Article Is it time for the "Like" feature to return? Vote?

[C C]

A member pointed out elsewhere that lack of it might be detracting from SV's popularity. Perhaps similar to a woodland cabin without running water. I can't even recall the reason why we voted to get rid of it _X_ years ago. Or what the original system was (maybe it was more complicated than a simple "Like" option).

[Syne]

I do. SS lobbied to get rid of it, because people didn't use it to her liking. https://www.scivillage.com/thread-4112.html

[C C]

I do. SS lobbied to get rid of it, because people didn't use it to her liking. https://www.scivillage.com/thread-4112.html

Ah -- it was "complicated", then. Some kind of rep rating thing prominently displayed or following us around everywhere -- the "Mark of Cain" or the "Sign of Good Abel"? Lawdy, if we just had a simple "like" button pertaining to an individual post, and not a lifetime personal evaluation accumulating/falling out of it. I mean, if we had 50 different posters submitting to SV every day, then the rep might be useful. But overkill for this small clique.

[Syne]

Yeah, I always thought individual post ratings made more sense.

[stryder]

Well I've just turned on Thread Rating to see what that did previously. I don't think it was the same system that was complained about, however it allows a person to vote up to 5 stars for the thread to identify it's importance/popularity (akin to a "dont really like, meh, kind a like, like it abit, like it alot").

Rep was a bit different, that involved the potential of changing a users group. Originally I had an idea for having it be used for members to moderate themselves to an extent. (namely if a spammer popped up, they'd get slammed with negative rep) however it was awkward for people to understand how to do it all and left it open to be misused, so it go scrapped as an idea.

[confused2]

As one of the newest members I'll say why I joined and why I stay..

A certain joie de vivre
Quality of contributions
Diversity of threads

If only 5 people out of 7 billion actually like that sort of thing I'd say the problem lies with the 7 billion - a greater problem than anything that can be solved from within scivillage.

[Magical Realist]

I favor the "Like" feature. It provides feedback on the quality of your post and/or on the topic it is addressing without being stranded in the limbo of why nobody is responding to it.

[C C]

I favor the "Like" feature. It provides feedback on the quality of your post and/or on the topic it is addressing without being stranded in the limbo of why nobody is responding to it.

Since the "Like" button at SF doesn't have any degrees, anyway, I'm just going to hit "5 stars" on the thread rating as a substitute. Still doesn't help with individual replies, but the software of the forum apparently didn't come equipped with anything for that. And goodness knows what Stryder would have to go through in terms of days/nights and headaches to customize a "Like" button system into that labyrinth (shiver).

[Leigha]

That was me who brought that up on SF.

Thanks for reconsidering it. Is the star rating for threads new on here? I hadn’t ever noticed it before. I like it.

[stryder]

Currently brainstorming how to impliment and what to do to make it a little different.

I mean from my perspective the "Like" button falls into the realm of trademarks and brands. When people use a "Like" they are subconsciously selling their soul to Zuckerberg. So I want to break the bonds of corporate branding and roll out something thats similar enough that people know how to use it without thinking too hard (since sometimes people get lost with new fangled things) but different enough that it becomes it's own thing. (although I guess if it's too much of a hit it would fall to demagoguery considering it would become the very thing it was trying not to be)

I ran through a whole bunch of different words and ideas. I considered perhaps using Latin.... however it's too high brow and would easily be lost on people (I mean do I click Amo? Funny how that form of like is similar to whats fired out a gun in hate.) I considered a whole bunch of old buzz words, again the problem is it's all been done before. Smoking, Rad, Awesome, Thumbs up, etc)

I came to the conclusion that I'd likely end up with something simple along the lines of "+1!" (Plus one!) or "1▲!" "One Up!" as it just means being apart of the collective,( or am I borging that up?) Perhaps a "Dink!" button... (Searches might grant you an understanding to that)

In any event the long and the short is that I'm looking for something to replace the "Like" so we aren't cloning (or clowning) Facebook.