Am I the only one who doesn't care for the Like Button?

[Pawz4me]

I was the one who said cliquey (sorry Word Nerd!). I feel that certain people on this board use it that way. When the likes went invisible I got significantly less of them which I found interesting. If I were a web designer I would have an "I Agree" a "That's Awesome" and the quote features. I also wish there was a way to find out why someone likes my post. I can currently see 4 reasons to like my post, and if I say something about a curriculum or life decision I would like to know what about it draws people's attention. It might help me make a decision.

 

Not on this thread. I get to claim that, umm . . . honor. ;)

 

And I made it even worse by typing it as "clique-y."

 

In my defense, it was 5:30 a.m. and I'd barely had a few sips of coffee.  That's my defense and I'm sticking to it. ;)

 

However, I will admit that I don't think the word "cliquish" would have come to me even in an alert, highly caffeinated state.

[Catwoman]

Where was the option

 

â—¦ I live for likes & obsessively check my notifications to see if anyone liked something I wrote because some days it's the only validation I get

 

?

 

(asking for a friend...)

I liked this post, but it wasn't enough.

 

So now you'll get notifications that you were both liked and quoted. :)

[Catwoman]

I love it. I felt so lost when it disappeared for a while.

 

Once in a great while, it feels like people gang up or ostracize someone using the like button, which is not cool. But generally, it seems like an easy way to help someone feel heard and to signal agreement more easily than quoting and agreeing.

Same here.

 

When it temporarily disappeared, it was a nuisance having to wade through all of the "I agree" posts -- not to mention feeling I had to post to agree with so many people instead of just clicking on the like button.

[hornblower]

Yay, went away for a bit & came back to a bunch of notifications aka little dopamine squirts  :lol: !!!

 

squirt, squirt, squirt. No wonder some of us are addicts....

[Catwoman]

Couldn't help liking your post. ;-)

But did you like it because you agreed with her or because you like to like posts with your like button? ;)

[BrookValley.]

I like the like button and use it every single day to provide agreement, 'I hear you', and virtual support.

 

I don't care if other people return the like or not - I'm not liking them to get friends.

 

To me, it's the virtual equivalent of a nod of recognition, agreement or 'I'm listening' you have in an real life conversation.

 

I would not be happy if the likes disappeared.

 

This nicely sums up how I feel as well.

[unsinkable]

Yeah, it's funny...some of the nastiest posts, with most likes, end up getting deleted.

 

Not clique-y at all. :glare:

 

 

If I start a fun thread, I try to like at least one of everyone's posts that participates. Kind of like saying...hey, thanks for stopping by and chit-chatting.

[Pam in CT]

I like the like button and use it every single day to provide agreement, 'I hear you', and virtual support.

 

I don't care if other people return the like or not - I'm not liking them to get friends.

 

To me, it's the virtual equivalent of a nod of recognition, agreement or 'I'm listening' you have in an real life conversation.

 

I would not be happy if the likes disappeared.

 

and also,

 

"tee hee -- "click-y" -- now, that is some kind of funny!"

 

and also,

 

"Y'know, I've never thought of that issue in quite those terms; thanks for widening the lens a bit for me..."

 

and also,

 

"I actually don't agree with that at all, but you've framed it really succinctly and it's fun to chase the source of our divergent views down..."

 

 

For me, it's essentially a way to connect in a virtual conversation the way we'd use non-verbal language, or murmurs of assent or surprise or encouragement, if we were sitting in the same room.

 

The only time I wish for another kind of button is for when I'd like to express sympathy.  "Like" doesn't do it for me, when a person is conveying grief or illness or other types of disasters.

[Firefly]

You can if you Like a snarky/nasty comment that's directed at another poster. It does happen.

 

 

Yes that's true- I have seen it happen.  I do think the profile stars were worse... it felt more personal somehow, like the person had to take the time to visit the profile page just to kick you in the shins or something.  And you don't even know what it was about, or who did it (unless you have the last few visitors function activated... then it doesn't take much to figure it out.)  At least if a cruel comment is liked the person can't hide behind anonymity.   But yeah, neither is very kind.

 

I still like the Like, though.

[poppy]

I was the one who said cliquey (sorry Word Nerd!). I feel that certain people on this board use it that way. When the likes went invisible I got significantly less of them which I found interesting. If I were a web designer I would have an "I Agree" a "That's Awesome" and the quote features. I also wish there was a way to find out why someone likes my post. I can currently see 4 reasons to like my post, and if I say something about a curriculum or life decision I would like to know what about it draws people's attention. It might help me make a decision.

