Likes given and likes received

[Monica]

depends on what you mean dogpiled. i dunno what happened.

i think if the intention of the giver is to just like the post, then that's all that should matter.

Here's an example:

Let's say a user named MissMolly expressed an opinion. She said "I think electric cars are the way of the future. I just bought a hybrid and I'm very excited to share how easy it is to buy a hybrid and get it financed affordably. I don't want to contribute to pollution anymore by driving a gas-eating car."

Then, a user named ApricotPit posted "MissMolly, how dare you criticize me for driving a gas-eating car! I like my gas-eating car! Your opinion is stupid. In fact, you are stupid. Not only that, but you are arrogant, condescending, and judgmental. You are just a hypocritical, judgmental, bossy person trying to control us."

Then 7 users Billygoat, BlueberryPie, AppleAnnie, AlienAbductor, Cardreader, InYourFace, and Twinkletoes all 'like' ApricotPit's post.

Meanwhile, in another part of the forum, another user named Iamsmart posts this: "I understand the secrets of the universe. It's clearly explained in the Ra Material. It is...blah blah blah."

Another user named Ihatereading says "You think you're such a knowitall, Iamsmart. What kind of name is that anyway? You think you're better than us? huh? How dare you say you understand anything! None of us can understand anything! And you are an arrogant pig if you think you do!"

Then 7 other users - Sleepydwarf, Weedkiller, GIJoe, Imjusthereforfun, Dontaskme, BeautyQueen, and JoseTortilla - all 'like' that post.

Which leads to Iamsmart retorting "Hey, I'm just sharing with you what I learned. This is a discussion forum, right?"

Then, Ihatereading posts "You act like a know it all! I'm not going to bother responding to what you actually said. I just think you're an arrogant ass."

Then, predictably, the other 7 users all 'like' that post. And Ihatereading now thinks "ok cool. I have 7 other people who agree with me that Iamsmart is an arrogant ass."

And it turns into a battleground, with sides marked in the sand...

Does this clarify? Is it still "just a like button"?

if you project something to it that makes you feel offended i think you're just trying to be offended.

You misunderstand. Although it did happen to me too, I saw it happen to several other people, way before it ever happened to me. When it happened to other people, why would I get offended? No one was directing anything at me.

So it has nothing to do with "choosing to get offended" in those cases because I wasn't even the target.

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I see no point in living in the past - it does not matter what happened there. It literally does not matter: it is past for a reason. We past by it.

“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it” -George Santayana quotes (Spanish born American Philosopher, Poet and Humanist who made important contributions to aesthetics, speculative philosophy and literary criticism. 1863-1952)

Forum comments are also a tool for expressing contradictory, hurtful-to-some posts. Should they be removed as well?

Here's the difference:

Without a like button, each post stands on its own. Each person has the same freedom to voice their opinion. It's a level playing field.

But with 7 people 'liking' a post that criticizes or alienates 1 single member, it's no longer a level playing field, but a way to gang up on someone. It gives more power to whatever majority happens to be in power (online) at that particular moment.

And this is not an analogy or an exaggeration: if you go on the internet, you WILL find opposition to any idea, as long as you are consciously looking for it. If you accept this, you will no longer be bothered with it.

I have no problem with that. In fact, I'm a very vocal advocate for the right of each person to freely voice their opinion, without any censorship, as long as basic guidelines are followed.

But that's not what I'm talking about here. I'm talking about a tool that is being used to stack the deck.