[Suggestion] Remove the ability to "Like" posts

[Shurrikhan]

Medals are a combination of threads made, posts made, “Likes” given, and “Likes” received. Not “Likes” alone.

This. Or I wouldn't have a single medal beneath my wretched name.

Honestly, the largest contributor seems to be to have made a thread which sparked significant discussion, for whatever that's worth, good or bad.

I just wish they added a dislike so I can express my opinion of this post without making a comment

So long as it's on a separate counter from the likes. That got so confusing on the WoW forums for a post to seem well-reasoned yet controversial but have only some 12 likes, when in actuality it had over a thousand likes but also a thousand dislikes. Even then, though, I don't wholly see the need there either. The conflicting opinion, if any, tends to be on the same page and has its Like count.

[Iscah]

Forums should be about debating views, not a popularity poll because sometimes the minority views have something to offer and this shuts them out.

I'm not sure how minority views would be shut out by this forum's system. For more complex programs like Facebook where accumulated "likes" affect how prominently content is shown, and who it is shown to, it's a different matter. But here, the order of posts is static, and all posts remain equally visible whether they have 100 likes or none at all.

[Sigma-Astra]

The concept of this function is to see what the consensus thinks on an issue, but in execution what actually happens is people abuse the function to shut down alternative viewpoints and the discussion no longer becomes about the arguments themselves but more-so people trying to the first post to fish for likes which in turn shapes the entire thread.

Forums should be about debating views, not a popularity poll because sometimes the minority views have something to offer and this shuts them out.

I haven't seen anything of what you're trying to imply and this just makes me more inclined to think that you're reading too much or taking the "Like" system way more seriously than a normal person on this forum should.

If the minority views, as you said, had something substantial to offer, then they would get more people in agreement with them. They're not getting shut out simply because people don't agree with their perspective and give them more likes. Everyone is free to post his or her opinion on this forum, and you are open to criticism for doing so.

This is a forum about debating views as you said earlier and if people don't agree with your opinion, then that's that. Just because someone posts a viewpoint, doesn't mean that the other people need to accept, agree, or pay attention to what you say more so than the next person. If you said something smart that people like, they'll agree with you and probably like your opinion. And if you don't, then they'll just ignore it after reading and move on to the next post.

It's not about a popularity contest. If you say something stupid, 9/10, people are going to call you out and agree more with the person trying to correct you then your own opinion.

Not everyone needs to agree with the minority views if they're personally against what some others believe and everyone always has their own opinion or idea about what something should be.

You have this opinion that the "Like" system needs to be removed based on your own personal bias and perspective on it. As far as I can see, no one agrees with you that it's even necessary to waste time on looking over the situation for the benefit of one person so far.