suggestion to improve LJ re: recent unpleasantness

[mckitterick]

In case this doesn't make it to the suggestions community, posting here. Whaddya think? (This assumes LJ won't seize up when I try to post this...)

Title

• Add "likes" list in addition to "interests" list.

Short, concise description of the idea

• "Interests" are not "likes."

Full description of the idea

• A graduate student in my department wrote his thesis about vermin, specifically rats and cockroaches in literature. He does not "like" rats and cockroaches - in fact, he's disgusted by them - but is interested in how we portray them in fiction.
  By adding a "likes" list, we can avoid all the recent unpleasantness about what shows up in people's "interest" lists.

An ordered list of benefits

• Accurately reflects what users like vs. what interests them.


• Avoids unpleasantness of late on LJ.


• Helps users better understand other users and match interests and likes.


• Allows for more granularity in user profiles, as we can understand what's an interest and what's a like.

An ordered list of problems/issues involved

• Requires people to split up interests and likes.


• Requires LJ to create a new field and allow more listed items in profiles.

An organized list, or a few short paragraphs detailing suggestions for implementation

• Create a new field in the User Profile section.

(PS: Wow, this actually posted! I guess the DDoS attack has been beaten.)

Comments

[roya-spirit.livejournal.com]

roya_spirit
2007-06-05 11:41 am (local) (link) DeleteTrack This
Comment Posted Successfully
It's very comprehensive~! and makes sense, unlike the Interests list:

In the Interests/Edit Profile, it does specifically state:
Rule of thumb: You should be able to put the interest in the sentence "I like ________". Not very inclusive to Interests in the way you put it.

Yah, I do like bowling, but I'm not very interested in it.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's a stupid template to follow. I think they're screwing themselves by saying users should fill in the blank of that sentence.

[roya-spirit.livejournal.com]

I also wonder if these same crappy folks are going to try the same thing on tribe.net and blogspot.

[renegade500.livejournal.com]

This looks great. They clearly do not understand what the word "interests" means, if they think it's only "I like..."

[shrijani.livejournal.com]

I like your idea of having two lists, because it shows a very clear difference, and both are present to provide contrast. I am very much opposed to having only "likes," listed, because I am very interested in mental illness, murder, natural disasters...

:)