What do you think of a like button for comments on mumsnet?

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Sometimes when I'm reading reviews on NYT cooking or all recipes, its helpful to be able to read the most liked/helpful comments. ّI find the same is useful on instagram and twitter. I don't know how useful it is on Facebook (I assume they're the ones who invented the 'like' button) as I don't use it.

It would also save reading a whole thread, when you can just read the most liked comments and get the gist of something. Although that could defeat the purpose of a thread that would foster discussion.

What do you think?

It’s been asked for before, and not happened. Don’t hold your breath.

Not particularly for or against, but I'd rather they sorted out the ongoing site slowness first before adding any additional functionality.

I’ve often thought it would be useful - and the OP can then see how popular certain advice is…
I often don’t bother to comment on a thread if someone has already said what I would have put

Use words, not dumb buttons.

No thank you. I come here for discussion not likes.

I wouldn’t like it - esp when it’s a pile-on.

Nope

No because you will get people making smart arse comments just for likes - there are plenty of places out there where you can do that, one of the nice things about mumsnet is that it fosters discussion.

No, for all the reasons that are given every time this comes up, surprisingly you aren't the first to post this thread 😀

No, thank you.

A 'like' button would alter the ... the ... sorry I've been drinking and can't for the life of me think of the word that perfectly describes the ... the ...

MN is too fond of a pile on/ clique for a like button I think. Id love a this poster is a dick button though

No. It's a discussion forum, not Facebook.

Lots of discussion forums have up and down votes

I think it’s a good idea. A dislike button, too. It would make people more careful what they post. Which is much needed around here right now.

Same as I've thought for about the fifteen years it's been suggested. I prefer to have a full-blown verbal with someone rather than posting a humphy face. So much more satisfying.

Imagine toilet cleaning threads with these buttons. Probably break the internet!

I wouldn't want any kind of dislike button, but wouldn't mind a like button.

I'd worry it might all get a bit 'Why does PeterAndresShinyPecs have 241 likes when they basically just copied what I said and I only got 72 likes?'

And whatever about a like button I think a dislike button would bring out the pettiness. People would just follow around people they disliked unliking every comment they made. 'Oh she thinks ham and cheese is the best sandwich filling does she? Hmph, I'll show that cow' <downvotes>

I think it's not what this site is about. So would not support it.

And I can think of one where it is definitely used as a form of bullying where all the cliquey crowd pile on. Given how MN can be, it would be a terrible idea to have up/down voting here.

I do agree @SoupDragon - I don't think it'd be constructive

No, an edit function is far more necessary!

I dont get why people are against it. It's a normal forum/sm function

I think Disqus have the right form of ⬆⬇, because it's not anonymous so the dislike is more...acountable? Could be where I frequent though, dislikes are sparing and not majority vote usually.

Sure. But not everyone likes it in forums where it appears, and not everyone wants all their forums to have the same banal character.

If I put up an AIBU thread, I'd not really care about voting. I'd not really care what other people thought was the best advice (which more likely than not would be a pithy line calling me or my adversary a twat). I'd want to know the best arguments about the situation, which are likely to be more nuanced.

And to be honest, I think that's mostly true of CF posts where the thread whips the OP into taking extreme actions for their entertainment, when there are no consequences for them. Doing something because the crowd liked a post 100 times squeezes out the more moderate, less destructive advice.