I don't want your thumb-ups

[Gaspard]

I realised several months ago that the ratio reaction score/number of posts was an indicator of blandness or cleverness. It’s a shame that the number of posts isn’t visible anymore on the forum.

Let me explain. I was frustrated because I worked on my posts and tried to be interesting. But they were not much popular. Then I decided to write very short posts with almost no content. I just made unfunny jokes, vegan clichés, and bland statements. My reaction score plummeted. People gave me thumbs up, LOLs, etc.
But it was too much for me. I had too many notifications. It stressed me. I don’t like this notification button. It is addictive and stressful. The creators of social media platforms know that: people are addicted to this tool. Plus I felt meaningless and bland. So I stopped posting.
I knew that most interesting posts were not very much liked. People who tend to write meaningful and personal content are not very much liked.

So I would say:
A high ratio (reaction score/number of posts) means that you’re not very original and you have normative opinions. You might even be bland.
A low (ratio reaction score/number of posts) means that you have personal opinions. You might even be crazy. (Are you sure you still want to go on posting knowing that people scorn you?)

So I think it’s a disgrace that the number of posts is not visible anymore. I don’t like the tyranny of political correctness and popularity.

 

[silva]

I had forgotten about the notification button because I turn them all off.
Just turn it off

Why do you care about seeing the number of posts anyway?

 

[Second Summer]

The number of posts (it says "messages") is still visible of you tap / click on the username.

I don't think number of posts, reaction points or ratios of those are good indicators of post quality. I suspect many of the members who have a high reaction score got that from participating in the chat threads in the Lounge forum. Those aren't usually what I would call high quality posts (although sometimes they are!), but those kinds of social threads still serve an important function in a community.

Personally, I enjoy the thumbs-up or other (nice!) reactions, especially if I've put some effort into a post. And even more so if the thumbs-up is from someone who's knowledgeable in the particular subject matter or someone I admire for other reasons. But I don't see my total score as an indicator of quality posting. You can't measure post quality quantitatively.

 

[KLS52]

Unfortunately interesting and meaningful are subjective. What interests and is meaningful to one is not necessarily to another. I’ve created threads, albeit not many, that ended up not being very popular. It happens.

 

[Gaspard]

I had forgotten about the notification button because I turn them all off.
Just turn it off

Thanks I just did that.

Why do you care about seeing the number of posts anyway?

And then why reaction score should be visible then? I don't care about the number of messages.

 

[Emma JC]

I had forgotten about the notification button because I turn them all off.
Just turn it off

this ^^^^^^

The only notification that I enable is for private messaging - I do not get many of those however when I do I wish to know that immediately - all others are turned off.

Emma JC

 

[Gaspard]

Unfortunately interesting and meaningful are subjective. What interests and is meaningful to one is not necessarily to another. I’ve created threads, albeit not many, that ended up not being very popular. It happens.

That wasn't my point. If your aim is to be popular, then I don't think your ideas are of any interest.

 

[beancounter]

Would a thumbs down be better?

 

[KLS52]

Some of us have been “friends” for years from other forums and are quite fond of each other. For some of us this forum is a social outlet as well as a place to find good information on the vegan lifestyle and to offer support to one another. We don’t post and react to each other’s posts for popularity. We like each other and posting a reaction sometimes simply means I read your post and I acknowledge you.

 

[rogerjolly]

Hi Gaspard,

Because of the astuteness of your observation and your little experiment to test it I have given your post an “i” rather than a thumbs-up. I don’t suppose that you work in social sciences?

Back in January there was a thread “How tall are you”. A simple response of 6’3” received three thumbs-up as did another of 5’2”. Responses of 5’3” and 5’11” received none at all. There must be a PhD in there somewhere for someone wanting to research the logic of all this stuff!

I very much appreciated your earlier posts. Please continue with more of the same ilk.

Roger.

