Suggestion: a dislike button (I know, I know: read on)

Hi gang!

Yes, this sits close to the 3rd anniversary of this suggestion. I'm well aware that this has been suggested in 2013 and was more or less re-posted in 2014. However, that original suggestion had a completely different approach because it also aimed to hide or "mute" posts, which is something quite different.

What I am suggesting is a mere dislike button which, like its counterpart, merely shows who doesn't like it.

An often heard argument is that because clicking dislike is easier than responding it would also make it easier for people to start trolling and start disliking posts "because". As a result a dislike button could incite more drama, like drama over disliking the whole thing. Something which is said to happen less often right now because posting takes more effort.

However, that argument is also ignoring a very important side effect of posting: not everyone will take the time required to explain why they don't like something. Heck: sometimes there even isn't any possible explanation because it boils down to personal taste. As a result you sometimes see posts which, in my opinion of course, can border the lines of being (a little) abusive. Even when I'm convinced that the intent of such a post wasn't to insult or abuse at all. Yet I could well understand if the original poster would still pick it up as such.

And I think that several posts made by several people over the past year proof this point. You may not like those people, you may even disagree with them, you might even think to yourself: "Dude, they should man up already". Yet that doesn't make my argument any less true.

Then there's the comment about simply ignoring other posts. A good argument, one I even advocate myself. But... yeah... We all know that's not going to happen.

As odd as it may sound... I sometimes think that not having this option could very well have incited more drama in the past than we would have had if people could simply show their disapproval without the attached risks of expressing themselves in a (too?) direct way.

Obviously only my 2 cents here

*dislikes*

With all seriousness though, I can think of nothing positive that a dislike button could contribute to socitey.

I totaly agree with Rhythmically!

And if people want to know if people like it or not they can just add a pol.
So I dont think it is necessery becouse it will only dissepoint people and if people realy wanne know it they can just add a pol.

If only there was a dislike button to dislike this suggestion

Jokes aside, I don't think a dislike button could prevent people from being abusive.

We'd get post like 'Y u disliking m8???', and then a new argument starts