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

[AmethystAnnotation]

This was just an idea I had.

The laugh emoji was being abused by posters who used it to laugh sarcastically at serious posts. Instead of having an emoji which is aimed at recognising a post is funny, why not introduce an emoji that recognises the wit of the poster?

This could be a positive icon such as a little trophy, scroll or rosette. It could be used for funny posts but also if a poster suggests a particularly clever answer to a dilemma, or solves a puzzle, identifies a book or item that is being searched for, etc.

Since the aim of the icon would be to say 'you are very witty/clever' I think it would be less effective as a 'sarcastic' reaction but would still allow posters to specifically recognise a post that is funny or clever.

Interested to know if others think this might work and what MNHQ think of the idea.

🏆📜🏵

I'm sorry but i tend to use the love reaction or the thanks reaction for the purposes you describe.
I don't really see the point of another reaction which would really just duplicate those that are already available.

Not in favour of this.

Id like to see the laugh come back. I thought it was ridiculous that it was taken away.

I wouldn't give a rosette for something funny. I think it was an overreaction to take away the laugh reaction.

I'd like the laugh reaction back.

I just want the laugh reaction back.

Thanks @AmethystAnnotation we're always open to suggestions (like the flower reaction) and so will keep watch on this thread.

It wasn't ridiculous at all.

A lot of unpleasant posters caused a lot of distress to other MN users by their misuse if it.

MN existed quite happily for many years without the laugh reaction. It was a short experiment that failed and the site is much much better off without it.

Well, so would I - but it doesn't sound like that's going to happen, so I was trying to think of alternatives that wouldn't be open to abuse.

Thanks, @BeckyAMumsnet

Suggestion: grown adults grow up

This is the second or third thread that you've come on just to be rude. It is noted.

I’m not being rude. Grown adults should be able to cope with a laughing emoji. It’s not that deep

What about 🎉. Meaning 'Woo-hoo, that was a cracker of a post'.

Or people could just grow a thicker skin and realise that people are sometimes going to use the laugh emoji in an inappropriate way. People do it all the time on Facebook and they haven't removed their laugh emoji. I think it's pathetic that Mumsnet removed it when they let all kinds of offensive posts stand.

Hear hear!

I agree; but it would probably still be abused. Anything in a similar context could be used sarcastically - which, again, would be ubderstood as such by the poster who received it privately.

I loved the laugh emoji and used it lots to show gratitude and appreciation for a deliberately witty or hilarious comment, which MNers are so good at; but it's just another example of why we can't have nice things.

One thing I've thought would be useful would be an open-mouthed or eyebrow-raising 'shocked' emoji.

When people are telling stories of when CFs have done their worst to them - or just recounting appaling behaviour that they've observed - it would be handy to have a quick way to agree that, wow, that is shocking, disgraceful behaviour.

Maybe the flowers/support could be appropriate, if it happened recently and/or especially harrowing; but that too can seem overbearing and/or inappropriate when they weren't personally affected, or they sent the CF packing as soon as they royally tried it on.

Bring back the laugh reaction!

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 🙄.

Yes, that would be a good choice!

Edit - Sorry meant to quote considertheravens' suggestion of the party hat emoji.

If it comes to it, even the 'support' emoji could be used sarcastically, in the 'tiny violin' sense.

I would totally support the reinstatement of the laugh emoji, but obviously I'm not a mod so I don't have the behind the scenes view. If we can't have 😂then I just think it would be nice to have a reaction that wasn't 'support' 'agree' or 'thanks' to acknowledge witty posters.

@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.

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.

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.

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.

Of course we can 'cope' - this isn't a matter of life and death! It's just about making the site more fun to use. Threads can get cumbersome if there are loads of posts with a single laughing emoji, and it's also nice when you find your own post has garned lots of positive reactions.

Making a suggestion to improve something isn't tantamount to saying you can't 'cope' with it in its existing form. If nothing on the internet had ever been improved we'd all be reading this in orange characters on a black screen with a few ASCII graphics if we were lucky 😄