Yesterday I was watching videos with my morning bowl of cereal, and I must have cast a half dozen votes or so before I tried to post a comment and realized I wasn't logged in. The sift now lets non users vote? How are those votes counted?
When I logged in, the video I had last voted up and was trying to post a comment, it re-assigned the vote to me, so I hoped it did it for the rest of the videos I voted for.
Apparently it didn't though because one of the videos I know I voted for is on the top 15 today, and it shows like I haven't voted for it. What happened to all of those votes I cast yesterday before logging in?
When I logged in, the video I had last voted up and was trying to post a comment, it re-assigned the vote to me, so I hoped it did it for the rest of the videos I voted for.
Apparently it didn't though because one of the videos I know I voted for is on the top 15 today, and it shows like I haven't voted for it. What happened to all of those votes I cast yesterday before logging in?
So all those people don't even realize they are going around voting for nothing and they will never sign up because they think their voting counts, so they don't have to.
This is very confusing. How many votes have we lost to people that are voting but are not signed up?
I know I was at a friends place and he voted up a few videos, they showed as voted on his computer but when I got home, I noticed the votes didn't show up. So here he is voting away, thinking he's joining in the fun - But - nothing he does is counting...
Without it, most all lurkers who visit might try to click on a vote arrow and get turned away by a big ugly register box, so their votes don't count anyway. But by offering people the gratifying feedback of a successful upvote, they are much more inclined to be converted to an actual member, adding lots of votes from first-time voters.
There is a message informing non-members that they are able to vote away. Then once they start voting there is a message telling them their votes don't count until they login.
The members who vote while logged out and then never, ever login again from the same computer are undoubtedly few and far between and a non-issue when compared to the enormous new user registrations anonymous voting helps earn.
I'm going to go try it on a new post... (not my own, obviously
I up-voted them and only received a message once - on the first one. It read:
"Greetings! You are not currently logged in, but please don't let that stop you from voting up any videos you like.
It doesn't say anything about those votes not being counted until I register or log in.
Also realizing that if these said votes are being counted on cookies, I know Firefox has a setting, as mine is set, to clear all cookies once I shut the program down so yes, I expect these votes are still getting lost. Even, if after a week of voting, someone is inspired sign up.
I agree with the soft-vote method, I just think a better explanation is needed for the voter so we can get those votes.
Question: Do we have a way of counting all those lost votes?
There's not enough room on that one line to explain that the votes don't count and it doesn't make sense to say that anyway until the user starts voting because it would just serve to influence people not to vote.