'Disagree'

[za9ra22]

Well if you want to be at that level, no emoji really conveys the underlying thoughts , but that is not a reason to not use them.

For example when a post is liked what does that really mean? The entirety of the post is like, one paragraph, sentence? Same for disagree. And why shoul disagree or angry require further discourse while like doesn’t?

Or we can accept the emoji system is imperfect and it’s another facet of social media to be used, not used, embraced or ignored.

To be honest, I have gone back and forth on this since the first post, but actually my problem, for what that's worth, is not a 'like' or 'dislike' which are factual responses and need no real commentary, but the use of emoji to connote emotive reaction.

I agree entirely that we don't have much option but accept they are part of the landscape, however imperfect they are, but my objection to their use here remains as I posted previously, simply because in the context of the OP's question, that's my opinion of their use, and I though it more helpful to express it in a post than click a button.

By the way, I don't personally understand most emojis - I can't get any meaning from most of the faces - so by default they serve little useful purpose for me. A thumbs Up/Thumbs Down or tick/cross would make more sense.

 

[I7guy]

That ain’t semantics. That’s just fact.

Humans aren’t objective. We never have been. We try (do we ever), but human objectivity is akin to reaching absolute zero: the closer one tries getting there, the more energy gets expended and in the end, it never actually happens.



Perhaps.

You’re arguing semantics - so let me say it like this. In my own opinion there are posts so cringeworthy those posts deserve a down vote. Whether that downvote is sad, angry or thumbs down that’s based on the circumstance.

 

[B S Magnet]

You’re arguing semantics - so let me say it like this. In my own opinion there are posts so cringeworthy those posts deserve a down vote. Whether that downvote is sad, angry or thumbs down that’s based on the circumstance.

Opinions aren’t objective, either. That ain’t semantics. That’s just fact.

 

[I7guy]

Opinions aren’t objective, either. That ain’t semantics. That’s just fact.

Now you’re arguing semantics. I believe the overall jist of what I was attempting to convey is clear-if not please let me know and I’ll clarify.

 

[VisceralRealist]

I would suggest that the "proposition" is that all the reaction emojis should be removed with the debatable exception of "like" (which is fairly unambiguous, does actually seem to reduce "me too" posts and can always be used to support dissenting arguments).

I wouldn't lament the loss of all reactions save the "like". Having the "like" be the only reaction is the norm on other forums, though you may see an increase in "me too" posts for other reactions (e.g. quoting a post and responding with nothing but a string of laughing emojis). I don't see much incentive for the staff to remove reactions, other than a decrease in posts like these calling for their removal. 🤔

That said, it is inaccurate to behave as if "disagree" is simply the opposite of the "like", when it is treated very differently: it is restricted to the news section, you have a limit on the number of "disagree" reactions you can express, etc.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I must admit that I really strongly dislike the presence and use of emojis such as the eye-roll or red-face because it seems like a 'non participatory trivialization' of the effort a contributor has made.

This is really well said, and a perfect description of the frustration with the "negative" emojis

 

[I7guy]

I wouldn't lament the loss of all reactions save the "like". Having the "like" be the only reaction is the norm on other forums, though you may see an increase in "me too" posts for other reactions (e.g. quoting a post and responding with nothing but a string of laughing emojis). I don't see much incentive for the staff to remove reactions, other than a decrease in posts like these calling for their removal. 🤔

That said, it is inaccurate to behave as if "disagree" is simply the opposite of the "like", when it is treated very differently: it is restricted to the news section, you have a limit on the number of "disagree" reactions you can express, etc.

Hopefully the emoji system will stick around although I would like to see one additional reaction for those “like what?” posts. An additional “like what” reaction would be good for hit and run posts eg “Tom Crook is doing a lousy job and should be fired.”

I agree about the disagree and I’d gone through several iterations of my thinking on the disagree.

It needs to stay. I think it’s fine to disagree without a follow-up post or to disagree with a follow-up post. There are just some posts that are too convoluted, too stupid, too diametrically opposed to your own view and in those cases, should you decide not to respond, the disagree is perfect.

And I like the fact that one can see who contribute which reaction to a specific post.

 

[dmr727]

I wouldn't lament the loss of all reactions save the "like". Having the "like" be the only reaction is the norm on other forums, though you may see an increase in "me too" posts for other reactions (e.g. quoting a post and responding with nothing but a string of laughing emojis).

This is my attitude as well - keep it old school and only have the Like button. I understand why some folks prefer having a variety of one click responses to a post, but I don't think the juice is worth the squeeze. All we're doing is giving the trolls another set of arrows for their quiver. The absence of Likes sends a pretty clear message anyways.

