So, having it brought to my attention that some people just do not do ‘likes’, I have thought about this, deeply, most of the day. Thinking deeply does not come naturally to me because it means I have to make my mind up about something and that is not an easy thing for me to do.

When I visit a blog, I expect to have three commenting options available – like, comment, or leave without doing either – but now I see that can be reduced to only two.  But the reality, for me, taking away a like button can reduce you to no options at all, forcing you to leave with your visit just another blip in the stats.

And that person then has no idea that I appreciated their post, I liked their picture, poem or story, whatever but I simply felt I had nothing to add that hadn’t already been said by someone else (often ten someone elses) and I didn’t feel the need to make another comment along the same lines.

I understand that person would be justified in thinking I might not like (care about) their post enough to comment.

Sometimes I do not comment when I see that person is busy, or travelling, or they already have lots of comments and they are the sort of people who respond to each.  These times I regard my like as my calling card slipped under the door. “Hey, I stopped by, liked what I saw, didn’t want to bother you while you are busy, bye.” 

Most times my like really means “hey, great photo, or post, I’ll be back“, and I will be.

I don’t expect people to hit like unless they like something, but until now I never knew that some would not do that on principle.  Is it a kind of snobbery? Does using a like smack too much of Facebook?

If I take away the right to like, am I really saying: “‘Piss off if you cannot be bothered commenting because I don’t want your miserable like. I don’t want a shadow, only fully engaged people are welcome here!”

What does it say to a follower who comments but wants to like on this particular visit because they are busy that day? Let’s face it, this blogging is bloody time-consuming once you get into commenting on comments in posts.

But to each his own, and all that.

I do respect the decision by persons to withhold the like button, but I don’t have to like it.

I suppose.  🙂