What's Not To Like?

[unadoptedlamp]

With the site change to the new format, we have the option of liking, disliking, being shocked, etc. with those little icons.

I never got into it. I tried it once or twice and decided it's not for me. If I see something funny, sad, shocking, or whatever, I just internalize it and move on.

Do you value this little nudge in your posts or reaction to posts?

I turned off all notifications, so unless I manually check by chance, I don't ever see a response to any of my comments, quotes or otherwise. Suits me fine, and I don't subject myself to that little dopamine hit that social media has programmed into people because I read awhile back that it's not so good for most people.

This is the only "social media" I have ever engaged in, so it's all quite foreign to me. However, I have read extensively on the subject, which is why I take an active role to disengage from that and keep my interaction 90% in "real life" where reactions seem more... well, real. That is entirely personal preference and I'm not judging at all.

Only reason I sought out this forum many years ago is because I don't converse with pipe smokers (otherwise known as 'pipers') in real space. There's an interesting collection of people here, and while I don't agree with a number of things that come up, I do enjoy being exposed to a different point of view.

I don't think Kevin has ulterior motives... but you never know. I'm just saying that it's not my bag, baby.

But I am interested to know how much it influences people here and if I am perhaps breaking the online social contract by not engaging this way.

It's a weird thing to me.

 

[ThermionicScott]

See, you're grumpy because you're not allowing all those dopamine hits to go through!

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I think what you are missing is, at the end of each month, you get $.10 credit at SP for each like you receive. It's more for loves and lol, I don't recall the rates. It pays to be popular.

 

[K.E. Powell]

I do agree that the chasing of "likes" and other reactions that are built into most modern social media can be harmful as a whole, because it encourages our most narcissistic traits.

That being said, overall I do like to have them, or at least, I'd prefer to have them than not. I have two reason as to why.

First, reactions can let a person know how you feel or took their post, without the need of actually saying anything. That sounds lazy and shallow, but think of how we communicate in everyday conversation, and how much of it are things not verbally said because of nonverbal cues. An obvious example is a person laughing at someone's joke. If a friend tells a joke and I laugh, I don't have to then tell the man I found his joke funny. On a forum, however, we can't see how people are reacting to what is being said. Reactions allow us to strip away some of that ambiguity and create an economy of language. In the early days of the Internet, "me too!" was not a women's movement, but a dig at people who would do nothing but quote someone else and say they agreed with them. It creates a lot of unnecessary posts and clutter, and also wastes a lot of time.

Second, reactions can let a person how they are being perceived not just in the moment, but in aggregate. If a person is well-liked in a community, their posts may likely get more positive reactions. For broad "communities" like Facebook, yea, like you said, it's mostly just a machine to reward attention seekers. But in tight communities, say, like a small forum devoted to a niche hobby that has cultivated its own in-jokes and personalities over the years, reactions can be invaluable to newer users to see if what they are contributing is valuable, or at least not chafing others.

I don't think you're breaking any taboo or anything. That's the other thing about having reactions built-in that are so useful in a forum setting: if you don't like them, you don't have to use them or pay them any mind. They don't alter your experience otherwise.

 

[unadoptedlamp]

I knew there was a catch. I should have expected you lot to keep that kind of knowledge to yourselves!

I can be happier and get a discount? Ok, I'm in. I knew I was missing something.

For the record, I will say that the part of this site that I value most is that it reflects my real life interactions in some ways. I have a fairly diverse collection of friends with very different ways of looking at the world. None of them smoke a pipe, so -10 points for that. But otherwise, I have more than a few friends who ask me how I can be friends with certain other people. None of them are bad people, but they can be quite different.

I sometimes think the online world is disturbing that balance of being able to get along. Always wondered if it was tied in with social media, because that idea simply never came up before the world went social online. I don't have any friends online, but I have read about how it can reinforce "camps" or your "bubble" or whatever the hell you want to call it. It's so much more subtle in person, that by the time I get to know someone and hear something I really disagree with, we don't have a problem letting it go or talking through it.

Seemed like the whole liking or not thing was a way to reinforce that idea of being either 'with us or against us', which really disturbs me. But I may be over thinking it and some other thing is causing that divide.

While there may be a number of people here who think I'm a moron, I can say that it would be easy for me to sit down with anyone currently active here and smoke a pipe or drink some tea and have a good conversation. Most likely repeatable. Everyone here has some kind of interesting view point. I guess that is the staying power of this site, for me.

The division of the online and in person world is such an odd thing, because both obviously have a huge impact nowadays.

Perhaps this is not the place. I've just wondered how the likes and such impact that.

 

[unadoptedlamp]

That sounds lazy and shallow, but think of how we communicate in everyday conversation, and how much of it are things not verbally said because of nonverbal cues.

Well thought out reply all around, but this is possibly quite important. Maybe virtual reality will help alleviate this barrier. Can't say I'll jump into that -it is way too strange for my tastes- but I could see the value in the transition to actually be in a virtual room to respond accordingly to social cues.

