Can we have a 'like' button?

[ANIMALBEATS]

Originally Posted by BacteriumFendYoke

I can't think of anything I'd want less than a sodding 'like' button.

Go away, I've no interest in your negativity.

[BacteriumFendYoke]

Originally Posted by ANIMALBEATS

Go away, I've no interest in your negativity.

Is that a 'dislike'?

You asked for views on a 'like' button. I gave you a negative one. Then you call me 'surly', etc. What do you expect? Me to take that lying down? No thanks.

[ANIMALBEATS]

Originally Posted by BacteriumFendYoke

I can't think of anything I'd want less than a sodding 'like' button.

.................................................

[BacteriumFendYoke]

Originally Posted by ANIMALBEATS

.................................................

Your problem being? You asked for an opinion on the 'like' button and you got it.

[ANIMALBEATS]

Oh shut up you idiot.

Moaning about being called surly.

Away and have your Facebook melt down somewhere else.

[BacteriumFendYoke]

Well, that's a turn out for the books.

Sorry that you can't argue a reasonable use-case for your idea. No need to resort to names now big boy.

You ask for an opinion, you got one. If it's not the one you like then you argue against it rather than crying because the consensus is against you.

[keep it simple]

For the sake of balance, can we have a "I don't care" button, & maybe a "I don't agree" button, maybe even a "I liked it, but you might like to try this" button.

Ah, silly me, we already have these buttons available - it's called a "reply" I believe. I'm not a fan of anything designed to truncate conversation.

[ANIMALBEATS]

Originally Posted by keep it simple

For the sake of balance, can we have a "I don't care" button, & maybe a "I don't agree" button, maybe even a "I liked it, but you might like to try this" button.

Ah, silly me, we already have these buttons available - it's called a "reply" I believe. I'm not a fan of anything designed to truncate conversation.

More of an addition to. Choices on how to.

[Mad About Drums]

Originally Posted by keep it simple

Ah, silly me, we already have these buttons available - it's called a "reply" I believe. I'm not a fan of anything designed to truncate conversation.

. . .

[5678...procrastinate]

I think Masters ANIMALBEATS and BacteriumFendYoke should settle this like gentlemen.
By trading apt song titles from thirty paces.
Gentlemen, take your places please!

[BacteriumFendYoke]

'Stand and Deliver' by Adam and the Ants.

[5678...procrastinate]

I like that.
[ twenty characters ]

[BacteriumFendYoke]

Originally Posted by 5678...procrastinate

I like that.
[ twenty characters ]

Now I think about it...

'Prince Charming' by Adam and the Ants too.

They obviously had something going on. Aforethought. Powers of precognition.

[5678...procrastinate]

I've just listened to said Antsong.
Is it the " ridicule is nothing to be scared of " line you are referring to?
I guess so.
Because " Don't you ever, don't you ever, don't you ever stop being dandy " seemed way too obscure!

[BacteriumFendYoke]

Never let it be said that I'm not obtuse on occasion!

Although yes, your former assertion is correct.

[Jeff Almeyda]

No like button. I don't care who likes a post. What on earth does that add to my experience as a thread-reader?

Those people who like what they read yet have nothing to add to the conversation are called... "readers" ( or lurkers in forum- ese). They make up the majority of the visitors to the site

Like or dislike buttons add nothing to the experience. If you like something, Tell us a little bit about that or else you aren't really adding anything of substance to the conversation.

[Dr_Watso]

Originally Posted by keep it simple

For the sake of balance, can we have a "I don't care" button, & maybe a "I don't agree" button, maybe even a "I liked it, but you might like to try this" button.

Ah, silly me, we already have these buttons available - it's called a "reply" I believe. I'm not a fan of anything designed to truncate conversation.

We'd also need a "**** you" button. I'd use that one a lot I think.

[Anon La Ply]

I'd like a "I think I know what you're getting at but it would help if you dialled it back a bit" button.

[ANIMALBEATS]

Originally Posted by Jeff Almeyda

No like button. I don't care who likes a post. What on earth does that add to my experience as a thread-reader?

Those people who like what they read yet have nothing to add to the conversation are called... "readers" ( or lurkers in forum- ese). They make up the majority of the visitors to the site

Like or dislike buttons add nothing to the experience. If you like something, Tell us a little bit about that or else you aren't really adding anything of substance to the conversation.

Exactly Jef it's not about you.

The substance is for other people.

Wouldn't it be good to involve more people.

[BacteriumFendYoke]

Originally Posted by ANIMALBEATS

Exactly Jef it's not about you.

The substance is for other people.

Wouldn't it be good to involve more people.

If they're not actively contributing anything other than a 'like' then no. It's not necessarily good to involve more people for the sake of involving more people.

Would you rather have a forum with 10,000 members that only post 'likes' or a forum with 100 members that contribute and discuss? Volume does not necessarily equate to quality in and of itself.

