May We Please Have a "Like" Button?

[CMcG]

I would like to request that Steve and the Mods enable a "like" button in the forum software. In order to help The Rabble add their weight to this idea, I am creating a poll with 3 answers: yes, no, and maybe.

A "like" button or its equivalent is used as a quick way to publicly show appreciation for a post. One simply clicks on the word "like" underneath someone's post and a record shows up in the footer of that post of all the people who have done so. It would allow another option for forum participation and can be quite useful. If someone prefers to write "***" or "thanks," they would, of course, still be free to do so.

In November of 2011, I started a thread on this topic (LINK), but there was never any response from the powers that be. If this is not possible or if some decision has been made against it, could we please have that information?

[creagdhubh]

I would like to request that Steve and the Mods enable a "like" button in the forum software. In order to help The Rabble add their weight to this idea, I am creating a poll with 3 answers: yes, no, and maybe.

A "like" button or its equivalent is used as a quick way to publicly show appreciation for a post. One simply clicks on the word "like" underneath someone's post and a record shows up in the footer of that post of all the people who have done so. It would allow another option for forum participation and can be quite useful. If someones prefers to write "***" or "thanks," they would, of course, still be free to do so.

In November of 2011, I started a thread on this topic (LINK), but there was never any response from the powers that be. If this is not possible or if some decision has been made against it, could we please have that information?

***

I like it!

[Jock Scot]

I dont "want" a like button, but I would like one.

[O'Searcaigh]

I dont "want" a like button, but I would like one.

***

[Steve Ashton]

We already have the vBulletin equivalent.

If you will look on the light blue bar just above the first post of any thread you should see "Thread Tools" "Search This Thread" and Rate "This Thread" .

Pull down the "Rate This Thread" menu and click away.

I'm sorry but I don't know of any vBulletin plug in or add-on that has a 'like' button.

[tulloch]

This is not facebook. I think a great place to exchange ideas and information does not need a 'like' feature such as that.

[Kiltedjohn]

I entirely agree with Tulloch's comment. Free discussion does not need to be rated.

[artificer]

This is not facebook. I think a great place to exchange ideas and information does not need a 'like' feature such as that.

I entirely agree with Tulloch's comment. Free discussion does not need to be rated.

But sometimes "free discussion" is reading two pages of

***

I sometimes do this, but try to elaborate beyond that.

Simply quoting and adding *** isn't much of a discussion, but it IS an endorsement (which is good, as it adds weight to a previous opinion/statement).

Think of it as rating a specific comment rather than the thread as a whole.

If a like button strips away a little chaff I think it would be helpful, if people simply change the "***" to quoting and typing "Liked" it won't make any difference at all.

In the end I voted "Maybe"

ith:

[O'Searcaigh]

I frequently do not post comments on threads (even though I read them through thoroughly) simply because anything I might have said has already been said by someone else and frequently better. However, sometimes what someone else has said is so well said and I believe important enough to be reinforced as to rate a "***," again something I sometimes but not often do (at least not as often as I find posts with which I agree). Given the conventions already available here on XMarks, a "like" response feature is certainly not necessary (I don't really "need" or even strongly "want" one) but it might be nice to be able to let an individual poster know that you support their view/post in some way (other than a pm). But hey, "it ain't a big deal one way or the other"

[CMcG]

We already have the vBulletin equivalent.

If you will look on the light blue bar just above the first post of any thread you should see "Thread Tools" "Search This Thread" and Rate "This Thread" .

Pull down the "Rate This Thread" menu and click away.

I'm sorry but I don't know of any vBulletin plug in or add-on that has a 'like' button.

Thanks for the reply, Steve. Unfortunately, rating the thread isn't the same as a "like" button because it cannot be directed towards a single post. Furthermore, my Google searching shows that vBulletin is capable of this functionality, but maybe it isn't as simple as throwing a virtual switch?

For those who fear that a "like" button would somehow interfere with discussion, how is it any different than a "***" or "thanks" post? If anything, it could help the exchange of ideas and information by making for cleaner threads with fewer laudatory -- but non-contributing -- posts.