The “likes” widget is changing the WP community. It is driving readers to click the like button, instead of commenting.
A blogging community is centered around commenting, not liking. A person does not even have to read a post in order to “like” it.
Blogging is about reading and discussion.
Commenting is what drives a blogging community.
If there is only “likes” and no discussion, what is the point?
Discussion drives thoughts and learning.
What can I learn from a “like?”
If I wanted to press buttons, I would go to Facebook or Tumblr.
The likes widget is a bad idea. It stops the discussion.
Should I blog with no discussion?
dramajunkiee
/ August 12, 2012Hmm… That makes sense.
I sometimes press like when I’m not sure what to say in respect to advice or opinion. Sometimes I press the like button to just show I appreciated the post when I don’t have a worthwhile comment of value.
I appreciate my likes as I like it better than no likes! But you have given me something to think about because it’s true – it may not mean that my post was actually read or ‘liked’.
Thanks for your view
LizEccentric7
/ August 12, 2012@dramajunkie – I think likes are for pictures, short posts, quotes, jokes or something I do not understand.
It just feels like I scroll through the reader (boring) and noticed most bloggers have zero comments, but tons of likes.
It was not this way, prior to the like widget.
Commenting is blogging. Blogging without commenting makes this Facebook. True?
roughseasinthemed
/ August 12, 2012I try to comment when I find something worthy of comment. If I am faced with boring text or a pretty pic, I click on like.
I would like to disable it, but hey, wait would that make me look unliked?
For me, I blog for comments. Not likes. I love the exchange of ideas.
LizEccentric7
/ August 12, 2012@roughseasinthemed – exactly! That is what I do…I thought that was how the like buttons were supposed to be used.
wildacademicwoman
/ August 12, 2012Ha ha I just clicked “Like.” You’re perfectly right, though. I love interacting with people through the comments. I really try to comment on other blogs but sometimes I don’t have anything to say.
LizEccentric7
/ August 12, 2012@wildacademicwoman – I like “likes” it is just sad to see the WP community changing so fast due to the new like widget. If you haven’t seem it – check out the info on the WordPress help pages.
Many bloggers are using it. It makes people press like to get traffic from the widget.
LizEccentric7
/ August 12, 2012@readers – please see Hugh’s Like widget on my blogroll. It is on the bottom right side of his site. It is the big pictures. Those are posts he has liked.
I believe that is a like widget. Is it Hugh? So, that widget is driving likes and not comments.
Blogging without discussion….boring.
John
/ August 13, 2012This is the second post i have read today regarding this like problem, many are becoming annoyed with it. I wrote of it the other day as well. Hmmmm, perhaps I’ll remove the Like button from everything.
LizEccentric7
/ August 13, 2012@John – The Likes Widget is causing controversy I am sure.
mystudentstruggles
/ August 13, 2012I think you can remove the like button from posts. But as long as people read before they like I don’t mind, as I said in my earlier post
On the subject of buttons, what is the ‘press this’ button?
LizEccentric7
/ August 13, 2012@mystudentstruggles – I don’t mind the “likes” at all. It is the new Likes >widget that I do not like. The likes widget is changing WP from a blogging community to a “liking” community. I see many blogs on the reader that have no comments.
The new like widget = less commenting
Sad, Bloggers love comments. If a blogger doesn’t get comments after a while, they tend to quit blogging.
I suggest WP get rid of the like widget, before this whole site turns into Facebook, or most people leave and go to Tumblr, Tumblr is easy to use and is free. However, Tumblr doesn’t seem like a discussion site, not like WP. I enjoy the learning and discussion on WP.
If the likes widget changes WP to a “pressing buttons” site, it’s just sad.
I liked the old style of WP. The old format of the reader, the simple widgets, and the old format of site stats. The new style of things does not suit me. It’s crazy to visit a website and wait 10 mniutes of all of the new “like” widgets to load. I click on another site, and do not comment, because who has 10 minutes for page loading?
A reader decides in about 10 seconds if they will read and comment.
WP – the new Likes Widget is changing WordPress into Tumblr or Facebook. Not a good idea. I like “likes,” The likes widget is driving people to like too much, and never comment.
New bloggers tend to quit, if they have no comments. That is why I enjoyed the Showcase Forums. I could find brand new blogs, and comment. Comments motivate people to write and encourages thoughts.
rahardesty
/ August 13, 2012That is true. “Liking” has become a way to try to get readers and attention as opposed to expressing what it actual means, i.e., “I like your post!” I think if WordPress took away the ability to “Like” a post without reading it, it might restore the actual purpose of “Liking.” Are Showcase Forums still around?
LizEccentric7
/ August 13, 2012@rahardesty – sadly, WP disabled the forums…I found new blogs that way.
rahardesty
/ August 13, 2012That is unfortunate. Hopefully WP will come up with something new that actually encourages discussion.
LizEccentric7
/ August 14, 2012@rahardesty – I hope so, if not, people will most likely go to some other blogging site, that has forums and discussion.