What's "Not Useful" ??? (Writing a Good dooyoo Review)

Member Name: TigerTiger

Product:	Writing a Good dooyoo Review
Date:	27/08/00 (129 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Not usefuls when used in the right places can be useful to help opinion writers re-formulate their arguement and make them more useful

Disadvantages: Malicious dooyooers. stop it!

I am increasingly concerned about the use of "not useful" in dooyoo land. I am not merely saying this because I have recieved a few "not usefuls" myself, but also that the more I read, the more I notice them appearing on other opinions that are are actually very useful, useful at least. I am not refering to articles that have been altered in any way either since the rating, instead articles that are in their original format that are classed as not useful. So what is the meaning of "Not useful"??

I have taken "Not useful" to refer to an article that has objectively no use to anyone wishing to make a decision on a product/ service etc. Or on occasion an article that has been so badly written that it is of no use to anyone. These articles are often those few liners by people who are blatently here for the money and not to join in with the doo yoo community and us fellow addicts!

"Not useful" does not apply to an article that you read which does not have personal relevance to you. For example, I have read opinions on kids and parenting, now I do not have any children and I do not expect to have any (fingers crossed) for quite some time, but I can appreciate a well written and useful article for the purpose in question and I will rate it accordingly. I believe you can look at articles objectively and see their worth regardless of relevance.

A more sinister motive may lie beneath the increasing amount of "Not usefuls" and this is more worrying. I think some people are rating very useful articles "not useful" in a bid to gain more attention and thus more readers for their own opinions. By rating "not useful" the opinion may progress further down the list and the raters own opinion may in fact rise up the list. Of course it should only be time before the true worth of the opinions is reflected as we are not all carrying such devious and sinister motives, but
in the short time there may be some gain. This is what really concerns me at present and I think we have to be aware of this.

Of course I appreciate the subjective nature of rating and that no two people are going to approach the rating in exactly the same way, but you can tell a truly bad thoughtless opinion from a well thoughtout and useful opinion.

I would appreciate anyone else's thoughts on this in order to see if I am alone in my concerns, or whether others have noticed this as well.


UPDATE

Seems like I am definitely not alone in this, which is really worrying. There are more and more instances of malicious or seemingly pointless "Not usefuls" as well as even more concerning abuse going on in this site. Why do a minority have to continually spoil it for the rest of us?? STOP IT NOW!

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