"Like" Button?
 

Ok, I searched for this topic in this forum and didn't see it. I have this sense that this has been brought up before, and I'm posting something unnecessary. I sincerely apologize if this is the case.

That said, a "like" button would be nice to minimize unnecessary replies and provide an option for folks to say "I hear you."

Again, please disregard if this has been discussed or dismissed before. I've not posted in this forum before, so I'm not up on the etiquette. Thank you!

There was some type of rating system here years ago and it did not go well. Birthday threads were given thumbs down, for instance, and the whole system was anonymous. Unless you can come up with some way to have the system not be anonymous, not sure there's much to be gained here. Might check in the Technical Issues forum to see if the tech support staff can even set up such a thing before asking the Talk Board to implement it.

Milepoint does have software that allows you to give a thumbs up to a thread, but the positive there is that your screen name appears at the bottom of the post you rated and it identifies you. It can't be done anonymously.

Thanks for the background! I have a friend who runs a very active sports blog and uses Disqus to host and moderate comments. Disqus does have an option to identify posters who have given up or down votes to various posts. Their screen names appear when you mouse over the respective "up" and "down" buttons. I'll ask how he set up the capability and write to the tech folks with the information, as perhaps it can be duplicated. Then, they and the Talkboard can decide whether it's something that is worth pursuing. I'm not sure a down vote button is necessary, as it is more effective to voice disagreements and the reasons for them in an actual post. An up vote button, however, might help cut down on people essentially repeating each other's responses.

I know that newer versions of VBulletin have this functionality built in almost exactly as you describe -- the ability to "like" a post with the user names of those that have "liked" it displayed at the bottom of the post. Here's a screenshot from another forum I read:

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/3563/ofkr.jpg

It's just a question of whether this functionality can be brought to the older version of VBulletin that FT is built on. :rolleyes:

-S

I wouldn't object if it appeared like this. ^

I would actually find this very distracting and busy.... I honestly want to read the posts for content.... not who else liked it. And it will take up valuable screen space!

Speaking as a regular FTer & not as TB member, I agree (especially if someone posts something that everyone likes - the list of those liking could be longer than the post :D).

Cheers.

So this is how a post actually looks.

http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/6805/mvtn.png

As you can see, the "like" list is truncated. Clicking on the "7 others" link will expand the list to show all of the usernames. Until you click it, though, the list remains short.

Personally, I like the functionality and have seen on other boards that it does seem to cut down on the posts that just say "+1" to something that someone said earlier. I also don't feel that it makes the screen look cluttered, but that's obviously IMHO. :)

-S

While I can see the benefit of obviating all the "+1" posts or those that merely say "I agree" and understand the intent is to recognize helpful contributions the "like" icon to me is just another reputation tool that can rewards familiarity & frequency as much as quality.

A member who posts occasionally in a few forums offering insightful contributions or sharing a great fare find won't become as well known as those who post more often but perhaps on a broader range of topics over multiple fora and so their reputation won't build to the same level but that doesn't mean they are any less valuable a contributor but rather just participate differently.

I'm okay with us not having this type of tool in out FT toolbox, though that's merely MHO.

Meh... Too much like FB.

I'm a bit confused by this post in that having like button and displaying a (truncated) like list is very different from having a website calculate some reputation metric and display that rating. While likes are likely to be part of a reputation score, the two concepts are logically different in that each post could report likes without FT going beyond this to compute and reveal reputations. I thought the OP and others in this thread were talking about just having the possibility of a (truncated) list of likers at the bottom of each post.

FWIW & IMO - some people will still post +1 or I agree even if there is a like button, so it's not going to eliminate a perceived problem.

Cheers.

Yes, OP did talk about "like" without linking it to some reputation metric as I've seen at work, for example, on MP but expected if FT was to upgrade that it would follow along similiar lines and not go part of the way with a "like" icon only.

I have also seen this feature on other BB's and not only like it but use it.

+1

I rest my case! :)

I see a big difference between like & +1

Like = you appreciate or value the post

+1 = you agree with the post, as in you have experience or knowledge with this issue & agree with the post

The two are very different.

I would also see the I-Like-That-Poster mentality & clicking like regardless if the post is of any real value.
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