I guess some of it may depend on how people use those like/dislike reactions. Maybe we're witnessing a transition phase in how people primarily communicate. I just always feel that creepy shadow of much larger organizations that seem to capture those responses for reasons other than social cues. It feels manipulative in a way, but it's hard to back up with evidence.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

I think things exactly like them or pretty darn similar have been on most forums for ten years or more?

I “liked” your post so you can run but you can’t hide!

 

[fireground_piper]

I look at them like a head nod (or head shake!) in real life. The individual wanted to give an acknowledgment to the post they read, but not necessarily enough to comment on it if they didn’t actually post a comment themselves.

Like If I see someone do something really stupid……I may just shake my head and carry on about my business but it certainly warranted that head shake.

 

[STP]

The site only displays a “reaction score”, unlike Reddit and some other sites that show upvotes and downvotes. I don’t see many angry faces here, so it’s mostly positive feedback.

 

[anotherbob]

With the site change to the new format, we have the option of liking, disliking, being shocked, etc. with those little icons.

I never got into it. I tried it once or twice and decided it's not for me. If I see something funny, sad, shocking, or whatever, I just internalize it and move on.

Do you value this little nudge in your posts or reaction to posts?

I turned off all notifications, so unless I manually check by chance, I don't ever see a response to any of my comments, quotes or otherwise. Suits me fine, and I don't subject myself to that little dopamine hit that social media has programmed into people because I read awhile back that it's not so good for most people.

This is the only "social media" I have ever engaged in, so it's all quite foreign to me. However, I have read extensively on the subject, which is why I take an active role to disengage from that and keep my interaction 90% in "real life" where reactions seem more... well, real. That is entirely personal preference and I'm not judging at all.

Only reason I sought out this forum many years ago is because I don't converse with pipe smokers (otherwise known as 'pipers') in real space. There's an interesting collection of people here, and while I don't agree with a number of things that come up, I do enjoy being exposed to a different point of view.

I don't think Kevin has ulterior motives... but you never know. I'm just saying that it's not my bag, baby.

But I am interested to know how much it influences people here and if I am perhaps breaking the online social contract by not engaging this way.

It's a weird thing to me.

View attachment 183953

fan of the reactions. It keeps people from filling up the forum with basic comments such as.... I agree. That makes me angry, that's so funny. Rather have 6 lol reactions then 6 lols written underneath every comment.

 

[Pipingntrucking]

Not at all important to me. I actually find it odd that you spent that much time pondering it. But I guess I come from a different time period state of mind. I use the medium to learn things, that does not include learning what others opinion of me are. It doesn't matter what that opinion is. I didn't put a ring on their finger nor bring them into this world. So opinions are just that and their consternation or approval ultimately only effects them.

 

[didimauw]

I have all notifications turned off unless it's a direct quote or a message to me. Otherwise a "like" to me, signifies that someone read my post. That's all it is.

Me thinks ur overthinking it.

 

[kcghost]

Those things don't really matter. They are there just to give us something to do.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Yeh, I will click a thumbs up or the giy with hearts if I agree with a post, enjoy a turn of phrase even if I don’t agree, a really good picture, if it’s funny, or if the mood hits me. I know some do it to signify that they’ve read it. I’m not sure which one means that I don’t like it. I don’t think we have one for that, but we should. Ha ha.

Just have fun. Who cares?

 

[Chaukisch]

Funny, I was thinking about that just yesterday.
Before coming here I never had to deal with these reactions or the like so it seemed pretty crazy at first
but I agree that it's a nice way to acknowledge a post without having to reply with a short sentence that clutters up the thread. And I felt bad about getting all those likes but never giving any back, so I started doing that.
I mainly use the What Are You Smoking thread to leave these likes and what not, even if there are a dozen new pages of posts to read and click through.
I read and like them, but only those that are about pipes, tobacco or smoking.

 

[telescopes]

I definitely think you are overthinking it when it comes to this forum. I, too, keep notifications off as well as don’t parse through the likes. I do look for quotes as it helps continue a conversation.

What we are only partially aware of but is of utmost importance or the PMs.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

It is kind of neat to turn my device off before dinner, and then turn it on in the morning to see 55 notifications. :::cough, cough::: my therapist says that I am a narcissist, but I am pretty sure that she was just hitting on me.

 

[unadoptedlamp]

Lots of interesting responses here!

Shows off a diverse group of users. Perhaps there is still some hope yet.

Thanks all!

 

[judcole]

I have notifications turned on,primarily so I can continue a conversation if I so desire. I don't have this on my phone, though, and come out here once a day - very occasionally, twice.
I agree with telescopes - you're overthinking this. Relax. Enjoy. Go smoke a pipe.

 

[Laurent]

I think the best way to accept the matrix is to plug in and not think about it. I think “likes and dislikes” are time currencies. The more “ likes” you get, the longer your life is.