Reactions are here - update from MNHQ

@KatyMumsnet should you think about adding something about appropriate Emoticon usage into your Talk guidelines, given the potential for abuse? Obviously it's much more nuanced than words in a post, because you would have to interpret whether there was "emoti-abuse" (eg sarcasm, nastiness - using the laugh emoticon to mock someone etc).

at least if you have something in Guidelines, you'll have some criteria to judge misuse, just the same as you have guidelines around regular posting to enable you to delete a post because "It's against Talk Guidelines"

personally I think it's really stretching it to think 4 emojis are going to suddenly cause WWIII on here, but if there is a perceived risk you probably need to respond to that (maybe see how it goes over the next few months - notwithstanding the holiday season with multiple cases of misuse under the influence of too much Festive gin)

whatever happened to the - it didn't really take off did it.

Wow what a blast from the past!

It has almost gone into extinction with so many other competing emojis 99% of which I don't bother with because they look like little coloured blobs unless you zoom in 300%

Yes, exactly, so not sure about that one.

A while back I was somewhat pleased that after my long, long list of suggestions, you tried having a click to express thanks. But this seems like over-kill. Plus which it doesn't seem to work the way you think it does. I got a "reaction" without a hint of what. And when I tried to use it, it didn't seem to be clear, either. Emoticons? Is that the idea? We can't even use our words?

Boriiiiiiing.

Love the biscuit, I might start using it again

Why not just have the whole lot available and let people choose from as many as they feel like, while offering a "thanks" button?

I like it, but feel an important one is missing. This is the support/sorry for your loss reaction, as using the love or thumbs up emoji isn't quite right...maybe a 'care' one would be better to show support for someone who has lost someone or is down about something?

Grown adults don't need emojis.

Some of you really need to toughen up. Being upset by a small row of emoji, is really reaching. You're grown adults, not toddlers battling emotional dysregulation.

Can we have a downvote emoji added please?

Sofasogreat
But MN won't change it back. It's like all tech, constant enshittification and no interest in the actual user experience.

You have it in one. It seems impossible to get through to a lot of people that "change" and "improvement" are not synonyms, and that "progress" may be off a cliff.

You do now. At the time at which I posted that you didn't: that particular function was not yet working and so you were not able to.

Memo to MNHQ: how about testing your blasted innovations before you throw them open to all users, next time? It has happened before that something has not all been working when it was landed on us without warning.

Is there a reason why the count of "applause" reactions is accompanied by a blue icon in the thread, when the reaction itself is yellow? It takes me almost a third of a second to tell the difference, and time is money. 😉

I've played with it a bit, and the Reaction button feels unneccesary and detracts from the reason I come here: to read and listen, not to click a button to then choose multiple reactions. I liked the thanks because it was a simple, instant way to agree with or thank the poster.

But MN won't change it back. It's like all tech, constant enshittification and no interest in the actual user experience. And gradually we'll get used to this iteration too...

Why has it added an extra tap/click? I'm less inclined to use it because of that.

On Facebook the default is a thumbs up, and anything else requires a second tap. You could have 'thanks' (not clapping) as default.

Childish, don't like them and could be goading.

You can see who reacted why are people still saying you can't?

Agree

Please will you go back to the “thanks”. I liked clicking one button to show appreciation, not to have to consider what my reaction is. I liked being able to see who thanked me.

And whatever you do, don’t make likes etc visible to others. I’ve already seen one person saying “I got 40 thanks for my post (so I must be right)”

I've simply turned all notifications off. I don't need to be told that someone has thanked me or whatever.

Yes, the pop-up pictures are a problem. I'm seeing a great big laughing face as I hover/scroll in the vicinity of posts describing bereavement, depression and other deep sadnesses. @KatyMumsnet

Now I understand why these pictures have been popping up as I scroll threads this morning. The React button is exactly where my thumb falls as I scroll. It’s v intrusive. Hate it. Hate it so much that I bothered to find this thread to comment on it.
Please give me an option to remove it.

You do see who has sent the emoji.

I don’t like it. The ‘thanks’ was quick and inoffensive whereas having to ponder on a suitable reaction and how the RECIPIENT would take it means I will rarely use it any more. I can already foresee the laughing one being used to ridicule, and if, as I’ve read above, you will no longer see who has sent the emoji that’s even worse. I like to see who has “thanked” my posts.

Its also a pain to have to select each time you just want to acknowledge a post - sometimes I’ve thanked loads of posts and no way do I want to double the clicks, but also accidentally click the wrong one, I’m mindful the recipient is an individual and would hate to cause offence through an innocent wrong choice because of the stubby fingers mistake!

So no, I don’t think I’ll use this very often.

'F' is less intrusive than unnecessarily quoting lengthy previous posts, though.
Wish MN would get rid of the quote tool.