How would you explain the Meh button (and the Meh faces) to a newcomer?
8We’re always thinking through how new people experience Meh. What’s obvious and clear to them? What’s confusing? What doesn’t get noticed at all?
If you told a friend to come to Meh, what would you say to them about the Meh button (why it’s there, what it’s for, what it does) and the Meh faces? I’m not looking for the official “here’s what we, as a company, should say” - I’m actually wondering what you’d say to a friend about it (or if you were ever shown Meh by someone, what they said to you about it).
- 42 comments, 30 replies
- Comment
I would say nothing. Let them decide what the button means to them.
“Do not try and press the button, that’s impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth…there is no button. Then you’ll see that it is not the button that changes, it is only yourself.”
@rockblossom that’s deep . . .
It is pointless
@CaptAmehrican As a circle properly must be.
When you hear it’s call you will know it’s time.
Day 0: “Hmm, I wonder what happens you hit that button that says meh… Oh cool a face!”
Day 1: “Hey look it’s a different face! I wonder how long I will be able to click the button?”
Day 2437: “Whoever happens to find this message…it happened again… the button changed back to meh! It’s haunting me! I keep clicking it, hoping it will go away…but the next day IT’S BACK AGAIN!!! Maybe this time it won’t turn back…maybe it won’t be a different face… maybe now my mission will finally be complete! Oh look it’s midnight, let’s see if my duty has been fulfilled… IT’S BACK AGAIN!!! WHY GOD WHY?! WHY MUST YOU PUNISH ME!!! MAKE IT STOP! JUST MAKE IT STOPOPOPOPPPP ppppp pppp!!!”
I kind of like this explanation from the FAQ: Click the “buy it” button for a great deal on something you didn’t even know you wanted — or the “Meh” button for an even more satisfying shopping experience: abstention. Repeat as desired, every day of your life.
Except it doesn’t explain that if you buy something you can still click the button anyway. I didn’t realize that at first.
@Kyeh Yeah, you have to click the button no matter what so you can keep your meaningless streak going. I’m disproportionately bummed when I miss a day and break my nascent streak.
@Kyeh @lisagd I abandoned the obsession and just coaxed mine up to 1333, where I parked it. I thought about going to 1337, but nah, 1333 is more my thing.
@lisagd @werehatrack Why?
@Kyeh @werehatrack Nah, I don’t like prime numbers.
@lisagd @werehatrack I don’t either, except 2, 3, 5 & 7.
@Kyeh 4000/3, and one more than double beast. It just seemed like a good total to camp on.
@Kyeh @werehatrack 2 is OK because it’s an even number. 5 is OK because it’s half of 10. I think about these things way more than I should. Actually, it’s more of a feeling than a conscious thought. Still…
@lisagd Do you also have synesthesia?
I do, a bit. Also I had favorite numbers, as a kid, just based on how they looked.
Why-I’d have a hard enough time explaining why people come to this site and buy stuff they don’t want or need.
@Felton10
come for the … meh
stay for the goat
I tried explaining it to a coworker awhile back. I think I said something along the lines of, “There’s a button you can press every day!” “What does the button do?” “[excitedly] Nothing!”
Honestly, I think it made her want to check everything out. But I don’t think she ever did. Millenials.
I believe that this short, sparsely viewed YouTube video explains it best:
@shahnm Twilight Zone -ish, I’d say.
/giphy DeeDee
Without the calendar showing up for more than a week I doubt I would encourage a newbie to click the button for a streak. Initially, I clicked it only when I thought the product that day was Meh.
@callow
that is still my “typical” button click, and since I usually check on meh stalker, I don’t even think about the button most days.
I would tell them to read this book and then they would understand.
@mbersiam Perfect!
I’m coming on 6 years of visiting Meh and I’m still not sure what that button is all about. Nevertheless, while rarely summoning the courage to push it, I appreciate the mystery & intrigue behind it.
What the hell? What button?
@jen56 It’s the Meh face next to the “buy it” button on the home page. Push it and it changes to a face.
@mbersiam
Well, I’ll be…
Thanks mbersiam!
