Petition to add other reactions other than "like"

[XeeleeFlower]

Sometimes I'll read a post and want to react to it, but a "thumbs up" just doesn't fit the context or isn't the reaction that I have. I would like a "hug" reaction and a "wtf" reaction in addition to the "thumbs up". For example, I appreciate this post for sharing and keeping us all up to date with one another, but I can't thumbs it up because I'm not happy about the content. This post makes me want to give a "hug" reaction. Does that make sense? I don't want a "thumbs down" reaction because I think that's too mean. A "wtf" reaction could cover many different things, including a disagreement of opinion.

[edeholland]

You could post something like "Thanks for keeping up all up to date with one another" or "sending you a virtual hug".

[RefluxSemantic]

I prefer it when people like my agony/pain. Receiving sympathy is terrible.

[fightinfrenchman]

One of them should be a sideways thumb indicating that you don't really have any feelings about a post

[Challenger_Marco]

i have suggested and told many times to add a dislike button ,makes no sense really ,you can react with only likes.

[XeeleeFlower]

You could post something like "Thanks for keeping up all up to date with one another" or "sending you a virtual hug".

Imagine multiple pages of people saying they're sending a virtual hug.

i have suggested and told many times to add a dislike button ,makes no sense really ,you can react with only likes.

I don't like a dislike button. It fosters negativity. Wow, this is a bit ironic.

Of course an argument could be (and has been) made that a like button doesn't stimulate a conversation, but we have it now so let's improve upon it.

[edeholland]

Of course an argument could be (and has been) made that a like button doesn't stimulate a conversation, but we have it now so let's improve upon it.

We could still remove it.

[fightinfrenchman]

Of course an argument could be (and has been) made that a like button doesn't stimulate a conversation, but we have it now so let's improve upon it.

We could still remove it.

I would very much dislike this

[RefluxSemantic]

The like button is like the ultimate tool of passively discussing things. Like all the post of one guy in some discussion to show your support.

[Papist]

I don't like a dislike button. It fosters negativity. Wow, this is a bit ironic.

Preventing people from expressing their discontent with a dislike button is not going to prevent negativity. If anything, it makes folks more likely to write a nasty response instead of just clicking a button and moving on. Also, I don't see how letting people express a negative sentiment is a bad thing. When people like lejend post ridiculous, offensive things, I think it would be nice to be able to "dislike" his posts.

Reddit has had a dislike option since it was created and the culture of negativity you worry about has not emerged. If anything, it has made the platform better because it pressures people who post negative or low-quality content to either leave or do better.

[sebnan12]

i wouldnt mind a hug button. i can need a hug now that every restaurant in switzerland has been shut down

[XeeleeFlower]

I don't like a dislike button. It fosters negativity. Wow, this is a bit ironic.

Preventing people from expressing their discontent with a dislike button is not going to prevent negativity. If anything, it makes folks more likely to write a nasty response instead of just clicking a button and moving on. Also, I don't see how letting people express a negative sentiment is a bad thing. When people like lejend post ridiculous, offensive things, I think it would be nice to be able to "dislike" his posts.

Reddit has had a dislike option since it was created and the culture of negativity you worry about has not emerged. If anything, it has made the platform better because it pressures people who post negative or low-quality content to either leave or do better.

Reddit doesn't have a dislike button. It has a downvote button that is supposed to be for comments that don't add to a discussion. It turned into something that people utilize whenever they don't like/agree with something. It has created echo chambers with pockets of communities that simply pander to whatever ideology one holds. Dissenting opinions are simply given a downvote and the comment is eventually hidden. Regardless, this isn't reddit. It's a forum with a very (praise the gods!) different format.

When people actually take the time to write out a comment expressing why they dislike a post or the content of a post, then it forces them to 1) really think about their own opinion 2) flesh it out 3) express their reasoning best they can and 4) gives others clarity as to why said individual dislikes/disagrees with something.

In addition, if an individual receives a lot of downvotes, said individual may not feel welcome anymore and/or bullied. For example, say I spend a lot of time writing posts (which I coincidentally do) and people continually downvote me simply because they dislike me or my opinions, this would make me feel bad. I wouldn't be able to "do better" as I'm already putting forth a ton of effort. Maybe I just pissed off a group of people based upon something I said at sometime. Maybe some people just enjoy trolling and/or picking on people. Whatever the reason for the downvote, if there's no written justification for it, it lends itself to bad, negative feelings.

Story time

I have a perfect example of this actually happening to me. I made several posts in one thread in a female dominated subreddit. Each post was relatively lengthy, I spent a lot of time on them because I was trying to be helpful. I received a ton of downvotes for whatever reason. Haven't visited the sub much since then even though I used to spend an insane amount of time reading stuff there. I wouldn't recommend the sub to anyone now. Why so many downvotes? I have no idea, but I feel it's because I wasn't part of their groupthink. I was trying to actually help instead of trying to make someone feel like shit. If someone would've engaged in a conversation with me "hey, I feel your thinking/advice is wrong because..." then that would be different. Just receiving downvotes without reasoning is demoralizing af.

I didn't say that expressing negative sentiment is a bad thing. If you disagree with something that someone says, feel free to say so. People here do it all the time. I appreciate the "bad" conversations just as much as the "good". Perhaps I appreciate the "bad" even better as it strengthens my own opinion, modifies it in some way, or at the very least see a different perspective. If people were left with just the option to "thumbs down" something, that would be an easy way out for someone to not adequately express their dissent. Where's the learning and growth in that?

Edit: Xeeleeflower hugs @sebnan12

[edeholland]

Imagine multiple pages of people saying they're sending a virtual hug.

In a freetalk friday / cafe kind of thread, that would be pretty great to read through.

[fightinfrenchman]

Imagine multiple pages of people saying they're sending a virtual hug.

In a freetalk friday / cafe kind of thread, that would be pretty great to read through.

Remember when you guys briefly changed the name of Off topic to the "water cooler?"

[deleted_user]

Wasn't there also "Town Center?"

[fightinfrenchman]

What a strange time

[edeholland]

Imagine multiple pages of people saying they're sending a virtual hug.

In a freetalk friday / cafe kind of thread, that would be pretty great to read through.

Remember when you guys briefly changed the name of Off topic to the "water cooler?"

Yeah I'm not sure what went wrong there. I'm happy it's just called off-topic now.

[Kaiserklein]

i have suggested and told many times to add a dislike button ,makes no sense really ,you can react with only likes.

Mate trust me, you don't want a dislike feature to be implemented, you'll get drilled

[iNcog]

The biggest irony of this thread is that gs, the counterpart of OP, was originally against the like feature in itself on the forums.

The world is a vast, vast place.

[fightinfrenchman]

There should be a "bee" reaction that you use if a post frightened you by making you think about bees

[Goodspeed]

The biggest irony of this thread is that gs, the counterpart of OP, was originally against the like feature in itself on the forums.

I still am

[gamevideo113]

We need a heart reaction, which counts as a super-like