https://meta.discourse.org/t/enabling-discourse-reactions-by-default-for-all-sites/403795
I have noticed some users using emojis to react (instead of a heart) here on the iNat Forum. In previous threads, a number of users have said that they find emojis in the body of a message to be distracting.
Discourse rolled this out automatically, I’ve now turned them off. Personally I’m not a fan, but if others are we can discuss turning them on.
I would like a few options. There have been posts where I would like to ‘show a reaction’ but A Heart is grotesque if you aim at – I hear you, I acknowledge you. Think of the posts from Marina’s husband for example. A heart is not always appropriate, nor is a deafening silence, and there are not always words to fit.
Not the sparkly GIFs please.
I might be searching poorly, but I could find only one thread, about iNaturalist itself, not the forum, and it was a feature request. (In case I mis-searched, I used emoji + distracting.)
I very much understand not wanting emoticons to auto change – I used one in a forum post just before this thread was started, actually. I also very much understand those who say they find emojis on observations distracting, especially if comments that are nothing more than emojis might trigger notifications to the participants on an observation.
I obviously missed the very brief window when Discourse was offering alternative reactions to hearting, and I agree with Diane that sometimes a heart seems inappropriate, but often in those circumstances, there is no singular emoji that feels appropriate. Thumbs up? 100? They are all too glib. To those I know, I often use a singular blue heart to beam forth love and support, but that would mean nothing here; it’s a construct among friends.
The heart Discourse provides being the only option works because it becomes whatever one needs it to be, a de facto acknowledgement that a comment has been seen and had worth. In such circumstances it can serve as a way of saying, “I read what you said and while I do not have words right now to respond, I wanted to let you know it mattered to me,” and since all of us know it is the only option, this heart, there can be no lesser emoji nor greater, no wondering why not this other emoji, nor that one.
So for that reason I am with tiwane that leaving it at a singular option is best.
I would be fine with adding emoji-reactions, but at the same time, hate receiving notifications for emoji-reactions. Lol. And as Lucy has said, a lot of how we use emojis is particular to our social circle and might not make sense to strangers online, especially in a global community.
There’s a phenomenon that when someone posts a picture of, say, a turtle, countless people will react with “
”, which personally I find a bit annoying. But I see some use for emoji reactions in that they do provide context (that is maybe not necessary). For example “
” would signify more of an “I agree” or “okay” if someone makes a request than “
” would. That way we could also better differentiate between, for example, a point you agree with versus one that you don’t but that is well made. Sometimes they’re also fun (big fan of the “this tbh” emoji reaction on the iNat discord), but then the iNat forum is probably a more formal place…
Overall, I don’t really care either way, though.
Some days ago, there was a little more choise than just a heart. O:)
Was that a mistake? I was happy, that I can do more than just a heart, which is for me not appropriate too in all cases, I want to say “good input” or “thanks for your help”.
But I don’t have it anymore…
See tiwane’s explanation above. Was turned on automatically by Discourse. And he has turned it OFF again. Unless …
Seems a iNat forum post has to have 5 characters. Means you can’t post a single emoticon on its own. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
These would be options other than the heart. So it’s not a post itself, it’s a reaction that would go next to the heart. Like a thumbs up, or a “tada” celebration, or laughing, or anger, or sadness.
I agree, but we have control over which emoji would be available. I would not turn on stuff like animals or plants, just emoji that are actual useful reactions to something.
Tony @tiwane, when you were in the settings, did you turn on this “Me too” button?
It looks like it’s intended for readers to say they had the same problem, without cluttering the thread with their own responses?
When it comes to emoji reactions, it looks like Tony nailed the sentiment of the forum!
Half of the members don’t care either way, and of the half that do care, opponents of emoji reactions outnumber supporters two to one.
Yes, looks like another thing Discourse pushed out. It’s supposed to be only for “support” type of category. I’ll keep it on for Bug Reports and Forum Feedback.
The other day, I used the thumbs up emoji. It fit better to what I was conveying. I liked and agreed with what had been posted. A heart isn’t something I’m going to click unless I really, really love something if given a choice.
Ditch the hearts and make it neutral like Annotations and DQA.
Upvote or downvote, and put the emotion in a verbal comment if needed.
No! No downvoting please!!!
For me I think the thumbs up is super useful. If a heart and thumbs-up were available, I’d be happy.
then if your comment draws neither a heart nor a thumb up – it is effectively a silent downvote. With an available downvote, then no response would be just that. Neutral, or unseen.
I’m sorry, but I respectfully disagree. Neutral is better than downvoting, which can easily be abused and used to bully or silence people.
I think a downvote option on other people’s words and thoughts makes being disagreeable too easy on platforms that have it.
It’s fine for annotations and DQA because those are basically a yes or no vote on a preexisting question.
But if someone shares their own opinion in their own words, and we want to express disagreement, I think there’s a social obligation to put that disagreement into words. Tell them why we disagree or what part of the statement we took offense at.
I dislike (on other sites) seeing someone’s post get 30 dislikes and not one response where anyone actually uses their words. It feels like booing instead of debating intelligently.
On the broader topic of emoji reactions - some of them tend to confuse me. For example it’s often unclear whether “angry face” reaction is anger at the poster, or anger in solidarity with the poster.
Even positive ones distract me from the conversation a little, as I start adding the numbers up without meaning to. 10 is easier to see at a glance than 4, 2
3
1. And on a long thread, it makes a difference to whether my brain stays in “pay attention to what people are saying” mode, or wanders off into “add numbers” mode.
(I tend to use ‘my’ hearts as an – I have read that far marker – so don’t take mine too seriously)
A tick for Have Read
Me Too for Bug reports.
https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/arthropod-charisma-is-it-perhaps-all-in-the-face/78371/28?u=dianastuder to heart or not ? That is the question.
I’m confused. How does that work in the forums? I thought that is what we were discussing.