Suggestion "I agree" to replace "Thanks"

[pjones]

I would like to bring forward the suggestion that we add an "I Agree" button to replace the "Thanks" button. I feel that this would be better suited to help people receive clear and concise information from users while reducing repetitive posts explaining the same ideas or explanations. I found while posting I would utilize the Thanks button for posts that I simply agreed with in order to reduce the number of similar posts that, when boiled down, basically stated "what he said".

I see no need to have an "I Agree" received counter in the users profile as it would serve no purpose. I do see a benefit for a new to the sport user like myself to be able to look at two completely different answers and seeing how many people agree on each answer. If for instance there is one post that has 2 people who agree with the answer provided Versus another post that has 11 people who agree with the stated information than it could help us seek out the most accurate or agreed upon information without spending as much time reading similar posts.

I can also see this making the threads more enjoyable to read as it would reduce the "deja vu" effect while reading through the posts.

 

[Thalassamania]

I like the Thanks button, useful to show gratitude for a number of reasons (good info, nice trip report, answer to a question I asked…).

The "I agree" button would be nice as an ADDED feature, not as a replacement.

If not possible, I don't see the problem with using the Thanks button as a means to express agreement without being redundant (although I've read it caused trouble in the past).

Then again, I've used Scubaboard without any of those features before, can live without it…

The problem is that at this point the "thanks" option for finding quality posts is almost useless because it has been diluted by the "I agree" entries. I like both sorts of functionality, I think that they both make sense, the problem is how to provide both in a clear fashion.

I am increasing concerned about that as I have Thanked many posts that would not want to appear as Agreed.

Thanks ... I agree!

Yes - exactly.

Thanks ... I agree!

Just to ensure this sentiment is not altered by any future changes to a button, THANKS Howard - for the speedy and clear explanation of the impact of changing.

Toast will be consumed in your honor.

Thanks ... I agree!

If we have enough buttons, we can just pick the appropriate canned response and never actually type.

Thanks
No thanks
I Agree
I Disagree
You're just plain wrong
You're gonna DIE
That sucks
You suck
PADI sucks

You forgot Spare Air, etc.

Is that even possible?

Thanks ... I agree!

 

[Quero]

If we have enough buttons, we can just pick the appropriate canned response and never actually type.

Like this?

Thanks

No thanks

I Agree

:cool3:

I Disagree[

You're just plain wrong

You're gonna DIE

:reaper:

That sucks

:baby:

You suck

PADI sucks

:voodoo:


I've seen plenty of evidence that this happens anyway. Buttons just mean people don't have to take the time to search for an appropriate smilie.

 

[Walter]

Buttons just mean people don't have to take the time to search for an appropriate smilie.

Some of us (well, at least me) don't understand smilies.

The ones you used I would guess mean things that are way different from what you say they mean.

Thanks - ascend
No thanks - shame on you
:cool3: I Agree - cool (that one actually says what it means and it's not "I agree")
I Disagree - I have something in my eye
You're just plain wrong - I want to repeatedly hit you on the head with a hammer
:reaper: You're gonna DIE - something wicked this way comes
:baby: That sucks - baby
You suck - lots of love
:voodoo: PADI sucks - I want to stab the gingerbread boy

 

[ScubaSteve]

Jax could likely be persuaded to run THE INEFFECTIVE USE OF SMILIES - A WORKSHOP for those that are interested

Some of us (well, at least me) don't understand smilies.

The ones you used I would guess mean things that are way different from what you say they mean.

Thanks - ascend
No thanks - shame on you
:cool3: I Agree - cool (that one actually says what it means and it's not "I agree")
I Disagree - I have something in my eye
You're just plain wrong - I want to repeatedly hit you on the head with a hammer
:reaper: You're gonna DIE - something wicked this way comes
:baby: That sucks - baby
You suck - lots of love
:voodoo: PADI sucks - I want to stab the gingerbread boy

 

[SC_Hoaty]

I kinda like Walter's version. Although I'm not sure why anyone would want to stab the gingerbread boy!

 

[Quero]

Yeah, well, Walter's interpretations are fun, and it just goes to show that whatever icon is put out there, whether it's a THANKS button that many interpret as meaning I AGREE or a THUMBS UP interpreted in written text by Walter as meaning ASCEND (to me that's weird, but oh well), or the sign that most of today's N. American culture interprets as LOSER being reinterpreted by Pete to mean LOTS OF LOVE here on SB, people will use language and semiotic processes in individual ways, so what's the point of renaming the THANKS button?

Furthermore, the semiotics of internet communication will allow anyone at all who declines to type clear, easily interpreted thoughts to do so, whether they choose to express themselves by way of smilies or net-lingo or even in extreme cases their own idiosyncratic variety of English.

 

[SC_Hoaty]

...or a THUMBS UP interpreted in written text by Walter as meaning ASCEND (to me that's weird, but oh well),....

I took that to be like in thumbing a dive. Not weird at all.

 

[Jax]

Yeah, well, Walter's interpretations are fun, and it just goes to show that whatever icon is put out there, whether it's a THANKS button that many interpret as meaning I AGREE or a THUMBS UP interpreted in written text by Walter as meaning ASCEND (to me that's weird, but oh well), or the sign that most of today's N. American culture interprets as LOSER being reinterpreted by Pete to mean LOTS OF LOVE here on SB, people will use language and semiotic processes in individual ways, so what's the point of renaming the THANKS button?

Furthermore, the semiotics of internet communication will allow anyone at all who declines to type clear, easily interpreted thoughts to do so, whether they choose to express themselves by way of smilies or net-lingo or even in extreme cases their own idiosyncratic variety of English.

Thanks! I agree: k:

 

[Walter]

THUMBS UP interpreted in written text by Walter as meaning ASCEND (to me that's weird, but oh well),

I thought all divers used a thumb up to signal ascend.

or the sign that most of today's N. American culture interprets as LOSER being reinterpreted by Pete to mean LOTS OF LOVE here on SB

Yes, it does mean loser, but that's not the same as "you suck." Watch Dodgeball, you'll discover Pete isn't responsible for the reinterpretation to "lots of love." A small group of folks on SB, over wine, at my house (ironic since I don't like smilies) about 4 - 5 years ago started using it for lots of love and that resulted in the smilie in use here on SB.

The bottom line is smilies, while they may be cute, are not usually effective as a means of communication.

 

[Quero]

I took that to be like in thumbing a dive. Not weird at all.

I find it weird to signal thumbing a dive while at a computer keyboard, which is the context in which I used it in my post and read it in Walter's post

(Clearing throat in preparation for speechifying)
Different communicative contexts (situations) imbue connotated meaning to any communicative event. Scuba divers have generally agreed that in the context of a dive on scuba, the "thumbs up" signal has a different meaning than when used on dry land.

Maybe you can guess that I'm a specialist in the area of applied linguistics; I say this not as argument from authority, but because I realize that this definitely gives me a different perspective on language use than that of other SB members. The fact is that just as I do, all language users have unique variations on their implied meanings and interpretations based on their personal histories and backgrounds--mine happens to include a background in linguistic studies and decades as a published author, so I'm very attuned to language use.

The upshot is that there's really no point in renaming the THANKS button since all users will assign whatever connotational meaning to it that they feel makes sense from the perspective of their individual use of language.

That's it for today's linguistics presentation.