[MyraScott]

I would love to see a like button implemented here. It looks like SMF is working on integrating the feature into 2.1 but that won't be ready for a while and I have no idea what version you run here/if you even plan to upgrade.

http://www.smfpacks.com/likes

It's lightweight, AJAX, has a couple other features but honestly, I wouldn't add a dislike feature. I doubt you would want to.

This looks like a pretty simple install and I really think it would boost involvement- we have so many lurkers who don't post but might not mind showing their appreciation for certain posts. A nice green bar of likes is a great social reward for the people who share so much here.

 

[Silly Writer]

I'm on another board that has a Like button, and it's by far my favorite feature of that board.

Adding my voteM

 

[intinst]

I am sure I'll be in the minority on this, but I don't see the point in a "Like" button without a "Don't Like" button. Why make it easy to say you like a post without posting and not make it the same for dislike? It really isn't that difficult to post your feelings one way or the other.

 

[MyraScott]

Dislike (and negative reputatation) on forums tends to have negative consequences.  It becomes a game for some people, a challenge, a tool. It can create a hostile environment. 

A like button lets you appreciate the post without adding a lot of "thanks" "I agree" and "Funny!" chatter to a thread.  More people tend to participate.

It also gives a psychological reward to the poster.  We all like attention. It encourages people to continue to post helpful information, entertaining content and generally makes for a happier population.

 

[Betsy the Quilter]

Ultimately, it's up to Harvey....but I shudder every time this comes up.  As someone who was never part of the "cool kids," I just see it as another popularity contest, sorry.  Yeah, clicking "like" will make the recipient feel good, but what about the people who get no likes for their posts?

Sigh.

Betsy

 

[MyraScott]

I don't know about that left out thing on a forum... I'm a member at another writing forum that has likes.  It's a very simple forum and the like feature shows all the people who've liked that post underneath it.

I can't say anyone expects likes and feels left out when they don't get them, because most posts don't get likes.  It's just a nice way to see who agrees with the post without a lot of extra "I agree" posts that junk up the conversation. 

I spent years moderating some high conflict forums- we had a "thank you" button before Facebook was a thing. It was a nice addition.

 

[intinst]

I don't know about that left out thing on a forum... I'm a member at another writing forum that has likes. It's a very simple forum and the like feature shows all the people who've liked that post underneath it.

I can't say anyone expects likes and feels left out when they don't get them, because most posts don't get likes. It's just a nice way to see who agrees with the post without a lot of extra "I agree" posts that junk up the conversation.

I spent years moderating some high conflict forums- we had a "thank you" button before Facebook was a thing. It was a nice addition.

But KBoards is not just a writer's forum, even if that is the busiest portion of it.

 

[MyraScott]

That was an example of a place that has them. It wasn't a recommendation to only add likes to the WC.

I'm also a member of a crafting forum that has likes.  It's nice.

I'm a member of a gaming forum that allows posters to add positive or negative reputation and there are endless threads and complaints about the neg rep.  The mods spend most of their time arbitrating whether or not to remove unwarranted negs and fistfights break out often among posters who start neg rep wars.

That's not to say it only happens on gaming forums.  I was on a marketing forum years ago that had similar issues with negs.  I used to visit a coupon board that was killed by negative rep fights among the posters.  They are examples that I happen to know, not an indictment of any of those particular topics or the people who are interested in them.

Nothing good comes from a negative/dislike option.

 

[KBoards Admin]

Thank you, Myra -- it's an idea that has some appeal for me, and it's probably time for us to think about this again.

(We are on the current version of SMF, and - as you note - it's not a feature that's built-in to the software yet. There are, though, various mods that provide this function in one manner or another.)

I think if we do implement it, I would be inclined to have a Like button, and not to have a Dislike button. Anyway, we'll talk it over and I thank you for the suggestion and letting us know your experiences with it on other forums.

 

[MyraScott]

Thanks for considering it!  I linked a well-reviewed mod in the OP. 

