does the like button prevent replies?

[vanwoman]

I don't use the like button. For a long time, using mobile version only, I didn't see it and never got used to it.
I log on to see 8 or 9 likes, but looking at the forum, there doesn't look like much activity. If there had been 8 or 9 posts there would be.
How can I get members to reply and not 'lkie'?

[Retread]

Nov 12, 2018 15:56:48 GMT -8 vanwoman said:

I don't use the like button. For a long time, using mobile version only, I didn't see it and never got used to it.
I log on to see 8 or 9 likes, but looking at the forum, there doesn't look like much activity. If there had been 8 or 9 posts there would be.
How can I get members to reply and not 'lkie'?

Hello vanwoman

In my humble opinions, you should encourage your members to reply, in addition to liking, rather than replacing likes with replies. There are many benefits to the like process that we should return to but for now, let's focus on ways to increase posting activity.

I'm a firm believer in leading by example. It's a rare occurrence when every facet an issue has been examined in an OP. But rather than saying everything to complete the puzzle, you might nurture the conversation by just a adding a thought or two. Sometimes that opens the door for others to join in. If you look for opportunities to partially agree and respectfully disagree, the tone can be set for polite discussion.

Can you think of other ways of extending conversations? I'm willing to bet you can!

[bricabrach]

Nov 12, 2018 16:50:34 GMT -8 Retread said:

... I'm a firm believer in leading by example. It's a rare occurrence when every facet an issue has been examined in an OP. But rather than saying everything to complete the puzzle, you might nurture the conversation by just a adding a thought or two. Sometimes that opens the door for others to join in. If you look for opportunities to partially agree and respectfully disagree, the tone can be set for polite discussion. ...

     Absolutely!  It's important to acknowledge the OP's expressions and expand on them.  Sometimes a reply states additional facts in a vacuum, as if their post were the OP.  To me this is quite the turnoff, and makes me want to go elsewhere.  When everyone listens and speaks as if in a group of (live) friends instead as if they're starting an encyclopedia entry, the conversation continues to grow.

[vanwoman]

I've tried this, and only got likes! TBH it's started to feel like I'm sometimes carrying the forum on my own.
It's not a huge membership, less than 150. One of the original members (who joined when it opened)was a top poster. Now he just comes on, hits recent posts, looks at a few threads (not all of the recent) and goes. No posts in a month, and the last time he did post was to have a go at me, so I haven't PM'd him about it.
I could be wrong, but it feels like he wants to have an argument so I am leaving him alone.
This isn't about him though!
Yesterday I left the forum alone, to see what happens. For the first time in months the page views droppped below 1000.
I expected the forum to get busier as the days get shorter.

[Retread]

Nov 13, 2018 3:22:03 GMT -8 vanwoman said:

I've tried this, and only got likes! TBH it's started to feel like I'm sometimes carrying the forum on my own.
It's not a huge membership, less than 150. One of the original members (who joined when it opened)was a top poster. Now he just comes on, hits recent posts, looks at a few threads (not all of the recent) and goes. No posts in a month, and the last time he did post was to have a go at me, so I haven't PM'd him about it.
I could be wrong, but it feels like he wants to have an argument so I am leaving him alone.
This isn't about him though!
Yesterday I left the forum alone, to see what happens. For the first time in months the page views droppped below 1000.
I expected the forum to get busier as the days get shorter.

What is the 'this' you tried? There have been a few different ideas presented in our replies and without a direct reference, a statement like that tends to be dismissive toward everything that has been said. That stifles the conversation rather than nurturing it.

If a key member of your forum has shown animosity toward you, you should definitely engage him in a discussion about it. PMs are a useful venue for that. Missing an opportunity like that seems a disservice to your forum and its membership. You could start with the mindset that something you said or did may have alienated him, although you aren't aware of what that was. By giving him the opportunity to express his point of view privately, you may be able to resolve whatever is at the core of this disharmony.

Also, a question was asked.

Can you think of other ways of extending conversations?

Here's a hint. One possible answer was given by example.

[Nscalerr]

Not noticed the use of the like button to cause people to stop posting with my forum, or any of the forums I am a member of, infact with one I think the opposite happens.

To start with I had disabled it, since I thought it made the forum to much like facebook, but then I decided to try it out and found out it wasn't too bad having it, so left it turned on. These days I don't really mind wether a forum has the like function or not.

[Retread]

Nov 13, 2018 4:31:01 GMT -8 Nscalerr said:

Not noticed the use of the like button to cause people to stop posting with my forum, or any of the forums I am a member of, infact with one I think the opposite happens.

To start with I had disabled it, since I thought it made the forum to much like facebook, but then I decided to try it out and found out it wasn't too bad having it, so left it turned on. These days I don't really mind wether a forum has the like function or not.

That was my first reaction too!

Now I'm a huge fan of it for certain venues. The Support Board on this forum, for instance. We aren't supposed to clutter the threads with post that don't aid in the resolution of the problem but we sure can show our appreciation for a post that was instrumental in the solution by putting a like on it.

And whenever a threadstarter has the courtesy to return and close out a conversation by informing that the advice solved their problem and say thank you, I definitely put a like on that, even if I wasn't part of the conversation.

Likes generate notifications, so the person who made the post will receive the acknowledgment they deserve.

