The great debate!
This is bigger than the carbon tax & NBN put together!
Some history:
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The Seabreeze forums were started because I'm passionate about my watersports. They are about people helping people. A forum where people get together, help each other, solve challenges, organise get togethers, make friends, and share the stoke.
The red thumbs were provided to give people an extra opinion on a topic. Much like a group of people standing around in a circle, talking, there will be people who raise the eyebrows, shake their heads, or roll their head back laughing - there are many ways of communicating.
Unfortunately, in this SUP forum individuals and groups of people used the thumbs in a negative manner by 'ganging up' on other members, and red-thumbing every post they made, regardless of content.
Businesses, team riders, people with agenda's also used them to show their disapproval of competing businesses, brands & team riders. Essentialy they were being abused. We spent time & money tweaking the system, but to no avail. We rang people, again, to to no avail.
We ran a poll, like this, and the vote was to remove them, so .. remove them we did.
The thumbs were added with good intentions, to make great forums, greater. On the whole, they've been hugely successful, and in the other forums, there haven't been the challenges faced amongst SUP crew.
So now we have another poll:
"Should the SUP forums have red thumbs"
To vote, either write yes or no, or click the thumbs ... both will be tallied after 1 week (20'th)
Let see where this goes!! 
Enjoy .. Lozza
Leave em where they are!
If you have to use the anonymity of a freakin red thumb to criticize someone or voice your disapproval you really should find another sandpit populated with like minded citizens.
Cheers
Sparx
I am all for them, BUT I think it would better if the anonymity was removed.
If you cant remove the anonymity its better as it is.
You made an example of Facebook. On this if you click 'like' it shows you like it. It's popular as it's akin to what you said above, a smile or a thumbs up rather than having to explain yourself.
Some people are sensitive to the red particularly and if you took the anonymous nature away you'd find people respecting what they say via thumb a lot more.
You would note people abusing it and could address it right there on the forum or in private if better suited.
It's a compromise, not sure how hard it would be to code to the site.
My $2.20 Inc GST anyway.
No red thumbs.
Creates a negative vibe on a forum that's purpose is constructive and positive.
If you don't like a post, don't read it - without the need to have a negative reaction / response to a personal dislike.
Now the question has been answered to my satisfaction ( thanks Laurie )
Drum Roll.
I don't care anymore. never really did
I can see Laurie's point tho,how industry people can red thumb the compertion 
If its for the best of the forum,leave them out
Yes laurie steady as she goes.......What!! "vote early,vote often" ( It's a Labor tradition!)
no red thumbs i say
too much negativity already on some forums -
it takes a lot more creativity to post something positive and contributional (its a word - now )
not having Red thumbs them encourages more positive content - which is in the spirit of why you set up Seabreeze in the first place.
The evolution of opposable thumbs occurred in concert with the rapid expansion of intellectual capacity of the early hominids, especially homo-erectus. The SUP forum on Seabreeze has dumbed down humanity to the point where we really should lose all thumbs, red and green.
Dammit, I refuse to be ignored.
What do people think about non anonymous thumbs, red and green??
thank god there's no red thumbs
Get them back or remove them and the green thumbs from all the forums.
Also I saw somewhere that you could have a "karma" bar added to your little profile on the left of your post... like something under your count of posts that'd say a balance of your green and red thumbing.
I like the idea of having the ability to offer my green or red thumb to opinions, that is if I am troubled enough to get up of the apathy couch, but this should only be done with an identity attached and therefore, will validate the thumb opinion expressed
Ditch the thumbs, so people have to speak up about their opinions or move onto the next topic they may want to red in the forum list. This will stop people hiding behind thumbs whether there green or red.
If you bring back the RED thumbs, then you should also make people use REAL Names and contacts.
This works a treat in other forums, ie, car forums etc..
They can still have a funky user name but they have a correct profile form.
Otherwise remove all thumbs green and red. I can't use them anyway being an industry person :) but i'm happy with that.
XX angie