 

[Silly Writer]

I am sure I'll be in the minority on this, but I don't see the point in a "Like" button without a "Don't Like" button. Why make it easy to say you like a post without posting and not make it the same for dislike? It really isn't that difficult to post your feelings one way or the other.

I respectfully disagree. No dislike button needed. We get plenty of +1's that could use the like button instead, and neaten the threads, but I've never seen a -1.

And some readers post things I'd love to 'like' and I'm sure that goes both ways. Thus, it's not just for the writers. (Responding to another post).

And I was never in the popular crowd either... Always on the outside, so I actually see this as a tool that the quiet ones could use... We seen hundreds of (quiet) people read a thread but not many comments, maybe those lurking don't feel comfortable commenting, but could easily hit Like instead of just staying on the outskirts.

It works great on other forums. It really does. And I've never seen anyone bring it up as a negative experience on the forums that I've been on that do indeed use it.

 

[telracs]

sorry, i'm in the "dislike of like button" camp. 

if you like something, say so.  use your words. tell me why you like it.    i find that all that happens when there's a like button is a bunch of empty posts cluttering up the conversation. 

 

[Betsy the Quilter]

I have to say that I've never been part of another forum...and the reason I like KB is because it's not like other forums.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Betsy the Quilter]

So maybe I'm not the best judge...


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[Silly Writer]

I have to say that I've never been part of another forum...and the reason I like KB is because it's not like other forums.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not even a quitting QUILTING forum?
I have lots of interests other than reading/writing... So I am in a handful of different forums: shooting, prepping, common core, etc...
That said, most of my 'forum-time' is at Kboards. (Actually more than I should be )

etc: quitting! I didn't mean it, Betsy! Please don't quit! Lol. Thanks, Telracs for the heads up

 

[Shei Darksbane]

I love forums with a like feature. It gives you a way to say "I like this" without leaving a comment as lame as "I like this."

Better if it's themed nicely to match the forum.

Like it could be called a "Star" here in reference to book reviews.

With a little star icon.

I was on an Elder Scrolls Online forum that had "Sweet Rolls" as the theme. If you've played Skyrim, you get it.

 

[Betsy the Quilter]

Not even a quitting QUILTING forum?
I have lots of interests other than reading/writing... So I am in a handful of different forums: shooting, prepping, common core, etc...
That said, most of my 'forum-time' is at Kboards. (Actually more than I should be )

etc: quitting! I didn't mean it, Betsy! Please don't quit! Lol. Thanks, Telracs for the heads up

No, I was a member of a quilting email list, which was good but very difficult to have actual conversations. And there were a lot of flame wars. You would NOT believe how mean quilters can get. That did set a standard for the kind of interaction I wanted to encourage when I became a moderator here, however....

Betsy

 

[MyraScott]

The best thing about a like button is that it encourages the lurkers to participate. We have a huge list of members that come here every day that don't have any posts- a like button helps to get them involved.

There doesn't seem to be a date set, but it looks like the next version of SMF will be out later this year with the feature in core. Maybe you can test it then.

(I will also throw in that the most popular thing I ever did for a forum was add more smileys. People would say, I post here instead of the other forum because the smileys are better! It was funny.)

You are welcome to my old collection of emoties if you want them! I have tons.

 

[MyraScott]

I'd forgotten how fun these are:

 

[crebel]

I'm somewhat ambivalent about a "like" button being added, but lean more towards the rather not side. Anyplace else I have seen them used they turn into a popularity contest. I would like more lurkers to come out of the shadows, but what is the point of participation if it is only clicking a button? Keep lurking if you don't truly want to participate.

I have posted the "+eleventy-billion" at times. I never considered posting "- infinity" before, but I probably will now that someone mentioned negative numbers for a dislike.

I am, however, squarely behind the idea of more emoticons being available without having to import them from someplace else! That's a great collection you have, Myra!