Change Kudos to Likes?

[Angrboda]

When I first splashed down on rationalia.com, I voiced some strong adverse opinions regarding the complacency of things like assuming the accused were guilty [in the Catholic pedophile scandals] and the like. I received tremendous abuse, censure and accusations of being an apologist for Catholic rape of children.

If a negative rep system had been in place, you would likely not be reading my words here now. Rationalia, despite her faults, has no rep system, plus or minus. Reputation systems, it seems to me, take the place of more intimate human intercourse. Instead of saying what you liked, why, and how it touched you, you just click a button. Not saying this in itself is bad, I like both forums, and both deliver different experiences. But if substantive criticism becomes easily displaced by a dislike button, I think something valuable will be lost. (As it is, I'm ambivalent about likes and rep points, not only because it is unfair to older posters, but because it encourages superficial interaction, where superficiality is a danger.)