does the like button prevent replies?

[Former Member]

Nov 21, 2018 6:43:16 GMT -8 Retread said:

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.

  You nailed it Retread, in order to post they have to register to join and see what's inside.

[Ollie]

I've been having a think about this one and I think there is a place for the like button on forums however I do think it can be easy for members to use it instead of a worded reply to a topic.

That being said I think it's useful for things that don't require a written response. It could be something such a forum announcement/news, community guidelines etc where members can indicate they have read something by liking the post  

[Violette]

Nov 28, 2018 7:57:59 GMT -8 Ollie said:

I've been having a think about this one and I think there is a place for the like button on forums however I do think it can be easy for members to use it instead of a worded reply to a topic.

That being said I think it's useful for things that don't require a written response. It could be something such a forum announcement/news, community guidelines etc where members can indicate they have read something by liking the post  

On a forum where the members mostly play games, the "like" button is useful for the admin to acknowledge a post when the post doesn't necessarily need a response. There is also the "comment" plugin which is good for leaving a message on the post itself, without disrupting the flow of the games.

[vanwoman]

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.

That's brilliant! How do you do that? Is it permissions?
By the way, I am glad to see this thread getting replies!

[Former Member]

Nov 30, 2018 17:01:31 GMT -8 vanwoman said:

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.

That's brilliant! How do you do that? Is it permissions?
By the way, I am glad to see this thread getting replies!

vanwoman, It is in 'Permissions' correct and made the first one viewable to everyone but the rest I made the permissions only for staff and members.

I hope that was helpful, it's been awhile since I've been in that area of my forum. lol

[vanwoman]

I think I will give this a try! Thanks

[Retread]

Nov 30, 2018 17:01:31 GMT -8 vanwoman said:

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.

That's brilliant! How do you do that? Is it permissions?
By the way, I am glad to see this thread getting replies!

Hello vanwoman

This issue is a tangent from the OP but given the board we're on, that seems totally okay. In addition to the replies, several likes have been given and the thread has a decent number of views. I reckon a good many users have read the varying opinions and gleaned some ideas they might try on their own forums.

As Ollie and Violette have noted, what's best varies by the purpose of the particular forum. Removing guest access to threads and posts would be contrary to the purpose of my home forum, which is educational in nature. But for a forum that's focused on conversation, it might be just what the doctor ordered.

[Former Member]

Dec 2, 2018 4:56:48 GMT -8 vanwoman said:

I think I will give this a try! Thanks

You're welcome vanwoman!

[vanwoman]

Nov 13, 2018 4:24:55 GMT -8 Retread said:

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

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.

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.

[vanwoman]

Sorry try as I might my post won't edit, and has no comment!!
Looking at the 'silent' member (still no posts since October) I have PM'd them as a last resort to find out why they aren't posting. It's my second PM, so I don't expect them to respond.
If I'm right, and it's still silence, I'll leave them to it.

[SafeInSanity]

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

 does the like button prevent replies?

I'm not sure?, but I can tell you for a fact that those Facebook reactions (emoticons) are definitely promoting user laziness and preventing people from replying to your posts. I hate them!

[vanwoman]

I am almost tempted to say to the 'likers'
"what makes you hit the like button about this, care to expand?"
But that takes me back to my carrying the forum.
I've got over 3000 likes on my forum, we've been going less than a year. What if the likes had been replies to the various threads?
I disagree that likes are response and shouldn't be discounted.
The stats at the bottom of the forum show posts and threads, not likes.
A forum needs posts and, obviously, posters. It's about conversations not posting content for people to read.
If that's what I wanted, I would have put up a blog and disabled comments.