 

I don't understand why anyone would bother to like anyone else's posts if likes were invisible?   If no one knew you did it, what would be the point?

[poppy]

I think most people do only 'like' people they like though.

 

My extensive research reveals that most likes comes from people I've already liked, sometimes copiously, some come from people who are not 'friends' but who are obviously in agreement with particular ideas or issues or like the thread or whatever - it's specific to the thread/post - and lots of posters either never 'like' or will never 'like' YOU, regardless of whether you like their posts.

 

I think avatar-blind 'liking' is less common that avatar-aware 'liking'.

 

 

People who like you or your ideas click the button on your posts, and haters gonna hate.  I think that would be equally true with avatar aware and avatar free posters, right?

 

I'm sure there are sub-friendships here, and Facebook spinoff groups, and people who know each other in real life, and people who have mentally blacklisted other posters for petty reasons, whatever.  That's true of any board.

 

[SKL]

I think most people do only 'like' people they like though.

 

My extensive research reveals that most likes comes from people I've already liked, sometimes copiously, some come from people who are not 'friends' but who are obviously in agreement with particular ideas or issues or like the thread or whatever - it's specific to the thread/post - and lots of posters either never 'like' or will never 'like' YOU, regardless of whether you like their posts.

 

I think avatar-blind 'liking' is less common that avatar-aware 'liking'.

 

Some of us are stingy with our likes - whether we like a poster or not.

 

I will like a person I often argue with, if I'm proud of him/her for making a non-partisan comment.  :)

 

I don't "like" everything I agree with here.  I would be liking all day.  I feel the effect would be watered down.  Though on facebook, I have a policy of liking everyone's kid photos.

 

That said, I enjoy receiving "likes."  So I guess I am just really selfish.  :P

 

[Arcadia]

I don't understand why anyone would bother to like anyone else's posts if likes were invisible? If no one knew you did it, what would be the point?

It still shows up in notifications of the poster. For example if someone post a birth announcement, the poster still gets the like notifications without the thread becoming don't know how many pages long (not that I mind).

[8circles]

Just wanted to say that Negin, I like you. I wish you posted more. :)

[SparklyUnicorn]

I always thought the profile stars was a weird feature.  Nobody here knows me IRL (except for one recently-joined member), so nobody has sufficient accurate data to "rate" me.  I could be a ring-tailed cat typing posts, for all you guys know! 

 

I'd give extra stars for a ring-tailed cat who can type posts.

[Little Nyssa]

I noticed you can see how many of your posts get liked. My likes-to-posts ratio is about half. I was pleased with that til I saw some of us have a much higher ratio!

[poppy]

Not true for me.

 

There are people I have had frequent run-ins with on this board. I will still 'like' one of their posts if I happen to think it's a good post, or makes an interesting point.

Right me too. I have even liked your posts! (Honestly, though off topic , I am a fan )..... But my point is, people like your posts if they what you wrote. You like posts if you like what someone else wrote. It's how it's supposed to be.

[MeghansMom]

I am new here, hardly post and belong to no cliques. I love the like button. People here quite often say things better than I could and I like being able to hit like in agreement. I hate having to weed through a ton of agrees, too much clutter!

[Serenade]

The like button helps me to feel like I belong, even though I don't post all that much.

 

I never feel an obligation to like a post, and one of my favorite things to do is "like" a post from someone who I've previously disagreed with.  It's so cool to me to find commonalities. 

 

The "like" button is also so useful when you want people to know that you responded to their posts.

[Barb_]

Speaking for myself, the likes save me from feeling like I'm just releasing little clouds of thought into the ether. Prior to likes, if no one quoted my post or debated it, I thought it was a glance and scroll situation. It's nice to know when people are silently nodding.

[GailV]

The like button is one of the things that makes the annual college acceptances thread feel like a giant party :party:

 

I go through and hit "like" on all the acceptances as a virtual way of throwing confetti, blowing noisemakers, and handing out balloons.  

[GailV]

Where was the option

 

â—¦ I live for likes & obsessively check my notifications to see if anyone liked something I wrote because some days it's the only validation I get

 

?

 

(asking for a friend...)

 

Well, oops, I stopped liking your posts because I thought it was getting weird and stalkerish, like I was following you all over the board.  

