Board Thread:Consensus Track/@comment-25075055-20140220185718/@comment-3076045-20140221065927

I would like to say that you don't actually HAVE to give a reason for your voting. You can simply vote, if you want too. (Alternatively, if you really want, do it like Mr Torque... "because... REASONS". (Excessive yelling required for that second word).

But yes, they can simply state support or oppose if they want to do so. It is more for those who are particularly adamant about why they want to vote a particular way, so they have the chance to have their say.

We have that option for that very reason, though - because of the community. There have been several times when I've thought one thing, and then someone has voted the other way. They've given a thought that I had previously not considered, and I have changed my vote (or at least added circumstances to the vote) as a result.

The flaw with Kudos is that there is no way to say who exactly has given the kudos. It is the same problem with main-page votes, but easier to manipulate, due to the lower voting numbers). In the example thread, 13 people supported the idea, and one opposed it. To have the idea opposed, one would, therefore, need only 13 people who like you, on another wiki, and get them to vote in the thread, and then they leave, and you've won the vote. (Despite almost the entire community voting for the first one).

Finally - I think it's important that we keep the option to leave comments on voting as-is. Mainly because it (hopefully) makes people consider their votes before they vote for a certain position. (I mean, I could propose that we change the direction of the wiki to now only include old people who use the internet (Elder ... Scrolls)  - one would hope that it gets voted down, not supported just because y'all like me :P)