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This is where I show my complete lack of understanding about Social Media, but really, what is the point of a 'like' button? The web is built on URLs. If you l

This is where I show my complete lack of understanding about Social Media, but really, what is the point of a 'like' button? The web is built on URLs. If you like something and want to share it with people, send them a URL. That's what they're for.

jdludlow 14y ago
It's done partially because "everyone else is doing it," but there is also the "wisdom of crowds" value. The number of likes or dislikes is a quick metric that can be used for sorting, searching, populating a home page, or building recommendations.
- Tyrannosaurs 14y ago
  It's also a metric that because it's tied to accounts is relatively hard to game, at least in a major way.
jentulman 14y ago
Because the sharing is usually implied by the action of liking. Clicking a like or +1 button causes your network on the associated social site to see a link to what you liked in their stream. In theory it's made it far easier to share cool things with people. as an aside, I say 'in theory' because with the millions of 'me too' buttons scattered around the web, in even my modestly small socially networked connections, the S/N ratio has made them near enough useless.
masklinn 14y ago
> what is the point of a 'like' button? Feedback to the author, and crowd-rating for people you don't know. What do you think the point of HN's up and down arrows are?
- NickPollard 14y ago
  Ok, I understand that. My issue is the conflating of approval with sharing. In this case, the problem is that people without G+ cannot voice their approval. This is obviously a deliberate ploy to coerce people into joining G+, but motives aside the issue is that Google are forcing people to share when perhaps, some only want to approve. As people have noted, whilst the frictionless sharing is good for viral marketing, in the long term it's devastating to signal vs. noise. I left Facebook largely because my stream was full of updates from people - good friends, who I enjoy talking to - that said 'John Doe likes this: "Click like for a chance to Win!"'
  - masklinn 14y ago
    Ah yes, I had mis-understood the purpose of your question, sorry.

jdludlow 14y ago

It's done partially because "everyone else is doing it," but there is also the "wisdom of crowds" value. The number of likes or dislikes is a quick metric that can be used for sorting, searching, populating a home page, or building recommendations.

Tyrannosaurs 14y ago
It's also a metric that because it's tied to accounts is relatively hard to game, at least in a major way.

jentulman 14y ago

Because the sharing is usually implied by the action of liking. Clicking a like or +1 button causes your network on the associated social site to see a link to what you liked in their stream. In theory it's made it far easier to share cool things with people. as an aside, I say 'in theory' because with the millions of 'me too' buttons scattered around the web, in even my modestly small socially networked connections, the S/N ratio has made them near enough useless.

masklinn 14y ago

> what is the point of a 'like' button? Feedback to the author, and crowd-rating for people you don't know. What do you think the point of HN's up and down arrows are?

NickPollard 14y ago
Ok, I understand that. My issue is the conflating of approval with sharing. In this case, the problem is that people without G+ cannot voice their approval. This is obviously a deliberate ploy to coerce people into joining G+, but motives aside the issue is that Google are forcing people to share when perhaps, some only want to approve. As people have noted, whilst the frictionless sharing is good for viral marketing, in the long term it's devastating to signal vs. noise. I left Facebook largely because my stream was full of updates from people - good friends, who I enjoy talking to - that said 'John Doe likes this: "Click like for a chance to Win!"'
- masklinn 14y ago
  Ah yes, I had mis-understood the purpose of your question, sorry.