A like button, reactions, and/or other variations on the topic are a contentious and much discussed topic.
We presently have this functionality turned off, while we carefully review all the options and evidence and try to work out a way that the community can benefit from the introduction of something of this ilk that will result in a better community experience and make finding good content easier.
We presently have this functionality turned off, while we carefully review all the options and evidence and try to work out a way that the community can benefit from the introduction of something of this ilk that will result in a better community experience and make finding good content easier.
The benefit of the functionality is the ability to provide feedback where you normally wouldn't as an actual post wouldn't be warranted, or is frowned upon as injecting noise due to a lack of substance in the post. It also lets the person who posted know that people are consuming and appreciate what they're posting where they'd normally receive little to no feedback at all. A large percentage of my posts on other forums do not have any replies, but a high number of reactions. Had that feedback been missing I would've stopped posting on those subjects long ago. The only potential downside I've seen are people who tend to be 'like' happy, and seemingly 'like' a large percentage of posts.
On another forum that migrated there was a vocal minority that attributed the 'like' button to Facebook, and ultimately the fall of civilization, as if everything that's wrong about Facebook is due to the 'like' button. I also noticed that in a few weeks' time they were more than happy to use it.
I honestly cannot find any real reason for contention with this functionality. If someone doesn't want the functionality, they don't have to use it. If they don't want to know if someone has reacted to them, they can turn off the alert. I participate on a handful of other forums that have this feature enabled and I've yet to see it do anything but enable feedback where there wasn't any before, and to drop the noise a bit.
What are the concerns?
On another forum that migrated there was a vocal minority that attributed the 'like' button to Facebook, and ultimately the fall of civilization, as if everything that's wrong about Facebook is due to the 'like' button. I also noticed that in a few weeks' time they were more than happy to use it.
I honestly cannot find any real reason for contention with this functionality. If someone doesn't want the functionality, they don't have to use it. If they don't want to know if someone has reacted to them, they can turn off the alert. I participate on a handful of other forums that have this feature enabled and I've yet to see it do anything but enable feedback where there wasn't any before, and to drop the noise a bit.
What are the concerns?
I respectfully disagree with either a like or dislike function, which wouldn't be useful to me as a poster. A "dislike" with no reason behind it would carry even less value than a "like."
One of the things I have appreciated over the years is that diyAudio is a moderated forum and not yet another social media site. I would like to see it stay that way. Sorry.
One of the things I have appreciated over the years is that diyAudio is a moderated forum and not yet another social media site. I would like to see it stay that way. Sorry.
Fairly obvious that strongly negative reactions could be used that way, and is likely why they aren't implemented anywhere. The only negative reactions I've seen in XF are 'sad' and 'angry', but no 'dislike'. I've just not seen the normal reactions of 'like', 'love', 'haha', 'wow', 'sad', or 'angry' do anything but allow interaction that normally wouldn't exist.
So maybe some scar tissue from a misguided past implementation, and an unfounded fear that a like button will somehow turn a forum in to Facebook? Any substantiated feedback of XF reactions being used for evil on another forum?
I rarely found the thread ratings useful. Better threads tend to be long by their nature, and I always found it difficult to find parts that were worthy of the rating, and for many why it had a high rating in the first place. Too broad of a net in many cases, IMO.
I suppose one's position on this issue boils down to why they come to diyAudio in the first place. Although I will weigh in on a topic occasionally (we all do), I don't come here to write "opinion pieces." I come here to ask a technical question, or to try to answer one. This gives me an opportunity to tap into the collective expertise of the forum members while sharing some of my own. Whether someone that I don't know and never will "likes" or "dislikes" those kinds of posts means nothing to me but if someone has something useful to add (or a correction to make!) then let them post that information. That's useful, whereas a "like" or "dislike" is not.
With that said, I'll bow out of the conversation.
With that said, I'll bow out of the conversation.
I don't think 'dislike' was ever on the table, and I'm certainly not advocating for it. It's an irrelevant confounder that feeds FUD.
I take your point, but that's you, as you've said. While you don't think you'd find it useful, would the presence of it ruin your day? We're talking about one button and a small banner on posts that have reactions.
Otherwise people are saying because they don't find it useful, no one should find it useful, and therefore we shouldn't have it. I do not think that's what you are saying - I'm just making a point.
I've advocated for a number of XF functionality that was disabled or not implemented here for some reason. Some because I find it useful, but a good bit because I know others find it useful regardless of its utility to me, as people discover, consume, learn, and interact in different ways.
While I personally don't feel that the "like/dislike " feature does much for meaningful contributions(outside of product development ideas perhaps) , and sometimes gives a false confidence, or perhaps a lack of "likes" result in the opposite, I also feel like there are some meaningful "reactions" that could be implemented.
Perhaps an "interesting thought" or "I'm interested to follow " icon.
Just shooting from the hip here.
Perhaps an "interesting thought" or "I'm interested to follow " icon.
Just shooting from the hip here.
“Likes” serve a decluttering purpose for registering agreement and that alone is worth a trial. It can also provide a bit useful feedback. For instance, if I am seeking a schematic for a piece of equipment or a solution to a troubleshooting problem I am having and find that there already exists a thread containing a post with what I am seeking, “liking” said post serves as a roadmap for others who may be having the same difficulty.
It also allows people in the present to interact with posts in the past without bumping the thread unnecessarily.
On the other hand, badges for posting achievements or likes garnered do not strike me as particularly useful.
It also allows people in the present to interact with posts in the past without bumping the thread unnecessarily.
On the other hand, badges for posting achievements or likes garnered do not strike me as particularly useful.
It is valuable to me if only for the fact I use it to track my progress in a thread. I usually like most posts so searching for my last read post is easy. I think it would be especially valuable here with the 1000+ post threads.
BTW who cares if you get liked or not. Not me. Also give your community a little credit for being competent, courteous, adults. It’s one of the reasons I’m here. A like button is not the end of the world. . .
BTW who cares if you get liked or not. Not me. Also give your community a little credit for being competent, courteous, adults. It’s one of the reasons I’m here. A like button is not the end of the world. . .
Like
I'm in favour of a 'like' button for those exact reasons. You could label it something other than like if you wish. One newspaper I read uses "respect" instead of like. Other possibilities could be "useful", "thanks", "informative", "kudos", etc.
OK, so someone might 'like' every post by one member. So? I don't see the problem.
As long as there's no way to 'dislike' or 'down vote' I'm good. I've seen that turn nasty elsewhere. Based on previous conversations with various people here I gather nobody is considering down votes, so all is well.
Tom