Changes in the current "Like" system.

My proposal is simple, but I have no idea how much of a bitch it would be to implement. Add a checkbox next to Alerts similar to the drop-down menu next to the username. The checkbox would disable showing likes until unchecked.

Moreover, I do not know if it works the same in all browsers, but on FF 15 it only shows the new alerts until the moment you hover your mouse over the Alerts menu. Then it is reset to zero. I suggest Bolding the replies that are at that point unviewed by the user.

For all I know, XenForo cannot do these things. But it would be nice if they could be done. Thanks in advance for reading and for any replies.

 

> Possibility to ignore OmniaNigrum's likes

 

Personally, the Like system is fine with me. I think Omni is asking because of an incident yesterday where I had 400+ alerts at once, 400+ of which were likes and 3-4 of which were replies -- but honestly I don't see that happening again, and I'm perfectly comfortable using the What's New button to find out what had been replied to.

 

My only request is that the members list be more sortable.

 

Oh, just FYI:

http://community.gaslampgames.com/account/alert-preferences

 

Hell. I did not even know that existed mining.

But I still wish the replies were not dismissed when you hover your mouse over the Alerts menu.

 

I don't particularly think the 'Like' system is really, um, anything. It doesn't, for the most part, add or detract from discussions. It can save you from saying "Yes, I agree with the words in your brain" and thus it reduces the number of, frankly, pointless posts that all effectively say "daggles lol ther awesume", but other than that it's a system with very little benefit.

Recent forum events, however, have... shall we say, become rather irritating with regards to likes. It seems to me that some members (and yes, I know I sound pissed, but I'm not. I'm typing and trying to eat my food before it goes cold) have somewhat abused this system for no reason other than a petty contest. It's behaviour seemingly similar to the great ol' post count wars of old, or the petty 'negative karma' actions on some forum software. As it currently stands, however, it seems to me that the 'Like' system is counter-productive to discussions. I wonder how many posts have not been made (and, as such, how many discussions have been shortened) due to the potential authors just going 'Like' instead.

If I 'Like' a post, it's because I think that post is important and it's an immediate, effective way to communicate that. As a system, it loses all meaning when used on every single post. It also makes finding replies a bit of a pain, as a member above said (though it must be said that appears to be a single, extreme occurrence). I've come on this site before, seen I have 5-10 Alerts, for only one of them to be an actual alert, the others are just members hitting 'Like' on my posts, regardless of the content within.

I don't know what the best solution is. I don't think a "Like" system is particularly needed, either way.

 

Personally, I like the Like system precisely because it prevents "me too" spam. I get pissed when I go to other forums and I don't have any way to approve of a post without adding more posts.

 

Case in point, I could have easily 100 times my current post count if not for the like system. Check and mate.

 

But on a forum this size, "me too" spam is pretty much never going to happen beyond maybe two or three posts tops, and even then I think most members who would do that would also contribute to the discussion at hand. On a site the size of, say, Rock, Paper, Shitgun or Comic Berk Resources, sure, it might be an issue... but it's a consequence of a larger site.

Here, though? I think promotion of discussion is more beneficial.

 

You say 'promotion of discussion', I see 'an decrease in the signal-to-noise ratio.' One of the things I love most about these boards is that almost half the posts here area actually worth reading. I'd like to keep it that way.

 

Which it would if we removed the 'Like' system. As I said, this site isn't particularly busy and even then it seems to me that Dredmor and CE are the focus of discussions here, very few of those actually warranting "+1" posts.

Even then, it seems to me that a simple rule (or guideline) about posts having to contribute to discussions (with exception of the Off Topic boards) would negate that issue, assuming Daynab and the GLG staff would be able to keep up with monitoring discussions on that level.

I don't even think +1 Posts particularly will happen here. Aside from the nature of discussions, those posts typically happen on sites where post counts are visible (on here they're shown in one's profile). We don't seem to foster a culture of post-count competitions, either, so I don't really see it as an issue. And even if a member does it, a word (then a warning if it continues) from someone would perhaps put a stop to it.

 

Well, I quite like the "like Essence into GLG" campaign, and as indicated you can turn off notifications - which limits the 'spam potential'. It also helps indicate (for example in a poll) which ideas have more community backing and which do not.

 

It would work like that if the abuse of the system was curtailed. But no-one sees the 'Like' system the same way as anyone else.

 

Clearly our relatively low number of likes indicates that we are superior to them. Or smaller. I prefer the former.

 

If anyone was really abusing the like system they could get a handful of freinds to like every post they ever made. (And only theirs too if they really wanted to mess things up.)

As things are it can be a distraction at worst. My recent like-spam was mostly a joke about how Essence should get far more than he does at current. And then mining made that little comment about the like-mobile...

If it helps clarify, I would not like every post if one person had massive amounts of likes already.