In praise of WordPress’s like button

by
Italiano: versione ombreggiata e ingrandita de...

Italiano: versione ombreggiata e ingrandita del simboletto “like” di FB (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Note:  the following remarks are entirely my personal opinion.  I make no assumptions as to what other bloggers prefer. I’m not suggesting that anyone else needs to pay heed to my thoughts.

Whenever I have occasion to follow lots of links to blogs on other hosts, I’m reminded of how much I appreciate the WordPress like button.  I have the impression the other hosts don’t offer one as an option (based on NEVER having encountered one on another blog host).

I like it from both sides.  As a blog writer, I’m pleased by every like I see on a post.  Every one leaves me warm and smiling inside.  I love the reminder that familiar faces are reading and I love seeing a new face in the list of those who have clicked like.  And yes, I know some people do it just hoping to get me to their blog.  I do always take a look; if I’m not interested that’s all they get…

As a reader of blogs, I love that the “like” button lets me register presence and enjoyment when I have nothing else to say about a post but that I liked it.  Since I note and derive pleasure from every like on my blog, I always hope that others are pleased when I leave a like on theirs.

I also appreciate that, unlike Facebook’s like button, the WordPress button doesn’t seem to have strings attached.  I’m not going to start receiving a bunch of unwanted content based on what I’ve “liked”.  A few people have indignantly informed me that they DO have a like button and it’s turned out to be from Facebook.  Sorry.  I rarely click on those any more.  Seriously don’t like the crap that shows up on my Facebook feed as a result.

I keep wondering why so many people who move to self-hosted blogs on WordPress choose to leave the like button off.  And I’ve noted as I hop to more blogs than usual for Nano Poblano/NaBloPoMo quite a few bloggers who are WordPress-hosted are taking the like button off.

I know I’ve seen some people mention that they want the greater engagement of comments; not sure if there’s any other reason to leave it off.  For me, its absence doesn’t mean I start writing comments more. It means I don’t engage with your blog at all.  Generally I comment only if I have something to say that I feel might add something to the conversation.  I do occasionally just write “great post” or something equally pithy if I’m really enthusiastic and want to indicate something more than “like”.   But if I just like a post, have nothing else to say and there’s no like button, I’m gone, leaving only a view stat.

I’m curious to hear other reasons people appreciate the like button.  And why others don’t want to have one on their blog at all.

53 thoughts on “In praise of WordPress’s like button”

  1. I so agree with you!!! I love it when people like my posts and I hope they like it when I like theirs. plus I only ever comment if I have something to say so a Like button is perfect for those occasions when all u want to say is “nice post, keep it up” .

    Like

  4. Thank you for this post. I’m a new blogger, and I love getting “likes” on my posts. But I have to admit that getting a comment makes me happier because it makes me feel as if what I wrote was interesting enough for a conversation.

    Like

    • I agree, comments are great. But since I often enjoy posts without feeling a need to say anything and sometimes am just to hurried to stop and do more than click “like”, I really appreciate getting them too.

      Like

  5. Reblogged this on 61chrissterry and commented:
    A great post from Bluegrass , with which I agree entirely. I like many posts and therefore use the ‘like’ button, but I only comment if I feel there is something to add. I do look forward to viewing more posts from yourself.

    Like

  6. Great post and I agree entirely. I like many posts and therefore use the ‘like’ button, but I only comment if I feel there is something to add. I do look forward to viewing more posts from yourself.

    Like

  7. So you’re a smartly pants eh? All the best on your BA BTW! (By The Way)… I thoroughly enjoyed your discussion on likes! How long have you been blogging for? (optional)… Thank you for leaving a like with me. I too jump around my room yelling: ‘Yay!’ I’m very interested in your progress here, so expect to see me around. Happy to make with your acquaintance :O)

    Like

  8. I’m grateful for any bit of attention that I get on my blog. A like button makes it convenient for me to acknowledge a post if I’m skimming through the reader or it’s my quick way of responding to comments… AS I GET SO MANY IN A DAY OHOHOHO
    Kidding, but there are times I just “like” a reply vs. cut-pasting a thank you. The message is the same to me but because a button press is so convenient it’s somehow less valuable to some.

    Like

  9. I really enjoyed reading this! 🙂 and because of that I ‘Liked’ it. I totally understand where you are coming from I myself ‘like’ the ‘like’ button as it allows me to show the writer that I have enjoyed and ‘like’ their posts.

    Like

  10. I love the ‘Like’ button. I often ‘like’ blogs i find interesting and am thrilled when another blogger ‘likes’ one of my blogs. Have just today got a 100 likes on my blog and feel so good.

    Like

  11. Reblogged this on Takeshi's Flight and commented:
    I have the same opinion as the author of this post. Sometimes, I wait for the “likes” than comments, especially when my post doesn’t invite any comments at all. Like what she implies, the like button of WordPress is far different from that of Facebook, because in the former we spare a little of our time to read what others have to say, i.e. their experiences.

    Like

  13. I am in complete agreement. Whenever I have nothing to add to the conversation, I am grateful for the opportunity to “like” a post and express the fact that I enjoyed it.

    Furthermore, I enjoy seeing when I receive likes on my own posts, too. It helps me determine what content is working, and what isn’t, as well as increasing my confidence.

    Great post! I’ve left you a like, also.

    Like

  14. At first I didn’t like the “like” button. I thought those who used it may not even have read my post and were just looking for me to go to their blog and follow them. Or perhaps they were too lazy to take the time to write a comment. I thought that I’d rather, if someone did liked one of my posts, he or she should say so in a comment. But I realized that that was pretty selfish of me. We are all busy people and sometimes, as you noted, you just want to show that you read and appreciated someone’s post and have nothing more to add. So while I realize that there still may be some who click on “like” without having read my post, it doesn’t bother me anymore. Like you, I like being notified that someone liked my post.

    Like

  15. A lot of bloggers leave out the like button as they think its just a meaningless gesture and not the same as commenting. Thats up to them, I guess. Personally, I like the LIKE button. Its an integral part of communication with the blogging community. I really enjoyed this post, an excellent work of observation.

    Like

  19. I heard a few criticisms about the like button, that we should always comment. Sometimes I don’t know what to say, but when I see something lovely or something I agree with , I want to point it out.

    Like

  22. Keep smiling because I think plenty of people will “like” what you had to say… I spend lots of time alone at a keyboard, and that “like” can certainly be a pick me up, even if it is nothing more than nodding your head at someone when you pass them on the street.

    Like

  23. I like this a lot not just cause you’re talking about likes lol but to me being new to WordPress I have enjoyed just like you and others feeling warm and fuzzy inside when I get a like. Knowing someone decided to take time out of their busy day and like my expressions and thoughts on whatever I post that day. I do appreciate likes and return the favour if I seriously like something and comment when I like it incredibly more and I’d like the blogger to know that… Like now .. lol great post 🙂

    Like

  25. Reblogged this on HarsH ReaLiTy and commented:
    I think some bloggers are starting to catch on about the “like” button and just being appreciative of the connections we make. Very nice article and I too appreciate my silent readers. -OM
    Note: Comments disabled here, please comment on their post.

    Like

  26. I appreciate the like button solely because it shows someone has taken a couple of minutes of their time to consider what I have written. That’s quite a humbling achievement in today’s society where time is everything.

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.