[[help:voting_guidelines]]

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help:voting_guidelines [2012/09/12 15:49]
neil Added quick chart.
help:voting_guidelines [2024/11/12 16:21] (current)
alvian [Inappropriate uses of negative vote]
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 +~~NOTOC~~
 ====== Voting Guidelines ====== ====== Voting Guidelines ======
  
-^ {{http://www.ozbargain.com.au/files/images/vote-up-btn.png}}  ^ No vote ^ Report button    ^ {{http://www.ozbargain.com.au/files/images/vote-down-btn.png}}       ^  +^ {{http://www.ozbargain.com.au/files/images/vote-up-btn.png}} [[help:voting_guidelines#positive_vote|Positive Vote]]  ^ [[help:voting_guidelines#no_vote|No vote]] [[help:voting_guidelines#report_button|Report button]]    ^ {{http://www.ozbargain.com.au/files/images/vote-down-btn.png}} [[help:voting_guidelines#negative_vote|Negative Vote]]       ^  
-| **If the deal is good**   | **The deal doesn't apply to you.**    | **Incorrect Title**| **The deal is not the cheapest available**| +| **The deal is good**   | **The deal doesn't apply to you**    | **Incorrect title**| **The deal is not the cheapest available**| 
-|    | **If you are associated with the poster.**    | **Incorrect Description**| **Defective Product.** | +|    | **You are associated with the poster**    | **Incorrect description**| **Issue with product** | 
-|    | **You are a competitor of the poster.**    | **Out of Stock or Expired**| **Major issues with retailer.**| +|    | **You are a competitor of the poster**    | **Out of Stock or Expired**| **Issue with retailer**| 
-|    |     | **Should be posted to forums**| +|    | **You dislike the OP's avatar**    | **Should be posted to forums**| 
-|    |     | **SPAM**|+|    | **You dislike the RRP of the product (not the actual price)**     | **SPAM**| 
 +|    |     | **Duplicate**|
 |    |     | **Misspelling**| |    |     | **Misspelling**|
-|    |     | **Incorrect URL.**|+|    |     | **Incorrect URL or Coupon**| 
 +|    |     | **Error with Deal**| 
 +===== Positive Vote =====
  
 +  * Vote positive if you feel the deal itself is good, this encourages the poster to share more deals and informs the community about the worthiness of the deal.
  
-===== Current Status of Negative votes April 2012 ====+  * Refrain from voting when it's not a good deal but has a funny picture or coupon, good description, you like the poster or any other element that is not related to the deal itself.
  
-Currently, (individual) negative votes are not actively being removed by moderators. Moderators are tending to let the community revoke a negative voteBy voting negative for the first comment by the negative voteryou are contributing to revoking that vote. Once the threshold of negative votes has been reached for the comment, the vote is revoked.+If you are associated with the poster or company **DON'T VOTE**Friends, familyemployees, shareholders, media relations, developers, contractors, affiliates, marketers and similar are not to vote on related dealsInfractions will lead to account bansstore bans and the post being removed.
  
-However members who ignore the guidelines may still have their votes removed by a moderator, and a link will be provided to this section. 
- 
-Should a member find that through community or mod actions a number of their negative votes on deals, are removed over a rolling 90 day period, then they may lose their ability to negatively vote, until the number of removed votes fall below this date/vote threshold. 
- 
-Please use the following as guidelines to voting using EBAY's feedback system as an example. 
- 
- 
-===== Voting Verses Comments ===== 
- 
-This is to stress there is a major difference here. Comments that are not offensive etc, that express an opinion that might see an revoking of a negative vote, are generally ok and can contribute to peoples awareness. Voting if you read on has different implications on this site.  
- 
-If your vote is revoked and the comment still stands you know that your comment in itself was not an issue 
 ===== No Vote ===== ===== No Vote =====
  
-If the deal doesn't apply to youyou don't like the company, you want to leave a warning for people about the business or deal, you might want to leave **comment** and then not vote.+  * If the deal doesn't apply to you or you aren't interested in the company. You may also choose to leave a warning about the business or deal via a comment only.
  
-If you have any association or relationship with the business or the dealings related to the offer, do not vote. +  * If you have any association or relationship with the business or the dealings related to the offer, do not vote. 
-(eg employee, owner, built the website for them, supplier, in a relationship with someone in the business)+(eg employee, owner, marketer, website developer, supplier, in a relationship with someone in the business)
  
-If you have any association or relationship with a competitor's business or organisation, do not vote.+  * If you have any association or relationship with a competitor's business or organisation, do not negative vote (or negatively comment).
  
