Likes given and likes received

[Plenum]

I saw that happen a lot when unity100 was posting. Someone would say something critical of him and that comment would set the record for the most likes!

lol.

As moderator, I noticed this happening a lot. Cliques would form and I could always count on the same cluster of people liking the posts that criticized another cluster of people.

I know that there is also a lot of good in having the like feature, but I'm not sure whether the positive outweighs the negative.

When we first implemented the feature, we were concerned about this very thing; it being used to divide into cliques. After much discussion, we finally agreed to it based on the idea that the feature would allow lurkers to have more say. The suggestion was offered that many people might be shy about posting, but the like button could provide them a way to contribute, without posting.

Instead, it has ended up being a tool for supporting one 'side' over the other.

Overall, I find it divisive.

a parallel could be found in the system of democracy, and counting 'votes'. While it seems as though one is advocating equality (one vote=one voice), you end up dividing society down the middle, and giving labels to people.

for the longest time, I didn't realise that you could click the little 'check box' and see the names of people who liked a particular post. I would have preferred to keep my anonymity lol.