# Like button **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 3, 2015, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-button/724099 "2015-07-03T01:42:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-button/724099/21 "2015-07-03T16:52:55Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > Everyone objects to a like button, but no one says what their objection is exactly. Is it a religious thing? It’s just so _jejune_. Dahling. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-button/724099/22 "2015-07-03T17:05:01Z")
If you’re at a social event in real life and someone tells a joke people laugh. If they say something profound, people nod or otherwise express approval. You can’t do those things over the internet so like buttons were invented, to function as a substitute for non-verbal signs of approval or engagement. I’m going to open up a bar, and forbid everyone from laughing, cheering, nodding, giving thumbs up, or even altering their facial expressions beyond a completely blank expression. I’ll call it “World’s smartest bar.” ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-button/724099/23 "2015-07-03T17:34:19Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > Everyone objects to a like button, but no one says what their objection is exactly. Is it a religious thing? Mostly conservatives here, if we had more progressives on this board I am sure it would fly. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-button/724099/24 "2015-07-03T17:37:26Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > If you’re at a social event in real life and someone tells a joke people laugh. If they say something profound, people nod or otherwise express approval. You can’t do those things over the internet so like buttons were invented, to function as a substitute for non-verbal signs of approval or engagement. > > I’m going to open up a bar, and forbid everyone from laughing, cheering, nodding, giving thumbs up, or even altering their facial expressions beyond a completely blank expression. I’ll call it “World’s smartest bar.” I could use a like button here, I have nothing to add but I like the comparison made. Why, add a post just to agree. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-button/724099/25 "2015-07-03T17:53:27Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > I could use a like button here, I have nothing to add but I like the comparison made. Why, add a post just to agree. Because it’s a conversation, and it’s worth the effort? Imagine standing among a group of people and, instead of saying you agree with someone(and perhaps why you agree), you just held up a big foam finger? ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-button/724099/26 "2015-07-03T17:59:36Z")
I don’t know what the views vs responses to posts ratio is but it appears to be somewhere around 1/50. Giving a reason for agreeing is adding something to a conversation. I doubt that would stop. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-button/724099/27 "2015-07-03T18:17:09Z")
I want a “like in part, dislike in part” button. Suppose someone says, “My father just lost his battle with cancer. I will treasure his memory always.” Should I like this post? If I am glad the old bastard is dead, clicking like might be construed as showing sympathy. If I am showing sympathy, clicking like might be construed as being glad the old bastard is dead. Oh, a vote against the like button on the board. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-button/724099/28 "2015-07-03T18:22:06Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Because it’s a conversation, and it’s worth the effort? Imagine standing among a group of people and, instead of saying you agree with someone(and perhaps why you agree), you just held up a big foam finger? Real life conversations include all sorts of non-verbal communication. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-button/724099/29 "2015-07-03T18:24:04Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > Real life conversations include all sorts of non-verbal communication. That’s why we have smilies. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-button/724099/30 "2015-07-03T18:25:25Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > That’s why we have smilies. Sure. Smilies are good. A like button would also be good. ETA: I know it’s never going to happen, I’m just trying to figure out what people’s actual objections are. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-button/724099/31 "2015-07-03T18:30:26Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Because it’s a conversation, and it’s worth the effort? Imagine standing among a group of people and, instead of saying you agree with someone(and perhaps why you agree), you just held up a big foam finger? So if someone starts a thread about PB&J. And someone posts: " I like mine with crunchy peanut butter." instead of just clicking a like button the poster should write a couple of paragraphs explaining why he or she likes the same thing another poster likes? Not all threads have to be mind blowing, intellectual experiences. Sometimes you just want to agree with someone and not make a big production of it. If I were to use the “like” button it would be when posters make me laugh. Most of the time, when a poster makes me laugh, I’m not going to post “LOL” just to show I thought something was funny. Still though, it would be nice to show said poster that his or her humor had not gone unappreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-button/724099/32 "2015-07-03T18:30:52Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > Real life conversations include all sorts of non-verbal communication. Like burping. Just saying this because a burp button would be even 🆒er. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-button/724099/33 "2015-07-03T18:32:21Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > Like burping. > Just saying this because a burp button would be even 🆒er. If it came down to either choosing a like button or a burp button, I would pick the burp button. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-button/724099/34 "2015-07-03T18:33:36Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > So if someone starts a thread about PB&J. And someone posts: " I like mine with crunchy peanut butter." instead of just clicking a like button the poster should write a couple of paragraphs explaining why he or she likes the same thing another poster likes? Yep, that’s right-Taking it to ridiculous extremes is _exactly_ what I meant. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-button/724099/35 "2015-07-03T18:55:40Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Yep, that’s right-Taking it to ridiculous extremes is _exactly_ what I meant. :rolleyes: He’s exaggerating for humorous effect, but he’s not wrong. Sometimes someone tells a funny joke and you want to acknowledge it without cluttering up the thread with posts consisting of nothing more than “haha” or “Lol.” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-button/724099/36 "2015-07-03T19:02:21Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > He’s exaggerating for humorous effect, but he’s not wrong. Sometimes someone tells a funny joke and you want to acknowledge it without cluttering up the thread with posts consisting of nothing more than “haha” or “Lol.” When he misrepresents what I say to such a degree, he _is_ wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-button/724099/37 "2015-07-03T19:07:45Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > When he misrepresents what I say to such a degree, he _is_ wrong. How so? The only objectionable bit might be the “couple of paragraphs” line, but that’s pretty obviously just exaggeration. Maybe you could explain your point in more detail. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-button/724099/38 "2015-07-03T19:26:40Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > If it came down to either choosing a like button or a burp button, I would pick the burp button. Like! ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-button/724099/39 "2015-07-03T19:27:51Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Because it’s a conversation, and it’s worth the effort? Imagine standing among a group of people and, instead of saying you agree with someone(and perhaps why you agree), **you just held up a big foam finger?** [emphasis added] Yeah, **Shakes** is the one who exaggerated for the sake of effect first in this thread about whether or not to add a Like button to posts. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2015, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-button/724099/40 "2015-07-03T19:34:28Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > When he misrepresents what I say to such a degree, he _is_ wrong. Oh good lord. Why don’t you go home and put your big boy pants on? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-button/724099.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-button/724099.md?page=3)