Get rid of the Laugh reaction

[LetsNCagain]

We don't need the Laugh reaction.
I've now only had it had used mockingly.

Specifically for example, in a thread where the op is upset about something and I gave a supportive message. Some loser gave me the Laugh emoji because they think op is being ridiculous and by extension, so am I for showing sympathy.

Mumsnet, please just get rid of it. If someone says a funny joke, the clap hands or thumbs up is perfectly adequate. The Laugh emoji is the only one that can be used in a mocking way

Edit to add Please!

I really like all the new emojis!

Thank you @BeckyAMumsnet

Thank you! Hopefully this will discourage people if they keep getting warning, and suspensions...

As with everything, we’ll look at it in context. If users make a habit of it, this will quickly become apparent to us!

@BeckyAMumsnet - that's good, so far as it goes but please bear in mind people using the app can't see these 'reactions' and I doubt many of us have the time or inclination to check in the browser version for bad usage. And probably most using the app won't bother reporting either (or realise they should).
So the number of reports you see will only be a minority of the cases of misuse.

As with everything, we’ll look at it in context
Want to use it on this

It’s happened to me again on quite a sensitive thread for the OP, when I was using another username to comment. There are some horribly toxic people on this site lately.

Did you report it @Efillufwa?

I haven’t because I don’t want my reply to vanish with it which I assume will happen, and the OP needs support, so I don’t want my reply to her to be lost too.

I don't think that will happen, will it @BeckyAMumsnet?

Thing is, @Efillufwa if you don't report it, posters will never be sanctioned for posting such passive-aggressive (actually nasty!) responses

I don't think requiring people to report their own posts is a feasible solution to this problem. Unless someone has been on this very thread, they won't know that's the recommended recourse when this happens.

Like I said, I'm not flagging this issue for myself or for the mumsnet regulars who we see on Site Stuff. I'm suggesting this for the vulnerable users who come on here suffering from real distress, real life issues, often first time MN users, and then they're getting secretly mocked. They won't know they're supposed to report their own posts to tackle the laughing bullies. It's not an instinctive thing to do. They'll just get more upset.

Thank you Becky but I don't think it's a good solution.

It never even crossed my mind to use the "laugh" sarcastically or even that others would!

I would actually like a "Hug" added as sometimes a thanks, agree, love or funny don't cover the many situations where I might not want or feel able to post a reply but do want to show some sort or support, understanding, appreciation or acknowledgement of someone's situation or perspective, e.g. "I love my daughter but the demands her autism places on me, nearly break me..." - now what do I choose? "thanks, agree, love or funny"?

Just to clarify - reporting your own post in these circumstances doesn't mean we'll delete the post, we just want to be made aware of the reaction.

Agree @LetsNCagain it's not a perfect solution but we'll take this feedback and have a further discussion about what is possible.

There will be lots of people who like the emojis, stamping your feet and demanding removal is unreasonable.
Asking for a way to manage people who use it to bully is reasonable.
I think they should be public for all to see, not just the poster. I think that would reduce the nastiness if the bullies knew everyone would see their post.

Yes, I think they should be public too.

I’d rather they got rid of the emojis entirely than made them public. This is not Facebook! Public likes become performative.

Just thanks was fine. I’d much prefer to go back to that.

If they're here to stay I'd rather someone using them to bully is in plain sight.

In fact when it was done to me I told the perpetrator that her use of the laugh reaction was noted. She just laughed at me again.

I was thinking about the emojis this morning. They are all positive (I get what you mean about the laughing one being used mockingly) which means I have no way of registering a negative reaction other than by writing a post. Which could mean the thread becomes very negative in flavour if I want to add my tuppennyworth whereas I can click 'agree'. So I think we should have a 'disagree' emoji / thumbs down too

Please let’s not have public likes
Big dangers in a support site if there can be popular and unpopular posters or opinions or themes. The unpopular causes and the posters with the stigmatised marginalised issues will not feel as welcome to post.

Can’t we compromise and go back to just the ‘thanks’ icon?

BeckyAMN I’m feeling a bit confused why preventing the abuse of emojis- as you acknowledge is happening and thank you for that- involves no commitment on starting a process for HQ to remove the easy tools for abuse. I can’t see why the watch and wait approach is being chosen here. What worse thing is being waited for?

I agree

I think reporting and monitoring is a good start. Maybe we could have a three strikes (warning after each) and then temporary ban? So that if you use the laughing emoji when someone appears to be in distress three times within a certain time period you are banned from posting for a while?

I totally agree that we should not have public likes.

I was on a website 10 plus years ago where people had 'likes' that were visible. And when 2 particular posters were having an argument, you'd get one who had a little clique, and were sometimes more articulate and worded their points better, and they would end up with 20 or so 'likes'...

And the other person only had 2 or 3. And it would end up making the person with less 'likes' feel like shit, feel low, and less popular, and they would feel marginalised.

And the person with more 'likes' would feel superior, and like they were the one that was correct. Public likes are a dreadful idea. That's what I hate about Reddit. 'I got 15 upvotes. You only got 3... So obviously I'm superior, and I'm more popular, and I'm right!.

Just no!

I like it. It annoys me slightly when people quote a post just to add a laughing emoji. It's a waste of a post.

Sabre I totally agree about visible likes coming to mean = ‘poster being right’.
It will narrow the demographic that feels welcome to engages and posts. That’s wrong in principle if this is meant to be a support site. It will also give less reach for advertisers which presumably the site needs to stay running.