-If your reason is purely that you've been asked to vote by someone, do not vote.+  * If you have been asked/encouraged to vote by someone, do not vote.
  
 +===== REPORT Button =====
  
-===== Positive Vote =====+The //Report button// is an additional tool provided to all members to assist in quickly identifying inappropriate posts and comments.
  
-Please vote positive if you feel the deal is goodThis encourages the poster to share more deals as they know its appreciated+The Report button can be found underneath each deal, forum post and commentYou will find a number of reasons that you can choose such as:
  
-If you are associated with the Deal or company **DON'T VOTE**. Friend, Family, employees, shareholders, media relations, developers, contractor, affiliate etc  In other words you are independent from the company or deal.  All infractions may lead to a ban and post being revoked.+  Duplicate 
 +  Sold Out 
 +  Expired 
 +  Affiliate/Referral 
 +  * Illegal/Inappropriate 
 +  * Insufficient Quantity 
 +  * Not Available to Australia 
 +  * Sockpuppeting 
 +  * Spam 
 +  * Targeted Offer 
 +  * Title/Description 
 +  * Other
  
-===== REPORT Function ===== +For more complex issuesuse the [[http://www.ozbargain.com.au/forum/10041|Talk with Moderator forum]].
- +
-There has been an additional tool provided to all members to assist in quickly identifying inappropriate posts and comments. +
- +
-USING the NEGATIVE vote instead of the report function has one side effect that you should be aware of. IF a poster gets more than two negative votes the systemlocks them out of posting again for 5 days. Is this what you want to happen to the poster, when it may just be a simple mistake. +
- +
-This is the REPORT button that can be found just under the NUMBER OF CLICKS that a post hasYou will find a number of reasons that you can choose from like Duplicate, Sold Out, Expired, Spam, Sockpuppeting, Illegal/Inappropriate. or you can write your own.  As well there is the "talk to the moderator forum", where you can discuss an issue in greater depth, and give your reasons for concern +
- +
-For comment, the REPORT function is found at the bottom of each comment close to the REPLY button+
  
