I press my burp button at you!
For those who don’t like a like button can you give some reasons why, those who like the idea have been expressing reasons freely.
What is the point of a like button? – I mean, so what if you like; so what if a thousand dopers like. It’s not a popularity contest. At least, without a like button it isn’t.
It not a contest but it does give a poster something to guage his posts on. At least you gave a reason! I think a like and don’t like would be better.
Do those against it feel like it would detract from the quality of the posts? It might make for a few less posts.
Oh good lord. If you can’t handle a conversation that has an opposing opinion, try taking it to PM or something.
Should the quality of an idea stand on its merits, or on its popularity? If a popular poster says something, that might generate more “likes” than an unpopular poster, regardless of the merits of the argument. What do the number of “likes” mean in such a case?
I was handling it just fine. I laid out good reasons why I disagree with your post.
Your response was to answer with sarcasm, which would have been fine if you had also addressed the content of my post. But you didn’t, so…
A like button is just a “me, too” post. Lots of people here already post the equivalent of like. How many post nothing but “+1” or “this” without anything else to add?
True, not every post has to be timeless, but it’s nice to read a post that’s worth reading. Just “+1” or “Like,” to me, is nothing but a waste. Whether the post is funny or serious, it should drive the conversation forward.
No one’s asked about a belly button for the board. That’s one I’d like to see.
If this is the way you feel about it than you should be in favor of a like button as it would cut down on the number of posts reading “+1, like, etc…”
All a like button would do is increase in number at the bottom corner of said post. You’ll only have to deal with the offence once. (And maybe never if you don’t have your reading glasses on) Which is much better than having to read “LOL” or “This” every fifth or sixth post.
A practice I’ve long had instead, is going through the print option, copying/pasting the thread into a word document, then using the replace function to take out “+1” and the other (to me,not to everyone) objectionable material.
That sounds like a lot of work, but usually I do that while I’m at work, so that (1) I’m not surfing the net, and (2) I can take my time reading the Dope. That solution has worked for me for several years. When at home, I don’t go to that much trouble, and just slog through the posts. No need to change the board at all.
Why the H E double hockey sticks would I want to gauge my posts on how well they’re liked by the Teeming Millions? If I want to know how they feel about something I’ll conduct a poll. THAT was an option I was glad to see added.
I think posts should stand on their own, and if they need buttressing, let that be done by the quality of the responses, not the quantity of ‘like’ button replies.
SDMB has always been about fighting ignorance (and quoting Monty Python back and forth at each other), and the fewer distracting bells and whistles there are, the happier I am.
I will say that if a ‘like’ button is added, I want a ‘dislike’ button to go with it also. At least that’ll supply a chance for more meaningful data to come out of it. But I’d prefer neither.
It really doesn’t. The like button typically measures a gut level response. I’ve used it that way.
Yeah, I think it would. Disquis has a like button. I haven’t done too badly by their metric, but I’ve noticed that my zingers receive many more likes than my cited and carefully constructed argument. Nothing wrong with quips and even broadsides in the proper forum. But such expression should be its own reward.
Of course! That’s the solution. And I was staring right at it all the time. Well, more like leering.
If serious discussions were limited to GD I would maybe tend to agree with you. But we have GQ (where I’m sure the wittiest reply would draw more likes than even the best question) and Elections as well. And sometimes some serious and seriously educational exchanges (take some of the current and recent “Confederate Flag” and “SSM” threads) even pop up in MPSIMS and IMHO.
If this was like the one motorcycle board I belong to or the one horror film board where everything was about the same level with one category for “everything else”, sure. But that description just doesn’t fit the Dope.
I am going to assume the coma was an accident. You shouldn’t add a post just to agree and if you make a habit out of it I believe you may draw some attention from the mods for padding your count. I will plead guilty to sometimes posting a “+1” but that usually is followed with some sort of content beyond that simple statement.
As for the comparison, made by Larry Borgia, I will admit a certain validity. But that kind of meaningless (to me) social interaction is why I avoid bars and most other public social interactions. I’ve found it to cause like minds to gather more than unlike and that doesn’t help my learning or growth any. Show me a bar or club where the regulars are as diverse in opinion and background as we are here and maybe I’ll agree with you. But until then I’ll stay a little more on the against side of the subject.
