Simple Solution for "improving content"
and changing "voting behavior":

Want to Curate and Upvote?
Prove first that you deserve it!

Manual Curation Digest #5

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I'll try to make it brief. Wanted to express this my idea even before, but today a good occasion occurred. I was reading Taraz's recent post and the whole discussion that followed. as usually people are talking a lot about "The Change" - while actually many things suggested, proposed and voiced - are quite contradictory. such as for example, "locking stakes" (for increasing "Passive Income") Vs "Improving Content". I would not talk here about the "Investment" / "Stakes" part, because IMO that is not very relevant and mostly wishful thinking. (system is made as it is on certain purpose, quite unlikely to change soon). also I've already expressed my own opinion there. although have not finished reading all the comments there.

As for another part regarding "improving content" or as otherwise some others call it "change the attitudes" (or "voting behavior"), prevent or minimize (or fight) the "content indifference" and all the variations of these concerns expressed by different people in different ways...

The idea itself is pretty simple:

Remove the Upvote Button from the Links displayed in Feeds Lists!

(all of them: Trending / New / Hot/ Promoted / Personal Feed / Tags feeds, etc)

in other words,

Make Curation 100% Manual: "Upvote" button visible ONLY INSIDE the post

to clarify even more:

Make it IMPOSSIBLE to even see the "Upvote" button at all,

what to speak press it, unless person actually Opens that particular Post (Content) and reads it! that is, make is simply INVISIBLE from "outside" the post (from Feed Lists) - but let it be visible only from INSIDE! only after one actually clicks on the post Link in the Feed - and then opens it and thus at very least Views it. preferably READS it till the end. (I suppose there are ways how to make it possible - like in some websites for Registration one not only required to tick the "Agree" button to be able to proceed - but has to actually Scroll down till the very end of that Terms or Service document - to make that "Agree" button visible to be clicked on)

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And if it is wanted to encourage people to actually READ the content and show that they have really DONE that - some additional measures could be implemented. For example, say, even after Opening that Link - "Upvote" button would still not be visible, unless / until one makes a sensible Comment! :)
The level of how much it is sensible or eligible - can be evaluated by Author for example.
(or may be by some "Moderators", like reputable members of Community - such practice already exists in various Contests such as "Comedy Open Mic" and such)
that would BTW make it sort of "2-ways-Curation", in the sense that Author of post would first evaluate the quality of Comment made, "Aprove" it (his "Curation" part of the deal) as eligible for participation in Curation - THEN only after that action, as a trigger, the "Upvote" button will become Visible for the eligible Curator - who has already actually READ the entire Post and proved it with his sensible Comment (confirmed by Author). THEN only that person can really be allowed to "UPVOTE". NO ANY BOTS would be possible able to do THAT! :D

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If such a method "Curation of Curators' eligibility to Curate" (or Author-Curator 2-ways interaction) it is too complicated to make in the sense that it might be too much work for an Author, take too long time, etc. Then perhaps easier, simpler and faster alternative could be used, say, something like a standard Captcha which is always added on many sites allegedly to "make sure you're Human - not a robot". or some similar Test can be created - some task to perform which no any automated program / bot can accomplish. Certainly can be found various ways for that - if wonderful Devs put their minds to it and really want it to be made.

oh, and BTW compulsory condition to make a sensible Comment (Reply to Post) first - would also motivate people to Generate MORE Content, since COMMENTS are also POSTS ! that would truly show - which Posts (Content) are REALLY HOT / TRENDING. because it would be by the number of COMMENTS, especially APPROVED by Author (as related to the subject of Post) and thus making person who made that comment ELIGIBLE for real-No-BS CURATION - by EARNING the right to Curate that post, Earning to get that "Upvote" button Visible at all - to be able to press it! :D
That's if people REALLY care about "Quality of Content" and about "Quality of Curation" of a Good Content.

Well, at very least, if just simply REMOVE the "Upvote" button from "outside" (from under the Post Links in the Feeds) and make them Visible ONLY "inside" the posts - it would already eliminate a lot of "autovoting" I think (or may be even all?). and would at least encourage people to have a GLIMPSE at the CONTENT itself! that is - what's inside that Post.

Otherwise, how can seriously expect the Change in "voting behavior" and fight the "content indifference" - if presently existing system does NOT require one to even as much as Click on the Post Link to Open it - but allows to press the "Upvote" button just from under the Post Link in the Feed List. Why bother to read anything at all - if anyway the simple action of Pressing the "Upvote" button gives the same result and rewards - as if one would actually bother to READ the entire text, think about its actual CONTENT (the things written, expressed in the text), EVALUATE it - and THEN only decide, whether or not he would want to "Upvote" it.

To me such a solution is the most obvious, logical, simple and even trivial one. I suspect it doesn't actually require a lot of sophisticated coding, "hardforks", linear-sublineal-subterranean or extraterrestrial blah-blah-blah implementations or nerdy stuff. it is just a simple tweak in the UI I believe. JUST MAKE UPVOTE BUTTON VISIBLE ONLY FROM INSIDE THE POST! WHY NOT?

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I mean - that is of course, if someone really serious about making the "Content Improvement", change "Voting Behavior", reduce (or eliminate) "Votes Farming". Which, frankly - I doubt very much. Because after all, neither Content itself, nor its quality, nor "voting behavior" - non of those things are even emphasized as a main goals or focus of the System. As I understand how it is made, maintained and functions (from reading and re-reading whitepaper) - it is totally perfectly ALRIGHT, all the present state of affairs (bot-voting/ farming, don't-give-a-F about Content, etc) as long as "Long-term Capital Commitments" (aka Stakes or Investments in de facto Corporate Bonds) are ensured to remain and be prolonged. And perhaps if some more new Investors are attracted through ever increasing number of oh so wonderful Apps, etc.

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