 ===== Negative Vote ===== ===== Negative Vote =====
-Many people dont like a deal, and want others to know about some issues they have with the deal, as evidenced by the comments made about a deal when they negatively vote. The IRONY for you to consider is that if a deal gets a number of negative votes, it is removed from most visitors screens. So your considered comments go as well. 
- 
-(However, if there are listing violations such as duplicate, SPAM or sockpuppeting, you can use the Report link, found just under the body of the deal, to let the mods know there's a problem) 
- 
-Negative votes are also appropriate when there maybe something wrong with the product. Eg an automobile accessory that may be cute, but might be against ADR's (Australian Design Rules). Or an telephone product that hasn't passed local approvals. Safety issues 
- 
-Reliability issues are also important to know about. However this comes into a gray area. If it didn't work for you, maybe a post with no vote attached, if you know others have had issues and have seen bad reports elsewhere a post with link if possible and a negative vote is appropriate 
-  
-Negative votes are also limited per day per user. 
- 
-Please do not vote negative just because a deal is sold out. If the title of a deal needs to be updated to reflect the deal no longer available, please use the REPORT link instead for mods to update the deal. Negative votes made for this reason will be revoked by mods. 
- 
-Negative votes do have an impact - new members tend to shy away fearing that their deals may not be good enough. Let the lack of positive votes tell them what appeals without, jumping on them. Also your opinion on what makes a good deal may not fit with the others here, a little encouragement goes a long way to building the information network this site is all about. 
- 
-IF a poster gets more than two negative votes the system, locks them out of posting again for 5 days. Is your negative a repeat of someone else's negative and would a REPORT be more appropriate - that is it gets the mods to remove the post. 
- 
-A negative vote would also be appropriate for cheaper prices elsewhere.  In this case, please include a link or description of where it is cheaper   
- 
-Note: 
-  * auctions, private sales and expired offers are not the same thing as current offers by physical and online stores; don't use these to compare prices 
-  * if it's cheaper elsewhere but won't reach everyone the original deal covered, please mention this but do not vote negative for this reason. Likewise comparing a price to a price from an overseas location, is good to point out, BUT not appropriate for a negative vote.  
- 
- 
-If you want to leave a negative for more than one reason (eg needing a correction + cheaper prices elsewhere), please feel free to list all reasons in your comment.  
- 
-Please use negative votes sparingly and always **REPORT** listing violations to moderators by using the REPORT function, this alerts mods to inappropriate behaviour much faster than your negative vote. And if you feel so inclined still vote negative AND use the REPORT function if its appropriate 
- 
-===== Negative Votes that can be removed by a Mod ===== 
- 
-Please include a proper description of why you are voting negative.  Votes accompanied by unclear reasons or inaccurate reasons may be revoked.  eg +1, yea, as above, agreed, ditto .... ?? etc. If you simply agree with someone else's justification on their negative vote and have no further comments, you can simply not vote and report the deal. 
- 
-Negatives left to ask for corrections to a post are also helpful (eg a condition left out of the title) but may be removed after the corrections have been made, either by the original poster or a Mod 
- 
-In essence the negative vote is a warning. A warning about being a scam, spam, defective product or a better deal exists already. It is not for saying that the price doesn't match some preconceived idea of what a bargain is in terms of percentage off. Postage costs can be negatively voted against, if it takes the total deal over the price of a product that can be obtained from another supplier. But please use common sense, if this other supplier is not national, then while it might be more expensive for some, it may not be for others. 
- 
-Evidence should be provided with the negative post so that members can check this for themselves. If you suspect something but don't have evidence don't negative vote the deal. Use the Report button so the mods can investigate. 
- 
-Votes that do not do pass this warning intent with evidence, can be removed. 
- 
-All the above does NOT stop you from making comments without a negative vote, that other members might find useful.  
- 
-Members who abuse negative voting by breaching the guidelines a number of times may also find they will earn a ban for a period of time. 
- 
-Now we come to the gray areas on Negative voting. To which a MOD may or may not remove a vote.  Note please, these guidelines are here for both regulars and moderators, and moderators are free to revoke reported votes, or are free to ignore them. 
- 
-===== The FUNDAMENTALLY wrong Negative Vote TEST =====  
- 
-If a vote doesn’t meet these we can revoke the vote. 
- 
-We appeal to all members to think about a negative vote and apply these fundamental tests to them first.  While you’re more than welcome to express your personal opinion against a deal, this alone should not be used as a reason to vote negative. 
- 
-1. Is your negative vote really indicating that something is wrong with the deal or the seller. For example these products are prone to failure based on your information- if so then also put your source and where others can verify this. If you cant verify your source, then make the comment but skip the negative vote. 
- 
-2. Pricing is always subjective. A $1 off a $500 item isn’t much of a bargain, but on a $3 item it is. But then again to some a $3 item is junk so anything off isn’t a bargain. So really negative votes purely based on pricing requires caution. Are you imposing your set of values on another in the community? 
- 
-3. Comparing a deal that is now, to a deal that is no longer available. This is not a valid reason. Don't vote at all if you don't like the deal compared to one that was offered last month etc. Yes sometimes the 50c off a pizza, isn’t a “good” deal compared to the regular offerings of $1 off that many Pizza stores may make. In this case leave the deal alone, don't vote, make a comment, but it’s not a valid reason to negatively vote a deal. It's the one that is currently on offer, and 50 cents off or nothing off is a deal that some might want to take. 
- 
-4. If the voter has got the "facts" wrong. Eg XYZ's deal cheaper than this deal, when its not. Saying that at ABC three 300ml Cans for $1.20, is no deal compared to than XYZ's 2 300ml cans for $1.00.   
- 
-Under these fundamentally wrong tests Mods may, but with an explanation when doing so. 
- 
-1. Remove your vote 
- 
-2. Refer your vote to another mod for a second opinion and remove if there is consensus. 
- 
-3. In reference to 2 a mod might make a comment about your vote for another mod to see and make their call. 
- 
-4. Ask you to consider either removing your vote, or give another reason and give you a time frame of at least 3 hours to do this. 
  
-5. If a report has been made about your vote, and the mods have let it stand a small comment about your vote being validmay be made after your first comment. For less obvious cases, this is so the reporter can know the reason why we consider your vote is valid.+ **Purpose:**  
 +  * To let others know about issues with the dealmerchant or product.
  
-NOTE the mods look at your first comment about why you voted negative, they don't go through all the comments you make, so if you are adding to the reason you voted you must add these to your first comment.+ **Result of negative vote(s):**  
 +  * If there are more negative votes than positivethe deal is hidden on new deals page &ampcategories page for visitors and users with default settings. 
 +  * All comments by the user who cast the negative vote are highlighted with a negative vote symbol. 
 +  * If the negative votes are cast against a deal posted by a rep, this will increase the time period between their next subsequent post.
  