@jen56 @mbersiam
ISWYDT
“So, it’s a daily deal site that knows you ain’t gonna be interested in most of its deals, so the button always gives you something you can do instead. Something to make your visit matter slightly.”
Holy hell. I was reading this and it reminded me to check my streak, and good thing I did. 12 minutes later and I’d have to wait a week to get back the Calendar of Meh.
So unblame for the scapegoat. @Felton10
If you have to explain it, maybe the site isn’t for them.
I always felt like the button was the alternative to wanting one. Wanting the deal and also clicking Meh feels like a lie to me, I never both click and buy.
Ok
For inveterate button pushers, there is (well, was) only one true internet button:
The Really Big Button that Doesn’t do Anything
@rpstrong I think you meant invertebrate button pushers.
And wow. What a Geocities/MySpace vibe of ye olde webbe of yore. Only thing missing was blink tags.
Ytmnd.org
My bad. It’s ytmnd.com
No, I indeed meant inveterate. I was one of them (back in those halcyon, dawn of the web days) and I can assure you that my spine was in place.
@rpstrong Maybe amphibious?
@blaineg That word . . .
@blaineg @rpstrong Checking in late; invertebrate button pushers are spinelessly unable to avoid clicking the button. (Variant of invertebrate punster.)
@rpstrong @werehatrack Two years late?
@blaineg @rpstrong Eh, the post got resurrected, I figured that like chicken soup, “it couldn’t hurt”.
Hit the meh button everyday to see how cute the little dudes face is even if you’re going to buy the item. That’s me 100%! That button is the only reason I’m here!
I’ve been here a few years, bought a few things, heard people speak of Meh button streaks, haven’t a clue where to look for it or what it means.
@dyounghbic Once you have at least seven days in a row, your streak appears at the bottom of the page, along with a calendar showing all the meh faces you’ve clicked that month. You can also see your current and best streak by clicking on your name here on the forums, as well as those of others.
@dyounghbic
@dyounghbic
@lljk thanks. Very good explanation.
I joined CFA (Clickface Anonymous) and abandoned the button after a cruel cs experience.
Luckily, it’s only a one-step program.
I would tell newcomers “don’t ask”
I say it’s just something else fun to do on the site, click the spinning ball of meh and the funny face is revealed, and you get a little tracker at the bottom. shrug Some people see “streaks” as a point of pride or whatever…
Man, I thought meh button was the alternative to the buy button. Like how you keep track of the “not today” vote.
I’ve been doing this Meh button for so long, that I’ve forgotten why I click it.
friend: what’s this button do?
me: fuck if i know. just click the fucking thing.
The Meh button is what you push to see what crazy face it will be everyday if you don’t want to buy what they have for sale. At 1st you don’t push it but then you don’t feel complete until you do
When my friend first introduced Meh to me：hey, you alway see webs/merchant say my thing is perfect with best value, have you ever seen a web say “hmmm, we are selling something boring?”
Click it Damnit , ONE DAY… MAYBE…
it’ll tell you “HELL YES” after asking "will it make a margarita?"
then show you pictures of martini’s 
World’s worst game. Click to see how many days in a row you can click it…
… did I say worst game? I meant most addictive.
@OnionSoup I seem to have beaten it. I got to 1333 total clicks, decided that I liked the number, and parked there.
We subverted the original idea of meh’s to click if we didn’t like the product that day. And then we ran with it (as mentioned above) so meh lost control over it. That’s what they get for encouraging a community to develop. We hit the click button and do what we want.
About 8 years ago I asked the community whether Meh or meh is correct.
Finally from the distinguished keyboard of Meh I now know that Meh is correct (eventhough my t-shirt says meh.).
The what button?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
My wife does not allow me to punch it any more…I’ve purchased too many bags of shit, I mean lovely bundles of joy !!
I should prefer not to. </bartleby>
When introduced to meh by friend, no mention of meh button, just gifts of mini drones that broke easily, zap lighters… and we were intrigued by the selves that needed to be built in the basement to house purchases that he needed to stop mentioning to his family…
Selves = shelves