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 I see likes/reactions as compressed signals to the OP, specially when using emoji or custom emoji. They can mean agreement (+1), ACKing that I've read it 👀, that I find your post funny 😹 or anything else and are a healthy feature of social media imo. There is nothing wrong with sending reactions instead of a reply or zap if the message can be conveyed that way. 
 They exist to inform algos and are easily gamed. It means nothing to see that a post garnered a thousand likes when ten thousand likes could be just as easily generated by the next person for their posts. The greatest experiment you can do for yourself and your nostr experience is to go at least one month without using likes/reactions at all. It will change the way you associate with others here for the better. Try it.  
 I couldn't care less about algos or trending lists, I don't use them. I write poasts and engage with poasts I see in my timeline, that's it. Likes are useful to me, in fact they are what I mostly use nowadays to interact with other people's posts apart from replies. I haven't sent zaps in a very long time and don't care much about receiving them.

> It will change the way you associate with others here for the better.

Have you tried nostr without zaps? Perhaps the same can be said about them.

The beauty of nostr is that you can choose your experience. "Quality signal" will always be subjective imo. 
 Nostr didn’t have zaps when I joined. So yes. Have you tried using it without reactions? Will you?  
 🤝 I'll give it a try

https://i.nostr.build/zODmBFxah7OAGVJB.png 
 🤝 I don’t say this to simply troll people. I started using nostr this way last year and it was a shock to my brain at first. It genuinely improved my social experience and the quality of my interactions once I got used to it. Perhaps your mileage may vary, but I’ve heard others share similar experiences about it.  
 I will share my impression after a few weeks 🫡 
 Very interested to hear your experience 🫂🫡 
 I think nostr:nprofile1qyv8wumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytnxd46zuamf0ghxy6t69uq3zamnwvaz7tmwdaehgu3wwa5kuef0qy08wumn8ghj7mn0wd68yttsw43zuam9d3kx7unyv4ezumn9wshsz9mhwden5te0wdjkzunrdqhxummn9e6x7erp0yhsz9thwden5te0wfjkccte9ejxzmt4wvhxjme0qyd8wumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnhv4kxcmmjv3jhytnwv46z7qg3waehxw309ucngvpwvcmh5tnfduhsz9thwden5te0wfjkccte9ehx7um5wghxyee0qy08wumn8ghj7en9v4j8xtnwdaehgu3wvfskuep0wphhqatvv9eqz9thwden5te0dehhxarj9ehhsarj9ejx2a30qqs03ekxgdp0rczjfqrrpcn7zqtdec6lcwnpfesyxnl0f239qvege2grrtrf3  is trying to reveal that Nostr is our chance to really change social media for the better in a more permanent way. Its rift from what we have been conditioned to over the past almost two decades of internet social interactions. I think people get wrapped up in the concept of the zaps because it is one of the best ways to truly signal the acquisition of value and sometimes that acquisition of value can only happen via serious discourse, hence the reply. 

While I agree with that wholeheartedly like nostr:nprofile1qyd8wumn8ghj7urewfsk66ty9enxjct5dfskvtnrdakj7qghwaehxw309an8yetwwvhxummnw3erztnrdakj7qgcwaehxw309anxjmr5v4ezumn0wd68ytnhd9hx2tcppemhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mp0qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyv9kh2uewd9hj7qpq07jk7htfv243u0x5ynn43scq9wrxtaasmrwwa8lfu2ydwag6cx2qhkaekp  I fear not having a function to signal to a friend on Nostr that I've seen your post and I liked it but simply don't have something constructive to say is where the like button comes in. As a content creator, I engage in social media to get my writing content in front of an audience and my hope is to grow a bigger audience over time. To do that I have to put some skin in the game and engage with other creators and users and give valuable opinions and feedback. Along the way I'll develop deeper relationships with those folks and that, like you said nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnwdaehgu3wvfnj7qg7waehxw309ahx7um5wgkhqatz9emk2mrvdaexgetj9ehx2ap0qythwumn8ghj7um9v9exx6pwdehhxtn5dajxz7f0qyd8wumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnhv4kxcmmjv3jhytnwv46z7qg3waehxw309ucngvpwvcmh5tnfduhszxrhwden5te0dehhxarj9enx6apwwa5h5tnzd9az7qg7waehxw309anx2etywvhxummnw3ezucnpdejz7ur0wp6kcctjqy2hwumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytn00p68ytnyv4mz7qgawaehxw309ahx7um5wghx6at5d9h8jampd3kx2apwvdhk6tcprfmhxue69uhhq7tjv9kkjepwve5kzar2v9nzucm0d5hsqg8cumryxsh3upfysp3suflpq9kuud0u8fs5uczrflh54gjsxv5v4yyacnzf  is what makes the experience that much better. 

People should just recognize that likes are truly not the highest value. Content creators should strive for engagement and of course, content creators would love to get paid for their efforts. In the end however, there's nothing worse that posting something and getting zero interaction whatsoever! lol 

In the end, the like button is a substitution for low quality replies that could just as easily be automated in a bot function.