So are we going to actively dissuade the more sensitive posters coming to this forum? I think some forums should be kept friendly. This is one of them.

While I agree that everoyne should learn to ignore "dislikes", I wouldn't want to see that option on RPGwatch and there is a reason why.
On Sims forums "once upon a time" there was also dislike button. Not just like, lol, awsome, insightful and whatever other buttons.
As everything else there, collecting a certain number of dislikes from other members granted an achievement. Then another bigger number another achievement etc. Then people started to compete who'll gather more dislikes, so what if achievements are irrelevant, guess what, it became trolls feeding ground. :)
A competition who'll be #1 with number of dislikes. So they removed it.

I'm pretty sure this forum can track statistics of members' total likes and dislikes if there were any, so let's not risk it.

I think we should all make a pact that, if they ever add a dislike button, we'll all dislike every single post sakichop makes. ;)

I dislike that idea, but since it's just saki, okay :p

It is good on sites like reddit (where you can silence trolls that way), but most discussions here are fairly civil, so there's no need for it. And grabbing "likes" is not really any better.
That codex icon parade they have below the comments is pretty hilarious though.

Eh, i like the "like button". It saves me the time typing "i agree" and no other content regarding it. For example my post replying to JDR13 would have been just "I agree".

I don't really like likes, either.

IF you want to agree then speak up, elaborate, set some tone or something. Just clicking an "I AGREE" button is a mindless sheeple action. What happens when someone makes a post, everyone clicks LIKE instead of replying? No conversation happens! The only people who write an actual worded post are disagreeing (the argument for a dislike button?). So, you call them trolls and the LIKE sheeple can finally join in the conversation by saying what a troll the dislike guy is or how boring things are now that he's gone.

But its worse than you think because of AI, otherwise known as Advertising Intelligence. You go picking what you like and soon you'll only see what you like. You'll be trapped inside your old likes, unable to grow, learn anything new, hear the story from the other side. Just look at utube recommended videos and I'll bet half of them are reposts of something you like, know and are bored off.

But bored is a great time to buy more! We love DLC, these days, because we like those games. We don't really like new games that are not what we like already. We don't buy things that we don't like and we can't like things that we haven't liked before.

But, lets think bigger like political elections. Say, you LIKE a rubbish candidate. You're not going to be convinced otherwise by your "team of likes" deciding you want links to the oppositions superior policy. You'll get what you know. It will reinforce what you think you know already.

So I try to imagine a positive application where instead of "likes" being used to deliver appropriate ads they can see missing gaps in your education and act as tutor which guides you though the vast amounts of useful information on the internet while developing your character and intellect, wisdom, charisma! But the cynic in me just assumes anything like this would be bought out and abused to make money with advertising. If not perusing more nefarious objectives, such as influencing public opinion.

I think people here dont even use the like button when they should.

No that's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is

(Mini rant on) if your self worth is givin to you by others (i.e. Getting likes or dislikes in a forum and such) then you have no self worth at all. Self esteem needs to come from within not from others. For example nothing anyone says here or likes or dislikes will affect my self esteem because that's controlled by me not others. I think this everyone gets a trophy if they participate world we're building is counterproductive and builds a world we're people are ok with expecting little from themselves and achieving it. ( mini rant off)

I know that's a lot to get from simple like or dislike button but I got on a roll.:biggrin:

Anyway I think we should have both or neither imo, obviously people don't like my idea so I'll have to try and get through life knowing that. It will be hard but hopefully I'll persevere.:)

Just so there's no hard feelings I'll give everyone a like just for participating.:lol:

Back at you sakichop. I think you underestimate how little real self esteem this generation has, we are giving trophies out for PARTICIPATION. I think we need to toughen the young'n's up but that is a different topic altogether.

No. :P

Korplem just made a valid argument why we should add dislikes. :p

I agree with SirJames. I think in a forum, having like buttons removes from the discussion.

Just wanted to comment, I happen to find this topic interesting. (plus, I'm bored on a late Friday night as well…:p)

Adding a dislike button would just create endless and needless drama. You know how people are, if they see someone disliked their post, then many people will automatically want to go and dislike one of that person's posts, as a sort of "revenge". Then little mini-feuds start happening, Example -- ("you thumbed down me, now I'm gonna thumb down you!" "Oh yea? Fine, I will thumb down every thing you post from now on." "You jerk, now I will start attacking you directly for every post you make, and I'll get my friends to also help and gang up on you…etc. etc.) and it all becomes more and more silly as time goes on…if the proposed dislikes were to be disguised or hidden from public display, as a solution, then that is being cowardly in my view. If likes are public, so should any proposed dislikes.
So my vote is yes for keeping thumbs up on posts (a positive feature and one that reinforces a positive atmosphere and community) and staying away from a thumbs down feature. And those are my two coppers.

The quantity of users and forum buttons doesn't enhance the quality of a forum.
Proof: See Codex

Some people became famous due to the number of dislikes their vids got on YouTube.

I still wouldn't like to have dislike buttons here. Post-lazy folks like me would go around and click dislike buttons all day.

If you were to ban Celtic you most likely would get active users up and have no need for a dislike option…

I hear he is a bad seed.

I'm in favour of the likes system, and I use it a lot. I think that, much like smilies, they can be useful on a forum, where you don't have the cues of face to face communication. You can let someone know that you're interested or amused by what they've said, without necessarily having anything in particular to add. I think it does help create a friendly atmosphere.

I wouldn't add dislikes. I think it's better that, if you're pissed off enough to register a thumbs down, you should take the trouble to type out a spiky comment. It makes sense to me that positivity would be convenient, and negativity more of a chore.

Yeah. Adding an avenue for negativity will bring negativity. This place can already do with a lot more positivity as it is. Let's work on that. :)

To like or dislike something, that is the question. Neither are an action verb, so neither should ever require an action. They are in your own mind, and there they should remain.