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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

what the actual is that facebook like button doing there?

999 replies

CarolCervix · 15/12/2011 16:42

has it always been there? or has it moved? and does that mean if someone 'likes' that thread it will be posted to their fb page?

OP posts:
LoremIpsum · 16/12/2011 07:32

What makes you think MN is going to move to real names, acumen?

DutchOma · 16/12/2011 07:41

Just seen that there is also a 'like' button on the Christian prayer thread. That is a pretty personal site, like bereavement and relationships, so can you please at least remove the button from there?

UnexpectedOrangeInMyStocking · 16/12/2011 07:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

redlac · 16/12/2011 07:54

Not annoyed no. You can't enjoy the unmoderated feel of the site then complain when no one is around to answer questions. They are letting everyone let off steam before they come back and explain the situation..

KeepInMindItsAlmostChristmas · 16/12/2011 08:06

Really really dis-like this
I would not want some things I say here to be seen on face book. Sad

I would never use the button.

MelanieLane · 16/12/2011 08:26

How about having a notice which states how many time a thread has been "liked" to Facebook. And also a count of how many views a thread has had. Whilst I like the current simple pared down appearance of mumsnet it does create the illusion of privacy, but unfortunately it isn't private.

VivaLeBeaver · 16/12/2011 08:32

Not liking it. It's all very well saying well don't click it but scrolling on an iPad its easy to press a bit too hard and accidentally click something.

If I did click it how does it know who I am on Facebook or would I have to then give my Facebook details so it can post on my wall?

mpsw · 16/12/2011 08:36

I notice that some forums don't have it.

It's either innocuous - in which case it logically should be everywhere.

Or it does encourage different behaviour and more frequent copying (because of ease); in which case, could there be a proper poll about it?

Bunbaker · 16/12/2011 08:37

Why is it assumed that everyone does Facebook? I do have a Facebook account, but very rarely visit it. I don't want the whole world knowing my business.

MildlyNarkyPuffin · 16/12/2011 08:40

OK. I ^really, really, really hate facebook. A lot. But I don't see this as too much of an issue.

As long as MN have people ready to deal with the extra negative attention the publicity for MN always attracts and the button is obvious I'm not bothered. But then I don't do Facebook, so I can't accidentally link a page.

StupidLikeButton · 16/12/2011 08:52

The point is that many of us felt comfortable sharing on here...maybe that was misguided.

All this Like button has done is to highlight that...and so MNHQ you really have made a bit of a mistake here...because MN will lose a good chunk of it's charm now....it's intimacy....even if you DO get rid of the button, people like me now feel exposed....I should have before obviously...but I didn't.

It's been spoiled.

iscream · 16/12/2011 08:53

I have an "Share on Facebook" gadget in my toolbar anyways. Just don't "like" things if you prefer to keep your mumsnet separate from facebook.

katkitya · 16/12/2011 08:53

I'm hating it. I think if you aren't logged into Facebook it won't show, that's how other sites seem to do it. I would faint if my rl friends/family saw things I've had a rant about on here. My boss would be having stern words with me!!! I think it will open a whole can of worms.

Furball · 16/12/2011 08:55

I dislike this too.

Yes you could argue that posts here are in the public domain, but only if people know you they know you IFYSWM. Ok they can work it out, but.........

Facebook - Taadaa - - If you did 'like' a post for example, people who are your friends on FB could maybe work out who you were?

Then all the anonymity has evaporated. my 'friends' could search and maybe find out things you maybe don't want them to find out like say the bumsex threads etc. or other personal things

You could unintentionally lead them straight to it........BAD BAD BAD

MistletoeAndPinot · 16/12/2011 09:08

Ohhhhh this is just so disappointing.

I don't want my FB and MN linked.

Pinot is unhappy, so is speaking in the 3rd person

DrinkFeckArseGirls · 16/12/2011 09:16

As if someone would post the thread they contributed to on the Facebook for their friends and family to see Hmm.

ShowOfHands · 16/12/2011 09:23

Eons ago I asked for a Friday Night Topic and MNHQ told me to canvas opinions. Nearly all posters were in favour. It would have taken bumsex and sex chat out of relationships where it sat uncomfortably alongside dv and divorce and put it in a topic which people could choose to hide it. MN, despite encouraging me to canvas opinion, refused it because it might attract weirdy pervy types. Now they've asked nobody on here an opinion and installed a button which serves no obvious useful purpose and could be the encouragement they were so worried about.

For example, somebody posts looking for support because they have found themselves in the position of needing a termination. All you need is one fundamental pro-lifer with his own fb page where similar people congregate to google, find the thread and link it. Of course they could copy and paste anyway but the big, glaring fb button at the top of the page might, just might, be seen as encouragement, it might just plant the seed.

