The like system - some stats

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Spurred on by a comment from one of our members, I have taken a look at our "like" system. As I write, there are 103,874 likes registered on our system. Of those, around 32,000 are likes by moderators and less than 10,000 by admins.  If I were to look at just the last year, the difference between moderatos and admins would be even more stark, with one of our admins (and a big 'liker') being largely AFK^▸ ('away from keyboard') and only liking in a trickle not a flood - I estimate a fifth of his habitual rate.

What am I looking at?  A suggestion that admins including myself like that member's posts far less than moderators do. Yes, that suggestion is correct - but it is a general thing across all members, so there's nothing personal if you've noticed it on your posts too. Please be re-assured.  There are also more moderators than admins!

Taking a personal look as the "admin's admin", and from personal character too, I like relatively few posts. For me to like a post could add a quite unjustified authority to the post via my click (I have been questioned at times) and I there are a lot of posts I agree with for the most part but do not click through.  There are indeed some that delight me but "I couldn't possibly say that". I suspect (but have not asked) other admins are similarly cautious. In contrast, moderators as trusted forum seniors should / do click a lot of likes and that is hugely appreciated - at least by me on my posts and I would think by others.  THANK YOU to the moderators for that.

Now - I have also noticed (but have no easy tool to quantify) that members click on the "like" button far more on shorter comments and less serious posts.  Uncountable times, I have made a long post and generated what feels like a stunned silence.  It IS read or at least viewes- stats make that quite easy to see on a new thread.  And then when and if it's followed up by a much shorter comment, that's where the like-s come.  I've learned not to take this personally, as I see similar like-ing habits to heavy posts by other members.  If you are one of those heavy post providers - THANK YOU - you are important in planting the seeds; the thanks and appreciation, though, goes to the flowers that bloom from your seed work.