-Any vote that is revoked cannot be restored - that is a limitation of the system.+ **When negative votes are revoked:** 
 +  * The community casts a number of negative comment votes to any comment by the user casting the deal votes. 
 +  * A moderator deems your vote to be invalid as it doesn't conform to voting guidelines (see below for a list of inappropriate negative votes that moderators will revoke). 
 +  * You are a competitor to the business the deal is for (this will also lead to account and/or store bans). 
 +  * If too many negative votes are revoked for user, this will result in the loss of negative voting abilities for up to 90 days.
  
-MODS don't like having to remove votes, we like the system to be self regulating where possible, so mods will tend to give people the benefit of the doubt, but understand that there is plenty of grey area here, we may get it wrong, either way.+ **If you spot an invalid vote (from the below list):** 
 +  * Use the //report// button to notify a moderator (see below for a list of inappropriate negative votes that moderators will revoke). 
 +  * Try not to take negative votes personally.
  
-Mods want people to share deals, that gives more opportunity to others here and they can make their own assessments if a deal is good for them+===== Appropriate uses of negative vote =====
  
-===== Examples of negative Votes that MAY be removed by a Mod =====+  * Cheaper price elsewhere 
 +    * Ideally, mention store, URL and price include shipping (if applicable).
  
-To assist in understanding, examples will be added here, over time. +  * Issue with product (For example:) 
 +    * It does not work the way it should 
 +    * It has been recalled
  
-Examples follow.....+  * Issue with retailer (For example:) 
 +    * Previous purchases were not received or the shipping time exceeded what was expected[[https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/1636553/redir|Example 1]] [[https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/1635636/redir| Example 2]] 
 +    * Issues arose which were not rectified in a satisfactory or timely manner.
  
-Not a bargain.+===== Inappropriate uses of negative vote =====
  
-Agree+**Any negative vote that falls into the following reasons will be deemed invalid and revoked by a moderator. Negative votes for other reasons will not be removed.** 
  
-SPAM+  * No attempt to explain a negative vote. 
 +     * Because the purpose of a negative vote is to let others know about issues with the deal, the merchant or the product, we require that you explain the issues in an accompanying comment.
  
-dont like the deal+  * Negative votes accompanied by these trivial comments and no explanation are invalid: 
 +     * "Not a bargain", "What is this" 
 +     * "Agree", "Same", "Ditto" 
 +     * "SPAM" 
 +     * "don't like this deal", "I don't think it's a good deal"  
 +     * "No deal", "Not a deal", "How is this a deal" 
 +     * "No Thanks" 
 +     * "Not much of a bargain", "A mere promotion" 
 +     * "Advertising", "Marketing" 
 +     * "Weird looking website" (Nothing to do with the deal
 +     * "What's good about this" 
 +     * "This is an awful deal" 
 +     * "Here for the comments" 
 +     * "Meh", "Yeah, nah" 
 +     * "Commenting just so I can neg" 
 +     * "Neg" 
 +     * "lol" 
 +     * +1 
 +     * ? 
 +     * Emoji
  
-Its not available to everyone (ie only some)+   * Problems with incorrect and missing information in the deal title and description are resolved by editing the deal post. Negative votes are inappropriate because these problems are not issues with the deal itself, the merchant, or the product. The following list of common problems should be [[https://www.ozbargain.com.au/wiki/help:voting_guidelines#report_button|reported to the moderators]] for revision. 
 +     * Request price in title. 
 +     * Request shipping cost. 
 +     * Request mention or removal of RRP. 
 +     * Complaint about SPAMMY title. 
 +     * Complaint about misspelling and bad grammar. 
 +     * Incorrect deal link or coupon. 
 +     * Request //Freebie// tag. 
 +     * Request //Targeted// tag.
  
-I dont think its a good deal (Doh thats what the negative vote says - the comment is meant for an explanation of why it is a bad deal)+   * An issue with the poster. 
 +     * Disliking poster's avatar. 
 +     * Disliking poster's comments or deal descriptions. 
 +     * Disliking poster's username.
  
-"Ditto" "see above" etc - Well its already got a negative vote, for that reason, its not popularity test so no need to vote againAnd if you feel that strongly that you need to, then it shouldn't be hard to explain whyAgain understand what negative votes are used for+   * Deal expired or product out of stock. 
 +   * Duplicate deal. 
 +   * Should have been posted in forums or competitions. 
 +   * Pointing out that the product is [[http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/118238|grey import]]. 
 +   * Requiring Facebook/Twitter to access deal.