Now that MNHQ has given us a support emoji reaction can we have a laugh out loud one as well?

[IwantToRetire]

Not much good news, but was pleased to see that we can now "react" with a of support.

Such an important part of FWR.

But another positive would be able to tell someone they had made us laugh out loud.

So maybe have a react or .... ?

Bollocks. It was a great function.

Bollocks it was! Only for trolls.

I'm not a troll. I always used it as intended. Just make it so you can report laugh reacts that you feel are "mocking".

It was a great tool for letting other posters know when you found their posts witty and amusing, without clogging up the thread with emojis.

What a load of overwrought drama 🙄😁

Tell me about it. It comes across as very chronically online. You're definitely on mumsnet too much, if you feel the need to "fight" to get features removed.

Big eyeroll at "It should never have been a function and as far as I'm concerned never will ever again." Like they're the keeper of mumsnet 😂

Self appointed Head Girl 😁

The only reason anyone used it was to mock a poster.

Well that's not true! What a crazy idea. How would you even know?

Am I a bad person for having genuinely laughed out loud at that?

The only reason anyone used it was to mock a poster.

That is simply not true. I often used it to acknowledge a humourous comment or turn of phrase, was always pleased when someone indicated that they 'got' one of my comments or allusions. I NEVER saw it used to mock me, I NEVER used it to mock anyone else.

There's a 'who smelt it, dealt it' vibe to the objections. In 'real life' do you never laugh along with friends in an affectionate and affirming way?

I dont think equating the loss of a baby and autism is quite the same (2 autistic.children here).
Particularly a recent loss or first time talking about it.
It was also used when people were suicidal. Its fine to say you can ignore it, but if you were on the edge it isn't that easy.

TBH if I had ever received a 'laugh' reaction to comments which made it inappropriate/sarcastic (which I never did), I would just have assumed the poster made a 'fat finger' error.

It's an incredibly feeble way to be unpleasant to someone. Really laugh-out-loud feeble, worthy of a sarcastic laugh emoji all of its own.

I think that perhaps the people who worry about this use of a private reaction must have been influenced by their experience of it on platforms where reactions are public.

You need to get out on the streets with your placards. You and your army of head girl laugh objectors,

Down with this sort of thing!

But I genuinely don't understand why you can't just use the laugh emoji? Same effect, no?

It is funny, but not in a way that makes me think the user was a very nice person.

There is something really small about needing to be so catty in such a secretive, cowardly way. If you think a poster has said something stupid, just be big enough to say so - and give other posters a chance to check you.

No.

Because it clogs up threads with emojis. It was useful to just have a quick laugh react button to show appreciation.

I regularly received hundreds of laugh reactions to my posts and gave hundreds out too so you can see how it's useful.

Yes I guess it is quicker to use.

I get lots of thumbs ups and sometimes wish they were public to shut up the occasional poster who whinges on and on because they take exception to something and can't let it drop. I tend to just not answer now, though that feels rude.

Women are posting (or have posted on other threads in the past) that they have written about serious illness, suicide, being widowed, child deaths and other things and that the laughter emoji has been given (privately) and that it upset them a lot.

I’m not a regular poster on this section, it comes up in Active so sometimes I read, sometimes I post, but I don’t deliberately seek it out if you see what I mean.

But I have to say I’m gobsmacked at the lack of understanding and support for these women. Some of you have said you’ve received that emoji too and it didn’t bother you. But can you not find a scrap of empathy for other women?

I can have empathy for other women, and also think it was a useful feature. Mumsnet could have made tweaks to how the system was set up, instead of just removing the function entirely.

People have suggested here that reactions could be made public, or reportable, or they could be turned off on certain topics like bereavement and pregnancy loss. Lots of options.

Nothing seems to get through to them, for some reason. Their obsession with needing some laugh reaction (I'd be happier if all 'reactions' were removed, there is no need for any of them) stops them from seeing reality. Not even how it was abused, as we all warned Mumsnet it would be. They didn't listen, we were proved right, so it had to go. Posters on here who had genuinely traumatising situations were mocked. Some on here lack even the base level humanity to understand that.

Or maybe some people just have different views. That doesn't make them wrong, or mean that we lack humanity. I like reactions, you don't 🤷‍♀️. Maybe you should be more tolerant of different opinions.

Maybe some people have designs on thinking of themselves as stand up comedians and it catered to that?

I can see the value of having a 'sensitive' topics page without emoticons, or of having a option where a poster can choose not to see them, but for those of us who do not choose to post that way, and did find the 'laugh' supportive and enriching, banning it everywhere seems very heavy handed.

I also get the impression that there are people who disapprove of humour on principle, and I find them scary, as I would in real life. I don't particularly like most comedians, but do appreciate those who tread lightly.

See, I think that would have been a perfect solution! Posters who are writing about something sensitive could have the option to turn the reactions off, or even to turn off just the laugh reactions so they can still receive hearts and flowers.

Agree, this could have been a good way of doing it. I do want to say I am genuinely shocked at, and sorry to hear about, the horrible use of the reaction buttons that people here have described. I know I shouldn't be, it's the Internet, but why do people do that? I just can't get my head around it. People can be truly awful but they can also be wonderful so I suppose it's about how you cultivate that supportive space, which I think Mumsnet can be very good at, whilst also protecting it.