As I said before we ever moved over to this site and started using these emojis, I am NOT in favor of them, and fear they shape our discourse in unintended ways. There was a time when this was the site that shone for its breaking news, and it's INTJ (for lack of better designation) approach to the issues of the day. Five, or ten years ago we were fact based, steeped in the engineering, scientific model, and politely shunned "estrogen" type emoting when it became out of hand.
The crowning glory was a field of expertise with so much depth and breadth that I am sure actual think tanks and news outlets used the threads for inspiration or guidance. For realz! Now? Most of the "front page" news is older, and already broached in other areas on site. We repeat ourselves more frequently, and with less fact checks, and mix our emoting and support based content freely with our information and issue based. I know I'm one of the worst offenders and I offer hand holding, consolation & encouragement on public threads instead of privately or in the other sections where it more properly belongs. Not that support is bad. Au contraire. I would argue such endeavors are really what life is about and if you're
not touching someone and leaving them better able to make their journey then the greatest gift has been squandered.
Anyways. All content is of value, but time is limited. More to the point of the emojis, content choices are shaped by them, consciously or elsewise. I for one want to hear the opposing view points, the arguments against what I believe, all that content that gets the thumbs down kinds of ratings. Echo chambers don't interest me. I want to learn, stretch, be challenged, grow, and pick the brains of all the brilliant, experienced people we have had here who can gift me with life times of knowledge and experience. The xen forro folk tout the rating system as good for increasing participation, and it may do that. But I don't want unicorn farts and skittles, and any medium that rates and evaluates people publicly will in fact, over time, shape them/their offerings. Throw in that we've
already had complaints and bad feelings about these systems, and who gets how many and I just don't feel any better about the systems use today than I did way back before it ever got used.
Don't misunderstand. I'm inordinately fond of every poster, and the site, and deeply appreciative of what I receive here! I have no trouble at all being vulnerable and "estrogen based" and expressing that ad nauseum. But I think we're better served when we can express our feelings with actual words, tailored to actual situations. I want to follow the back and forth on subjects between people who probably know what of they speak, not just see big thumbs up or down with the details left to my imagination.
So to recap: thumbs down->content, if anything.
But prefer you bring back da bombs and leave the trophies to the snow flake generations!!!