 

I generally don't check to see who liked my posts, but I worry that other people will see that I've often liked their posts and think I'm being creepy.  This probably makes no sense, now that I think about it.  

 

Certain people tend to show up in the same threads that I tend to open and read -- our kids are near the same age, interested in the same things, whatever. For example, the sub-group of people on WTM that have many thoughts on pocket pets is relatively small.  So it makes some sense that some of us tend click "like" more on certain people than on others.

[zoobie]

On the mobile version on my iPhone, I can't see if others have liked a post. It only shows whether I have; gang mentality of liking doesn't happen for me. When the likes disappeared, the check/X button was gone, so there could have been fewer likes because people on mobile versions were unable to click the check.

[Pam in CT]

Blink.  

 

"Pocket pets"?

 

(I *heart* WTM....)

[hornblower]

Well, oops, I stopped liking your posts because I thought it was getting weird and stalkerish, like I was following you all over the board.  

 

 

Unbeknownst to you, I noticed & said what, what have I done to GailV? Why doesn't she like me anymore? Was it something I said? What happened?

 

And I sobbed and had to console myself by taking the rats out & letting them run inside my sweatshirt & kissing their little noses and smooshing their little bellies...

 

But I'm over it now.

 

 

:lol:

 

FWIW, I do follow people all over the board. I frequently read the board that way. I just go to someone's profile page & check out their content. I guess I'm a wtm stalker.

[IsabelC]

The recent multi-quote thread (one of many, I'm quite sure) got me thinking about the like feature. I've never cared for it, as you may see from my posts on that thread. I think it's a bit clique-ish as Slache mentioned. This is what I said about it:

Too Facebook-ish. I don't know. It just doesn't seem as genuine and as caring as the multi-quote feature. Yes, yes, I know. They serve different purposes. But let's be honest here. I'm sure that many of us feel rather compelled to hit "like" when someone else likes our post  :blushing:. It reminds me a bit of the star rating that we had for each of our profiles, which I thought was awful and silly, rather junior-high-school-ish, IMHO. Every day I wish that multi-quote would return. I also tell myself every day to stop hitting "like", but I find that hard to do   :lol:

 

Thoughts? 

 

As far as giving Likes goes, I can honestly say I never feel "compelled" to like anything. I use it for three purposes: to indicate that I agree exactly, or almost exactly, with a post and therefore won't bother to retype what the other person said; to indicate that even though I don't agree, I enjoyed reading the post because it was interesting, well-written or humorous; and finally as a thank you to people who have taken the time to respond to a thread I started. The only problem I have is that the forum is a bit quixotic about allowing me to Like, so I often click the button and get a "there is a problem storing your reputation vote" error.

 

With receiving Likes, I'm not sure about that. It's kind of pleasantly ego-stroking to log in and find a large number of new Likes. But on the other hand, I've found many of them seem to happen because I posted on a controversial thread and people Liked because I said something on their 'side'. So possibly getting Likes only shows how many threads I posted on - and especially now many controversial ones - rather than any useful information. So for that reason I wouldn't really care if the feature were disabled. 

 

Multiquote is definitely more useful (although afaik it isn't a choice between one or the other).

[IsabelC]

I noticed you can see how many of your posts get liked. My likes-to-posts ratio is about half. I was pleased with that til I saw some of us have a much higher ratio!

 

Goodness, I had no idea there was that feature!

 

OK, I have got to ask: where do I find this figure, so I can determine precisely how inadequate I should be feeling?

[IsabelC]

The only time I wish for another kind of button is for when I'd like to express sympathy.  "Like" doesn't do it for me, when a person is conveying grief or illness or other types of disasters.

 

:iagree:

 

Yes! Because sometimes it's a really good post but something awful has happened so I don't want to say Like.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I always thought the profile stars was a weird feature.  Nobody here knows me IRL (except for one recently-joined member), so nobody has sufficient accurate data to "rate" me.  I could be a ring-tailed cat typing posts, for all you guys know! 

I noticed that Catwoman liked this post.  I think this proves that you really are a ring-tailed cat!  

[Pawz4me]

Goodness, I had no idea there was that feature!

 

OK, I have got to ask: where do I find this figure, so I can determine precisely how inadequate I should be feeling?

 

It's the number in the green box on the upper right side of your profile page.

[Negin]

I've since changed my mind on the like posts and feel like going back and hitting like to all the replies here.  You get my drift, I'm sure. Thanks for bearing with me  :lol:.