I know there's alot of negativity on the forums, but I don't think people always use the laugh emoji to mock others. Sometimes what they say is actually funny.
Just like real life, any emotion has a satirical and honest meaning.
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- Thread starter retta283
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Just like real life, any emotion has a satirical and honest meaning.
I think the idea is meant to more be that if you disagree enough to leave a reaction, actually type out why you disagree. It promotes discussion/debate and makes people actually think over why they have a differing opinion, rather than just knee-jerk tapping an on-screen button.
I probably WOULD make a comment.
Sometimes I wouldn't comment, for example, if someone says something that I find SO ridiculous that it would be hard not to say something that results in being banned (since this place is so HEAVILY moderated). A simple "dislike" is a much better option.
Other times, a comment isn't needed since a like minded fellow has already made the same point I would make - but I'd like to still register disagreement. So a simple dislike icon results in less clutter than quoting the person I do agree with and stating that I agree.
Bottom line: if you're going to have "agree" reactions you should have "disagree" reactions. Otherwise, just get rid of reactions entirely.
To only have "agree" sends the message that "disagree" is not an approved/authorized/valid reaction, which is a rather poor message to send in my view. In modern popular terminology, "it's not inclusive".
Exactly and very well said.
Expressing why you disagree with something serves to promote discussion and debate, and allows some sort of online conversation to take place.
To my mind, this is a far preferable alternative to what @Falhófnir rightly refers to as "knee-jerk tapping an on-screen button."
One issue to consider is the fact that those upvote (like) totals are used to place "Top Rated Comments" below the news articles as shown in my screenshot.
If you don't have a disagree or downvote option that placement would rely only on the likes, so would potentially not be very representative of the posts true popularity. For example, you might have a post that would have had 40 upvotes and 39 downvotes, with a net of one upvote, under a system with the disagree option. Without the disagree option, that post would have a net 40 likes, and could very well end up as the top rated post
And why doesn't the same logic apply to a "like" reaction?
Get rid of one, get rid of both.
As I have stated before, we have no shortage of members willing to engage in debate via text, please point me to a thread with almost no text responses but hundreds of emoji responses. This simply doesn't happen. That being said if you post for the first time in a thread on page 8 of responses, yes, you might be receiving more emoji than text. The reason for this is that you were simply late to the party.
Given that, the only other reasons I can think of for removing disagree are:
1) Trolls - They will always exist, don't let them win, there are precious few of them.
2) Red thumbs and faces are far too triggering for those that need constant affirmations.
3) The need to know why (someone disagreed with you). It still boggles my mind that people care so much about a reaction from a random, anonymous person on the internet. If you feel that "text/words are better" just ignore the emoji... or can't you?
Reasons people might leave emoji disagreements:
1) English is not their primary language and they aren't comfortable enough to articulate an written argument.
2) Members might not be outgoing enough or confident enough to express a written opinion.
3) Accessibility, perhaps some members have a disability that makes it difficult to tedious to write a response but they still want to participate.
4) We are on page 10 of a thread and most ideas have been flushed out but you still want to register a vote without posting +1 or me too responses.
5) No time to write anything out but you still want to participate/register a vote. No different than a poll.
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That's like getting an "A" in a class by not counting all the work you did that scored less than an "A".
Because the down-vote seems to give rise to an increasingly negative atmosphere, or tone when used.
Other changes I would like to see include a distinction in the "laugh" emoji, so that one can draw a distinction between "laughing at", and "laughing with".
Re the "like" emoji, my own personal view is that I would like to see a refinement that would allow one to distinguish between "agreeing with" a post, or "liking" the content.
However, to be quite candid, personally, I would like (nay love) to see all emojis removed, but, I am realistic enough to accept (with reluctance) that this is most unlikely to take place.
To be honest, I don't think it should be an up/down counter. I think they should be ranked on how many people agree/disagree/reply.
I think a ranking of agree-disagree (which is actually like-disagree right now, which I still think has a conflict in units) only further inflates the idea that the posts of greatest interests are the most positive and least controversial. As implemented right now, it's basically saying "this top comment best reflects the collective opinion of the forum" which is kind of the definition of groupthink.
Top ranked comments should reflect the conversation-- and agree or disagree, the conversation is centered on agree+disagree+respond. That would shift the meaning of top comments from "this is the current consensus opinion" to "these are the things people are talking about".
I have a question...
If disagree emoji responses are bad for the community, communication and need to be removed shouldn't polls be removed too? Some members here might have voted in the poll but not used their words to also express their opinion. Applying the same logic shouldn't those votes be removed?
I see no difference between a yes/no poll and like/disagree emoji.
If disagree emoji responses are bad for the community, communication and need to be removed shouldn't polls be removed too? Some members here might have voted in the poll but not used their words to also express their opinion. Applying the same logic shouldn't those votes be removed?
I see no difference between a yes/no poll and like/disagree emoji.
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The feature is built in the Xenforo forum software and the way it works is by using the net up/down score. There is no automated way to factor real post replies into that equation.
No.
I have never said that and nor have I attempted to argue it.
Instead, I suggest that people who post use words to signal agreement, disinterest, or disagreement.
Use words to make your case.
Understood. Just sharing how I think it should work-- not necessarily how it can work...
I don't think so. I think the other words are "if you don't agree, have the courtesy to explain why. Don't just throw a thumbs down and disappear."
That's less important when you agree because agreement generally means that you'd say the same thing if you got the chance. There's no new information to impart. Disagreement means you have something different to say, so share it.
Once again, why not apply that same logic to "like" or any other "reaction" icon?
Just get rid of all of them.
Simply hitting the "like" button doesn't add anything of significance either.
Actually, I have already written - in this very thread - that my own personal preference would be the removal of all emojis.
However, this preference is unlikely to be realised.
Exactly.
And very well said.
Anyway, I am in complete agreement with you.
Again, well said, well expressed, and well explained.
It permits participation while minimizing clutter. It's a forum. People feel compelled to engage. They used to do it with pages of "+1" posts and "me too!" posts. The thumbs up successfully resolved that.
Think of the physical analog to what we're doing here. In large public forums, it's common for people to applaud when they agree and pass a mic to raise objections.
And disagree allows members to do exactly the same thing in cases where their disagreement has already been posted by others.
Show me a single thread with few or no disagreements via text/words and only disagreement via emoji, I'll wait. Some simply don't have the time or energy but still want to participate in the community.
Take this poll for instance, currently 31 votes but there aren't anywhere near 31 different people using words in this thread. Should all their votes be removed?
I agree that words and discussion are better but emoji responses, like polls, are simply another form of communication/participation that I don't feel should be eliminated.
Ever see someone standing on a street corner with a sign that says "honk if you support x"? Do you think those people require or are entitled to responses from people who don't honk? You don't always need to explain yourself to participate.
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Right. And dislike does the same thing, for people who disagree.
So again, if you get rid of one and keep the other, it's an invitation to engage if you agree but not if you disagree.
No, if their disagreement has already been posted by others, "agree" let's them agree with the post voicing the disagreement without ambiguity. "Disagree" on the original comment remains ambiguous.
If you read what I've said elsewhere in this thread, I see a purpose for a "disagree" option. All I'm saying here is that they aren't equivalent. You can get by with "agree" only in a way you can't get by with "disagree" only.