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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

I keep wanting to 'like' posts on here a la facebook

118 replies

suwoo · 09/04/2011 16:40

Is there any way this could happen? Or not.

It would be great, but I suspect it wouldnt be possible on this forum template (I have no idea of correct terminology).

It drives me mad that I keep going to press like and it aint there.

OP posts:
Al0uiseG · 26/04/2011 16:45

I need a Like button too. The amount of times I actually go to press "message poster" is ridiculous.

clitorisorclitoraint · 26/04/2011 17:03

No. Don't do it.

Bumperlicioso · 26/04/2011 19:35

Don't worry networkguy, I'm not usually that witty!

To sound a little old gimmery, I think 'like' buttons are a sign of the laziness of today's communication. Don't get me wrong, text and forums are good for socially awkward people like me, but we've evolved from smoke signals writing to phoning to emailing to twittering in 7 characters and now people are proposing our communication to consist of just four letters, and not even the nice four letter word (love) or rude four letter word (cunt) but the most banal four letter word 'like'. What if we all stop posting and just start 'liking' each other, it will be a very boring (and might I add, competitive) talk board.

NetworkGuy · 26/04/2011 21:23

COME ON MNHQ, please give us some feedback !!!

I doubt it would come to that (no conversation, just dumb voting) but there are instances where something is agreed with in quite a big way and some portion of a 1000 posts thread will be taken up with "YY, , I agree"

Undoubtedly knows what it was about, but if it was 85 or 200 posts back, who else knows (or will care). A simple "like" click would mean both clicking person and poster know someone else agrees, it becomes obvious for anyone browsing the thread, when something is considered a 'good point' and it does away with excess posts where there's no massive "input".

Most people who have other views to contribute will write anyway, and I seriously doubt anyone who regularly contributes would stop making their points - we all have a bit of ego to bother to write whole sentences (though some seem to glaze over if someone writes more than 50 words in a post!)

The suggestion it would kill discussion is moot - unless it is offered we cannot ever know how it may affect discussion - and without any input from MNHQ we never know if they even read threads about it....

COME ON MNHQ, please give us some feedback !!!

Yes, I started the post with that too, to spur a response if at all possible!!!

Original poster
suwoo · 27/04/2011 08:46

Have reported your post NG which is the quickest way of bringing it MNHQs attention. It will be a big fat no though.

OP posts:
MNHQ
RebeccaMumsnet · 27/04/2011 09:24

Hi All,

Thank you for the suggestion and all of the information on here is very interesting (thanks for the link). It is something that we will discuss.

Please keep adding your feedback here.

Best
MNHQ

NetworkGuy · 27/04/2011 13:41

The MSE "thank you" facility isn't unique as it is being added to some other forum software too.

There are plenty of examples of "like" / "dislike" options in other discussion areas, eg BBC "Talking points" and some news websites - one needs never visit dratted Facebook to see these in action, but far from "stifling" discussion, people still comment in large numbers (as I strongly suspect would still happen on MN).

Bumperlicioso · 27/04/2011 14:32

But why have it then, what does it add? Either comment or don't.

NetworkGuy · 27/04/2011 15:26

It gives an opportunity to acknowledge (or reject) a view that has been posted, anonymously. It might get some of the silent minority (?) who only ever lurk and don't post to participate in a small way and lead up to them posting comments when they build up to it.

Have you never seen those threads where someone posts "I have never posted before but .... meant I felt I had to." ?

Your "comment or don't" is a rather blunt approach and hardly welcoming to those who feel less confidence around computers and the internet. Those who wish to comment will carry on.

What's not interesting, and can be accommodated far more easily with a simple click, is a "yes I agree" (or "no, that's rubbish") view without the need to expand (and yes, if some view is complete rubbish, people may not need to "expand" any argument against it, commonsense would make it understood why there was no support for a view, be it racist or whatever).

NetworkGuy · 27/04/2011 15:28

(I think it is a silent majority that doesn't post much, to be honest, since I see the same [or variations!] nicknames posting across several topic areas.)

Pagwatch · 27/04/2011 15:35

Actually I think there are only about a dozen of us posting But we post a lot...

Pagwatch · 27/04/2011 15:36

fail

SilveryMoon · 27/04/2011 15:45

I think it'[d be great to have a 'like' button. I've been reading the threa\d on things your parents believe to be true and some of it was reallt funny! Would have been great to have some kind of 'like' button for some of the posts.

