Originally Posted by
Showbizguru
I have no interest in social media and don't really understand the concept of what a Like Feature is.
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On social media, likes are used as filters. If you "like" an entity, it is placed higher in your individual like-rank. Entities you never like are therfore lower in rank. The software will then filter what is shown to you, so you will see more of what you like and less of other stuff.
On some news sites, likes and dislikes are used to rate comments. The rating is later used to sort comments (so most liked comments are shown first)
Some sites use the rating as auto-moderation - when the like/dislike quotation falls below a certain number, the post is automatically hidden.
Neither of these usages would be a benefit to FT. Filtering and/or sorting the forum would be a disaster. And for moderation we have moderators.
Originally Posted by
Showbizguru
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Surely if you agree with something a poster has written you note your approval in a written post.
It takes time to think about what you're writing and the views you're expressing.
And presumably if you're on FT you have the time to do that.
That's the joy of FT.It encourages good argument and the occasional polemic.
Leave Likes to the kids.
Exactly this.
And even when you agree with someone, there often is something more to add. So that also drives FT forward, because posts will be added as long as there is anything more to be said (excep in OMNI then, perhaps).