Mon Dec 11, 2017 7:30 am
#1576691
I think the opposite, Mick. I think a dislike option would prove antagonistic, and spread contention and bad feeling.
It is a natural human emotion to like praise and to dislike criticism. However, in my experience, the response to each is disproportionate. In my career, it was a regular, and largely trying, task to give appraisals to subordinates. It was generally accepted practise to not only offer praise for good points, but to also indicate areas for improvement. I found it normal that no matter how much praise you lavished in these reviews, the focus of the subordinate was nearly always on the areas for improvement, even when these were very minor. And not really in the constructive way the process envisaged.
Giving a dislike, even when perhaps merited, will probably generate a similar disproportionate response. We already have the opportunity to put forumites we don't want to read on ignore, and we also have the even more adult option of simply passing over a post we don't like or giving a constructive response where we feel strongly enough about the post in question.
Personally, I hope Ian and the moderation team never see fit to introduce a dislike option.
I'd go further and argue that this might be a better place without the beauty parade like button. Although I accept I'm being a bit hypocritical here as I've used it myself a fair bit, I think I've found the last week or so without it quite refreshing.