Do you ever feel like people give GAs to answers to silently support an answer or statement that might be controversial?

I might, although it’s not due to shame or being scared to express myself. But if somebody wrote what I was going to write, there’s no real sense in me giving an answer myself, if one is already there. So I’ll GA the person who beat me to it.
But that really depends…an ’‘opinion’’ question doesn’t count, as several people can have the same opinion, nor do debates count, as far as I’m concerned. But something technical that would go in general for example, I’ll GA someone who beat me to it. It’s one of the only reasons I can see withholding an answer. And even then, I might just chime in to reinforce an answer.
Otherwise I don’t hold nothing back, if I feel like answering something.

So what? If I like an answer it doesn’t matter if it is supportive or not, I simply like the persons sentiments, delivery, writing skill and other factors that apply to what I consider a GA.

Sometimes it just easier and quicker to hit the GA button rather than write something. But I’m with @Symbeline on the idea of holding back. Who cares what someone else thinks unless my opinion could be hurtful.

People dish out GA’s for many, many, many different reasons, even for vague Police Academy references.

No.

Nothing is worse than reading a bunch of answers that say the exact same thing so I will GA anyone who beat me to the answer or said it better than I would have and then I wish I had more GA’s to hand out.

@Coloma: It wasn’t a complaint. Just a question.

I definitely think that happens. Also, I give GAs if I agree with that answer but have nothing else to add. Why say the same thing again or do that annoying, “I agree with @mcjelly” thing without adding their own thoughts afterward? And yes, I do tend to gauge which side most jellies are on based on which answers get the most GAs.

On a slightly related note, I think people give GAs to show their support for one jelly over the other, regardless of their point of view on the conversation going on – favoritism is the only word that comes to mind. It mostly happens with the veterans, I think. Newbies clearly get less GAs than the ones that have been here forever, even if their answers are just as good or better. I’ve seen a new jelly give an answer early in a thread and get one or two GAs and then an older member will come in much later, say the same exact thing, and get 8 or 9 GAs.

@poofandmook I didn’t take it to be complaint, my “so what?” was strictly benign, as in ” So what?” haha

@Coloma: Oh, okay. It came across much differently.

Sure. I know that when I’m being beleaguered, a GA or 2 on a comment makes me feel a little better even if the person doesn’t speak up directly And I don’t blame them often times! I don’t even want to be there!!

I admit that sometimes I do to avoid fifty @KNOWITALL’s in a row, which I find annoying when I’m cranky or too busy to fight it out.

I do. I know I often feel lonely on here (and in life in general) and it helps knowing even if everyone else wants to stone me or insult me or tear me down for my opinion there is a friendly face out there. There is someone who doesn’t think I’m crazy or stupid.

Oh please don’t feel that way on here. Lonely is not a good feeling. I for one would never want to hurt you. Your answers are great.

You’re not stupid @hug_of_war!

To address the ‘favoritism’ concept, I believe that we have ‘favorites’ because they so often say what we were thinking. If one of the Jellies I’m friendly with says something I don’t support, I won’t hit the GA just because we’re friends. In addition, since we max-out on interJelly Lurve and only the first 5 GAs count towards Lurve points, I suspect that people who are friendly or often agree with a particular Jelly will actually abstain from giving a GA, so the Jelly might earn more Lurve points if others give it (which is why I’d like that ‘first five’ rule abolished, since I can’t remember to try to track who I’ve maxed-out on. I am cool with the overall Lurve limits, though).

On a question like the OP references, where the discussion is about how to handle a situation, I would be inclined to believe that most GAs are indicating agreement or support for the sentiment being expressed within the comment.

I do, because I am afraid of many of you. ~

I’m fairly vocal, even in person, about a topic that I feel very strongly about even when I’m severely outnumbered. It’s no different here or elsewhere online either. The only time I would vote for an answer that I silently agree with is if the person already stated it better than I could, and I don’t feel like I could add anything more of value.

I’m sure it does happen but I think most points are handed out on a per clique basis more than anything else.