In a discussion titled “Remove Limit for Voting” under the Feature category with the tag topic-voting, AntiMetaman proposes removing the hardcoded vote limit per category to allow users to vote once per topic regardless of prior votes in that category. They argue this is more flexible and fair, especially since votes are visible outside topics — unlike likes, which are confined to topic views. Stephen counters that voting should remain a finite resource to encourage thoughtful prioritization, suggesting likes as a better alternative for unlimited expression. AntiMetaman clarifies their preference for votes due to their visibility in category topic lists, which likes currently lack. Stephen responds by referencing a plugin that adds a likes column to topic lists, suggesting it could meet the need for visible, unlimited feedback. AntiMetaman acknowledges this as a viable solution, indicating the original goal may be achievable without changing vote limits. The thread highlights a tension between encouraging broad participation (via unlimited votes or visible likes) and preserving the strategic weight of limited voting.
It seems there is a hardcoded limit for the number of votes allowed per category. I want to allow users to vote once for each topic. Thus, it should not matter how many times they have cast a single vote for a single topic in the same category.
It’s too limiting to impose a vote limit per category because then it forces users to unvote topics that they previously voted for to vote for a new topic that they like. The idea behind voting should be to have cumulative votes that stay forever. Then, one can even sort topics in a category by votes.
How can I simply remove this limit so it’s 1 vote per topic?
No the idea of voting is that you have a finite resource and have to decide which matters most. If you want something that can be used on any topic indiscriminately then maybe consider extending likes.
If you can check every mark on a ballot, then all numbers are artificially inflated. In turn the difference in response rates between options is drastically reduced.
Think of a vote as a currency. Encourage your users to spend it wisely.
@Stephen I understand your point. However, the reason I liked “Votes” as opposed to “Likes” was primarily that they could be seen outside of a topic. That is, a user could visit a category and see a topic list, and then see which topics have more or less votes. If I could show “Likes” in the Topic List without having the user visit the Topic to see it, then I would prefer Likes.
Rather, I can only see 3 things in the Topic List - Views, Replies, and Activity. If I could add Likes to that, then would be perfect.
