# Is there a "Like" button at SDMB? The Discobot tutorial thinks there is, but I don't see it

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-like-button-at-sdmb-the-discobot-tutorial-thinks-there-is-but-i-dont-see-it/996287>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [January 18, 2024, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-like-button-at-sdmb-the-discobot-tutorial-thinks-there-is-but-i-dont-see-it/996287 "2024-01-18T19:41:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2024, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-like-button-at-sdmb-the-discobot-tutorial-thinks-there-is-but-i-dont-see-it/996287/21 "2024-01-18T23:16:21Z")

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> [@running\_coach](#):
>
> There was a thread in the Lounge where the Level 3s were having some fun.

I miss the lounge.

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**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2024, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-like-button-at-sdmb-the-discobot-tutorial-thinks-there-is-but-i-dont-see-it/996287/22 "2024-01-18T23:17:18Z")

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> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> A surprisingly large number of users stomped off in a huff demanding that if it didn’t look and work exactly like vBulletin they were done. No learning something new for them

I think a fair number of them eventually made it over.

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**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2024, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-like-button-at-sdmb-the-discobot-tutorial-thinks-there-is-but-i-dont-see-it/996287/23 "2024-01-18T23:28:21Z")

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I second what @John_DiFool Johnson said, and I’m not doing it out of groupthink. We’re supposed to rebut and debate with solid arguments. Oner at [redacted]’s site, people will defy logic in preference to deliberate bad-faith interpretation and give themselves an outrage bump by downvoting anything, read or unread.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2024, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-like-button-at-sdmb-the-discobot-tutorial-thinks-there-is-but-i-dont-see-it/996287/24 "2024-01-18T23:29:52Z")

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> [@Slithy\_Tove](#):
>
> downvoting anything,

There’s a huge difference between having like buttons and having like **and** dislike buttons.

It’s moot since we can’t have any of it, but like buttons aren’t the same as being able to downvote the unrighteous.

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**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2024, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-like-button-at-sdmb-the-discobot-tutorial-thinks-there-is-but-i-dont-see-it/996287/25 "2024-01-18T23:39:03Z")

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> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#):
>
> Discourse has a reputation system where users can advance to higher trust levels and take on certain moderator-level abilities

> [@running\_coach](#):
>
> Level 3 trust. As you mentioned, it include some mod powers.

You guys make Discourse sound like Scientology.

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**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2024, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-like-button-at-sdmb-the-discobot-tutorial-thinks-there-is-but-i-dont-see-it/996287/26 "2024-01-18T23:40:00Z")

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> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#):
>
> It’s moot since we can’t have any of it, but like buttons aren’t the same as being able to downvote the unrighteous.

In a forum for a game I follow in development there are “like” buttons and that’s it. They aren’t disruptive and don’t mean much.

There used to be a “like” and a “LOL” button. The LOL button was intended to be for appreciating a joke or humorous observation but it became a de facto “dislike” button as people used it to indicate “this is so stupid it’s funny”. They got rid of it.

So I guess I have two contradictory points from my experience at that board. One is that like buttons can be fine (assuming it’s not tied into an official reputation system). The other is that a community can find a way to make something innocuous into something toxic.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2024, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-like-button-at-sdmb-the-discobot-tutorial-thinks-there-is-but-i-dont-see-it/996287/27 "2024-01-18T23:47:37Z")

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People tend to think in binary terms. If you give them two buttons for reactions, one will become good and one will become bad. Doesn’t really matter what they look like.

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**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-like-button-at-sdmb-the-discobot-tutorial-thinks-there-is-but-i-dont-see-it/996287/28 "2024-01-19T00:30:23Z")

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> [@Atamasama](#):
>
> There used to be a “like” and a “LOL” button. The LOL button was intended to be for appreciating a joke or humorous observation but it became a de facto “dislike” button as people used it to indicate “this is so stupid it’s funny”.

On Facebook in science news topics covering concepts that in any way contradict Young Earth Creationism there are always many trolls that use the laugh reaction the same way.

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**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-like-button-at-sdmb-the-discobot-tutorial-thinks-there-is-but-i-dont-see-it/996287/29 "2024-01-19T00:45:30Z")

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Where Is @discobot hiding?

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**Author:** ![discobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/discobot/32/570_2.png) [@discobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/discobot)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-like-button-at-sdmb-the-discobot-tutorial-thinks-there-is-but-i-dont-see-it/996287/30 "2024-01-19T00:45:31Z")

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Hi! To find out what I can do, say `@discobot display help`.

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**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-like-button-at-sdmb-the-discobot-tutorial-thinks-there-is-but-i-dont-see-it/996287/31 "2024-01-19T00:59:22Z")

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What is this “tutorial” that you’s speak of?