 

[turbineseaplane]

This is my attitude as well - keep it old school and only have the Like button. I understand why some folks prefer having a variety of one click responses to a post, but I don't think the juice is worth the squeeze. All we're doing is giving the trolls another set of arrows for their quiver. The absence of Likes sends a pretty clear message anyways.

100% accurate in my experiences here
(bold emphasis in your quoted text is mine)

I'd nuke it all and just have a simple thumbs up

 

[B S Magnet]

100% accurate in my experiences here
(bold emphasis in your quoted text is mine)

I'd nuke it all and just have a simple thumbs up

Or, to maintain all variants on positive reactions:

1) thumbs-up (for an instructive or helpful post);
2) love (for when an instructive post goes well and beyond to expected); and
3) “wow” (when one is simply in awe of, say, learning and sharing a new way to accomplish a thing).

All have their useful place. All are constructive.

“Sad” tends to be used more sparingly on the hardware/OS support forums. It tends to turn up whenever readers react to an announcement that, say, a long-loved application is no longer updated, or someone reports their beloved, trusty Mac finally gave up the blue smoke and joined the great cluster node in the sky. I don’t consider it to be a negative reaction so much as something more sombre. Openings and life (along with closures and death) happen. It can also be instructive.

There’s generally no constructive place for connoting or expressing “angry” in a way which is meaningful for anyone other than the user of said reaction. At best, it’s self-indulgent; at worst, it’s combative.

I don’t know offhand what Xenforo offers for other reactions. I sometimes wonder whether a “high-five” reaction exists (perfect for, say, when someone has a breakthrough or found a good deal) but not so much to find out.

 

[rm5]

People have said time and again how forum users should "use words, not emojis or reactions." And then there are the people who are very much the opposite, and use emojis and the reactions all the time. Because of this, I don't think there's really a solution to this. A single person certainly cannot convince an entire group of, mind you, online participants, to do something. It'd be incredibly silly IMO to incorporate this on a site-wide level (so that there's a rule stating, "Use words to express your response, not emojis or reactions"). This is an international community, and so there are language barriers. Also, the user in question might not have enough information or thoughts to write a sentence(s) expressing their reaction/response.

Personally, I really don't care one way or the other. Why are people bothered by a simple thing that's easy (at least for me) to ignore?

 

[I7guy]

I would like to see a “wtf” reaction. That has its place also.

 

[turbineseaplane]

People have said time and again how forum users should "use words, not emojis or reactions." And then there are the people who are very much the opposite, and use emojis and the reactions all the time. Because of this, I don't think there's really a solution to this.

Sure there is ..

Tell them to use words

It's a discussion forum, not an "unexplained hot take via emoji reaction" forum

 

[icanhazmac]

All we're doing is giving the trolls another set of arrows for their quiver.

Are you suggesting that every single red emoji response is a troll? If so I would find that to be a gross generalization and patently false.

Do we have trolls in this community? Yes, we sure do, but they are thankfully few and far between. Why allow them to win? Again, if you don't like the emoji system, don't use it, don't look at it, pretend it doesn't exist. It takes up precious little space, visually a 1/2 line of text at most.

Perhaps one of you that don't like it could ask MR if there is a user setting to ignore the emoji reactions completely? Has anyone done that? Seems to be this should be no harder than not showing/not showing member signatures but I don't see an option currently.

 

[dmr727]

Are you suggesting that every single red emoji response is a troll? If so I would find that to be a gross generalization and patently false.

Of course not. What I'm saying is that I don't think the upside is worth the downside. I personally don't care about the emojis at all - I'm only alerted when someone actually replies to my posts. But I'm not the only user on MR, and this isn't the first thread where people have complained about trolls using the emojis to harass others. I see a pretty solid benefit to having a Like button, but all the others? Meh. So if it's causing more harm than good, I say let's go back to the old days.

 

[I7guy]

Are you suggesting that every single red emoji response is a troll? If so I would find that to be a gross generalization and patently false.

Do we have trolls in this community? Yes, we sure do, but they are thankfully few and far between. Why allow them to win? Again, if you don't like the emoji system, don't use it, don't look at it, pretend it doesn't exist. It takes up precious little space, visually a 1/2 line of text at most.

Perhaps one of you that don't like it could ask MR if there is a user setting to ignore the emoji reactions completely? Has anyone done that? Seems to be this should be no harder than not showing/not showing member signatures but I don't see an option currently.

Exactly. Reactions are a way to gauge the community temperature, in one spot, on a particular post.

Those who want the disagree abolished, I would say to abolish all reactions. Moderate +1 and “me too”. Make it all or nothing.

 

[I7guy]

Of course not. What I'm saying is that I don't think the upside is worth the downside. I personally don't care about the emojis at all - I'm only alerted when someone actually replies to my posts. But I'm not the only user on MR, and this isn't the first thread where people have complained about trolls using the emojis to harass others. I see a pretty solid benefit to having a Like button, but all the others? Meh. So if it's causing more harm than good, I say let's go back to the old days.

