'liking' a post as on Facebook and we all know how diminished that is in it's purpose.

 

The urge to brohoof this for the irony of it is so strong...

 

As for how I feel, I think what we have here is pretty harmless. I don't think anyone cares too much how many brohoofs someone has, but it's kinda fun to watch them accumulate over time :3

[AmberDust 1,118]

The My Little Pony fandom and an anime/manga fandom have vastly different mindsets. MLP has an extraordinarily positive fandom, while anime and manga is extremely negative and hurtful. I know from years of personal experience.

 

I've yet to really see any issues with the misuse or abuse on this forum for the year or so I've been here. They're mainly used for agreements, encouragements, or for quality posts. I can however, see an anime forum using it for a majority of negative reasons.

 

I think they're a nice privilege for mature and civil forums. I hardly think that describes the anime fandoms.

 

I do know of a forum I used to frequent that gave out reputation, and they did hide who gave who rep. You could do that, which would cause a lot less problems, and if anyone posted images or anything about someone giving them rep should be deleted and the user warned. That's probably the best route for you.

I think you're being a bit harsh. The people who like anime are largely the same who like mlp...also, One Piece is definitely different from other manga.

Otherwise I agree with you. Reputation kind of seems like a good idea.

I like brohoofs simply because they're encouraging. I don't post to accumulate them, but when I do get them, it's nice.

[takai 1,060]

I think you're being a bit harsh. The people who like anime are largely the same who like mlp...also, One Piece is definitely different from other manga.

Otherwise I agree with you. Reputation kind of seems like a good idea.

I like brohoofs simply because they're encouraging. I don't post to accumulate them, but when I do get them, it's nice.

 

Then we'll have agree to disagree. I've participated in many anime forums over the past 5 years, and yes, they buy and large, are pretty bad. Now that I think about it, if it's a single anime forum, then it won't be nearly as "harsh" as say, a general anime forum.

 

But just because it's One Piece doesn't make a difference either. I've found many OP fans to be extremely pretentious .

[Troblems 5,619]

@@AmberDust, Moved your topic.

 

As for the like/dislike system, there are a lot of arguments on whether it's a "good" thing. Personally, I could care less about it. It doesn't mean much. I suppose some people do enjoy it or it wouldn't be automatically implemented into most forum-style websites. It's actually been discussed doing away with it here, but nothing ever came to pass. My feeling is this: If it makes one person feel a little better about themselves, then great. Brohoof away.

 

I have seen it abused, though. There have been several topics shut down for being "brohoof farming threads". Once they get locked, the admins usually subtract the number of hooves attained in the thread.

[AmberDust 1,118]

@@AmberDust, Moved your topic.

 

As for the like/dislike system, there are a lot of arguments on whether it's a "good" thing. Personally, I could care less about it. It doesn't mean much. I suppose some people do enjoy it or it wouldn't be automatically implemented into most forum-style websites. It's actually been discussed doing away with it here, but nothing ever came to pass. My feeling is this: If it makes one person feel a little better about themselves, then great. Brohoof away.

 

I have seen it abused, though. There have been several topics shut down for being "brohoof farming threads". Once they get locked, the admins usually subtract the number of hooves attained in the thread.

Interesting. That's good to know. thanks

Then we'll have agree to disagree. I've participated in many anime forums over the past 5 years, and yes, they buy and large, are pretty bad. Now that I think about it, if it's a single anime forum, then it won't be nearly as "harsh" as say, a general anime forum.

 

But just because it's One Piece doesn't make a difference either. I've found many OP fans to be extremely pretentious .

True, the fans really can be pretentious--I views what I meant to say was that One Piece has a REALLY BIG fanbase, so there's a little of everything there. :/

[Justin_Case001 4,907]

I think the brohoof system is wonderful and an absolute necessity.  You need a way to be able to say "I agree with this," or simply "I like this," without spamming a bunch of posts just to quote someone and say that.  That would never work.  Hoofs are perfect way to offer support, and many times there's nothing else that needs to be added to a conversation.  It's very important, and it would be tragic if we didn't have it.

 

I've never seen it abused, but it's a bummer that it apparently is sometimes.

[Snow Frostflame 3,568]

I like seeing that someone brohoofed me it shows I said something to make them agree or laugh... but I really don't care about my total number of brohoofs since it really doesn't show much

 

but what they should do is make something so if people don't agree they can show their disapproval without quoting

Edited January 23, 2015 by Snowflake Frostflame

[Tameless 979]

Well I like the "brohoof" system. Sure it lets you know on your profile how many you have recieved, but it should be when someone agrees with you or if they like what you said/post.

 

In my opinion..

