Visiting worst nodes can be a good way to balance things out. Often nodes in the Worst Nodes of The Day shouldn't be there. For instance while How to use ActivePerl 5.8 on Win XP is not exactly a stellar question IMO it doesnt belong in Worst Nodes. Obviously the author is a bit clueless in a number of respects but that node doesn't deserve to be worst node of the day.

So pop on by Worst Nodes have a look and see if you might have written something like that at one point or another. If you think you might have then donate a vote or two to counteract the downvotes.

Find the good posts you might have missed and give the -- button a rest.

Indeed. I actually use the Worst Nodes to make sure i am not wasting a -- when the node is already -10. Got a node you want to downvote? Check Worst Nodes first and make sure it's not already sufficiently flamed. Want to downvote it anyway? Go right ahead. But please do look at past posts and give them the love they deserve.

L-LL-L--L-LL-L--L-LL-L--
-R--R-RR-R--R-RR-R--R-RR
B--B--B--B--B--B--B--B--
H---H---H---H---H---H---
(the triplet paradiddle with high-hat)

I agree with idsfa100%. But in addition to the benefits mentioned, I have to say that while I spend a lot less time there now, that location has been valuable to me, because it makes this community more real, somehow. All families have their black sheep, all villages their idiots. And some of the people who fill that role outgrow it. It's good to be reminded that Perl is not just about being a technical language, but also a group of imperfect people who use it, some better, and some much worse than others. I think so, anyway.

++ for the thread, idsfa.

Pax,

NovMonk

I don't think there is anything wrong with thinking that Worst Nodes is anything but, well, really bad nodes. It almost seems that you want to make this site even better by pretending that problems haven't occurred, and I don't think that's very healthy.

Besides, if you really want to think of Worst Nodes in a positive light, just think of it the way most people around here do - entertainment! :)

On a side note, I didn't think that Juerd's node added nothing (double negative, baby). He was making an extremely valid point: using something just because everyone else does is a stupid reason to do anything. Please don't -- him? I ++'d him.

++ material indeed. Especially for the "bleat."

In relation to the current suggestion I agree with the points made by demerphq, jeffa and jryan, Worst Nodes as it is serves a valid role in this community. However I have been wondering recently if the visibility of Worst Nodes should become a level power accessible only by Monks of some level and above thus removing the public scoreboard as it is currently used by one or more trolls. I don't have a particular preference for which level should first get the power but I think it should be as low as possible whilst still providing a barrier, the idea is to remove the target, hopefully then the trolls will take up something more constructive or just go elsewhere to play.

The only disadvantage I can see is to the esteemed Anonymous Monk who is very often a valuable contributor to this site.

For a refreshing summertime treat, please try the following lemonade recipe, stolen from another website:

Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed from 8 large lemons (1-1/2 cups)
1/2 cup of sugar, granulated - to taste
5 cups cold well water
1 large lemon, cut into small wedges or thin cartwheel slices
Ice cubes.

In a large pitcher, combine the freshly squeezed lemon juice, granulated sugar and 2 cups of cold water; stir briskly to dissolve the sugar. Add the remaining ingredients and stir briskly again.

Mea maxima culpa, Wassercrats, but I prefer limeade to lemonade and I got my recipie from an O'Reilly book. :-P

For those of you playing along at home, the recipie is:

8 cups     Filtered Water
teaspoon   Honey
to taste   Persian Lime Juice
[download]

I have to admit that I elided my comment that suggested that your worst node was not nearly as bad as this node was good. Even though the two have nearly the same absolute value. Frankly, you don't come anywhere close to sucking as hard as several other monks rule.

Update: If you really want a good lime based drink, try this.

---

A paranom of virtue.

It's in reference to the expression: using the lemons you're handed (sour and unpleasant) to make lemonade (delightful and refreshing). The recipe is nice, though. Taken from a public domain site one hopes.

Wassercrats: I was very offended that I wasn't mentioned in that recent thread about Worst Nodes.
Wassercrats: All that hard work, and no recognition.

You know, in some sick, twisted way, I kinda like the Worst Nodes. It reminds me of my days doing government contracting in DC.

I think you may be missing the value of a bad example. All through my life I've seen individuals do or say something idiotic and thought "Hm. Rich, let's make sure we don't do that." Surely I'm not the only one, and Worst Nodes can be very instructive in that regard.

And to be honest, I don't regard it as a recycling center so much as a compost heap. I might mine it for counterexamples (as in "I think you might be falling into this trap") and the occaisional nugget, but by and large, I ignore it, which is what should be done with things that are useless.