LEO doesnt really have a like button. There is the upvote, which is the same thing. However, liking something and distributing the rewards pool can be two different things.
For the moment, this is all that is present. However, could this change in the future? More importantly, should this be altered?
There have been a couple of instances where there was an experiment of likes. This is similar to what takes place on other social media.
In this article we will dive into whether Leo should add likes similar to other social media.
Like Buttons On Leo
This idea was mentioned on the most recent AMA. It is an idea worthy of consideration for a number of reasons. In fact, it makes total sense.
Before getting into that, let us try to visualize what this might look like.
There was a short lived project on Hive called Veews. This was one that used the like/dislike feature to feed the machine learning engine. It was separate from upvotes, which were also present.
Here is a screenshot of what it looked like:
As we can see, in the red box were the traditional like/dislike buttons. These are things that anyone will be familiar with.
At the bottom, in the blue box (missing in this image) was the upvote button. This was similar to all that we see on Hive. People could vote their stake to reward the article.
Next to that box, we see the likes and, one the other side, the amount the article was rewarded with.
This is the basic concept that Leo is looking at.
In addition to being able to vote one's stake, likes (or dislikes) can be given. The difference is that would have nothing to do with voting power or value. It would be separate from the Reward Pool.
To me, this is a necessary step forward.
Why Leo Should Add A Like Button
Why does this make sense?
The short answer is because people understand it. Have you ever tried to explain voting power to people? It is a nightmare. At the same time, we also have to mention voting weight, since people are not sure why they would vote at less than 100%.
Keep in mind, people are accustomed to Web 2.0. We have to remember what they are familiar with.
Therefore, when people see the like button, they know what to do. Their engagement can be the same as any other social media platform.
What this does is it allows people to join the platform without understanding the voting system. That can be learned over time as one is exposed to the different aspects. That said, while learning, people can be engaging.
If we are going to look at things from an ease of use perspective, this is exactly what we should be looking at. Make the experience feel similar so newcomers do not feel like they entered a new galaxy. There is a lot to learn with keys, wallets, and other Web 3.0 features that we should do something like this to make it easier.
Ranking of Content
Adding in a system like this would allow for the reworking of ranking. Not all would be based upon rewards or even upvotes. Instead, it could be based upon likes.
Under this scenario, a like can be given by anyone. Each person has the same impact upon the content. A newcomer or old timer press the like button, it is the same.
Of course, none of this is tied to rewards or the distribution of the Leo reward pool. That is still done via voting like we have now.
Thus people would have options.
There might be a piece of content the individual will like but not necessarily upvote. We can see many reasons for it.
Perhaps the content is liked but the individual does not feel it is worthy of rewards. Or, maybe that person's voting power was nuked and time is required to replenish it.
Whatever the reason, the person can still positively impact the content without using any voting power.
If we dive into the idea of gamification, this could be established, at least in part, based upon likes as opposed solely on upvotes. Different criteria could be created where the emphasis is upon the number of likes that content gets. This could also apply to accounts, whether it is based upon activity for a particular time period or lifetime.
Ultimately, this could be tied to a NFT system which then translates into access for particular services. It could open a host of other opportunities to gamify the system in ways that benefit the users.
It could also be used for contests and other initiatives that generate engagement along with interest.
In Conclusion
This is an addition that makes sense.
Having a like button means we could enhance the user experience, especially for newer people. It would remove the instant learning curve of what upvotes are and all the nuances associated with that. This puts people on a firmer footing since they are dealing with what they know.
It also adds a great deal of flexibility to Leo. This could even be tied to a point system which is also associated with other forms of activity. It all could be used to quantify the impact individuals are having on the platform.