FORUM update today / tomorrow

Quote from Christian

You may have seen that we now have some more reaction smileys in posts. I can easily change the heart in favor of a thumbs up smiley if you prefer that.

Opinions?

👍definitely preferred here. Also prefer the fewer reaction options as per the German forum, though to be honest I thought a thumbs-up 'like' as the sole reaction was fine.

Quote from foxfeeder

Makes a like button meaningless

No it doesn't. It makes sense as liking/agreeing will often be adequately signalled by a button, whereas disliking a post will usually prompt the disliker to respond and explain what they don't like or disagree with. It'd be a shame if members opted for a blunt thumbs-down rather than some discourse which can lead to interesting exchanges.

Backdrifter- that pink heart was from me! My first ever emoji and hopefully the last, and I don’t think it tells you who it’s from!

Quote from Thelawnmower

Backdrifter- that pink heart was from me! My first ever emoji and hopefully the last, and I don’t think it tells you who it’s from!

Thanks! You have to tap/click the response emoji to bring up a separate flag showing who responded. Bit irritating, I preferred the names appearing under the post.

Everything looks cleaned up now. I cannot pinpoint what is different but it looks more tidy.

It’s all too complicated for me.

The thumbs up and the laughing one I get. The trophy for thanks, the weeping one and the confused one I don't really see much point as those emotions will probably lead to more quotation and discussion than just a reaction button. At least that's what I think. Their presence doesn't bother me in the least. The pink heart days will be looked back upon as a wild and chaotic time on the forum 🩷 😁.

Quote from Backdrifter

No it doesn't. It makes sense as liking/agreeing will often be adequately signalled by a button, whereas disliking a post will usually prompt the disliker to respond and explain what they don't like or disagree with. It'd be a shame if members opted for a blunt thumbs-down rather than some discourse which can lead to interesting exchanges.

Once again, we disagree. As my "bold" highlights point out, you will sometimes get what you want, but just as often, you will get bitter arguments rather than interesting exchanges. You wouldn't have commons votes for just the "ayes". This "one-sided" opinion thing is thanks to the likes of facebook, twitter etc, who are using likes merely to target advertising. Think how much less toxic Twitter would be with a dislike button, rather than the protracted venom-loaded "interesting debates" it's full of.

I don't suppose you've even noticed, but I haven't responded to a single post of yours in probably a year or more. Of all your posts, I find many to be sanctimonious, self-important twaddle, I guess I'd disagree with 60% of them, and hit a dislike button for 40%, but engage in discussion? No thanks, and I only responded this time as it is a matter of the very issue that made me adopt this position. Not just you, btw, there are 2 or 3 others here I don't engage with for much the same reason.

Sadly, most of the people I felt an affinity with on here have moved on, one day I will likely join them, though it would be easier with a "leave" button, something else that seems to be missing.

A blunt thumbs down would be a much easier way for members, and forum, to get a feel for how opinions are faring. More honest too. Honesty on the internet: What a bizarre concept!

Sometimes, when I think about all this social media thing, I wonder if the Internet world would be the same today if, instead of like/dislike buttons, "Agree"/"Disagree" buttons had been implemented on Youtube, Facebook...

It sure sounds like a small detail, but I think it would have induced some discussion in people's minds rather that this kind of primary (or even... "primal" ?) reaction we often get everywhere (mouahh, look at this, I "dislike", no question, it's a "piece of sh**"), that tends to depreciate people.

Anyway, too late now.

Quote from Duke of Earl of Mar

Sometimes, when I think about all this social media thing, I wonder if the Internet world would be the same today if, instead of like/dislike buttons, "Agree"/"Disagree" buttons had been implemented on Youtube, Facebook...

It sure sounds like a small detail, but I think it would have induced some discussion in people's minds rather that this kind of primary (or even... "primal" ?) reaction we often get everywhere (mouahh, look at this, I "dislike", no question, it's a "piece of sh**"), that tends to depreciate people.

Anyway, too late now.

I think that is just semantics, but here's a thought: Imagine if Twitter had a like & dislike button when Trump was president. His received likes could be clearly quantified, but the dislikes were just seemingly endless rantings by too many people to count. If ther'd been dislikes, we, and he, could have seen exactly how popular or not his views were. As it is, I've no idea if he was liked by more or less people than he was disliked!

But certainly, I'd rather have agree and disagree buttons than just a like one!