SUGGESTION: Idea to replace laugh emoji with something less open to abuse

I'd just make the reactions public and bring the laugh reaction back.

There are 3 hidden emojis that already do just what you want

But it's so easy to just say that people should grow up, be adults, learn resilience, grow a thicker skin etc.

What about people who can't do that? People may have mental health issues, be grieving or have any number of other vulnerabilities. They may reach out desperately to the MN community about something that is really upsetting them - possibly with a post that, to a non-vulnerable person, may well seem absurd or pathetic - and then somebody with nothing better to do comes on and mocks them privately.

You wouldn't do it in real life, to somebody with physical difficulties, would you? If you were out driving and saw a very old lady using a zimmer frame, crossing the road extremely slowly in front of you, in a lot of visible discomfort, you wouldn't lean out of the window and shout at her to grow up or learn how to cross a road properly, would you - and then jeer at her if your shouting at her made her panic and rush and she had a fall requiring an ambulance?

Assuming not, why would anybody want to do that to often mentally vulnerable people on here?

I'm not saying that everybody is vulnerable by any means - some are clearly just madly entitled or arrogant and need telling straight; but even then, do it in the thread where everybody can see and not in private.

(where I've said 'you' above, it's a generic 'you' - I'm not accusing you personally of anything!)

That doesn’t necessarily mean they evolve for the best though

Strongly not in favor of a “laugh emoji”. It would absolutely be used to target people with disabilities.

People do it blatantly in threads and respond by saying someone’s reports of their own life are laughable. If they can do it with an emoji for no one else to see, the bullying will be even worse.

You don't think a trophy would be 'abused'? I can see some people giving people trophy's sarcastically, especially when they think they are smug, OTT etc.

I'd prefer to have the laughing emoji back and people grow a thicker skin.

Yes but imagine if there’s an active thread with 50+ posters all posting a laughing emoji?

I used the word 'cope' in response to FlyingSolo16 who used it in their post.

As with language, things evolve.

I agree, a complete over reaction, MN should have just removed the posters who misused it not ruined it for everyone else, it’s like primary school on here recently, the flowers emoji could be misused as well if posters were so inclined, are they going to remove that if it someone deems to misuse it as well?

The laughing reaction is a fairly new thing in MN years and we managed fine without it before. If it’s going to be reinstated then it should be made public.

I hate 🙄 when it’s directed at another poster

Me too.

Just make the reactions public, that way fewer people are likely to abuse them.

The reason not to make them public is because of cries of "buuuut MN will become a popularity contest!"

Well if that's the case, how is it any different to when a poster comments and it gets quoted over and over again with people using the laughing emoji, or saying 'Agreed'?

At least clicking the reaction button wouldn't clog up the thread with all the quoting.

Can we have 🤦‍♀️ or 🙄
I feel it would be extremely useful

Grown adults should also be able to cope with not being able to use a laughing emoji. You can still post a visible laughing emoji in the thread.

Oh, maybe just making likes and hearts etc visible by username would work? Then we can see who is being a dickhead and call them out. Bet people wouldn’t run to click the laugh emoji on upsetting posts if they knew we could see them doing it.

Bring back the laugh emoji!

If people misuse it MNHQ can deal with them. MNHQ deal with people posting dickhead posts so this wouldn’t create work for them.

I think most people agree that whole class punishments are unfair and ridiculous and we're actual adults so punishing us all because a handful of people were dicks is ridiculous and unfair too.

@FlyingSolo16

On other threads about this it has been mentioned that some cunts posters were using the "laugh" reaction on posts about bereavement and miscarriage.

I would imagine that, for people who have lost a relative or a much wanted child, it clearly was "that deep".

Edited to add. Yes, I personally think they should bring it back and just ban (and publicly shame) anyone who acts like a dick, but it definitely was "that deep" for some posters on the receiving end.

I never got chance to use it but would like it back. Saying thanks to a funny post makes no sense to me. I use love but it's not the same.

If someone used the laughing emoji inappropriately you can be pretty sure that they'd have written a post instead (if it wasn't available) and that the post would be much worse and far more upsetting than just an emoji!

Besides there are some things so ridiculous on here that all you can do is laugh - penis beaker, snapped and farted, owl noises and screaming at the Sistine Chapel for a start. Just don't have it on certain boards such as MH - although that's probably beyond MN's IT department tbf 🙄.