A "Like" Button/Function?

[LadyAthene]

I'll admit now ahead of time that I can see/understand why it may not be implemented.

However, I thought as a way to discreetly (probably, depending on if it'd show who liked them or not) show you like reading a post(s) in certain role plays, including a function such as the "Like" button could be done to signal that.

I also realize that's partly what PMs are for. But some people may possibly be hesitant to send a seemingly random PM telling the writer in question they love their RP/post. And in some regards, I can see where they come from.

Either way, it's just something I've seen on other sites. I also don't think anyone's proposed this suggestion so ... why not?

 

[Karameida]

To be perfectly honest I am not for this idea.

While it can be nice to receive things from other members telling you they enjoy your work, I do not like the idea of being able to "like" certain RPs/posts in that manner. Why? It starts making others feel they aren't really good enough. They start looking at the number of "likes" they get and focusing on that more than the actual RP. RPing is stressful/frustrating enough as it is with trying to find partners you work with/stick around without adding something else that makes members feel they aren't really good enough. We don't need popularity contests on here.

 

[LadyAthene]

Fair enough. I was hoping it wouldn’t feel like something that would act like a popularity function. Buuut when you word it like that ... point definitely made. That never clicked to me.

Thanks!

 

[Xanaphia]

If I can butt in, as a person who has been on both sides of the equation (I.E. both a sender of compliments to authors of rps I enjoying reading and a receiver of such comments) I think most people wouldn't mind a kind word about their writing. The times I have reached out have been well received, and it literally makes my day when I have received them. I have made a dozen friends on here from reaching out, which is great. So, your mileage may vary, but I think most people who have a thread in the public arenas (that is, not in the semi-private area) would enjoy a short, polite message.

Back on topic, perhaps there is a way to implement this feature (since we are moving over to new software, at some point) with turning it into a popularity contest? What if the received likes were visible only to the writer? I am on another site (not a roleplaying site, but a writing forum) where they have a karma system, that allows each user to see who "upvoted" their posts and offers room to send a short message with it. If it were possible to implement that with an anonymous feature, it could be beneficial to the community. Afterall, positive feedback is a great motivator to write.

 

[Karameida]

While that is a better system and as I said, it is always nice to receive PM's like that about your writing you'd still run into a similar problem having a system set up for that. It becomes less about popularity [though I imagine members who get a lot would start mentioning it/bragging about it in journals and the like] but there is still a focus on how good you are/are not as a writer to other people. I mean, its still visible to the member and not everyone will get something like that. So they'll be looking at a system thats set up to give thanks/message or the like for your writing and they have none. Which would be very disheartening.