Kill the Likes

[know of fence]

The "Likes Received" counter has to go, maybe even post count as well. If someone likes something he can type up a nice reply and bump the topic in the process. This is how forums work, why introduce an idiotic popularity contest, that can easily be gamed? Forums are there for discussion and the often resulting hostility is the draw that brings readers and the draw for some to disclose interesting, revealing things just to make an argument.

Likes on the other hand are just a further means for the idiotic cheer squads that already turn every technical discussion into an "us versus them".

In my experience with other forums with likes and my own posts, it's generally the cheapest BS rhetoric, the pandering, the saying what people like to hear that gets "liked".

Liking itself is and has been conceived as a marketing ploy, to keep people engaged in a meaningless activity, it's a way for marketing to track people when they are logged in, as such it sullies the experience.
I've seen the memes, the endless discussions, the +1's, various forum games, their novelty wore off in the mid 2000's.

Personally I am appalled and I'm afraid people who understand these issues, may also stop posting and move on to greener pastures. After all AT has been shedding integrity for a while now. I post because it helps me formulate my thoughts, I also like for my arguments to stand up to scrutiny and criticism or just take part in a discussion with people who share my interests. I don't want arguments to get personal and that is what popularity contests are about.

To control and manipulate the perception of others is typical behavior of sociopaths, along with habitual lying - and not just the ones working in marketing. Call 'em demagogues, preachers, populists, sophists... Slipping into rhetoric now.

Basically what I'm saying is: You can have my stuff.

 

[EliteRetard]

The "Likes Received" counter has to go, maybe even post count as well. If someone likes something he can type up a nice reply and bump the topic in the process. This is how forums work, why introduce an idiotic popularity contest, that can easily be gamed? Forums are there for discussion and the often resulting hostility is the draw that brings readers and the draw for some to disclose interesting, revealing things just to make an argument.

Likes on the other hand are just a further means for the idiotic cheer squads that already turn every technical discussion into an "us versus them".

In my experience with other forums with likes and my own posts, it's generally the cheapest BS rhetoric, the pandering, the saying what people like to hear that gets "liked".

Liking itself is and has been conceived as a marketing ploy, to keep people engaged in a meaningless activity, it's a way for marketing to track people when they are logged in, as such it sullies the experience.
I've seen the memes, the endless discussions, the +1's, various forum games, their novelty wore off in the mid 2000's.

Personally I am appalled and I'm afraid people who understand these issues, may also stop posting and move on to greener pastures. After all AT has been shedding integrity for a while now. I post because it helps me formulate my thoughts, I also like for my arguments to stand up to scrutiny and criticism or just take part in a discussion with people who share my interests. I don't want arguments to get personal and that is what popularity contests are about.

To control and manipulate the perception of others is typical behavior of sociopaths, along with habitual lying - and not just the ones working in marketing. Call 'em demagogues, preachers, populists, sophists... Slipping into rhetoric now.

Basically what I'm saying is: You can have my stuff.

Somebody must be jealous since he has no likes. Here, you can have one of mine

 

[Mike64]

maybe even post count as well.

I think it's totally irrelevant by itself, but I do think that combined with the "joined" date, it provides an interesting little window onto people's online personalities...

 

[EliteRetard]

I think it's totally irrelevant by itself, but I do think that combined with the "joined" date, it provides an interesting little window onto people's online personalities...

I concur.
Have a like, good sir.

 

[pcslookout]

Install Stylish extension for Chrome or Firefox.

Chrome
Firefox

Add code with option "URLs on domain: forums.anandtech.com"

@namespace url(http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml);
.likesSummary {
display: none !important;
}
.extraUserInfo > .pairsInline:nth-child(3) {
display: none !important;
}
.messageMeta > .publicControls > .LikeLink {
display: none !important;
}

Thanks works great!