There are over one million members. Are there any stats on how the community as a whole feels about reactions? Some people may not like the reaction system for their own reasons, but having a few people not like it isn’t a reason to abolish it.

 

[The Clark]

This is my attitude as well - keep it old school and only have the Like button. I understand why some folks prefer having a variety of one click responses to a post, but I don't think the juice is worth the squeeze. All we're doing is giving the trolls another set of arrows for their quiver. The absence of Likes sends a pretty clear message anyways.

Respectfully who cares?

Why would you let someone have the power to disturb you even slightly with a mere thumbs-down button?

 

[dmr727]

Some people may not like the reaction system for their own reasons, but having a few people not like it isn’t a reason to abolish it.

Right, but it'd be nice to know how few is few. I'd guess that most folks on MR don't care one way or the other (I'm definitely in that camp), so I'm just trying to understand the POV of those that seem to think that the emojis are negatively affecting their experience.

 

[KaliYoni]

We dig
We dig repetition
We dig repetition

This is the three R's
The three R's:
Repetition, Repetition, Repetition
Mark E. Smith (1978)

Withdrawn from sale on MR

I have been debating making this thread for a while, and recently some other users agreed with my general thoughts on a poll so I figured I may as well bring it up. It seems rather evident to me that the way the current reactions system is implemented on this site is flawed and is damaging the...

forums.macrumors.com

Disagree / Dislike reaction needed! :)

Is there any way to add a disagree/dislike reaction to the available options (thumbs down)? The closest option is angry, but that's just inflammatory and not required in 99% of situations. It's good to be able to disagree/dislike a post, just like you are able to like it.

forums.macrumors.com

Remove the laugh emoji for a more respectful community

Direct mocking of other users is not allowed. I completely agree with this. The laugh reaction is, I’m sure, intended for laughing at good natured jokes. The reality is that it is used, more often than not, to laugh at the opinions of others, to mock, and belittle them - just like directly...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[B S Magnet]

Respectfully who cares?

Why would you let someone have the power to disturb you even slightly with a mere thumbs-down button?

A lot of people — myself included — live with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Clutter distractions — “thumbs-down”, “angry” reactions — are neither instructive nor constructive. They consume mental bandwidth better reserved for other matters. I also realize the handful of people who relish those non-productive reactions hope to achieve just that: sap from the bandwidth of others.

We dig
We dig repetition
We dig repetition

This is the three R's
The three R's:
Repetition, Repetition, Repetition
Mark E. Smith (1978)

Withdrawn from sale on MR

I have been debating making this thread for a while, and recently some other users agreed with my general thoughts on a poll so I figured I may as well bring it up. It seems rather evident to me that the way the current reactions system is implemented on this site is flawed and is damaging the...

forums.macrumors.com

Disagree / Dislike reaction needed! :)

Is there any way to add a disagree/dislike reaction to the available options (thumbs down)? The closest option is angry, but that's just inflammatory and not required in 99% of situations. It's good to be able to disagree/dislike a post, just like you are able to like it.

forums.macrumors.com

Remove the laugh emoji for a more respectful community

Direct mocking of other users is not allowed. I completely agree with this. The laugh reaction is, I’m sure, intended for laughing at good natured jokes. The reality is that it is used, more often than not, to laugh at the opinions of others, to mock, and belittle them - just like directly...

forums.macrumors.com

Then inform the forum moderator(s) to merge the threads. C‘est assez simple.

 

[The Clark]

A lot of people — myself included — live with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Clutter distractions — “thumbs-down”, “angry” reactions — are neither instructive nor constructive. They consume mental bandwidth better reserved for other matters.

That's fair. I hadn't considered that before.

 

[dmr727]

Respectfully who cares?

Why would you let someone have the power to disturb you even slightly with a mere thumbs-down button?

I don't. But I try to remember that we're a big membership with a huge range of ages and personalities, and what's no big deal to me might really bother someone else. But to @I7guy 's point, I really have no idea how many folks have strong opinions on this. But I think it's probably worth finding out.

 

[icanhazmac]

Clutter distractions — “thumbs-down”, “angry” reactions — are neither instructive nor constructive.

Your opinion. I find them useful.

They consume mental bandwidth better reserved for other matters.

Again, your opinion. I feel they actually save me bandwidth because I can get a quick view of how the community feels about a post on the first page of a 15 page thread without reading the entire thing for responses to that specific post.

I also realize the handful of people who relish those non-productive reactions hope to achieve just that: sap from the bandwidth of others.

That is a ridiculous claim.

 

[KaliYoni]

C‘est assez simple.

Ça plane pour moi.