Adding a "Like" button and similar features

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 new feature you guys might roll out across the whole site?

The idea was definitely on the table, but we decided to pull the plug on it—at least for the time being. I honestly can't say what the future holds, but as of right now, we aren't going to be rolling that option out across the rest of the Help Center.

rustydrifter10 said:There was an idea floating around, but they kind of moved away from it, at least for now. I guess we'll just have to see what happens down the road, but for the time being, that option isn't going to be rolled out across the site.

Thanks for getting back to me 👍

Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to look into some vBulletin script for liking or thanking posts, something like this: http://www.dragonbyte-tech.com/vbeco...=22&do=product

I mean, I totally get that integrating with Facebook is probably more profitable since using likes and shares on Facebook helps pull in more clicks, I suppose 🤣

northerncyclist2 said:Thanks for getting back to me! 👍

Honestly, it might actually be worth looking into adding a vBulletin script for liking or thanking posts—something similar to this: http://www.dragonbyte-tech.com/vbeco...=22&do=product

If I recall correctly, there’s already a thread somewhere discussing a "thanks" feature, and people have definitely talked about it quite a bit. At the end of the day, though, it's totally up to the owner, and since they haven't weighed in yet, we're just waiting to see what happens.

rustydrifter10 said:I think there was a thread somewhere about adding a thanks button; people were talking about it quite a bit. But I guess at the end of the day, it's up to the owner, and he hasn't really said anything about it yet.

I wonder if the owner actually cares about the site, or if this is basically turning into abandonware... like, maybe he's just waiting for enough ad revenue to roll in before he even thinks about an upgrade?🤔

northerncyclist2 said:Does the owner actually care about this place, or is it basically just abandonware now? Like, as long as the ad revenue keeps trickling in, they don't bother with any upgrades? 🤔

I mean, I'm sure they care, it's just that there probably isn't enough cash on hand right now for a new server, so they're avoiding anything that might put extra strain on the system. I honestly have no clue how much of a load this would actually cause, but hey, maybe there's some other reason behind it too.

rustydrifter10 said:He probably doesn't care, he just can't afford a new server right now, so he's avoiding anything that might put too much strain on it. I'm not really sure how much load this would actually cause, though... maybe there's some other reason entirely.

Okay, if that's the case. I mean, obviously any new script adds a little bit of extra work for the server, even if this one seems pretty lightweight, I guess.

If money is tight, maybe you guys could think about offering a premium membership for, like, a few dozen bucks a year? You could give them stuff like a 1,000-message inbox, fewer ads, a 120*120 avatar, and maybe a slightly larger signature. Just my 2 cents.

northerncyclist2 said:If people are feeling a bit unloved, why hasn't anyone suggested a premium membership for maybe a few dozen bucks a year? You could get things like a 1,000-message inbox capacity, fewer ads, a larger 120x120 avatar, and a slightly bigger signature. Just my 2 cents.

Honestly, that would be such a massive shift in the whole concept of the forum! It’s something that would need to be thought out really carefully, along with a ton of other details, and most importantly, the owner would have to actually want it. This site was originally designed to be totally free for everyone, even though plenty of time has passed since it first launched and it looks completely different now than it did just a few years ago.

rustydrifter10 said:That’s actually a pretty massive shift in how the whole site is set up. It feels like it would need a ton of fine-tuning and extra details, and I guess the biggest thing is just whether the owner actually wants to go that route. This place was always meant to be free for everyone, even if it’s been ages since it launched and things look way different now than they did a few years ago.

I mean, I don't think that would really mess with the core idea of the site, since it would still stay free for everyone else. Maybe just the folks who decide to "donate" to help keep the lights on could get some tiny little perks? That way, the regular users wouldn't feel like they're missing out on anything functional at all.

The only tricky part is figuring out the right amount to ask for. I guess it should probably work on a sliding scale where it gets cheaper the longer you commit. Like, maybe $3.25 for one month, $13 for 6 months, or $20 for a full year... and I suppose days spent under a ban shouldn't count toward that, and if someone gets perma-banned, maybe the remaining balance gets refunded?

Of course, the owner has total control here—I'm just throwing ideas out there, I guess.

And you’d essentially be inviting a total circus where people would think they can act however they please just because "they're the ones paying the bills."🙄

Kimberly Perez19 said:And then you’d just end up with a total circus where people think they can act however they want because "they're the ones paying" 🙄

What circus? I mean, it's pretty obvious what happens there and nothing more. You're still just a regular user who has to follow the Terms of Service. It's not like you $333 paid enough for everyone to start kissing your butt.

It works perfectly fine on other forums, so I don't see why it would be an issue here 🤷

BTW, if anyone happens to have a better idea for a cash injection to grab a new server or upgrade to vB 4 or 5, please just let me know 👍

The current setup is obviously just funding through ads, but since so many people use adblockers, I guess it's no surprise the money isn't exactly flowing in...

northerncyclist2 said:What a joke—it’s pretty obvious what you get out of it and nothing more. You’re still just a regular user who has to follow the Terms of Service. It's not like you paid $333 and now everyone has to kiss your ass.

