Changing the name of 'hearts'?
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Original Post
I had a thought recently that perhaps a lot of the stress sellers here feel in relation to hearts - some of which can sometimes be fairly irrational IMO! - could perhaps be removed with a simple change of name. I could be completely wrong, so feel free to disagree - I'm just putting my thoughts out there for consumption.
In terms of semantics, a 'heart' is always going to be interpreted as an emotional thing. Getting a heart can translate as meaning that someone loves you in some way. So if someone then 'unhearts' you it can seem a bit like being dumped! Plus if you don't have many to start out with (and everyone here starts out with none, of course) it can be directly interpreted as 'nobody loves me!'.
Hearts can be used as a really excellent feedback tool - they tell you that people are seeing your shop and that a portion of those people like what they see enough to want to remember it later.
It can, of course, also mean that people have seen you on the forums and like you as a person rather than your shop specifically - but, again, that relates back to the emotional nature of 'hearting'.
Once people start asking for hearts or start swapping them in order to boost their numbers, that feedback becomes badly watered down to the point of being meaningless. Especially as I'm willing to bet that the vast majority of buyers never look at how many people heart a shop - it's useful really only for the sellers themselves. But I suspect a big part of the reason it happens is because of the emotion that gets linked to them.
So how about simply calling them 'favourites' or some other word that has less emotion invested in it? I do like the cuteness of 'hearts' and that it's something unique to Etsy, but I can also now see the potential for problems arising purely due to the word.
Sorry for the ramble ... but those are my thoughts!
Posted at 2:24am Mar 7, 2007 EST
Responses
i like hearts. i think they are cute. and i like being able to say that i "heart" something because like a geek, i say it a lot in real life.
i do think that you have a valid point though, about the emotional connotations evoked by hearts. i'm not confident that it would stop people from obsessing over them though ;)
and plus the dilemma of american v. british spelling of favorites! >.<
Posted at 3:05am Mar 7, 2007 EST
You say it so eloquently Simone, a heart is a heart, oh how we all desire to own anothers heart. I love every heart my shop recieves, and I look at what items my potential customers heart. I also heart shops and or items for many reasons.
Etsy could choose to take the hearts away and make them appear as insignificant as another well know commercial space, "items I am watching" then items and/or shops become just empty space. Oh wow I have 100 people watching this item, but it never sells :( My personal opinion, I'd love a 100 hearts and it never sells instead of a counter that just says you have 100 people watching what this item does.
Posted at 3:11am Mar 7, 2007 EST
I like the hearts too simonewalsh...heart them even. I understand your point. I did not know sellers trade them. I actually like to take a peek into the stores of the people who heart other stores to see what they sell too. Many cool shops uncovered that way that I may not have been able to ever see.
Posted at 3:13am Mar 7, 2007 EST
I like heart and only heart items that I love and want to look back at later when I want to purchase something or just because I love that piece, or that handbag etc.
Posted at 3:28am Mar 7, 2007 EST
Yes, Simonewalsh, I get what you mean. I felt the same way about hearts. As much as I love them all, I am also very disappointed if I do not get hearts for a few days or someone remove their hearts. I am guilty of asking for just one more heart yesterday to top up my existing count of 99 hearts to 100 hearts. Silly me, or rather very childish. Maybe we can replace hearts with stars or Hugs. Actually they mean the same, only thing is emotionally or psychologically slightly different. Just my humble opinions.
Posted at 4:18am Mar 7, 2007 EST
Simone- I definitely see the point but in order to completely get away from *hearts* you would have to change the symbol as well. What would be an appropriate symbol?
Posted at 4:22am Mar 7, 2007 EST
collecting hearts seems kind of gory and morbid. They should be animated gifs dripping blood or something.
Posted at 4:32am Mar 7, 2007 EST