We heard you. And we're introducing a Like button across all of our apps to make it easier for people to engage and provide feedback in your Igloo. Documents, blogs, forums, microblogs, wikis, and calendars will be included. 

What's the difference between Like and the 5-star rating system? 

The Like button is a simplified rating system. It's a great way to show approval or encouragement, to endorse a new idea, or to acknowledge receipt of a status update, without having to commit to a full-blown conversation. Like lowers the barriers to engagement, making it easier for even passive members to participate in the conversations that occur in your community.  

Of course, there are cases where a binary rating - either I Like something or I don't - is not enough. That's where the 5-star rating system comes into play. It allows you to establish a more in-depth comparison (e.g. rating resumes for a new job posting or comparing ideas in a corporate forum).   

You can choose to enable Like, 5-star rating, or the combination of both in the control panel (global settings). 

What about comments? 

The Like button is also available on comments, replacing the voting mechanism that was previously in place. And it's no longer anonymous, so you can click on the icon to reveal the members who have liked a post just like in the example below. 

How does this impact the forums app? 

Today, forums have a variation on the Like button. Depending on the forum type, different commands will appear such as "I like this idea" or "I also have this problem". In our next release, all apps will be automatically upgraded to the new design as part of the roll out. And if you enable 5-star rating, it will also be applied to the forums app.