[Sazama Ichida 2,367]

They're basically the same as Likes or Dislikes on a site like Facebook for example. And I have to say I for one am glad that I'm so popular here unlike on other sites lol.

[Gernia 691]

I think it is neat because people can agree or express approval through it. I also like how my profile shows many I've received. Some may abuse it, but I think it's neat and has some use.

[Koukatsu 5,899]

Have you ever witnessed the "brohoof" mechanic being misused or abused?

I don't know about misused and abused, but everyone brohoofs for their own reasons.

My criteria changes with my mood.

For example, I brohoofed your post, because it's a good topic for discussion.

I brohoof a lot of posts by @ooBrony, because they're generally deep, thought provoking, and meaningful posts.

And then, you have posts like 's "Who's your favorite member?" post that are just my own vanity.

Or, even posts like @Dsanders' post in "Want to hear your OC's name in Japanese?" that made me crack a smile.

Just today, I was giggling like an idiot at 's post in the "Friday Night Movie" thread.

And I'm sure there are ponies who use it just to give status to their friends post, in a popularity contest manner, though I'm not one, myself.

So, there are too many ways to call the brohoof system successful, or a complete failure, even on our own site.

It's just the paradigm you look at it with that tells you which one it is.

(I say it's wildly successful. )

[RainbowGlass 224]

It can be, for some, a double edged sword - the Brohoof. Personally, I think that it is a good idea. The web is full of what many refer to as "trolls" and folks who make it their goal upon waking up in the morning to sabotage the happiness, progressive discussions and good feelings that occur on forums, comment sections and even video games. 

 

E.g. I was playing War Thunder and an individual (who managed to fly his plane remarkably)  began insulting Christians..relentlessly.  Now, I am not religious, however what he was saying was completely out of line and I believe everyone should respect one another; no excuses. If not, then do what the adults taught you as a child, treat others how you'd like to be treated and if you have nothing nice or productive to contribute to a discussion, do not open you mouth. This fellow was a fine example of what not to be in life, a burden to society. 

 

Here in the forums, the Brohoof is neat in that it is a clear sign of appreciation. Someone obviously agrees with what you've said or admires something about what you have posted. The reason why I myself wouldn't add a "dislike" option, is because if someone clearly has an issue with a post, they should try to approach the matter in a professional way, i.e. discuss the topic with the poster or send them a private message, host a debate, etc. However, if you do not feel incredibly swayed by a post and you only care to insult rather than discuss a topic, move on, ignore it, doing so will not kill you.

 

I believe having a quick and easy solution to showing another your appreciation for something such as the Brohoof is a fine idea. 

[碇 シンジン 27,433]

 

 

If it makes one person feel a little better about themselves, then great.

 

 

That is the entire point of the system in my opinion. I have the tool to make someone happy =) even a little smile it is something special in their day and I can do that.  I don't see any reason why system like this would be harmful.

[Shadow Beam 1,179]

I see the brohoofs just as a fast way to show my agreement with someone in a fast way, without haveing to post anything. It's kinda useful, but not completely needed.

 

I've seen some forums use "reputation bars", those had a better purpose, since people could upvote them or downvote them according to the user behaviour. Sadly, some times people just started downvoting everyone, 

[Sunny Shimmer 259]

I brohoof things that are important or awesome or make me laugh or I agree with or teach me a lesson in some way. I like the ability to give out a brohoof whenever I feel like it. It isn't really for reputation or popularity.

 

:okiedokielokie: No need to limit my brohoof usage since I already limit myself on my own time.

[AmberDust 1,118]

Here in the forums, the Brohoof is neat in that it is a clear sign of appreciation. Someone obviously agrees with what you've said or admires something about what you have posted. The reason why I myself wouldn't add a "dislike" option, is because if someone clearly has an issue with a post, they should try to approach the matter in a professional way, i.e. discuss the topic with the poster or send them a private message, host a debate, etc. However, if you do not feel incredibly swayed by a post and you only care to insult rather than discuss a topic, move on, ignore it, doing so will not kill you.

 

I believe having a quick and easy solution to showing another your appreciation for something such as the Brohoof is a fine idea. 

 

Amen to that. I agree that "dislike" buttons are bad ideas. 

 

 

That is the entire point of the system in my opinion. I have the tool to make someone happy =) even a little smile it is something special in their day and I can do that.  I don't see any reason why system like this would be harmful.

 

People are under the impression that it promotes egotism or something.  They seem to believe that it has  profound psychological effect.

Here: http://forums.arlongpark.net/showthread.php?t=33599&page=7&p=3401958&viewfull=1#post3401958

[spade 88]

I feel like quoting a post just to say:

 

This" or "like" is annoying and the brohoof is a good way to show that you like/agree without the undue extra posts of no real substance that will just get scrolled over.