[MaryO]

Originally Posted by BacteriumFendYoke

If they're not actively contributing anything other than a 'like' then no. It's not necessarily good to involve more people for the sake of involving more people.

Would you rather have a forum with 10,000 members that only post 'likes' or a forum with 100 members that contribute and discuss? Volume does not necessarily equate to quality in and of itself.

I haven't been following this whole thread so maybe I'm speaking out of turn here but I saw this answer and it looks like it pretty well sums it all up. Great perspective BFY :)

[ANIMALBEATS]

Easily apraisable comments allow people who would not have replied in writing to become involved.

I do not believe that this type of contribution would take away from discussion.

Ideally I would like to be able to open a thread, read down the replies, highlight the responses I enjoyed and possibly leave my own comment (without nessisarily addressing their content)

Or.

Like, like, like, I have nothing to say. Leave.

How would this negatively effect users?

[BacteriumFendYoke]

Originally Posted by ANIMALBEATS

Easily apraisable comments allow people who would not have replied in writing to become involved.

I do not believe that this type of contribution would take away from discussion.

Ideally I would like to be able to open a thread, read down the replies, highlight the responses I enjoyed and possibly leave my own comment (without nessisarily addressing their content)

Or.

Like, like, like, I have nothing to say. Leave.

How would this negatively effect users?

Why is their involvement so crucial? That's the first question. Secondly, I would assume that a 'like' is anonymous according to previous implementations so short of knowing that somebody 'likes' something, what else does it add to the discussion and why should anybody else care?

The whole point of a discussion forum is to discuss. That's why users come here - either because they want to read other posters' comments (and I have no issue with 'lurkers' whatsoever, if they don't want to contribute actively, that's up to them) or because they want to address the comments of others and ask their own questions. Simply adding 'like' to a post addresses none of these use-cases as far as I'm concerned - it's not a discussion and all it does is affirm that non-contributors can say that they 'like' something, which is not a form of discussion. It's a conversational dead-end.

Furthermore, if there is a 'like' system then I would personally like the balance of a 'dislike' or down-vote option. I've seen this implemented in other places (Ars Technica comments section/forum) and the only advantage is that up-voted comments are highlighted and down-voted comments are automatically hidden once they reach a threshold. Within this forum, I don't think there are enough users that would actively vote to make this a representable and viable option. Then you have the further issue of the voting system becoming a discussion in itself and anonymous users (someone like Sticks under another name) voting against other users. In fact, we've already seen this happen on the 'Starring' system - whereby anonymous members (that we all know is Sticks) habitually down-voting threads that are posted by another member that they have personal issues with.

It's full of issues. A lack of forum throughput for validity, the fact that a 'like' is not conducive to discussion and the issues of a 'balanced' down-up-vote system.

[ANIMALBEATS]

People's involvement is crucial as is positive re enforcement. There is a wealth of literature out there which I am not going to discuss.

Negative affirmation I could be argued round to.

It is a form of participation.

[BacteriumFendYoke]

Why not discuss the literature? I'd be interested in reading it, I do have some level of qualification in Psychology and find it interesting.

It's not necessarily about conditional responses though, it's about quality of interaction and quite simply a 'like' is not a high-quality interaction or a starting point for discussion.

[Dr_Watso]

Originally Posted by Anon La Ply

I'd like a "I think I know what you're getting at but it would help if you dialled it back a bit" button.

How about a button that creates 3 new random buttons? Each one will be a positive statement, the next a negative statement, and the third could be a borderline trolling statement.

I think this thread may have finally allowed me to see what he must have been singing about in this song:
http://youtu.be/gLESpHrtvxs

[BacteriumFendYoke]

I could quite easily write a small programme that would do just that, Watso. Unfortunately, it wouldn't work with a VBulletin system...

[8Mile]

Speaking of computer programs and Like buttons, can anyone point me to a program that will "Like" my band's Facebook page a bunch of times? :)

I'm joking, but the sad truth is we're booking summer gigs and, for the first time ever, one of the organizers asked us how many Likes our FB page has. We didn't get the gig. :(

[BacteriumFendYoke]

Originally Posted by 8Mile

Speaking of computer programs and Like buttons, can anyone point me to a program that will "Like" my band's Facebook page a bunch of times? :)

I'm joking, but the sad truth is we're booking summer gigs and, for the first time ever, one of the organizers asked us how many Likes our FB page has. We didn't get the gig. :(

And there, in a nutshell, is everything that's wrong with everything.

[Pocket-full-of-gold]

Originally Posted by 8Mile

one of the organizers asked us how many Likes our FB page has.

Wanker .

[Anon La Ply]

Originally Posted by Dr_Watso

How about a button that creates 3 new random buttons? Each one will be a positive statement, the next a negative statement, and the third could be a borderline trolling statement.

