If people give a deal a thumbs down they should explain why

Make it mandatory if you give a deal a thumbs down to have to explain why. Otherwise it does not help. Most want to know why a thumbs down anyway.

While I agree many should explain their thumbs up/down, it would generate a ton of spam in the thread.
Can you imagine this?
TD, doesn't work
TD, not cheap enough
TD, you can get it <shameless plug for his/her own thread> for better
TD, sucks
TD, crap
TD, no deal

Quote from i4ybrid : While I agree many should explain their thumbs up/down, it would generate a ton of spam in the thread. Can you imagine this? TD, doesn't work TD, not cheap enough TD, you can get it <shameless plug for his/her own thread> for better TD, sucks TD, crap TD, no deal

No it should be a intelligent response one with backing not just a flame cause they do not like said company or what not. Seems thats what the thread is for to discuss the good and bad of a deal. Spam is gonna be spam whenther you thumbs up or down a product. They should not be able to thumb down a deal without a reason and it should show the thumb down in there response.

That way we can try to eliminate the fanboys and whatnot.

I don't think it can be done. And as i4ybrid pointed out, those would be the most popular reasons given.

Quote from kel_be : I don't think it can be done. And as i4ybrid pointed out, those would be the most popular reasons given.

I disagree, I believe less people would thumbs down a deal if they had to actually comment on the deal itself. And if its spam your worried about why? You have the OP and others creating more than if the person just stated why.

How often you see posts asking why the thumbs down and then everyone guessing. See where it could be handy. Maybe even less spam that way.

My own opinion won't be popular, however I still think it's one of the few answers that might actually work.

I think the site should just take out the users ability to thumb down any thread and leave only the thumbs up option. I'm sure most people will say that is silly, however, think about it. Sure, a couple thumbs up could just be your buddies giving you the false thumb ( rah rah thumb) for support on only a so-so freebie or deal. However, for the most part, a deal or offer is usually really a pretty good one if it get many thumbs up.

However, those can quickly be reduced by only one bad tempered member with a couple of alt accounts who comes around everytime their "target" posts a thread and thumbs it down out of spite, not because the deal sucks, but because they hate the thread poster or may even just hate a company listed in an offer. And requiring a "reason" for a thumbs down, no matter how they are phrased or limited just will not work to stop the thumbs down bandits as, if all else fails and they have only a limited amount of choices, they will just click on any of the reasons, because what difference does requiring a reason make when all they really want is the ability to give a thumbs down?? They will just laugh, lie like hell, and give a bogus reason that doesn't even apply, just as long as they still get that little boner they need in order to feel good, the buzz that only comes from thumbing down a thread posted by a person ( or about a company ) they hate.

For instance, say I truly despise _________ ( insert user name) and if I'm a crappy and low enough person to want to get even then I decide to thumb down every damn thread ________ posts. Now say I'm required to give a reason in order to give a thumbs down, and there is even just a set of options limiting what I am allowed to use as a valid "reason". Think I'm gonna care?? Nope. If I'm that nuts with getting my licks in, then any reason will do whether it applies or is true or not. Are they gonna make me prove it if in the case of a DEAL, if I click on "I can get it cheaper"??? And in the case of a freebie thread, am I going to ever be asked to prove it if I click as my reason "link doesn't work" ( since at the time I voted it actually might not have, I could then say, if asked ) or "freebie doesn't come"?? Nope, can't force someone to prove anything, so people who are bent on giving a thumbs down will just choose any old reason. They still get to give the thumbs down. See what I mean??

That way if no thumbs down were allowed, with the only choices being nothing... or a thumbs up, then a person would have to comment in public in the thread in order to give the offer a bad rating and not many of the truly nasty thumbers downers are willing to come out into the open that way, at least not on a grand scale the way they can with the thumbs down ability.

Think about it for a minute...when you vote in a Presidential election...are you given the option of a BAD VOTE against a candidate or just the option of voting FOR him or NOT voting for him at all?? Likewise, you can indeed vote for ( rate ) a candidate by casting your vote FOR him, but not AGAINST him. You can only choose to go vote for someone else, but not cast a negative vote against him. If negative votes were allowed in political elections, and not just "yes" votes, or voting for another candidate, then the negatives could easily cancel out the yes votes and a good man go down for no reason. Same goes for threads here.

Just my opinion.

Quote from clothos1964 : Think about it for a minute...when you vote in a Presidential election...are you given the option of a BAD VOTE against a candidate or just the option of voting FOR him or NOT voting for him at all?? Likewise, you can indeed vote for ( rate ) a candidate by casting your vote FOR him, but not AGAINST him. You can only choose to go vote for someone else, but not cast a negative vote against him. If negative votes were allowed in political elections, and not just "yes" votes, or voting for another candidate, then the negatives could easily cancel out the yes votes and a good man go down for no reason. Same goes for threads here.

it's true...good example.i like it.//