But does that non-verbal communication actually add anything? My laugh can mean anything from “boy that was funny” to “God when will this A-hole ever shut up”. That contemplative look with my arms crossed and holding my beard can mean anything from “you know, that’s a good point” to “when will this dude ever shut up so I can take a dump”. It is open to a lot of interpretation. That can happen to posting here (it has to me a couple times) but it is less likely and when it does you can always follow up on it in the thread or via PM.
Hitting a Like Button can mean I like that post. Or it can mean I like that poster. Or it can mean that poster had a bad day IMHO (the personal thought, not the category here) and I want to make them feel better. It can mean I really don’t like the post or the poster but I absolutely hate the other side of the discussion. Or it could be something so high-school-ish as “like my posts and I’ll like yours” (which I feel is often the case on Facebook).
If you say something more than just “like” I have a context. Otherwise all I have is a best guess. And my best guesses are too often wrong.
I agree with a lot of the things you have said here. I don’t think the like button would add a lot but I do think it would add something, it possibly might have a cost associated with it making it not worthwhile, that’s why I started the thread.
Only speaking for myself I like to avoid posting because of my issues with spelling and grammar. If I were to like or dislike a post there is a good chance I would not have even noticed who posted it. Every post I read stands alone.
If I were getting a lot of dislikes on a particular type of post I was posting and few responses I would likely review my posting practices. If I were getting a lot of likes but few responses I would try to find ways to restate my post.
In the end, the best any of us can do is speak for ourselves. We seem to be better at it around here than in my actual life - which is sorta nice. I’m glad you started it; its actually been one of the better threads I’ve jumped into here in ATMB.
I had a small stroke many years back. I can’t remember who is who or what they believe in or support here. And to be frank, I’m not a whole lot better at it in real life. My brain just doesn’t work in that way - connecting “faces” to “ideas”. Maybe a couple of the Mumpers or really close real-life friends but even there just one or two. And even with spell-check (just had to sub two Ls for two Ks) and careful rereading and using edits now and then, posting can be a chore. I am afraid that when Like Buttons are an option I tend to overuse them rather than take the time, effort, and all to make a proper (imho) post. What can I say? I’m naturally lazy and more a reader than a writer. The way the Dope is I keep my comments to things I actually care about or am truly curious about rather than reinforce my momentary cares of the day. And I believe that for the most part, outside of say the MMP and the jokes here and there, that most of my posts can stand alone. At least I hope so.
I’m an odd person. I’ve been labeled with just about every descriptive you can come up with at one time or another. I have never known how to take a “like” or “dislike” to the posts I make on boards that allow them. Is it because my ideas or posts are bad or because I’ve offered them in the wrong place/before the wrong audience? Is it because my argument is flawed or just unpopular? Sometimes it can come down to a single word. I caught some short-term heat in a GLBT thread, from folks who basically agreed with me on the issue, basically over one word. A word I understand one way and some people use another. Had my evidence, the evidence I saw, simply been a count of “dislikes” would I have known that? Or would I have gone away thinking the Dope was full of anti-GLBT fundamentalists?
Well, this took me almost 25 minutes to write and I want to roam around the rest of the Dope a bit. So thanks and I’ll catch up here later.
+1
Seriously, I don’t see this as a big deal. It’s so unobtrusive – everyone was up in arms when we added the “Bookmarks” at the bottom so you could share threads on Facebook or Twitter, and the world hasn’t ended.
Why not a trial run – say, a month and see how it works? I know people like this board as it is, no frills, but on the other hand, the admins are always saying that revenue needs to be up. Maybe upgrading a bit might help that? Just sayin’.
People aren’t hitting “Like” to say they like the fact that your friend’s mother died. The “like” button is often used for other emotions, like to express sympathy, say “thank you”, etc. They don’t necessarily like the content of the post.
It’s lazy to hit “Like.” It takes thought to say why. And “Like” doesn’t spur discussion.
Surely the tagline’s got to be “Fighting the Internet since 1973”.
