LIKES or POINTS Hmmmm

[gary s]

Likes and Points ??? Hmmm


Like most of us I don’t like change. When this Forum changed formats, there were some things I liked better and some I didn’t. Speaking for myself I get Complacent and probably a little lazy. But all and all I am used to everything now and like most of it.

With one exception, the Points changing to Likes!!

At first, I thought, oh well it will be the same just a name change. But I was wrong. Let me Expound.

Back when we were still giving Points, I felt that points were given for a good post, information that was helpful, great pictures and something of value.


Now comes Likes, just like on Social Media everybody is so used to giving likes, they are dolled out without even thinking about it.


Example: someone says something, anything then someone gives it a like, then that person gives a Like right back.


I miss the points and giving them for something worthwhile.


I see a post that may not have anything to do with this forum and it may get several likes !!! For What !!.


Let’s get back to giving likes or points like we used too.

For something worth giving Likes to.


JMHO

Gary

 

[mosparky]

I hear ya, Gary. I barely got used to the old format when it changed. Still I understood for the most part, the workings of the "point" system. I therefore don't give "likes" lightly.

 

[mike5051]

I agree Gary! The "points" meant something. I do a bit of social media and don't "like" much at all. It has no meaning and a great post deserves more.

Mike

 

[SonnyE]

Change is hard, most folks don't like changes anyway. No matter how they are presented.
Points or Likes, if you don't want to give one, that's your choice.
I give a like because I either agree with the post someone posted, or because I found it valuable to me, like one of those Ah-Ha moments. o_O

But where I vary greatly with your old school idea of Points, when I'm replying to someone who is brand new, I often check their profile. I can see they are very new, probably shy, maybe scared, and I throw them a Like. As an encouragement, as incentive, because they are trying to be active.
Oh, it might wear out my mouse by one click, but it can be very encouraging to someone. Or discouraging if it has to meet some imaginary standard in an unknown rule book.

Hell, I hate Facebook and it's invasive nature. I have an account, but very rarely ever go on it. It endangers everyone I know because it connects people together. It's not a Social Media, it's a Socialist Media. I closed down my account on it once. I thought I had fixed it. Then one day I got an email, from Facebook, about a post a relative had made.
I clicked the link in the email and read their post. Then noticed by doing that, clicking one link, it completely reactivated that account. And re-exposed everybody I know. It's a Socialist Media. And I for one, do not "Friend" anybody, and have in fact Unfriended a few I disagreed with.
Just as I have some folks here on my Ignore list. I don't see them, and don't be bothered by what they post.

But don't look now, Gary, I did Like your post because you took the time to bring up the subject.
So Neener-neener. :p
Not likely the powers that be are going to step backwards. Like it or Not. Click it or kick it. Your choice guys.
Now if you want something to fuss about, what about the robots crawling this site? At this moment there is 162. What are 162 robots doing? :confused:o_O

 

[CharlotteLovesFood]

Oh dear I've been giving out a few o_O
Mainly because I've received so much good pointers and information it would seem rude not to like and I do try to comment back as much as possible rather than just throw a like.

I might have given out a few to point out I have acknowledged their post but don't know enough to comment back yet so i'm just watching the thread or that I currently have my head in a grill or I appreciate you took the time to read my post.

The point system sounds good though...perhaps we need a common courtesy button for acknowledgement and a point button for the pros that deserve the points. Just a suggestion.

Charlotte :D

 

[gmc2003]

My take on it.

If someone takes the time and effort to smoke something, display it on the site for everyone to enjoy and gives some background into how it was done. I'll toss them a "LIKE".

If someone introduces some new way of doing something easier or better then what I'm currently doing. I'll toss them a "LIKE".

If someone answers a question I have and it helps me get through something I'm struggling with or didn't know how to do. I'll toss them a "LIKE".

...and on a rare occasion if someone posts something that I find just to amusing or funny. I'll toss them a "LIKE".

I remember with the old system you were limited with the amount of "POINTS" you could give in a day. So you had to be a little fussier with how you doled them out.

Chris

 

[CharlotteLovesFood]

My take on it.

If someone takes the time and effort to smoke something, display it on the site for everyone to enjoy and gives some background into how it was done. I'll toss them a "LIKE".

If someone introduces some new way of doing something easier or better then what I'm currently doing. I'll toss them a "LIKE".

If someone answers a question I have and it helps me get through something I'm struggling with or didn't know how to do. I'll toss them a "LIKE".

...and on a rare occasion if someone posts something that I find just to amusing or funny. I'll toss them a "LIKE".

I remember with the old system you were limited with the amount of "POINTS" you could give in a day. So you had to be a little fussier with how you doled them out.

Chris

You explained that way better than me, so much so I was tempted to 'like' it haha.

If it were a points only system I would never get any, effort on the other hand... I should get A* Haha!

 

[gmc2003]

Charlotte thanks, and the cooks you've presented so far are definitely point worthy on either system.

Chris

 

[CharlotteLovesFood]

Charlotte thanks, and the cooks you've presented so far are definitely point worthy on either system.

Chris

Awww thanks Chris..that means a lot especially as I'm still finding my feet around here :)

 

[mike243]

Being new here I have no knowledge of the old system but if its like other places 100pts or likes and $5 plus tax will get you a coffee at Starbucks lol,I truly love to read what everybody posts and would be hard pressed to not hit a like on every post,you see my cup is at least 1/2 full all the time and not 1/2 empty :) .I would just like to say thanks to every body for sharing the trials and tribulations of their cooks and to keep it up.