On other forums, this works perfectly fine, so I don't see why it’s an issue here 🤷

BTW, if anyone has a better idea for a cash injection to grab a new server or upgrade to vB 4 or 5, just let 👍
know.
The current setup is obviously relying on ad revenue, but given how many people use adblockers, it’s no surprise the money isn't exactly rolling in...

What if the subscribers revolt because they're getting penalized while others are paying, leaving the owner broke? 🙂

Jeffrey Bennett77 said:What if all the subscribers decide to stage a massive revolt because they feel like they’re being unfairly penalized while everyone else is getting handed cash? I mean, imagine the owner ends up completely broke because of it. It's a wild thought, I guess. Maybe that's just how it goes sometimes? 🙂

I mean, what am I even thinking here? I guess I just don't get why you can't penalize subscribers. Like, I still don't quite wrap my head around it... if you go to a Verizon lounge at Central Park and start throwing flares all over the place, you’re definitely getting kicked out, right? 🤷

It’s not even about paying just to avoid getting fined or anything like that. I guess what I was actually getting at is more about the perks... you know, like having a bigger inbox, not getting spammed with ads, having a larger avatar, or maybe an expanded signature. That kind of thing.

northerncyclist2 said:What do you mean "how"? Why shouldn't subscribers be penalized? I still don't get it... if you pay for a VIP box at Central Park and start throwing flares onto the field, you're getting kicked out regardless. 🤷

You didn't pay to be exempt from the rules—you paid for what I actually listed: a bigger inbox, zero ads, a larger avatar, a bigger signature...

Your example is like the Yankees 😁 If you lose the fans (users) who actually bring in cash, you end up having to sell off all your star players (VIP users) just to keep the club (the forum) afloat. I just don't know what the forum would even have left to sell after that...

Jeffrey Bennett77 said:What happens if the subscribers decide to revolt because they’re being penalized while everyone else is getting payouts, leaving the owner completely broke? 🙂

One of the big global forums out there, Something Awful, actually charges a ten-dollar entry fee just to join. It’s kind of wild when you think about it—you pay up front, and you can still end up getting banned anyway, even though their moderation team is getting bigger by the day.

What’s even the point of a bigger inbox, a custom avatar, or a fancy signature when half the time I can't even load the site because of 503/504 errors—or worse, some malware? I wouldn't pay a single cent a year for this.

northerncyclist2 said:Are you guys just testing out some new feature before you roll it out to everyone on the whole site?

If you ask me, the whole thing is just a massive, clumsy blunder.
I feel like I’m just shouting into the void on this Reddit thread lately, isn't that just how it goes? It feels like everyone is just stuck in their own little bubbles, posting things that don't really connect with anyone else, and I can't help but wonder if we've all just lost the ability to actually engage with one another. Is it just me, or has the whole vibe shifted toward being incredibly self-absorbed? It seems like nobody is actually looking for a conversation anymore; they're just looking for a mirror. Regarding the Terms of Service. Can they actually guarantee that your privacy stays intact?
So, which specific implementation of the Facebook Like button completely ruins the user experience? 🤷

Elizabeth Davis said:Who even cares about a bigger inbox, a fancy avatar, or a custom signature when half the time you can't even get onto the site because of those annoying 503/504 errors or—you know—malware? I wouldn't pay even a couple of bucks a year for this.

I mean, I guess it goes without saying that if there was better funding, we'd probably see better servers, smoother software, and actual administration, so maybe then we wouldn't be dealing with all these issues.

But hey, you probably won't even see this post since you've got me on ignore anyway... *sigh* :

loneraven25 said:I honestly think this is just a total lapse in judgment.
The forum can totally protect your anonymity through its own Terms of Service,
but adding those Facebook Like buttons basically kills that privacy entirely. 🤷

Well, I don't think anonymity is actually lost... user posts and names are still technically protected under privacy rules, it's just that any random idiot could share them on their own wall if they feel like being extra. And of course, they'll include a link to the site to drive some traffic...

There isn't even a direct link between a Facebook login and your specific username here, so the forum hasn't leaked any private info. Even if you were to like your own post, nobody on Facebook would know it was you (unless, I guess, your Facebook profile is also named loneraven25 😁).

Maybe the only real issue is people resharing post content over on Facebook, since that kind of thing isn't explicitly laid out in the Terms of Service (which is basically the contract you make when you sign up for Reddit). But then again, I guess there's that whole legal debate about how much a user actually owns their posts versus how much control they have over sharing them, blah blah blah legal stuff, blah blah blah.

northerncyclist2 said:Obviously, better funding would mean better servers, software, and management, so there wouldn't be any issues.

But you aren't even going to see this post anyway since you've got me on ignore... : sigh :

Ever since you started posting on the main board, I've been muting you because honestly, seeing notifications that you posted in a thread only to find nothing there just gets on my nerves. It's harder to just skip past 😬

Anyway, back to the topic:

That whole "obvious" fix you mentioned would basically require a complete overhaul of the entire site. We're talking everything from the mods and sub-mods down to some of those (as people call them) "pointless purple" admins who don't really do much.