And I'm bitter about it clearly but if we can't have a topic for people to post sex related issues in, despite being adults and presumably having sex on high days and holidays, in case we're invaded by Pervy McLusty, then why take decisions without consulting your users which could be seen to carry the same risk factor.

People might c&p links to mn on fb but they do that of their own volition and on their own conscience be it but you stick a button on here, you're condoning it.

FellatioNelson · 16/12/2011 09:28

Very good point Showy. FB is full of total wankers and unfortunately some people aare not remotely discening about who they 'friend'. It will draw attention to certain threads that will attract the wrong kind of new members(as we experienced after all the publicity with Riven) who will be all over the board like cockroaches. Not a pleasant thought.

FellatioNelson · 16/12/2011 09:28

discerning

LineRunnerCrouchingReindeer · 16/12/2011 09:32

Very good point Showy. FB is full of total wankers and unfortunately some people aare not remotely discening about who they 'friend'. It will draw attention to certain threads that will attract the wrong kind of new members(as we experienced after all the publicity with Riven) who will be all over the board like cockroaches. Not a pleasant thought.

This is such a crucial point, FellatioNelson.

How can MNHQ not 'get' it?

MNHQ
RebeccaHallsWithBoughsOMumsnet · 16/12/2011 09:34

@VivaLeBeaver

Not liking it. It's all very well saying well don't click it but scrolling on an iPad its easy to press a bit too hard and accidentally click something.

If I did click it how does it know who I am on Facebook or would I have to then give my Facebook details so it can post on my wall?

Morning all,

Tech are looking into previously raised issues about the like button not popping out for everyone but while they look at that, if you accidentally click on the 'like' tab and you are already signed into Facebook (or have your cookies enabled to do it automatically) and no pop-up window appears then the thread you are on will be linked to from your Facebook page.

If you want to remove it, you can hover back over the 'like' tab and click on the X and it will unlike the thread both here and on Facebook or you could go to Facebook and manually remove.

We just wanted to clarify this, we will be back shortly to face the music to answer your Q's Xmas Smile

Best wishes
MNHQ

AmandinePoulain · 16/12/2011 09:42

I'm sure I'm not the only one to name change because of this Angry

SadlyNo · 16/12/2011 09:45

Essay coming up, sorry!

There's some complacency here, I think, with people suggesting "if you don't press like, nothing will get posted to FB".

Trouble is this has not always been strictly true and there's no guarantee it always will be. The DM article linked to upthread may have been heavily embroidered (imagine my shock) but the original blog posts it links to raising issues about Facebook are, as far as I know, genuine and accepted as accurate in the tech community. I read them at the time and hadn't read the DM article before.

This is the original post and the update post is linked at the top. So from these posts it appears that a few months back Facebook WAS tracking people's activity on the internet even when they were logged out of Facebook for a time (tho they weren't doing anything with it). When called on it, they fixed it and now they don't track you when logged out.

The problem is not that they were evilly planning to hurl your info around the net. The problem as far as I know is that a simple mistake like that one combined with other functionalities on FB could potentially result in a one-off accidental link being made. So for example, you now only have to say "yes" once to most apps for them to have permission to share everything you do on certain sites. Hence lots of people's Last.fm usage is continuously scrolling past on my updates page.

So yes as I see it, it could be a problem in the future, even if it isn't now. It's your call as a user whether you want to take the risk of having a profile on both, and how much keeping up with tech news you're prepared to do to spot problems as they arise. One workaround being discussed at the time was to keep a separate browser just for using Facebook, but I'm not techy enough to know how unbridgeable that gap really is.

Told you it was an essay. Xmas Blush

MistleTobyLeWolef · 16/12/2011 09:48

Just adding my disapproval to the chorus, for all the reasons previously mentioned (I haven't read the whole thread, but I'm pretty sure I agree with the reasons anyway!).

I think this is a seriously bad idea, MNHQ. People see MN as a safe place to rant /discuss/ask for advice on some very sensitive topics. Now they will be less willing to be open, and may not feel able to ask for the advice that MN is so famous for.

I also feel like it may be open to abuse. Poster 1 posts very personal thread about her family/husband/sex life/illness. Poster 2 holds a grudge against Poster 1, and deliberately 'likes' her thread so that everyone on her FB wall can see it. Regardless of whether Poster 1 has namechanged, or whether Poster 2 shares no FB friends with Poster 1, it is still a violation of Poster 1's privacy.

Fair enough, what we write on the internet is, to an extent, 'fair game', but if I post something personal on MN under an anonymous nickname with no clickable profile, I obviously intend and expect that to stay here.

I fail to see that the 'like' button has any purpose other than to gain MN more clicks to their site. It has no benefit to those of us who use MN already.

redlac · 16/12/2011 09:49

very good post Sadly - its FB thats the evil/omnipresent one here. If you don't want stuff lurking about for all eternity don't have facebook, name change regularly on MN and don't think of MN as a private members club where only members can read posts.