no more props ! <3 just emoticons

[truthfinder]

 

Maybe in the prayer room we can just reply with a prayer emoticon  and leave it at that? 

 

I don't think we've ever been able to reply in the prayer thread - and personally I don't think we should be able to.  The props were nice for this, but I think as soon as any reply function happens in there, it will just devolve rather quickly. 

[Ash Wednesday]

I personally was not a fan of the down voting and found it to be a bit childish and petty. Though I'll admit I was tempted to use it a couple of times. I do miss the props in the prayer room, it was a nice way to let someone know you were praying for them. 

 

I would love to have this emoticon, though:

[Oremus Pro Invicem]

I don't think we've ever been able to reply in the prayer thread - and personally I don't think we should be able to.  The props were nice for this, but I think as soon as any reply function happens in there, it will just devolve rather quickly. 

I wonder if dust could set it up where if you do select reply, your only option would be to use the prayer emoticon? Then nothing could or would devolve and others would know you're praying for their intentions. 

I would love to have this emoticon, though:

Edited September 10, 2015 by Oremus Pro Invicem

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

Unsolicited feedback for @dust on the "no longer so new" system. In theory I know how to make @dust a link, but despite knowing how it is supposed to work, it only works for me about a quarter of the time or less.  Maybe there is some other way making a link could be accomplished. My mood today isn't going to rise or fall on whether I can make @dust become a link--just a note while I was thinking of it. 

When I spell @dUSt correctly, a pull-down menu appears giving a list of possible users I may be trying to link. Maybe my obsession with correct spelling isn't entirely useless.   Kindly ignore the quoted paragraph.

[AccountDeleted]

Great news! No, props, no props, no props. The simple life for me!!

 

[MIKolbe]

Did dust give a reason why he took it away?

Because I said so.

[Didacus]

After thinking about this idea for awhile, my reaction (at least right now) is, "Sure, why not? Let's see what happens." I think that changing this up might get us to think more about why we use props. I expect that a lot of the time props were used in a neutral way to say, "I agree, and I like the way you said it," without making other people read through a bunch of short posts that say, "Yeah, I agree." But, props don't tell the poster or other people WHY we agree, so not having props could result in having conversations with more positive content. (Sometimes (often?) the people who disagree make up the majority of responses.)

Like others, I will miss having props in the Prayer Room, because they are a way to say (silently),"I read this, and I'm praying for you." On the other hand, we DO know how many people read a thread (which in the Prayer Room means the actual post), and it isn't a bad assumption to think that most people who read another poster's prayer request also pray for that person, even if only once.

Props (especially negative ones) CAN be judgmental.  But, more important than that, I think that for some people props turn into either into p*ssing contests or popularity contests. Either way, it can can be a way of saying with very un-Christian pride "See, I'm more popular than you are," or "See, more people agree with me than agree with you." I doubt God is counting props. As an alternative, we could have props without having them add up, or having titles associated with how many props we have.

In their favor, sometimes props have made me feel less alone, when even one person liked a post I made. Still, the person could have actually said they liked my post, rather than propping it. However, it takes time to make a post, even a short one, and perhaps the person didn't like my post THAT much.

Obviously, I have mixed feelings. However, I think that changing things up a bit sometimes is a good thing.

BTW--I'm very glad it was Lil Red who was the first one to 10,000 props. I've never gotten the feeling that Lil Red gave a hoot about how many props she got, didn't make posts in order to get more props (or to increase her post count), and didn't change the nature of her posts to increase her popularity. Sometimes we get posts from Lil Red that contain positive news about things that have happened in her life or say good things about others, but she also posts when she isn't in a good (or necessarily even likeable) mood. Lil Red allows her human side to show in posts, whether or not that mood fits someone else's idea of how a good and faithful Catholic should act or feel. (Note: I'm not saying that Lil Red isn't a good or faithful Catholic, only that she lets us see that a Catholic who is trying to be her best doesn't always act or feel the way that other people judge good Catholics should feel.) Also, to her great credit, Lil Red doesn't feel the need for long or repeated lectures on how she feels she or others should act or how the Saints would act and what they would say. Lil Red speaks her mind then shuts up. Incredibly refreshing--and bluntly, a much better witness for Catholicism than all the lectures about what Catholics (and non-Catholics) SHOULD be doing. (Note to Lil Red: Despite my looking for the right words, if any of this hits you the wrong way, I apologize in advance. My intent is to be positive although I'm not even sure you care about compliments from me.) And, yes, I know that I am one of the people whose posts are too long. I'm working on it, but conciseness eludes me. So, particularly lately, I often just don't comment at all, and I don't think Phatmass has suffered.

Bottom line to @dust: For what it's worth, I think taking away props is a worthwhile experiment, and if you don't like the results, well, it's something that can be changed again to something different (and based on history, probably will be)--not a bad thing either.

Unsolicited feedback for @dust on the "no longer so new" system. In theory I know how to make @dust a link, but despite knowing how it is supposed to work, it only works for me about a quarter of the time or less.  Maybe there is some other way making a link could be accomplished. My mood today isn't going to rise or fall on whether I can make @dust become a link--just a note while I was thinking of it. 

if I could have given you a prop I would have!

but - don't feel listed posting why. I'm lazy. Soooo lazy...

 

 

Ah! YesYes. Purgatory purgatory purgatory...   

[MarysLittleFlower]

So far I'm liking life without props. It was a good idea but in practice it had potential to become a popularity contest or even a temptation to pride or discouragement. 

[Gabriela]

What? No more props?

This is totally the first time this tragedy has ever been thrust upon us.

Props.

So how do we measure our self worth now?

"Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."

 

I doubt God is counting props.

"Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered." So... 

[beatitude]

The only place I really miss the props is in the Prayer Room. I know that people can still see the viewer count, as Iggy said, but I still liked propping prayers - it felt like a virtual 'Amen'. Perhaps now we will be encouraged to send PMs to people we're praying for.

[DominicanHeart]

Yeah I wish we had props in the prayer room. It's nice to know you're being prayed for.

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

The desire for approval is the cause of sin.  So sayeth the bible.

Edited September 11, 2015 by Tab'le De'Bah-Rye

[Oremus Pro Invicem]

Prop goeth before the the fall! 

Thou shalt not prop thy neighbors post.

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

Yeah love your neighbor and all that holiness but i don't think we should be desiring props, that's all.

[Not A Mallard]