FR : Allow non wp.com users also to Like

I’m afraid we don’t plan on extending Likes to non WordPress.com users.

You could, however, install another plugin like Polldaddy to add ratings to the bottom of your posts, or a plugin like KK I Like It to add a more advanced Like interface to your site.

None are equivalent to “Likes” by Jetpack. The problem with the 3rd party plugin is it may not be supported alwyas in future and “Likes” is a core feature of any social net these days so that it cannot be done away with. [ KKILikeIt not working with WP 4.1, BP 2.1.1]

I understand that it will not be extended to non WordPress.com users for some definite reasons. But if there is any internal “Issues” list (like github) please add :

1) End-users on self-hosted wordpress sites (for example WP 4.1 + BP + Multisite enabled) ask “why do we have to create an account in wordpress.com” to Like in your site?”
Jetpack was ??created to help non wordpress.com users using selfhosted wordpress

2) Since many sites are using WP+BP (Buddypress) combination, if Devs joined hands, Jetpack Likes could solve the Likes problem in Buddypress – like providing “Like” button in activity stream so that “Likes” could be made from both the Blog post and the stream.

Since “Likes” has become so very essential component of any real life social net or any php social script – and everywhere you can “Like” both from stream and actual post or image pages – lack of this in WP is just pushing away *many* users to other platforms.

End-users on self-hosted wordpress sites (for example WP 4.1 + BP + Multisite enabled) ask “why do we have to create an account in wordpress.com” to Like in your site?”

Do you think we could update the wording next to the Like button to make things more clear, or update the Like process so it’s easier to log in to WordPress.com before to Like? Would that help?

Another alternative would be to grab the Gravatar linked to a user’s email address when they’re logged in to your site, and allow the user to use that Gravatar to Like, instead of using their WordPress.com account. But since you need a WordPress.com account to create a Gravatar, we’re back to the same problem. Maybe we should add a mention of Gravatar to the log in prompt next to the Like button?

Another alternative would be to tie the Likes to profile pictures updated via BuddyPress. The Likes module would then become “BuddyPress Likes”; if you like that option, you might want to try that plugin:
https://www.ads-software.com/plugins/buddypress-like/

What do you think?

I have tried all available plugins. Jetpack Likes offers the functionality and UI that one would expect these days (except this). Only thing is that Like buttons do not appear in river/stream/activity (BP in this case) but appear in post pages only (and the fact that you need Yet Another Account to use it)

It is not just me, but anyone using WP Multisite and BP (and Jetpack) stays frustrated w.r.t. Likes as there is no core, integrated solution to this “essential” functionality.

https://www.ads-software.com/plugins/buddypress-like/ has lots of unresolved issues, the most critical one is that Like button do not appear on post pages similar to this problem

I understand that there is no solution for this, for the time being at least. All wordpress sites (self hosted and wordpress com) sites need to “talk to each other” at least when it comes to login credentials. Willing wordpress sites should have an admin installable plugin that allows an user, if logged into a wordpress or wordpress.com site, to automatically get logged into another wordpress site or at least into the wordpress com. Drupal used to have similar module for this in versions 5 and 6, do not know if its still there.

At present there are 4 or 5 wordpress plugins for “Likes” – all buggy or incomplete, there are premium plugins also, that also incomplete – making the situation confusing and unhelpful.

Only thing is that Like buttons do not appear in river/stream/activity (BP in this case)

That might be something you could change by following the instructions here:
https://jetpack.me/2013/06/10/moving-sharing-icons/