(04-16-2019, 07:29 AM)BrynStevens Wrote: Well, remember when Theresa May wanted to make our Internet be like North Korea's, just because of ongoing extremism? Yeah, that got thrown out the window right away.
(04-15-2019, 08:30 PM)Yami Yugi Wrote: I don't see why just removing the like system would be a bad thing; it could actually encourage more posting. But that's my opinion.This.
But as what Kyng said earlier, Likes and Streaks may be outlawed because they're secretly a privacy issue. Also that they should not affect forums that have it. I mean, forums =/= social media sites.
Well, they're a handy way for someone to express agreement, without making a two-word post that just says "I agree". So, having it there (and frequently used) helps to build a positive community atmosphere.
Sure, I'll post a reply if I have more to add than simply "I agree" - but, what if I have nothing to add beyond that? Then, I'll just hit the 'Like' button and leave it at that. If we didn't have that button, I'd feel silly making a post just saying "I agree", so my positive feelings wouldn't be expressed in a post: instead, they simply wouldn't be expressed at all. I don't think that'd help the community atmosphere: it'd hurt it. So, in my eyes, the 'Like' feature is one of the most useful little additions to the site - and, considering how popular and well-used it is, it seems most people agree. Therefore, it's not going anywhere.
On the other hand, this rationale of "encouraging more posting" is why I don't have a 'Dislike' button (and never will). If someone has negative feelings, then I really do want people to post and express them in a constructive manner, instead of just providing negativity at the click of a button (which does absolutely nothing to help the person on the receiving end).
But, more to the point: even if some people would be fine with removing the 'Like' button, it's the principle of having to fall in line with overbearing law after overbearing law that I have a serious problem with. Today, it's the 'Like' button that's under threat; if they can pass that, then they might move on to anything even slightly unsuitable for young children (i.e. anything above a 'G' rating); and once that's done, the "robust age verification" might be made mandatory for everyone. I'm not going to go down this path of adding tighter and tighter restrictions, slashing more and more features, and degrading the user experience, just to keep on the right side of a nanny state that seems hell-bent on doing parents' jobs for them, and protecting people who might be kids just because they haven't sent me their passport as proof of their identity, and therefore might be lying about their age. When I started out with this place back in 2009, I didn't sign up for that - and I'd rather not run a forum at all than run a forum under those terms. Ultimately, this is just a passion-driven hobbyist community, and laws like this are a real passion-killer.
(04-16-2019, 07:52 AM)Digital Dictator Wrote: Small forums are usually in good hands, because they're managed by one or two people at most, so their communities are tight-knit. It's always a wonderful thing when people from all walks of life can coexist.
You won't get the feeling of a tight-knit community through Facebook or other social media. You could theoretically create an account just for dozens of real-life friends and colleagues, but chances are on their ends, they have all sorts of distractions that could make way to your account. You don't need that nonsense.
I agree whole-heartedly. Like Pyrite says, social media is geared towards people 'advertising' themselves, whereas forums are geared towards the content, so forum posts somehow feel more honest and genuine than social media posts. (Sure, trolls and people with fake identities do exist on forums too, but social media seems to be built in a way that actively encourages that behaviour!)
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