Adding a "Like" button and similar features

northerncyclist2 · 2013-07-10T16:41:04+00:00

On the Help Center subforum, I noticed every single post has a Facebook like button right next to it. I was just wondering, is this some kind of test run for a…

loneraven25 Active Member

77 messages
joined Jul 2013

#21 · Jul 11, 2013

northerncyclist2 said:Look, there's still no direct link between your Facebook login and your username here, so the forum hasn't leaked any of your private data. Even if you were to go ahead and like your own post, nobody on Facebook is going to have any idea it was you—unless, of course, your Facebook profile is also under the handle loneraven25, right? 😁.

That’s a pretty half-baked take, and honestly, it doesn't guarantee anyone's security. 😁
Sure, every user on this forum gets to decide their own level of anonymity,
but there is absolutely nothing the forum can do to protect a user if they end up posting something on their Facebook profile that gives them away. 😍

northerncyclist2 Active MemberOP

89 messages
joined Jan 2016

#22 · Jul 11, 2013

Elizabeth Davis said:ever since you started posting in the off-topic section, I've been trying to mute you because, honestly, seeing notifications that you've posted when I can't actually see anything is just super annoying. It makes it way harder to skip through 😬

Anyway, getting back to the main point:

The stuff you mentioned—the idea that everything should be implied—would pretty much require a total overhaul of how this entire site works. Like, from all the different sub-sections and modes down to some of those (as people say) "pointlessly purple" admins who don't seem to do much.

If you had muted me sooner, you probably would've noticed that I barely even post in the off-topic threads anymore 😁
/off-topic off

As far as I know, the site is still owned by Mr. Anderlon, who was basically one of the pioneers of the American internet, and I really have to respect him for that. But, I don't know, maybe it feels like he’s gotten a little complacent lately? Maybe he’s just getting older or maybe that early ambition just kind of faded away... I guess. Either way, Mr. Anderlon managed to build something truly special here, one of the biggest online communities out there, and it's all in a language spoken by millions. Of course, business matters to him, and I'm sure a site like this brings in some revenue. But, I think, for the sake of the community and just better management, it might be a good move if he handed over the reins or sold the place to someone younger—someone who actually has the drive to mess around with new features and keep the site evolving.

I mean, I believe a well-run site can make decent money while still leaving room to invest in better servers and faster connections, and maybe even tossing a little something to the admins and moderators for their hard work. Even if it's just a gift card or something small.

But right now, the way things are going, it’s not being run well at all. The software is totally outdated, the servers are basically on life support, and those super intrusive ads have pushed people away. A lot of us—myself included—know the site needs the money, so we try to be supportive, but the ads are so bad that we end up using adblockers. And that means the ad revenue—which is pretty much the only thing keeping this place afloat alongside a few other failed attempts at monetization—just keeps dropping.

I suppose because of the momentum this place has, Mr. Anderlon will probably still pull in some cash for a few more years. But I really hope it's not all about the money for him. I hope he still has a bit of that old-school internet spirit left, and that he’ll finally make some changes to the business model so the users benefit, which would eventually help the owner too.

Jeffrey Bennett77 Newcomer

4 messages
joined Jun 2013

#23 · Jul 11, 2013

Matthew Anderson said:One of the massive global forums, somethingawful, charges a $10 entry fee just to join. And honestly? You can still get banned whenever you want, even though their mod team is getting huge.

I really hope this isn't some shady comparison to Reddit 😁 But we're talking about this specific attempt at a forum here 🙂

northerncyclist2 Active MemberOP

89 messages
joined Jan 2016

#24 · Jul 11, 2013

loneraven25 said:I mean, just giving half-accurate info doesn't really guarantee any safety. 😁
And on a site like Reddit, everyone basically decides their own level of anonymity,
but the platform can't really protect someone if stuff starts showing up on their Facebook profile. 😍

Look, I really don't want to sound condescending or anything, but I feel like I get a pretty good handle on things like web security and data streams since that’s actually what I’m studying.

I think there might be a little misunderstanding about how those Facebook likes actually work... they don't really have anything to do with the users here on Reddit, but rather with the people on Facebook who share content from other sites (in this case, posts from the forum) onto their own profiles for their friends to see. It doesn't matter at all whether those people are members of the forum or if they're logged in right now, because the Facebook script just pulls user info from its own cookies, which essentially keeps you "permanently logged in" to Facebook anyway.

