FB Commons - making the Like button look like link

template.php

<?php
/**
 * These functions should be in template.php of your theme
 * Just replace commons_origins with your theme name
*/

/**
 * Implements hook_preprocess_rate_template_commons_like().
 */
function commons_origins_preprocess_rate_template_commons_like(&$variables, $hook) {
  // Roll the content into a renderable array to make the template simpler.
  $link_text = $variables['links'][0]['text'];

  // replace default Like text with Unlike if user voted
  if (isset($variables['results']['user_vote'])) {
    $link_text = t('Unlike');
  }

  $variables['content'] = array(
    'link' => array(
      '#theme' => 'rate_button__commons_like',
      '#text' => $link_text,
      '#href' => $variables['links'][0]['href'],
      '#class' => 'rate-commons-like-btn',
    )
  );
}

/**
 * Overrides hook_rate_button() for commons_like.
 */
function commons_origins_rate_button__commons_like($variables) {
  $text = $variables['text'];
  $href = $variables['href'];
  $class = '';
  static $id = 0;
  $id++;

  $classes = 'rate-button';
  if ($class) {
    $classes .= ' ' . $class;
  }
  if (empty($href)) {
    // Widget is disabled or closed.
    return '<span class="' . $classes . '" id="rate-button-' . $id . '">' .
      '<span class="">' . ucfirst(check_plain($text)) . '</span>' .
      '</span>';
  }
  else {
    return '<a class="' . $classes . '" id="rate-button-' . $id . '" rel="nofollow" href="' . htmlentities($href) . '" title="' . check_plain($text) . '">' .
      '<span class="">' . ucfirst(check_plain($text)) . '</span>' .
      '</a>';
  }
}

In line 49 there is no need for an else here. If the condition in the if is true then it will return out of the function. You can just write it like

if ($condition){
  return $true;
}
return $false