The Story

A teammate reports: “Prod is spitting 500 errors every 3 minutes - what’s happening?” Instead of an explanation, they get nothing but a 👍 reaction. That’s it. Silence.

Confusion follows. Is it acknowledgment? Agreement? Sarcasm? Pure joy? Nobody knows.

And then comes the realization: we all do the same thing. Why? Because sometimes people flood chat with 40+ messages, and it’s easier to throw a like than to read it all.

Where Reactions Work

  • Quick confirmation - “Meeting at 11 tomorrow.” 👍 means “Got it.”
  • Emotional feedback - “Thanks for your help!” ❤️ avoids chat spam while still giving recognition.
  • Culture fit - Some teams replace endless “ok / got it / thanks” with reactions. Saves everyone time.

Where They Fail

  • Direct requests - “Can you help with this?” A thumbs-up feels like a dismissal.
  • Ambiguous messages - “We need to redo the report ASAP.” 👍 here = unclear response.
  • Different expectations - For some, reactions = full answer; for others, reactions = brushing off.

Simple Rule

  • If a reaction gives a clear answer → ✅ fine.
  • If there’s room for doubt → ✍️ write actual words.

And please - don’t send 20 fragmented messages. Compress your thought into one. If you want to rant, I’ll lend you a yellow rubber duck. Quack therapy works wonders. 🦆

TL;DR (140 chars)

Reactions save time when context is clear, but if doubt remains - write words. A thumbs-up isn’t always an answer.

How do you feel about using reactions at work?

That’s all.