# Is "liking" a post too intimidating?

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-liking-a-post-too-intimidating/37695
**Category:** UX
**Created:** [2016年一月10日 02:53 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-liking-a-post-too-intimidating/37695 "2016-01-10T02:53:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 10

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### Author: ![purldator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@purldator](https://meta.discourse.org/u/purldator)
#### Post date: [2016年一月10日 12:11 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-liking-a-post-too-intimidating/37695/10 "2016-01-10T12:11:30Z")

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> [@ccdw](#):
>
> It’s a very blunt tool and in cynical (undignified?) hands can be used to express negative sentiment. Something I rather clumsily refer to as negative likes.

That is Human Nature. Give a Human a tool, and their ability to think _independently_ outside its pre-established context _defined by the group_ will show in time. That is what separates Man from Ape.

I do not say that to throw out your concerns. They are valid; they become tiny grains of dust and sand flung at mach-speeds onto a windshield’s front, breaking integrity over time, little by little until only another single tiny pebble shatters the entire piece.

I suggest looking at how likes _mitigate_ this “nature’s subconscious deviance” when compared against other tools and techniques employed in other modern forum software available; tools to express approval and build rapport.

As to the car forum mentioned, those moderators should have those behaviors pointed out to them.

Sometimes, all it takes is a little bit of open, honest communication with users, to steer them from unwanted behaviors, now that said behaviors are so prominent that others have become cognitively aware and can now define them, as you did above well.

I said this in another topic on Meta; same concept.

> [@Hidden restrictions: Poll can't be changed after the fact](https://meta.discourse.org/t/hidden-restrictions-poll-cant-be-changed-after-the-fact/25018/18):
>
> I will say, belatedly, that if your users are using an aspect of the forum in a way that wasn’t intended, then I would gently suggest to you that you remind them of proper civility and that they need to flag posts and opening topic posts that go against that basic ideal. This is regardless of any feature, my proposed concept or anything else.

Example: if user A opens a topic, is ignored; user B replies with same topic, gets attention. I would be the one to link to the OP as a reply and gently steer it, meld it into the current discussion so that user A now has an opening to reply and join the topic fully with their words. That I call a “gentle steer” drawn with utmost positive gain, sans negativity as much as possible to keep things smooth. I do it here on Meta when answering support topics, in many various ways. (And upon further reflection, my steer _will_ give others that “oh damn; we got caught not being nice and he just hinted to it” feeling. _That_ refers to my first post in this topic: being the odd one out of the group dynamic that is _expected_ to be harmonious, and not silently berating.)

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