Although the vast majority of annony are annoying, the lack of info should generate an even more honest response, since there are no prejudices going in.

Hi Cynthia:

Thanks for asking.

Yes, Trulia will be revamping some of the features on the site. Here is Pete's answer (same as what he sent out in the email to some Trulians);

http://www.trulia.com/voices/Using_Trulia/Pete_Flint_and_Tru…

However, as with any development, it might take sometime and we know how fast cyber time goes!

In the mean time, this is what I personally do after I have participated in Trulia for a while and seen quite a few blogs (in some way, this is a blog) about the subject -

Most of the Trulians prefer to stay positive and giving professional curtsey when giving out TUs (useful) and TDs (not useful).

For a good answer, it is nice to give a TU to say Great Answer, Thank You for Taking the Time to answer this question.

For a bad or not useful answer, I think we also need to use that to make sure we present ourselves as professional on this forum. There are several ways to note that:

Like Patti said, if the answer is not professional, rude, condescending, mean, I will give a TD. For some really bad ones, I will hit the report button to report that entry or even person.

If I disagree with a solution, I usually just state that and give my side of story in my response. In general, just because I disagree, unless it is really wrong, I don’t give TDs.

To be courteous, it is also nice to email the offender via their profile. They might not have thought about some things and will general be very open to other suggestions. Sometimes we have to apologize because we misunderstood.

Some people, unfortunately, do seem to give a one line or two line, not useful answers to run up the numbers - I guess to be on the Top Voice page - we have quite a few discussions about that but they continue to do so. This, I guess, you will have to use your own judgment on whether to flag them or not. Although I think you will find out who does that regularly pretty quickly.

There are other varieties; you can use your judgment.

Best,
Sylvia

Addendum..... I use TU frequently, FYI.

I rarely indicate a thumbs down or up as I don't approve of this system. The times I have used it is when it is blatant self-promotion, obscene or totally off the wall. I really don't under the need for the "Thumb". I think Trulia is responding to the users and consumer by the message they sent out today explaining the upcoming changes underway. Stay tuned!!

Hi Cynthia,

I read your profile yesterday...can't believe you have a grandchild! In your few posts, you have made some great points and excellent observations. Welcome!

As it applies to your question, there are some individuals who will TD a post simply because it differs from their opinon. I rarely TD, but if I do, it is for a solid reason.....such as inaccurate info. I do not TD simply becasue I have a different perspective.

I have seen TD that frustrated me. I really wanted to know who did it, because I thought the action spoke loudly about the person who placed the TD, and I wanted to know the identity. But, it's not worth the energy.

I am reasonably confident in my understanding of the current and future usage of TD, but would not wager bets on it. Please read my disclaimer again, and then read on...... It is my understanding that TD currently have no meaning, except for Trulia to watch and monitor who used TD, when and why. In the future, TD will have meaning, but the source of the TD will be a factor. TD and TU will be weighted, and algorithms will dismiss or minimize activity that is for gaming or frivolous. I am not a programmer and algorithms are not my cup of tea, so I have a hard time grasping how this can or will be done. But, in answer to your question, TD have no purpose.

The fact that they appear are quite telling, though. I have been disappointed when I see a TD bandit go on a rage and goose hunt. It happens, but I can't dwell on it.

In closing, there is substantially more here positive and definitely kinks as Truila and Trulia Voices is still in it's infancy. We can all expect improvements in the future. Currently, I see more benefit than drawbacks.

I look forward to reading more of your posts.

Regards.
Deborah Madey - Broker
New Jersey

Hi Cynthia. Welcome to Trulia Voices. I share your sentiments on the TDs and I have expressed my pholosophy regarding TDs without explanation a few times. I open to constructive criticism and some fellow Trulia RE professionals are doing a really good job at letting others know why they gave a TD. In my opinion, there's actually no need for the TD. Just letting the person know that you disagree and why would suffice. I think the TDs have not real value that I can discern. They mostly serve as a tool to express anonymous disagreement and/or frustration or simply hostility towards certain posters or the Trulia forum as a whole. The best thing to do is to ignore the anonymous TDs.

Cynthia:

Welcome to Trulia!

The CEO of Trulia sent out an email today about several of the issues that have been voiced over time. In the upcoming year I think you will see a different type of TD / TU recording system.

I very rarely give a TD.

The only time I do is if I feel the answer the poster has given is inaccurate information, and I will usually provide an explanation as to why I gave a TD.

I will also give a TD if the answer is blatanly rude, condescending or mean.