Little stars

[MargeB]

What are these little stars for beside answers? Do they mean: 'You're entitled to your opinion, but I disagree with you and want to shape the reading of the postings?' or 'Thankyou' or something else?

[VINNY100_2]

Its Medication Time!! (:) lol.

[Lillabet]

They mean whatever the questionner wants them to mean.

I've been on threads and given the answer they were after and got no stars.
On others people seem to award them on how close to their opinions you are.
On another recently both I and someone I totally disagreed with got given 3 stars.

So maybe they can be seen as some sort of personality test which tells us all about the person doing the asking...

[MargeB]

Thanks guys. I can't see 'report this answer' beside vinny's post. Does this mean someone has already reported the thick freak?

[netibiza]

margeB - you are having us on!!! You've been on this site longer than I and you surely know.

[MargeB]

Hi Neti,

Well, not really. I know what they're 'for', ie you just give someone some stars for their reply, but really...what is the point in that? To let the reader know which posts to read? Surely if someone asked a question they did not know the answer or respected people's 'take' on the debate, in which case...how are they armed with information that allows them to judge which is best? If they knew enough to know that, no point in asking. I've seen a couple of perfectly valid responses which were '1 starred' because the questioner simply took a different view from the respondent'! And personally, I hate giving them out, except maybe as a 'thankyou'. I hate to 1star anyone, don't see the point really.

[netibiza]

Oh margeB you think too deeply for me. I never really thought about the in's and out's.

[MargeB]

It gives rise to star wars. And we don't want that <troubled breathing>

[MargeB]

This is a perfect example of what I'm talking about: http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question116742.html

[acw]

A star is a way of thanking people who prefer not to post thank you as an answer either because:

1. They are too lazy
2. The don't have time
3. They don't want to get ANOTHER email telling them they just posted.

I award stars differently depending on the nature of the post.  That said, I've never considered it that deeply.  I haven't looked at your link... but here's my guess..... WIND FARMS!

[acw]

Thanks for the stars.  That's the REAL use for them.... making other people smile! :-) ***

[netibiza]

where are my stars then margeb???

[kempie]

acw suggests that stars may be a substitute for 'thank you'.

Rarely do I see either in response to my answers. I do not seek 'stardom' but a simple acknowledgement would be nice.

Are my expectations too high?

[kempie]

btw I'm preaching to the choir here. My intention is not to imply that anybody who has posted in this thread has ever 'snubbed' me.

[Octavius]

For goodness sake, if someone posting a question wants to put stars then that is up to them.  Usually if a person is looking for something particular and another person gives them the information they are seeking or a good link, then they deserve 3 stars.  If it is an open debate then you can say whether you agree with them or not in a post, not by stars.  Some people give stars just for a response.  Who cares, they don't actually mean anything anyway, just a little pat on the back, or acknoledgement from the questioner.

Margeb sorry to be blunt, but you sound like a right whinger!