What's with this "+1" thing?

Off-topic
1

Just stop it! Now! Posts saying “me too” or the like were bad enough, but at least they resembled something you might say in a normal conversation, even if it would instantly mark you out as someone with no opinion of your own. You wouldn’t just say “plus one!” in real life, would you! (Would you?) If you agree but haven’t got anything else to add then you could just nod a bit, maybe even (if no-one else is in the room) mutter “mmm-hmmm” or something.

I have been trying to restrain the urge to have a rant while this phenomenon of irrelevant waste-of-space posts stayed in JC, but now they are appearing in RSU as well I can simply take it no more.

Just stop it, now, or I’ll… erm… have another rant. And that one will be LONGER, and waste even more of your time than you’ve just wasted reading this (not that you’ll have any after having had to skim over so many “+1” posts). So there.

Phil

2

Actually, I say plus one in normal conversations every day.

But you can probably tell that by my post count.

3

Do you have any idea how many plus one responses this thread is going to get? Just to annoy you?
:smiley:

4

Yeah, what Into The Blue said. +2, so there…
Just my $0.02

5

Ok, so maybe I’m just way, way out of touch but I don’t get the + 1 thing at all. Basically when someone posts that as their reply in a thread is it to mean, “Yes, I agree with what was said above.” ? And given I don’t wait TV or movies am I to understand that this term came from a popular movie or TV show originally? Or is it purely a forum phenomena?

6

I don’t generally reply merely to agree with someone unless I feel that I have something to add and so I too find the +1 annoying.

Nevertheless for those who treat these forums like a chatroom it has its logic in that it is quick, concise, clear of meaning, and handily boosts post count.

7

uhm i dunno i sometimes do it but usually quote what i’m agreeing to and try add sommit to the debate… after reading this i might actually stop… uhm…

Its quite nice to say u agree with what someone says. its easy and all. but wotever lol

as for post counts… check your multiple posts on threads JJuggle… i’m sure thats pretty much the same…

8

Ah, but then they’d be +1ing me -1ing their +1ing, the enormity of which will probably make most people’s heads explode. Mwuahahahahaaaa!

Phil

9

I hate it when I’m being dissed in a foreign language.

10

It reminds me of 1984 and the newspeak, “Double plus good this war with Eurasia”.

And a few words from google:

[I] ++Good: Strongly emphasized form of the adjective good in new-speak, the officially sanctioned language of Oceania from George Orwell’s 1984.

Contrast with “Double-Plus Un Good”–
(another NewSpeak term from 1984). In NewSpeak, there is no word for bad or evil, there is only ungood.
Modifiers are also ambiguous. One uses the modifier plus for emphasis, so plus ungood means especially ungood. The most emphatic modifier is double-plus, so double-plus ungood is the worst thing you can say about something.

New Speak (NewSpeak): The central principle of NewSpeak is that it makes it impossible to contemplate rebellion against the state.
In NewSpeak, the word “peace” actually means ‘time of war’, the word “love” actually includes ‘hate’, and when you refer to “freedom,” you are actually talking about slavery. [/I]

11

+1

12

mmm. Yes.

13

+1

That is the first time I have ever done that

14

+1

15

Rant duly noted. I’ve never used +1, but I will stop using it tonite.

Your point is so good that I’m going to give you…

*2

Nah, I’ll circle it…

**2 * 3.141592653589793

Also, rest assured that I’m not posting JUST to agree with you (numerically or otherwise). I have something more to say…

Elephants are mammals, and the largest land animals alive today. The elephant’s gestation period is 22 months, the longest of any land animal. At birth it is common for an elephant calf to weigh 120 kg (265 lb). An elephant may live as long as 70 years, sometimes longer.

16

I like doing it, I dont do it much, but I do it, and i’m not gonna stop.

I only do it when the quote I am agreeing to, I agree with totally. The quote will say everything I am thinking, and I have nothing more to add, so a +1 signifies that I agree and believe with the quote.

Wait, so if I agree with something that means I dont have an opinion? If my opinion and another persons opinion are the same, one of ours gets cancelled out? lol

I probably would say it too, in fact, ill do it today once I hear something I agree with, or find funny, just for you.

There is an ignore list. hint hint

Nope, id rather not. You can keep on ranting, ill just ignore them, which is pretty easy. It will probably be just as easy for you to start ignore the +1 issue.

17

+¾

18

The question though is what is this need to get credit for agreeing with someone else’s opinion.

The point of a forum is to have a discussion and exchange ideas.

If you’re not going to add anything to the discussion you are wasting space.

Are you really that desperate for a pat on the back that you need to “+1”?

19

I dont see it as credit. Its not like when someone does it to me, I get really excited and jump for joy. I just see it as a way that someone is agreeing with, and really doesn’t have much else to say. It would be like if someone quoted you and just typed ditto.

I know what the point is too, I think probably 1 out of 20 of my post will be a +1, if that. And when they are, it usually is followed with just a little more typing to put out other ideas or what I am thinking.

Me wasting space is your opinion. To me, your posts could be annoying, and pointless to me, making you the one “wasting space”. I know there are tons of people who dont mind seeing the +1s, but rather not read through some of your debates, and would argue that you are wasting more space then someone who posts +1.

Pat on the back? If anything, I would like a massage cause I am sore at the moment lol, but no. Putting a +1 is no way for trying to get attention or recognition. Its just quick and simple and works.

EDIT: Not sure how the code got wrapped around in there. =p

20

[this overlaps with some of Jerrick’s points, but I was writing this as he posted…]

Maybe sometimes through agreement (+1) with a cool person, you align yourself with that person, and with that coolness. Or to reap some of the credit for yourself (without doing any work). As if to say (as I think YOU are saying), “Yeah. What he just wrote… I could have written that myself (but didn’t take the effort to do so). I’m just as smart and articulate and capable of making lucid points.” But I don’t think that’s always the case. Not even the majority. People here are better than that.

Expressing agreement carries just as much information as expressing disagreement, except you don’t have to say why.

It’s like there is a form to fill out –

Do you agree?

Yes: _____ No: ______

If no, explain why: ____________________________

This is how conversation goes. It’s good to have your ideas validated. But perhaps this is the better form to fill out –

Do you agree?

Yes: _____ No: ______

Explain why: ____________________________

Do you have a good reason
for posting this? Yes: _____ No: _____

If yes, hit the submit button.

And it’s that last part that is the tricky part. It could be subtle or obvious only to a few posters. Perhaps you agree with someone after expressing much disagreement in the recent past. So, you show your agreement because you want a positive interaction with that person, to temper the recent friction. Or maybe you just like that person. Or maybe nobody else has agreed (or agreed yet) and you want to validate that person’s idea. Or maybe you strongly agree. What if I expressed an idea about MUni and then Kris Holm agreed with me? That agreement carries a lot of weight and is meaningful (coming from an expert).

I’m actually kind of on the fence with this issue. Those are just some thoughts on the matter. It certainly is hip to +1 these days.