So, I guess anonymity isn't really being broken here, because all that gets shared on a Facebook user's page is the poster's username, the actual content of the post, and a link to the specific post. And if you look closely, you'll probably notice that all of that is already public information on Reddit anyway.

loneraven25 Active Member

77 messages
joined Jul 2013

#25 · Jul 11, 2013

I mean, what else do you actually need once you’ve got a handle on someone's user data?
They link their Facebook account so frequently—usually straight from a mobile device, too,
giving up everything from their entire contact list to the contacts of everyone they know...
It’s honestly a joke.
If that damn thing actually gets implemented, then let people click whatever they want. 🤷
And honestly, we can't entirely blame them; Reddit is just as much to blame for making this all possible in the first place.

northerncyclist2 Active MemberOP

89 messages
joined Jan 2016

#26 · Jul 11, 2013

loneraven25 said:I mean, what else do you even need when you’ve got access to user info?
Like, people link their Facebook accounts all the time, usually straight from their phones,
giving up all their contacts, and then even their friends' contacts too...
So thanks for that.
If that kind of stuff actually gets implemented, I guess let whoever wants to click it, just click it. 🤷
And honestly, I think the forum carries some of the blame here too, since it basically makes it possible.

🙂

The Facebook script just reads its own encrypted Facebook cookie, and the forum reads its own (hopefully) encrypted Reddit cookie, so there isn't really any actual connection between the two...

Now, if we were talking about a "log in to the forum using Facebook" feature, that would be a whole different story, but I guess even a kid could figure that out.

loneraven25 Active Member

77 messages
joined Jul 2013

#27 · Jul 11, 2013

I’ve unfortunately found myself stuck in those exact same debates before,
where you spend all this energy talking, only for the other person to suddenly realize they were dead wrong after a while.
It’s funny how people process things, isn't it? One person learns by reading a textbook, another through their own messy life experiences, and then there are those who just... don't learn at all.

mellowlynx68 Member

47 messages
joined Apr 2008

#28 · Jul 11, 2013

Setting privacy aside for a second, can we just skip all this obsession with Facebook nonsense right from the jump?
Between teenagers and people who have clearly aged out of this but still live for likes,🙄 maybe they should just stick to Facebook.☕

Sophia Thomas7 Active Member

183 messages
joined Aug 2015

#29 · Jul 11, 2013

Jeffrey Bennett77 said:I really hope they aren't trying to compare this to Reddit. 😁 We’re just talking about this whole attempt at a forum here. 🙂

You completely missed the mark on this one. Seriously, you're totally off base. I’m talking about how on a paid subscription forum, you can still get banned or kicked off the site entirely regardless of what you've paid.

Michelle Alvarez8 Regular

299 messages
joined Nov 2015

#30 · Jul 11, 2013

northerncyclist2 said:If they need more revenue, why hasn't anyone suggested a premium membership for maybe a few dozen bucks a year? You know—get a 1,000-message inbox, fewer ads, a decent-sized avatar, and a bigger signature? Just my 2 cents.

I actually pitched an idea like this over a decade ago! I guess it’s just too much work and too much of a headache for them.

Though, looking back at how things have changed, I'm actually liking the idea less and less lately. Not because it’s a bad idea or impossible to build—not at all—but because paying for stuff totally kills user anonymity. Someone would have to verify payments and link them to accounts, which means you really need someone you can trust implicitly. I don't know about you, but looking at the current staff and everyone from the last few years, I only really trust Axmi. I wouldn't trust the rest of them with a spare brick, let alone my private data.

Honestly, I think it's those exact data points that cause the biggest headaches for site owners. If everything is free, they can basically stop stressing about backups and security since users aren't leaving anything valuable in their DMs or posts anyway. But if you introduce paid memberships, you'd actually have to step up the security and data storage. And that? That costs money and effort. It’s way easier to just sit here and shrug whenever we hit those annoying 503 and 504 errors. Just pretend everything is fine! 🎉

Dennis Jackson38 Member

34 messages
joined Feb 2011

#31 · Jul 11, 2013

I recall starting a thread a while back where I inquired whether the platform could implement a Facebook-style Like button.

As much as I felt a bit embarrassed about even bringing it up, there was a small part of me that truly hoped for it. 😁

My reasoning stemmed from the sheer volume of massive threads that end up being nothing more than a sea of "I agree" comments—which, let’s be honest, happens all too often here. It becomes particularly exhausting when you're a moderator and you have to clean up all that clutter.

In my mind, the logic was simple: if you could just like a post, you would effectively eliminate those endless strings of one-word affirmations or random emojis. You’d be left with a clean, readable thread instead of a million quotes from people who don't actually have anything meaningful to contribute, but simply want to signal they enjoy someone's opinion or a photo.

I’m not entirely sure if that would decrease the total number of posts, but if we are being realistic, it would be far better for some users to hit a button rather than cluttering the feed with unnecessary replies. 😁

Alex Watson Member

14 messages
joined Jul 2013

#32 · Jul 11, 2013

Brian Edwards78 said:I suggested a solution like this over a decade ago. I guess it’s just too much work and too much of a headache for them.

