Paul Willis
On Richard Slipper saidOn Dai Davies saidNot as extensive a proposal in this post as in those above, but a simple (?) suggestion of likes/approval for posts. You see this on most sites. It also makes the site look busier as it shows that people are looking at posts!
I note that the S4S forum also seems to lack likes. I cannot think people on either would be motivated to post ‘clickbait’ so do not really see a reason why likes are omitted.
Knowing a bit about this, it’s the simple fact that the core forum software (phpBB in the case of the Scalefour Society Forum) doesn’t have the capability written within it.
There are plug-ins available from third parties that promise to provide such functionality. However, adding plug-ins creates more complexity in the package, there is the increased risk of crashes when one piece of software updates but the other doesn’t, and of course at the end of the day some poor volunteer has to maintain all of this.
There is a long-running joke made in comments on the Scalefour Forum of “Where’s the Like button”, but it’s never taken seriously.
What is quite serous is that Likes can have problems of their own. I have one friend that becomes extremely distressed if his posts on Facebook don’t gain as many likes as he hopes. It’s all part of the gamification of society (have a look at some of the academic literature on the “hooks” used by apps on phones, and realise how you are being emotionally manipulated), and as is inevitable in games there are always losers…
Best wishes,
Paul