To be perfectly honest, the company we have on here now is such that I really doubt that the bigging up friends thing would happen again….but then we didn't expect it years ago either, and there was a hidden edge to it in that a bushcrafting school 'character' and his coterie of friends really ran rampage with it. It was all rather sleekit.
It left long memories of a rather nasty, bitter and spiteful situation, that spread across several forums.
It's not the Like button's fault, (ours was a give rep button) but the folks who chose to misuse it…..bit like knives, etc., that way.
Forums like BcUK thrive because people take the few moments to join the conversations

chip in their tuppence ha'penny worth, spark a debate, show something interesting, share something good

Those few moments typing give folks a feel for the character of others, and it's surprising just how many real friendships have been generated from Tony's bright idea to post some photos of a course online so that the others who'd been there too could see them, and maybe get in touch.
2003 that was, and now there are many folks here surprised to find they've been pulling up a log around the virtual campfire for over a decade
Me ? oh I'm a chatterbox

and I speed read and touch type. Then the Boss asked me to be a Mod :yikes: my response was, "Are you sure ???". It seems he was…..and not all that long afterwards all that messy Like stuff excrement hit the whirling thing

Most unpleasant.
An anomally on the forum though, which is generally laid back even if some of the conversations do get a bit 'robust' :evilgrin:
cheers,
Toddy