when i come across a datasbase photo in a forum that i like, is there an easy way to give it a thumbs up?

You used to be able to just click on the photo, and the ability to give likes as well as acorns would pop up, but since the update, you have to click on "More Photo Details":

I'm using a phone and mine has the thumbs up button and acorn button that makes it easy to click.

I think Frank is asking about database photos posted within a thread, not in the Recent Images section, like yours in this post. No buttons !

Oh I see, he did say "forum". Yes the only way is to click the more photo details.

Yep, in forums it's not there from the get-go.

You have to click on the photo, then a small photo window pops up. From there you have to click on "More Photo Details" . Then you can click on thumbs up.

Is this meant to discourage giving a thumbs up?

I think that's just the way things were "designed," but not as an intentional deterrent.

Definitely not meant to discourage thumbs. It's a limitation of the current software I'm using. The popup dialog boxes are incompatible with my thumbs system. I will be resolving that with the next major Garden.org software upgrade.