In recent weeks I have increasingly been using the ‘Like’ button on the posts of other Charioteers. Personally, I do so in order to indicate to the author that whereas I may not have anything constructive or informative to add to the particular subject matter, which is usual, I have at least read and appreciated their contribution.
Is this right, or is it otherwise viewed as cocking a metaphorical hind leg against the post indicating that the ‘Liker’ can’t be bothered to compose a proper comment in response?
OZ
Boadicea's Chariot 
I think its a very good, and polite thing to do OZ, I occasionally do the same. Sometimes we don’t always have time to write a comment, or we may wish to give it some thought, and come back later. If we forget to come back, at least we have shown our appreciation to the author.
As you can see, it’s bargain day for you today, you get a tick, and a comment 😉
Blush!
OZ
Ditto what Val said, must go the Jack Russell is chewing the house down!
I agree you all. It’s a neat way of showing one’s appreciation, I think, though I wish one could do it without the signing-in hassle.
Hi, Oz, you old pudding-faker you!
Whoops! I may have got the ettithingy of this all wrong. I do the ‘Like’ click partly because I have enjoyed the post but mainly because it is a quick and easy way to get back to said post to see if it is blossoming or has withered, once it has dropped off the Front Page.
I drop down the ‘Like’ menu and optionise ‘View All Posts I Like’ and I’m back in the relevant post in a trice.
Feeling slightly Jamie MacNabish and in need of a swift pondering of the eternal verities this afternoon. Do you think that it could ever be justifiable to ‘Like’ yourself in this context? I know that is is possible, having just liked and then immediately unliked myself on one of my own posts, but is it socially acceptable?
My apologies to my fellow JM, if he does visit. Mere joshing, of which I am sure you still have a fine, jockish grasp, even after all those generations of exile in Southron lands.
It usually depends on how many Brandy’s I’ve had!
JM – Isn’t ‘liking’ oneself, even in cyberspace, a bit narcissistic, not to mention slightly kinky?
OZ
Hello OZ: I agree it’s a useful and valid way to express appreciation. With the best will in the world I do not get here most days until noon GMT (or European Galactic time) and by the time I have read an interesting post and been inspired to a pithy, biting or hilarious comment I read on and find it has all been said by others, often more than once and always better. Usually if I do comment I do not “Like” but that is only one of my minor peculiarities. John Mackie’s use of the feature is certainly one I will use in the future, thank you JM.
LW – 🙂
OZ
Laughing here becos I “liked” myself by accident on my own blog and, unlike JM, couldn’t “unlike” m myself. Smacks of personality disorder anyway. 🙂
Any reaction is better than nil reaction, OZ. Personally a “like” is enough for me but if people have time to say ‘hi’ that’s all the better.
Oh good to see Val back too!! Must have had your computer fixed Val? I’ve had a “blue screen” on one but thankfully the laptop’s still ok (crossing dfingerw maies typgn difficylt)
I hated the ‘Like’ button when it first appeared and asked Bearsy if there was anyway we could remove it.
However, I find that it is very useful – especially for the music posts when I often can’t think of anything to say other than I like it or that I what to say has, as LW puts it,”all been said by others, often more than once and always better.”
So I’m with Jan here “any reaction is better than nil reaction”.
I clicked ‘like’ and then read the 2nd paragraph, I’m glad to read the comments. You have of course raised the issue of not commenting or clicking like as ‘cocking a metaphorical hind leg against the post’. I would have thought that was only an issue on ‘the other side’.
Boadicea and Peter – I just wanted to find out how people felt, not wishing that my own reasons for only clicking a ‘Like’ button would be misinterpreted.
And to all those who clicked rather than commented on this thread, 🙂
OZ
I rather like the ‘Like’ button. Having been a member of a few different sites, I know that when you go to the effort of posting a blog albeit on a serious subject or something else, it is good to get some recognition or response. You don’t have to post a comment to achieve this the ‘Like’ button does just that. Before this, it could have been down to just a smilie or even a LOL.
🙂
“To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction.” Newtown, I think.
There should be a “Lump” button.
The ‘like’ facility is for the short attention span suffered by the modern blogger. It’s the equivalent of text-speak. R u ok etc. I go with JW – let’s have more quick fixes: lump, whatever, WTF, not again, etc. 😮
OZ: yes, it can be very useful. Sometimes one comes into a discussion too late and no comment could be thought up that hadn’t already been said by someone else. other times, one simply cannot think of anything of interest to say but wishes to at least give the writer some acknowledgement.
No, as one who writes grammatically correct and punctuated tzt msgs, I can’t condone buttons for ‘lump’, ‘whatever’, ‘WTF’ or ‘not again’. All those will do is p*ss people off.
OZ