To be honest, as time went on, I started liking the idea less and less. Not because the concept is bad or impossible to pull off—it isn't—but because of the fact that this kind of payment system completely nukes user anonymity. The person responsible for verifying payments and linking them to specific accounts would have to be someone incredibly trustworthy. I don't know about you, but looking at the current management and everyone from the last few years, I personally trust only Axmi. I wouldn't trust any of the others to watch my house, let alone hold onto my personal data.

I suspect it's exactly this data that causes the biggest headaches for forum owners. With the current setup, they can basically ignore backups and security concerns since users aren't leaving anything useful in their profiles, inboxes, or posts anyway. But if we're talking about paid memberships, they actually need to step up regarding security and data storage. And that, of course, requires effort and money. It's much easier to just sit there and shrug whenever a 503 or 504 error pops up. Just pretend everything is fine and hope for the best. 🎉

When I was paying for trkeljanje last year,
I did it anonymously.
I just put in the notes that the payment was for the username Alex Watson.
So, total anonymity was maintained (not to mention I ended up meeting a lawyer in person later on).

I don't see any reason why Reddit couldn't do the same thing.
Anyone who wants to pay for their handle can stay completely anonymous.
If it meant fewer ads and a bigger inbox, I'd happily pay whatever it takes.

Michelle Alvarez8 Regular

299 messages
joined Nov 2015

#33 · Jul 11, 2013

You were talking about donating to keep the site running—that’s different. This is about paying the actual membership fee. Plus, both transactions clearly show which account or card was used. 🤷

Sophia Thomas7 Active Member

183 messages
joined Aug 2015

#34 · Jul 11, 2013

Brian Edwards78 said:That was just a donation to keep the forum running. This is about paying membership dues. Either way, you can see which account or card was used for both types of payments. 🤷

If you use a general money order, they won't be able to track it easily. You still get a field to fill out for the payer, though. Even when using something like Zelle, I don't think you actually have to put your full, specific details in the "payer" field.

Jeffrey Bennett77 Newcomer

4 messages
joined Jun 2013

#35 · Jul 11, 2013

Matthew Anderson said:Basically, you completely missed the point here. I’m talking about how even on a paid subscription site, you can still get banned—it happens everywhere.

Look, he was suggesting we could have some sort of Verizon tier, and you compared it to a site where everyone pays a sub—where obviously, getting banned is still on the table. If we started banning our Verizon members, this whole thing would go broke. We'd be left with nothing but free users and maybe a handful of decent paying members. 🙂

Alex Watson Member

14 messages
joined Jul 2013

#36 · Jul 11, 2013

Brian Edwards78 said:You were making donations to keep the forum running. This is about paying a membership fee. Either way, both types of payments show which account or card was used. 🤷

The payment was made in cash at a bank teller window.
That’s exactly why—so there’s no paper trail linking it back to a specific account.
If that's an issue, just call it a donation for a new server instead. In exchange, you get Verizon status.

Michelle Alvarez8 Regular

299 messages
joined Nov 2015

#37 · Jul 11, 2013

Oh man, you guys... I’m definitely going to end up trekking all the way down to a local Chase branch just to pay for my online services. 😁

Jeffrey Bennett77 Newcomer

4 messages
joined Jun 2013

#38 · Jul 11, 2013

If you’re gonna start charging people, then you better start paying the moderators to actually do their jobs—you know, so this feels like a real community and everything actually runs smoothly 🙂 There's way too much work involved here...

Sophia Thomas7 Active Member

183 messages
joined Aug 2015

#39 · Jul 11, 2013

Jeffrey Bennett77 said:If you start charging people, then you actually have to pay the moderators to make sure they do their jobs right, so this can function as a legitimate forum where everything runs smoothly. 🙂There's just way too much work involved...

I think you have your own specific definition of what "doing things right" looks like. This is the kind of forum I was talking about—where you pay an entry fee—and these are some of the bans people are getting. So, don't go thinking the grass is any greener on this side. Some of these mods are actually paid staff.

Alex Watson Member

14 messages
joined Jul 2013

#40 · Jul 11, 2013

Brian Edwards78 said:Are you kidding me? I’m definitely going to have to drag myself down to a physical branch just to pay for my online services. What a joke. 😁

Besides, it would all be on a strictly voluntary basis anyway... 🤷

If you aren't even trying, then what's there to lose anyway?

Honestly, if it weren't for people like us who actually step up and get things done...
If I were actually paying for this service, I’d expect a much faster and more stable forum...

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