 

[SmokinAl]

I think I'm guilty of giving out a lot of likes, I guess with the old system I had to be careful when I gave a point, cause you only got so many to give in a day. I was always running out of points. Maybe we could go to a system like that where the number of likes is limited & restored every 24 hours. I don't know but it may be worth running it by Jeff.
Al

 

[CharlotteLovesFood]

Being new here I have no knowledge of the old system but if its like other places 100pts or likes and $5 plus tax will get you a coffee at Starbucks lol,I truly love to read what everybody posts and would be hard pressed to not hit a like on every post,you see my cup is at least 1/2 full all the time and not 1/2 empty :) .I would just like to say thanks to every body for sharing the trials and tribulations of their cooks and to keep it up.

Well now you've mentioned Starbucks coffee I dunno this point system is now sounding more appealing :p haha

With respect to the OP though I do understand what he's saying but I think it would be really great if we could have both points and likes. A like to me feels like common courtesy...in that you can't always write back due to time or it just doesn't need a reply but an acknowledgement you've seen it.

 

[73saint]

I see both sides. I too am guilty of giving out likes more freely than points, but I see a like as a common courtesy. This is a very friendly site compared to most.

We have a good problem, nice people. I’m Not going to complain about that!

 

[gary s]

That was "Just my humble opinion" But I do think Likes should mean something like I said.
Just had an idea ???? Keep the Likes the way it is so everyone can give out as many and for anything they Like
And bring back the points for really good post and pics that pertain strictly to this Forum.

Just a thought ??

Gary

 

[gary s]

We do have good people, the best and not complaining at all But sometimes you can improve things to make it even better, Just Saying ------

Gary

 

[GATOR240]

That was "Just my humble opinion" But I do think Likes should mean something like I said.
Just had an idea ???? Keep the Likes the way it is so everyone can give out as many and for anything they Like
And bring back the points for really good post and pice that pertain strictly to this Forum.

Just a thought ??

Gary

If possible, that sounds like a plan.

 

[Bearcarver]

That was "Just my humble opinion" But I do think Likes should mean something like I said.
Just had an idea ???? Keep the Likes the way it is so everyone can give out as many and for anything they Like
And bring back the points for really good post and pice that pertain strictly to this Forum.

Just a thought ??

Gary

Thanks Gary!!!
I've watched this evolve over the years:
There was a time when everybody ignored "Points", and nobody gave them out even for an Awesome Prime Rib post. That took a lot of the fun out of the forum.
Then a couple years ago people started getting serious about giving points out, and everybody seemed to care about how good the posts were that they were giving points to. It took a Great post to get Points from more than one or two people, but it didn't matter, because everything was relative, and everything went along Great.

Then along came this new platform & the change to "Likes".
Veteran SMF posters seemed to worry about it, and SmokingAl even started a Post asking for opinions about "Likes" and "Points", which gathered a lot of mixed opinions.
I remember I didn't say anything One Way or the Other, because I figured it would be better to wait & see how it works out with "Likes", before I give my opinion
However I never did Facebook, and never knew how useless & meaningless "Likes" are. Since the Likes have started, I'm seeing things like "Hey Joe, How ya doing" (Oh Tom said "how am I doing"--I'll give him a Like). Then Tom sees Joe gave him a Like, so he gives him one too.
What did Tom or Joe Cook, Smoke, or Grill ???
Nothing.
Did either of them tell how to do something??
No.
What did they do?
They basically said "Hi".
Did that call for an Award?
Maybe a "Like", but not a "Point".

So maybe we should have "Points" for when someone does a Great Smoke, or Cook, and when someone answers a question with a good answer, or shows or tells how to do something, or other important helping hands. And like we used to have---You could put a notation on the Point expressing why you gave the Point.

And We could also have these "Likes" for things like Saying Hi, Talking about the Weather, Telling what you did over the weekend, Telling about a Movie you saw, etc, etc. Likes would also be good for other useless things, like two guys making a Photoshopping cartoon corner, and giving each other a hundred combined Likes back & forth in one thread.

I don't know if we could have both Likes & Points, but that would be my preference.
If not I would vote for Points that mean something, like we had here for years, when almost every Point meant you either produced an Awesome Meal, or you helped someone along the way in improving their cooking & smoking ability.

BTW: Lately I've even started giving "Likes" for less meaning than I used to, so I would be in with the crowd, and I'm not enjoying giving rewards for nothing.

My 2 Cents,
Bear

 

[noboundaries]

Old system or new, what makes SMF great is friendly people sharing what they love to do to protein and veggies with a little heat and smoke. It isn't a competition. Kind of reminds me of the slogan of one of my favorite TV shows, "Where everything is made up, and the points don't matter."

I gives likes because people are sharing their friendship and love of what they do with food.

 

[gary s]

I think that would be great if we had both, maybe the Mods could run it by Admin and see what they think.

Like my wife says to me "Sometimes you'r smarter than you look"

Gary

 

[GaryHibbert]

I posted a bit of a rant on this very subject quite a while ago and was told there was no way Points were coming back.
To this day I continue to give a POINT if I feel a post deserves it. To deserve it (my guidelines) a post must be well done and informative.
I DO NOT give likes. IMO, likes don't mean s**t.
Gary