I lurk quite a bit so would be good to be able to show support/agreement/smiles etc without having to actually post.
Not saying this would stop me posting, but sometimes when I haven't got anything to say, would be nice to still contribute

Tommy · 27/04/2011 15:49

I agree - quite often want to press "like" but can't be bothered to say "I agree with so-and-so" as that doesn't really add much to the conversation!

Bumperlicioso · 27/04/2011 20:25

But how is 'like' better than 'I agree'? If just saying 'I agree' doesn't add anything then 'like' adds even less. This is a talk board and a community. A like button is hardly going to foster that, and a dislike button even less so. And maybe buttons are going to make lurkers even less likely to post, feeling that 'liking' or not is contribution enough.

NetworkGuy · 27/04/2011 20:54

Unless there's a trial, we'll never know, will we.

Seeing as we are diametrically opposed, it's not really going to achieve much trading examples or expressing deeply held feelings either way.

I don't think I've hinted at "like" being better than posting "I agree" except insofar as situations where a poster supports a view, but far (in numbers of posts) apart from the original comment. Threading posts is a feature of the forum software which is missing so there's no easy 'reply to this post' or 'this is a response to post' which would allow one to 'find' without any searching, just which posts were 'linked'.

Anyway, I'll just hope MNHQ is willing to give it a chance.

SilveryMoon · 27/04/2011 20:55

Sometimes it can be a huge PITA when reading through a thread and finding something on page 1 funny, or agreeable and the having to scroll to the bottom of the page or wait until you've read all 7 pages, and then your post could go on and on just saying "Bumperlicioso, I agree" "Tommy, That's true" and so on, and sometimes, depending on the thread, the topic and the number of times each person has posted, it can be difficult to actually type out that you like something someone has said. Iyswim.
I really don't think it will have an effect on the amount of conversation, but will just make supporting someone easier, surely?

Tommy · 27/04/2011 23:09

"like" that post silverymoon Grin

SilveryMoon · 27/04/2011 23:26

"Like" yours back Tommy.
And now, we have found another issue a like button could help solve.
What is the maximum number of posts a thread can have?
How many posts would and are 'wasted' by people just saying "I agree" (not wasting as such but ykwim), so a "like" button would mean people who agree but have nothing else to add can just like and keep space for those who want to join discussion

NetworkGuy · 27/04/2011 23:36

What is the maximum number of posts a thread can have?

The regular limit is 1000, at which point there's a message indicating no further additions can be made. MNHQ have the ability to let a thread exceed the limit.

NetworkGuy · 28/04/2011 10:22

This thread was allowed to run to over 1400 posts.

SilveryMoon · 28/04/2011 10:56

Yes, but my point is, surely it'd be better just to be able to hit 'like' instead of taking up posting space by only using 2/3 words............

NetworkGuy · 28/04/2011 11:17

Don't get me wrong - I agree with you. I suspect that a lot of such posts don't get made, but a click would be used.

Why would some not post an 'I agree' - because for the most part, people post when they have more to contribute, either for or against some other post, and an 'I agree' post does seem a bit of a waste, and more important, can appear confusing, if it is dozens of posts after 'that' specific point was made.

It can also be very puzzling if someone makes a series of points (much like a party political manifesto) and someone agrees with some points but disagrees with others. Posting an 'I agree SilveryMoon' when seeing a post on page 1 could come back to bite me if on page 3, some horrible comments had been made... that I had not seen yet... but which I appear to agree with because of the proximity of the posts.

That's a shortcoming of MN Talk not having proper 'threading' where posts are indented to show which comment they are a response to, but something which would perhaps take a redesign of the whole messaging system and probably won't happen for a while yet :)

Bumperlicioso · 28/04/2011 11:41

People don't seem to have a problem making themselves understood though. A quote or threading function would just clutter things up, so you see a massive block of text which is merely a quote of a previous post then a 'LOL' at the end!

NetworkGuy · 28/04/2011 14:32

With threading there is no need to quote - the posts are visibly "together".

Anyway, that's not in place here, which is why follow-up posts can be tens and even hundreds of posts later, and can be awkward to relate back, as there's no simple way to link to a single post...

(OK, it can be done, such as that pretty blunt post from Mike but there's no automatic way for MN users to do it easily).