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**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-like-button-at-sdmb-the-discobot-tutorial-thinks-there-is-but-i-dont-see-it/996287/32 "2024-01-19T01:33:13Z")

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Send a PM to discobot. The subject can be anything. Put “@discobot start tutorial” in the body of the PM. You won’t be able to do some of the tasks so reply to those with “skip” the first time and “Skip” the next time (it doesn’t like two replies to be identical).

Repeat with “@discobot start advanced tutorial”

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**Author:** ![dewbiedoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@dewbiedoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dewbiedoo)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-like-button-at-sdmb-the-discobot-tutorial-thinks-there-is-but-i-dont-see-it/996287/33 "2024-01-19T02:57:11Z")

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> [@hajario](#):
>
> just reply with “skip” and discobot will

Thanks, yes. It said that, but the next item was a request to use a flag option apparently no longer available, and when I told it to skip that one too, it basically exited me from the tutorial.

ETA - thanks again, I just saw your work-around in your later comment (not to use exactly the same text twice).

Regarding removing old posts being abused, do you mean because it leaves a big hole in the conversation?

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**Author:** ![dewbiedoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@dewbiedoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dewbiedoo)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-like-button-at-sdmb-the-discobot-tutorial-thinks-there-is-but-i-dont-see-it/996287/34 "2024-01-19T03:04:11Z")

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> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#):
>
> People tend to think in binary terms. If you give them two buttons for reactions, one will become good and one will become bad.

One of the Discourse-run places I frequent has _twelve_ button options. None of them has been turned into a “dislike”. That said, I agree with your binary take - if there had been just a “like” and a “LoL” button, that would have been easy to turn into an up/downvote situation.

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**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-like-button-at-sdmb-the-discobot-tutorial-thinks-there-is-but-i-dont-see-it/996287/35 "2024-01-19T08:37:40Z")

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> [@dewbiedoo](#):
>
> Regarding removing old posts being abused, do you mean because it leaves a big hole in the conversation?

Generally the hole isn’t a problem. That happens when a Mod removes spam posts too. I don’t recall the exact fuckery that someone was doing. It had something to do with deleting the OP of threads that they started but bumping them first.

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**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-like-button-at-sdmb-the-discobot-tutorial-thinks-there-is-but-i-dont-see-it/996287/36 "2024-01-19T10:45:15Z")

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> [@hajario](#):
>
> I don’t recall the exact fuckery that someone was doing.

The way we thought it worked was that users had 15 minutes to edit their posts or delete it if they changed their mind. We weren’t told that the way it actually worked was that users could delete one post per day, regardless of whether the 15 minute timer had expired or not. We noticed that it wasn’t working the way we thought it was when someone decided to delete their entire posting history, one day at a time.

It kinda had a Streisand effect though. Every time they would delete one of their posts, Discourse would show the thread as recently changed, bringing all of their threads to the top of the list. When we noticed what was going on, we changed that setting and restored all of their posts, again bringing every single thread back to the top of the list.

vBulletin sorted threads by the last visible post. Discourse sorts threads by the last change, regardless of what is visible to users. It’s a bit annoying since people will often see zombie threads with no obvious reason why they’ve been bumped, since a spammer actually bumped the thread and was removed.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-like-button-at-sdmb-the-discobot-tutorial-thinks-there-is-but-i-dont-see-it/996287/37 "2024-01-19T11:41:52Z")

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Thank you!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-like-button-at-sdmb-the-discobot-tutorial-thinks-there-is-but-i-dont-see-it/996287/38 "2024-01-19T13:55:03Z")

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> [@dewbiedoo](#):
>
> Regarding removing old posts being abused, do you mean because it leaves a big hole in the conversation?

Particularly when folks degenerate into a personal tit-for-tat bicker, posting something inflammatory, getting a hostile response, then deleting or editing your provocation to make the counterattack appear unprovoked is a standard play.

We don’t need to enable that crap.

In fact, back in the long ago days 15+ years ago in our much more verbally aggressive and less moderated past, all editing of all kinds was disabled. When you clicked [send], it was for eternity, tpyos and all. Precisely to prevent the “bait then camouflage” play that was very popular before the edit lock went into effect.

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**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-like-button-at-sdmb-the-discobot-tutorial-thinks-there-is-but-i-dont-see-it/996287/39 "2024-01-19T14:03:59Z")

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> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> When you clicked [send], it was for eternity, tpyos and all. -

\< Like \>

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-like-button-at-sdmb-the-discobot-tutorial-thinks-there-is-but-i-dont-see-it/996287/40 "2024-01-19T14:26:38Z")

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That was a legit typo that I noticed before hitting [send]. I fixed it, then thought better, and unfixed it. Then hit [send].

Glad you liked it; I hoped someone would. 🙂

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