What the forum is missing... [ability to upvote posts]

[ddj]

This forum is much better due to the lack of such mechanisms.

I have way too much respect for the people on this board to support a like or upvote/downvote button.

There is a free exchange of ideas, and good ideas abound.
....
If you have a favorite contributor, click on the screen-name and you can see all their posts
and you could then look through the discussions they have been involved in.

I agree. Here, I value conversations, polyphony, and gems, many of them quite apparent, some found and some yet hidden.

[inky]

I have often wished for an upvote button to be able to silently show my appreciation for a particular post. There are so many amazing gems posted here; I wonder if the posters often have any idea how many people they are impacting with their words. A count of "thumbs up" votes would give them some inkling, at least, and allow readers a chance to express their appreciation and gratitude.

[gkaplan]

I have often wished for an upvote button to be able to silently show my appreciation for a particular post. There are so many amazing gems posted here; I wonder if the posters often have any idea how many people they are impacting with their words. A count of "thumbs up" votes would give them some inkling, at least, and allow readers a chance to express their appreciation and gratitude.

Expressing in words speaks louder than clicking on a button. I can't believe this is an issue for people.

[Sam I Am]

I have often wished for an upvote button to be able to silently show my appreciation for a particular post. There are so many amazing gems posted here; I wonder if the posters often have any idea how many people they are impacting with their words. A count of "thumbs up" votes would give them some inkling, at least, and allow readers a chance to express their appreciation and gratitude.

Expressing in words speaks louder than clicking on a button. I can't believe this is an issue for people.

Yep!

See how easy that was?

Sam I Am

[inky]

I have often wished for an upvote button to be able to silently show my appreciation for a particular post. There are so many amazing gems posted here; I wonder if the posters often have any idea how many people they are impacting with their words. A count of "thumbs up" votes would give them some inkling, at least, and allow readers a chance to express their appreciation and gratitude.

Expressing in words speaks louder than clicking on a button. I can't believe this is an issue for people.

If everyone replied with a +1 who liked a particular post, the discussions would become clogged with such posts. The upvote button is a nice unobtrusive way to achieve the same objective. Why else would so many major sites have implemented it?

[Alex Frakt]

I have often wished for an upvote button to be able to silently show my appreciation for a particular post. There are so many amazing gems posted here; I wonder if the posters often have any idea how many people they are impacting with their words. A count of "thumbs up" votes would give them some inkling, at least, and allow readers a chance to express their appreciation and gratitude.

Expressing in words speaks louder than clicking on a button. I can't believe this is an issue for people.

If everyone replied with a +1 who liked a particular post, the discussions would become clogged with such posts. The upvote button is a nice unobtrusive way to achieve the same objective. Why else would so many major sites have implemented it?

A +1 is not "expressing in words." They also aren't acceptable here, moderators may delete them without notice. The answer is a PM. Quoting myself from an earlier thread on this issue:

So you'd rather posters who totally agree with a post say "Excellent point JackBogleFan123, I completely agree!" That takes up more bandwith than a +1. Hell, this entire thread is taking up more bandwith than a year's worth of +1 comments.

Actually I'd rather that posts that contain no actual information not be written in the first place. If you find a post to be that exceptional, you can always send the person who wrote it a PM telling them so. I'm sure they'll appreciate it and you won't be wasting the time of the 100s of people who get notice e-mails or click on an updated thread only to find nothing new.

[sscritic]

The answer is a PM.

Amen to that (is that enough content?).

I send a PM when I particularly like a post, and sometime I receive the same.

Should I have written +1? No, and I won't now.

[LazyNihilist]

I also think upvoting/+1'ing a post has to do with the mindset or previous experience of the poster in other forums.
If a poster is used to visiting a forum like reddit where you appreciate good posts by upvoting them, then they would feel doing the same here.
I myself am guilty of +1'ing a few posts here.

Upvotes have their benefits and drawbacks, but ultimately it's up to forum admins to decide which direction they want the discussions to go.

[rayout]

http://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/

There's also subreddits on investing, frugality and financial independence. The level of expertise is nowhere near bogleheads though.