[vanwoman]

Joey Turkeyani this is what I meant when I replied I tried this
"I'm a firm believer in leading by example. It's a rare occurrence when every facet an issue has been examined in an OP. But rather than saying everything to complete the puzzle, you might nurture the conversation by just a adding a thought or two. Sometimes that opens the door for others to join in. If you look for opportunities to partially agree and respectfully disagree, the tone can be set for polite discussion."

In other words, I tried asking a question or leaving some information out for further in the discussion.
My forum grew from another forum. The original membership (including the member who is now a non poster) were dissatisfied with the admin of the other forum. All the new members were delighted to have an alternative. The other forum is now subscription to view, and I don't have access to it now, so don't know if there's any mention of my forum or not, it's only been seven months.
The non posting member has paid his subscription and is still a member of the other forum.
Going back to the like button. The likes on my account alone are about half of the new posts on the forum. Likes don't register as new posts, and looking at the forum as a visitor looks like less activity than if those likes were even breif posts.
I honestly can't see how I can make ppeople post as opposed to liking.

[bricabrach]

Nov 14, 2018 10:13:30 GMT -8 vanwoman said:

...
Going back to the like button. The likes on my account alone are about half of the new posts on the forum. Likes don't register as new posts, and looking at the forum as a visitor looks like less activity than if those likes were even breif posts.
I honestly can't see how I can make people post as opposed to liking.

     Yes the quiet can feel frustrating.   Many of this board's threads lament inactivity issues such as a dearth of posts and "forum death."   My own posts get about five likes per one reply -- this ratio suggests that it's five times easier to hit the like button than to post.  Yet at least my posts elicit something.  Eliminating the easy choice may not make a member perform the harder one.  Ultimately forum participation is voluntary.  My cat taught me that we can't make someone do what we want.

[Retread]

Nov 14, 2018 10:13:30 GMT -8 vanwoman said:

Joey Turkeyani this is what I meant when I replied I tried this
"I'm a firm believer in leading by example. It's a rare occurrence when every facet an issue has been examined in an OP. But rather than saying everything to complete the puzzle, you might nurture the conversation by just a adding a thought or two. Sometimes that opens the door for others to join in. If you look for opportunities to partially agree and respectfully disagree, the tone can be set for polite discussion."

In other words, I tried asking a question or leaving some information out for further in the discussion.
My forum grew from another forum. The original membership (including the member who is now a non poster) were dissatisfied with the admin of the other forum. All the new members were delighted to have an alternative. The other forum is now subscription to view, and I don't have access to it now, so don't know if there's any mention of my forum or not, it's only been seven months.
The non posting member has paid his subscription and is still a member of the other forum.
Going back to the like button. The likes on my account alone are about half of the new posts on the forum. Likes don't register as new posts, and looking at the forum as a visitor looks like less activity than if those likes were even breif posts.
I honestly can't see how I can make ppeople post as opposed to liking.

You can't see it because it can't be done.

You can go to your admin panel and disable the Like system with one click in forum settings. But as bricabrach so elegantly expressed, that may not have the effect you expect.

[vanwoman]

I'm aware you can disable the like button, but haven't for the reason bricabach stated.

[Former Member]

 Ive been in boards where I thoroughly read the OP about three times before liking something I really didn't like and hung around to see if the board could encourage me to stay and ended up leaving in the end, turns out, I don't join private boards anymore for this being one of those reasons.

I know I should talk though because my board is semi private but, people who join my board already know me from their board so on and so forth, they know how extroverted I am but, only in my own board and limit myself in their boards out of due respect but, I'm the only who mostly sparks up the convo's in my board some are a hit, some are a miss.

It always helps to keep the convo flowing even if it veers off who cares just keep the thread going until someone kills it. lol

I've been known to kill some of my own threads lol but, I always end up posting another that they all like anyways. lol

Finding the right posters that best suit you is not easy, but being patient always pays off.

[Retread]

Nov 19, 2018 10:48:31 GMT -8 @linette said:

 Ive been in boards where I thoroughly read the OP about three times before liking something I really didn't like and hung around to see if the board could encourage me to stay and ended up leaving in the end, turns out, I don't join private boards anymore for this being one of those reasons.

I know I should talk though because my board is semi private but, people who join my board already know me from their board so on and so forth, they know how extroverted I am but, only in my own board and limit myself in their boards out of due respect but, I'm the only who mostly sparks up the convo's in my board some are a hit, some are a miss.

It always helps to keep the convo flowing even if it veers off who cares just keep the thread going until someone kills it. lol

I've been known to kill some of my own threads lol but, I always end up posting another that they all like anyways. lol

Finding the right posters that best suit you is not easy, but being patient always pays off.

Hi @linette

Semi-private could have different meanings depending on the person. In your case, does that mean guests can read but not post?

[Former Member]

  Retread, They can only see what's on the main page but, can't get into the forums to post.

[Retread]

Nov 20, 2018 5:10:06 GMT -8 @linette said:

  Retread , They can only see what's on the main page but, can't get into the forums to post.

Hey @linette , that's a stronger set of restrictions than I was thinking. I can imagine it might really trigger the curiosity in some people. The board names, descriptions, number of threads on each board and number of posts on each board are all visible on the main page, but guests can't read any of the actual content.

I had a giggle moment when I saw how I was listed online, when viewing your forum.