Cause I dunno what else these 'artificial likes' could be used for.
Well, let me explain to you some of CHYOA's history.
We first had a troll whose name we don't mention. His activity dated all the way back to the original site, CHYOO. Whenever he was confronted with bad reviews of his work, he'd use multiple sockpuppets to rate up his own work and rate down that of his critics. Quality didn't matter to him, it was simply an ego trip for himself and a blow to detractors' and occasionally someone whose work he found enviable. These ratings were also used to contradict the bad reviews he received and make his critics' senses of quality seem questionable in some little game only he was playing.
Following his defeat, a new troll rolled into town. Though to be fair, its accounts were quite old. Since the ratings on the old site were good for little more than ego, the multiple accounts were used to create a false sense of popularity by putting multiple writers on the story's cover page. When CHYOA was made and the ratings finally worked, this troll finally began it's years-old quest: attain the Top Story and Top Thread spots for itself. Piles of Likes upon each of its own threads, oodles of Dislikes for the popular stories that threatened its reign, and excuse after excuse of how our math proving they were gaming the system was wrong.
Now yes, this all went through sockpuppets, but the bottom line remains the same: offsets, ego, and cheating.
Besides that, self-Liking also creates fake interest. "This story has a few Likes. I wonder why. Let's investigate." That's pretty much how every viral sensation started: one brave soul took a chance, gave positive reviews and recommendations, and let the curious masses take over. A single Like is evidence of that brave soul, the positive review, and the recommendation. Unless there is evidence it's from the writer itself, it's an artificial recommendation - something professional entertainers hire agents to generate for them.
I keep seeing people talking about these 'likes' as if they are some kind of currency and as if they actually matter in life. Cause they don't.
By this same logic, why do you bother fighting to reinstate it? If it doesn't matter, then there's no problem that needs fixing. Or do you not realize you sound no different than those of us who disagree with you?
This is false. The 'like' shows up on the chapter for all to see. Whether or not they know who liked it it still communicates that message.
The message the Like communicates is, "Somebody found this chapter enjoyable." The message you sought to send is, "I, the writer, am quite proud of this particular chapter." Two different messages.
The author's pride shows through in one more 'like' being added to the chapter.
Likes show the author's
ability (writing ability or pandering ability, depends on the thread), not its pride. A person tooting their own horn is something that can be back traced, an anonymous Like is not.
Also, if you click onto a user's profile it shows every chapter they've ever 'liked'.
And few users actually bother to check. Those who do would be looking for a needle in a haystack. Every Like ever generally tends to become quite a bit. Add to it, those Likes are mingled with comments, Bookmarks, Favorites, Publishes, and I believe Follows. And you want us to find a single specific Like within all that?
Honestly, with how much I'm discussing comment requirements to abolish a layer of anonymity while Nemo of Utopia and mindtheMILF are discussing FaceBook, you can't even draw the obvious edit that would begin to justify your stance? You'd still have to get through those of us who find it unnecessary, but you'd at least start making a case for yourself.
This is not facebook this a story based website!
You do realize that social media was originally created to be a jump-start site for small businesses and entertainers, right? That the entire premise of Likes and whatnot (before the deterioration of social media) were to offer reviews and commentaries like the ones we seek here on CHYOA? That Like is a remnant of this old system. An old system CHYOA should be embracing.
Under story map there is a number of views per chapter is what I meant.
Not an accurate model. People who get stopped mid-way through a thread, people who are writing child threads and don't want continuity errors, game mode stories being replayed, people who reread what they enjoyed, comment discussions, and the list goes on. All reasons for a single person to open the same thread multiple times. Views are more easily inflated than Likes, Bookmarks, and Favorites. If a single person's view only registered once, it'd be something worth looking at, but then what do we do about guests? Views are just too unreliable unless there's enough of them, and even that is influenced by time. The
rate at which stories gain views is more valuable, if still very easily gamed.
) before bringing up democracy for something so silly.