I got an idea for a method of self-moderation for discussion boards while reading MeFi today. I've often given thought to how message forums on the internet could be improved, with the aim of making more interesting/important messages float to the top while the trolls sink down into obscurity. I do like slashdot's system, wherein random, trusted users are chosen to categorize postings, which readers use to filter the level of "trustedness" they're willing to read.

Anyway, the system I thought up is much simpler. Registered users are allowed ONE message per father posting. However, when they post, they receive a vote for that particular discussion. The vote can be applied to any other user who has already posted to the discussion. In this way, people who write interesting, useful information will receive more votes, allowing and encouraging them to continue posting. People who troll will only be able to post at most one message, provided nobody votes for them to write again.

My original idea was that people are only allowed ONE MESSAGE per discussion, so that people who posted blithe remarks would not get a chance to defend themselves or clarify what they mean. Hopefully it would, over time, force people to actually put some thought and effort into their writings instead of just hacking out the first words that came to their mind. But I like the voting idea more -- it allows for arguments to continue (providing both parties tit-for-tat each other) and promotes popular writers.

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I don't have much to say about my grandmother. My memories are fairly fragmented, can't really picture her that well. I know that she used to carry me around a lot, wrapped tightly to her back. I remember her curly hair and her fondness for sweets. She never really had a good grip of English and I can't recall ever having a real conversation with her. We buried her Saturday morning, a grey overcast day with a light rain. I hadn't expected to cry but I did, when I heard my aunt praying for her through her sobs. It was nice to see all the family together, a rare occasion by any measure.

I went and bought that Plants Vs Zombies game and it was a fun 10 hours or so. I enjoyed the demo and the full game did not disappoint. I guess it falls into that tower-defence genre of games, where you place units to prevent the enemy from reaching its goal. I pretty much like every aspect of the game except the clicking part --- there's so much of it! What is up with casual games that require such intense mouse-work? I guess the good thing about that is that it prevented me from playing for hours on end (though I wanted to) because of all the clicking. Actually, that's not entirely true (the preventing part, as well as the frequency of clicking), but it does get tiresome.

I was thinking, you know, the internet has really opened up to allowing strangers to write their thoughts alongside the author's. And this, for the most part, sucks. Not only because strangers who suddenly find themselves invisible become assholes but also because everyone wants to correct people. Or provide an opinion. Or agree. What is this compulsion to want to add to the discussion or give kudos? Is this some kind of deep instinct that helps verify that we are alive, or maybe it satisfies some social trigger when faced with another person's thoughts? I suspect that this same behavior is also tied to the sharing of links and photos, a desire to spread an experience to others. An evolutionary trait we have to share things we feel are worth remembering or seeing, like how primitive people would recognize foods that would make you get sick. Is this built-in, or have we learned it?

Not that I'm asking people to comment less, if that were even possible.

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2010/08/03 Hwan I won't say that all is well (for I don't believe it to be so), but I am better. Thanks to all for asking!
2010/07/20 QYV Expected range for Creatinine for guys is 60 - 110 umol/L
2010/07/20 llamariffic Hmm, macrocytosis here as well, but to be honest I've had it since before I truly embarked on drinking as a proper hobby. Similarly, stopped drinking entirely, and it didn't go away. Just one of those things, I think.
2010/07/19 girl ack!! It's weird to think that I am now a parental unit. It was nice to see you hwan!
2010/05/21 Hwan I recall trying earplugs well back in my undergrad years, to mixed results. My sleep was troubled by feelings of claustrophobia. I also have a, perhaps unfounded, fear of not hearing the essential alarm in the mornings. However, I may give these another go, thanks.
2010/05/21 llamatron Have you tried sleeping with earplugs? My flat faces out onto a main road, so I've started using the standard foam plugs. It took a few nights to get used to them, but they make a big difference.
2010/05/21 girl The original swedish title: "Men who hate women". I'm not sure if it's the fault of the translation, but I never liked the reporter dude.
2001/03/07 Hwan Damn.. it seems Unweb has since died. http://www.gamegrene.com/node/183
2001/03/07 TY SHARDEL YOU CAN TRADE WITH THE UNIVERSE AND ENABLE SOCIAL NEEDS, OR PERHAPS POST WISH LISTS, HUG THE GLOBE LIKE A BIG OCTOPUS... TY
2010/03/24 Hwan I am amused by the John Irving comparison. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Irving#Recurring_themes