But that begs the question: What's there to be emotional about in the first place? Tech news? No way. Another forum member's attitude? That's what the report button is for. An opinion? Just grow up, please.
Besides, as it was mentioned before, any disagreement is handled much more elegantly by a post elaborating on the counter-argument than a laughing or angry face lazily clicked on. I could have clicked on an emoji instead of writing this post, but would that have brought the conversation forward? Would it have given you the chance to think about and react to my points? Would then I be able to think about your counter-arguments? Would we reach any sort of consensus in the end? Absolutely not.
Hi man!
Seen a lot of you for a year I was lurking around this forum. Said positively: definitely like you.
I also want to thank you for replying, and taking consideration, although I wouldn't expect any less.
I do have something to reply. In fact, I did all along.
Emotions cannot be dictated by rationales. They are there. Of course, you can easily stop yourself and think otherwise, but if that was what most people do, then Emojis wouldn't exist, nevertheless the social contract binding them within circumstances.
But of course I agree with you: what's there to be emotional ABOUT? And I agree with your downright solutions where emotions would pose you a problem. But do they?
Before you'd even think of doing that or doing nothing at all about it, you might feel frustration, or anger. Then rationalize it. And when you do, all the power to you. I've seen indeed you being quite regular in your replies even through the most heated discussions. But still you do feel them before you act. That's what Emojis basically elicit. And once we have some of them, we use them before we even think much in most settings. Hence why I think TPU has the good solution for its circumstances: nothing overly negative keeps things flowing, and identifies trolling more quickly since if someone really has ungrounded or downright stupid beef with any subject, he'll have no choice but to speak, thus identifying himself. And just as so, someone with correct knowledge and proofs at hand will take the bait to answer to the troll.
I agree with you on that. And I don't think it's easy to make this point here, so I'll work this down up.
Let's suppose TPU without any "rating" Emoji. In any negative way these could be going, it wouldn't change anyone's day: either your indifferent to the subject, or the troll response, or either you FEEL something. It isn't true that we'll put someone to question because we don't feel anything at all about it. If we don't, then we don't CARE. And if we don't CARE then we don't answer to the feeling because there was none. BTW, before you tell me I don't feel anything when I answer a question/step in argument to help someone/the community, wrong again. As I just said, if you didn't CARE, you wouldn't help someone. The feeling doesn't need to be negative - often times it's the desire to help or to make things/info right. If we really go into it, it's often strongly mixed with the pride to know better, and/or the love for the subject itself. But hey, let's not go there. Let's just say there is a swelling that makes us care to give an answer. In that sense, if TPU didn't have "rating" Emojis it would be a bit dry since then we couldn't easily "Like" anytime someone has already done that or expanded the subject further. We wouldn't have "Love" when we really connect with something that has been said, or that it seems just the thing that needed to be said in an argument, or that it brings in something unexpected and right to a subject. We couldn't even "Laugh" the funniest joke that made our day. All these things my friend are feelings, and you'll click those "rating" Emojis without even thinking twice.... unless you need to do. And then yes, decide you'd rather not click anything but answer. It may still be positive, but often times, somethings goes against your grain there. And for many people, if you leave negative Emojis to react, they'll use them. But as we don't, we need to answer. Same when YOU don't want to let emotions dictate your response, especially negative but even at times positive - you'll indeed avoid them reactions shortcuts and go straight at "the beef".
And well if you deny that, I cannot argument anything else. I'll concede to the fact I won't win any heart against any good and contributive member of a tech Forum I just joined on stuff like feeling and psychology.
But after I do post this answer, I'll go and "react" to your post.
Because there is no other and better fitting emoji (like facepalm) available. I agree that a poop emoticon for the user posts might be over the edge, but the top down forced snowflake mentality is driving our society in a bad direction. Spreading nonsense without headwind always ended badly in the past.
It gives folks the option to give feedback without the requirement to just post "something". Because often less is more.