I think this thread may have finally allowed me to see what he must have been singing about in this song:
http://youtu.be/gLESpHrtvxs

I like the three random buttons - maybe a quantum button so that the act of observation affects its result?

You might be on to something with the song, Doc - its an 80s song but this lyric stands up:

I had opinions
That didn't matter
I had a brain
That felt like pancake batter

Originally Posted by 8Mile

Speaking of computer programs and Like buttons, can anyone point me to a program that will "Like" my band's Facebook page a bunch of times? :)

I'm joking, but the sad truth is we're booking summer gigs and, for the first time ever, one of the organizers asked us how many Likes our FB page has. We didn't get the gig. :(

Larry, in this case the Likes # is akin to a degree in the corporate world, demanded by recruiters who know a lot about recruiting and sweet Fanny Adams about the actual subject area.

It's the recruitment method of administrators hiring in unfamiliar areas. So they base their decisions on what's considered "safe" or well-accepted criteria ... which is not the same as selecting on merit based on an assessment of work and referral. The idea is to select people based on simple markers so that if the decision turns out to be a disaster they can say "well, I followed standard procedure / the industry standard".

The person you spoke to is in the music business for the business side only. To him the main difference between music and, say, gaskets would be that music is cooler to talk about at parties.

[Pocket-full-of-gold]

Originally Posted by Anon La Ply

Larry, in this case the Likes # is akin to a degree in the corporate world, demanded by recruiters who know a lot about recruiting and sweet Fanny Adams about the actual subject area.

It's the recruitment method of administrators hiring in unfamiliar areas. So they base their decisions on what's considered "safe" or well-accepted criteria ... which is not the same as selecting on merit based on an assessment of work and referral. The idea is to select people based on simple markers so that if the decision turns out to be a disaster they can say "well, I followed standard procedure / the industry standard".

The person you spoke to is in the music business for the business side only. To him the main difference between music and, say, gaskets would be that music is cooler to talk about at parties.

At the very least a degree is tangible and reveals that a predetermined criteria level has been achieved.

The approach that muppet is taking is more along the lines of asking how many of your peers bothered to sign your high school year book.

[Anon La Ply]

Originally Posted by Pocket-full-of-gold

At the very least a degree is tangible and reveals that a predetermined criteria level has been achieved.

The approach that muppet is taking is more along the lines of asking how many of your peers bothered to sign your high school year book.

Jules, who knows? If I was recruiting I'd figure a band with 7,816 likes would be more likely to draw a crowd than one with, say, 410. But I'd want to actually listen to the music and see where and when they were playing ...

[Mad About Drums]

Originally Posted by Pocket-full-of-gold

The approach that muppet is taking is more along the lines of asking how many of your peers bothered to sign your high school year book.

. . .

[5678...procrastinate]

I think that it would be a sad thing if every forum looked and operated in exactly the same way. I see benefit in difference.
In fact, I gain mental stimulation from remembering where I am!
And occasionaly the opposite.
But that's a part of value of variety.

[Pocket-full-of-gold]

Originally Posted by Anon La Ply

But I'd want to actually listen to the music and see where and when they were playing ...

And that pretty much sums it up Grea. Anyone over the age of 14 should be aware that internet "votes" may not necessarily be a fair and accurate representation. For a guy to rely on it solely in his decision making process in a business sense, beggars belief. There's a few more boxes that need to be ticked after assessing the increasingly vital number of likes, I'd suggest. Only a moron would be content to stop there.

[ANIMALBEATS]

Originally Posted by Pocket-full-of-gold

At the very least a degree is tangible and reveals that a predetermined criteria level has been achieved.

The approach that muppet is taking is more along the lines of asking how many of your peers bothered to sign your high school year book.

If muppet is referring to me perhaps we should meet some day in person and resolve this.

The kind of group affirming behaviour you detail is what you and your peer high posters engage in.

[BacteriumFendYoke]

Originally Posted by ANIMALBEATS

If muppet is referring to me perhaps we should meet some day in person and resolve this.

The kind of group affirming behaviour you detail is what you and your peer high posters engage in.

Another failure in basic reading comprehension, I'm afraid. Jules wasn't calling you a 'Muppet' at all.

[Pocket-full-of-gold]

Originally Posted by ANIMALBEATS

If muppet is referring to me perhaps we should meet some day in person and resolve this.

The kind of group affirming behaviour you detail is what you and your peer high posters engage in.

Read it again, mate. Start at 8Mile's post to give you some context and perspective.

And then drop the veiled threats, hey. They are not serving you well given the circumstances.

[Mad About Drums]

Originally Posted by BacteriumFendYoke

Another failure in basic reading comprehension, I'm afraid...

Originally Posted by Pocket-full-of-gold

Read it again, mate. Start at 8Mile's post to give you some context and perspective...

. . .