To like or not to like and is that a question?

Circa Feb 2009, that would have been easy, most of us would have responded to the question above with, huh?

But today we are forced with a choice to like or ignore the liking. And especially when I don't click on the like button, what is my emotional response? Not one of dislike, but a status of limbo between dislike and not yet at like! Tough conundrum.

Why do we click the like button that seems to be popping up everywhere now? (I know there's one on the top left hand corner of this blog too :) ) Is it because we want to encourage, or we are amused or we want others to know that we are amused/amazed or is it because its an easier way to telling, i like it but i care less enough to do more than just click on this button.

In our real world (yes there is something like that), we used to like something and then feel joyful, and we would appreciate, share, look forward to more of  it. But does the virtual world hold out the same for us?

My 1 year, 6 months and 21 days old nephew claps his hands and laughs when he is surprised at something he likes. A childlike expression of awe. And then he looks towards us with this look that seems to say, "don't you guys get it? or more importantly, "Like?"