I too find the unhappy emoticon confusing and unnecessary;  also the"wow" button (could mean "I really agree with your comment!" or "I can't believe you would say that").  They don't help gauge the overall trend in reactions, so why not drop them.  Would prefer an "unfounded" or "hearsay" button to discourage emotional rants and fake news. What I want is respectful discussion among a wide range of viewpoints, including ones I may not agree with. That means no name-calling, whether directed at another forum participant or at someone mentioned in the news article or opinion piece. How, for e.g., does referring to Hillary Clinton as a "bag lady", pant suit lady" or other such slurs contribute to an intelligent, adult exchange? Just a lazy, childish way of saying "I'm upset with/don't like that person", devoid of any substantive information,  insight or counter-argument.  I find such posts a waste of time and would like a way to personally filter out anyone who repeatedly does that.