 

[Urban Gardener]

This is a phenomenon across the internet. Shorter, simpler content is more popular.

Most of the reasons are related to the way people use the internet and what they're looking for when they browse forums, social media platforms, etc. Many are on mobile devices and are often multi-tasking while browsing. They're in line at the store, riding a bus, walking a dog, enjoying a two minute distraction while at work or school, etc.

It's mostly situational. There is also the fact that reading ability varies across the population. The shorter and simpler your text, the larger the number of people who can read and understand it.

I would say that the percentage of people who are interested in a longer or more thought-provoking piece of text is actually larger than what forums and social media would indicate. It still might not be the majority of the population (or of vegans), but it's something to consider.

Also, a lot of people read without reacting.

 

[KLS52]

Hi Gaspard,

Because of the astuteness of your observation and your little experiment to test it I have given your post an “i” rather than a thumbs-up. I don’t suppose that you work in social sciences?

Back in January there was a thread “How tall are you”. A simple response of 6’3” received three thumbs-up as did another of 5’2”. Responses of 5’3” and 5’11” received none at all. There must be a PhD in there somewhere for someone wanting to research the logic of all this stuff!

I very much appreciated your earlier posts. Please continue with more of the same ilk.

Roger.

Sometimes one misses posts in certain threads too. I went back to look at that thread and saw that I reacted to everyone’s post with a like when the thread was started, again, just as a friendly acknowledgment, but missed several posts afterward...probably a good half of them. It’s nothing personal. I don’t put that much weight on it.
I also notice some people don’t use the reactions much at all but they will quote a post and respond to it. I happen to be a big reaction person so one can continue to see me do so.

 

[Raven]

Some of us have been “friends” for years from other forums and are quite fond of each other. For some of us this forum is a social outlet as well as a place to find good information on the vegan lifestyle and to offer support to one another. We don’t post and react to each other’s posts for popularity. We like each other and posting a reaction sometimes simply means I read your post and I acknowledge you.

Yes, exactly. I wouldn't bother with this forum if it wasn't for that. x I like a lot of the posters on here.

 

[KLS52]

Actually, I am a little bit proud of my third place ranking for most messages...
Sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

[Calliegirl]

Until now I didn't even know there was a list with message and reaction tallies. I had no idea that was kept track of. I did go and find it though so I was able to understand what everyone was talking about.

eta: I always turn off notifications, they drive me crazy. I've posted lots of things that had little to no reaction. I just figure, oh well, it was interesting to me. I don't mind the small, simple, day to day things, it feels like they're bringing you into their life a little bit. Maybe it's because I've "known" them for many years.

 

[Danielle]

I disagree that having your posts liked makes you bland/unoriginal, even if you happen to be that way, so what? I’m not going to go out of my way to be liked or disliked, to be “original” or “bland”. Doesn’t matter to me. As long as I get to enjoy my life.

 

[KLS52]

I don’t get notifications on my phone or email. But when I come to VF I do have a number up on the bell icon on the top of the page. The notifications that show someone reacted to one of my posts don't get my attention but I do like to know when someone quoted me or replied to a thread I’m following.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

I think the rules of likes/thumbs up go something like this

Funny beats serious.
Personal info about your life beats opinions.
And yes normative and bland beats intellectually challenging opinions.

However likes don´t correlate that well with value.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

And yes if I get emails from this forum, other forums, facebook, other social media etc, I just turn them all off, except private messages. And just look at the bell thing when I remember to come here.

 

[Hog]

Gaspard -

Your original post was gutsy, well thought out, and politically incorrect. You have no idea how much I respect that.

In my biased opinionated opinion, vegans are cool because they have well thought out, gutsy, politically incorrect opinions.

Politically correct people are borring. They are also the source of bigotry and irresponsible decisions. Nazis were very politically correct in Germany during World War II.

Oh yeah, being politically correct is a convenient alternative to actually caring about other earthlings. But, we all knew that anyway.