We should never be allowed to ignore posters, here's why

[Lebli-wyrmrest-accord (Lebli)]

We originally added this feature as a means for players to assist with forum moderation by upvoting helpful posts and downvoting inappropriate or toxic posts. In practice, however, we found that it was primarily being used for things like downvoting a post simply because they disagreed with it, which was not the intent, and too often led to different opinions getting unfairly buried. Moving to an upvotes-only environment will remove this unintended abuse, while still allowing players to give recognition to posts that have a positive impact on the World of Warcraft community.

While I agree with the intent of this part of what the CMs were trying to do, I also agree with you about the unfortunate side effect this had of making the flagging system turn into the downvote system, including just flagging different opinions in order to bury them. Which is an arguably worse thing as the flagging can cause more damage to a poster with a different opinion than a simple buried post could. Downvote system should have stayed just as a method to prevent that sort of abuse.

If we were allowed to simply ignore posters that we wanted to ignore than many posters would ignore posters due to that poster not having the same line of thought as that poster. The end result would cause an actual echo-chamber, an echo-chamber is the most counter-productive weight that a forum could have.

This is where I have to actually disagree with you. While yes, the use of an ignore feature on the forums can be used to just do exactly that. And while simply not reading is an option, that doesn’t stop issues such as active harassment on the forum. And while flagging someone should in theory be good for this, the limited number of flags per day (to try and mitigate it being used as a downvote system!) can bog down trying to get rid of that.
We have an ignore system in game to prevent these issues, there shouldn’t be a problem just having it in a forum as well.

A number of posters simply cannot be trusted with tools like an ignore feature and still be able to have a forum with healthy discussion.

This can be said of any number of groups of humanity about pretty much everything ever.
“A person is smart. People are blind, panicky idiots and you know it.”
-K

[Infection-kromcrush]

If we were allowed to simply ignore posters that we wanted to ignore than many posters would ignore posters due to that poster not having the same line of thought as that poster. The end result would cause an actual echo-chamber, an echo-chamber is the most counter-productive weight that a forum could have.

Its already an echo chamber. The whole game is. There is a one sided moderation opinion base and its left coast at its core. So yeah ignoring that would be a great option for me. I want an ignore feature so I never have to interact or be bothered by many of the posters on this forum.

[Caevan-moon-guard]

I want an ignore feature so I never have to interact or be bothered by many of the posters on this forum.

This is the main reasoning behind my post. Real discussion would be a rare gem since many players would automatically ignore anyone who disagrees with them.

If you’re worried about having an actual discussion then why do you even post on a forum?

[Verdre-silvermoon (Verdre)]

Actually it’s more likely that the developers of the forums are still working on it.

The problem is, how long has the new forums been around? MONTHS on end. And nothing has changed.

That kind of implies Blizzard sees the forums as extremely low priority. Except there is the fact that the forums DO have an impact on the image of Blizzard. Which with a number of issues lately isn’t exactly in a good light.

[Infection-kromcrush]

This is the main reasoning behind my post. Real discussion would be a rare gem since many players would automatically ignore anyone who disagrees with them.

If you’re worried about having an actual discussion then why do you even post on a forum?

There is no real discussions allowed. SO yeah Id like to ignore those that tend to get away with things whereas someone with a differing belief system would be suspended. Its already an echo chamber and if you cant see that then oh well.

[Uncommitted-khazgoroth]

Many players seem to not be able to deal with those who have a differing opinion.

There are a number of players who hold very different viewpoints than I do but because they are reasonable, I would not ignore them.

(The EVE forums have this ignore feature and I’ve only set two ignores: one, a poster who only seems to post in memes, the other, a poster who is so sure he is always “right”.)

[Lejk-nagrand (Lejk)]

I’d love it, because people would try to pull it on me and just find better credentials than this char has.

Wait. So Wuzeh is an alt? Or are your alts alts?

I would have no such issues. I’m Lejk through and through.

[Wuzeh-wyrmrest-accord]

Only my main for BoD, my main since WoD is my mage, and occasionally I dust off the shaman.

Might try to make survival work in 8.3, though.

[Astrius-dalaran]

a lot of clever people post interesting and helpful things on the forums.

you’re not one of them.

Dude you literally flag people you don’t agree with. You’re not one to speak on the subject.

[Bodo-skywall (Bodo)]

and yet I am.

maybe you should ignore me.

oh, wait… you can’t.

[Astrius-dalaran]

and yet I am.

maybe you should ignore me.

oh, wait… you can’t.

I don’t care because you should speak your mind even if it’s nonsense, I’d rather have that than nothing.

[Katryona-proudmoore (Katryona)]

I really wish I could ignore the OP right now, I mean, I feel my IQ dropping after reading his “logic”.

[Astrius-dalaran]

I really wish I could ignore the OP right now, I mean, I feel my IQ dropping after reading his “logic”.

I see this is what you think of his argument, but can you counter the argument?

[Katryona-proudmoore (Katryona)]

Counter what argument? His entire argument is that we shouldn’t be able to use the ignore function to ignore people because it’s bad for healthy discussion, so we should just ignore people by physically not looking at the discussion…

The logic doesn’t even stand on its own.

[Gaiazhel-bonechewer]

Ive been on “forums” since they were on dial up servers before the web was the web. I dont think I ever saw one that didnt have some way of blocking someone I felt I was trolling me.
the motives of someone making a demand that we be FORCED to read their comments is something Id be more interested in than their comments themselves.

[Caelus-proudmoore (Caelus)]

ITT: “I don’t like that I can’t force everyone to read my bad opinions.”

[Lejk-nagrand (Lejk)]

I mean forum alts! The forums are the real endgame for PvP after all.

[Wuzeh-wyrmrest-accord]

A forum alt with the power to gank my enemies, of course.

[Ugrumag-wyrmrest-accord]

Tl;dr “I can’t take criticism”

[Knathragar-norgannon]

Almost every form of social media or electronic has some sort of ignore function. Why are we arguing against this?

It’s part of the weirdly prevalent insistence that free will in interactions with players, and tools that assist such, “ruins the game”; aka the forced-socialization derangement.