Facebook Working On A "Dislike" Button

[Fanghawk]

Facebook Working On A "Dislike" Button

Mark Zuckerberg thinks it's time everyone had more than a like button when responding to Facebook posts.

When you spot <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/facebook?from_search=1>a Facebook comment that's offensive, rage-inducing, or genuinely tragic, are you going to "like" it? Absolutely not - but for years, the Thumbs-Up button was the only option Facebook offered. Now that period might finally be coming to an end. During a Q&A livestreamed from Facebook headquarters, <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/mark%20zuckerberg?os=mark+zuckerberg>Mark Zuckerberg said users can soon do more than like something - they can click on a "dislike" button, so to speak.

Since its inception Facebook avoided putting dislike buttons on its pages, believing it associates the social media platform with negativity. True or not, that approach limits the range of emotions we can express on a shared post or status update. "It's important to give people more options than just 'like' to help express empathy and sympathy," Zuckerberg explained. "Not every moment is a good moment."

And he's absolutely right. Take the last month alone, where some of Facebook's most-shared stories involved the horrific plight of Syrian refugees. On a more individual level, how does one respond when seeing a close friend or family member has died? Nobody "likes" these stories, but until Facebook adds new options, we're limited to manually typing out comments. Which isn't a bad approach, but not everyone is motivated to do so.

That being said, Zuckerberg's option won't necessarily be a simple dislike button. Last December, Zuckerberg told his Q&A audience, "Some people have asked for a dislike button because they want to say, 'That thing isn't good.' And that's not something that we think is good for the world. So we're not going to build that."

So what might Facebook offer instead? It might just replace the Thumbs-Up button entirely, dropping Happy and Sad faces in their place. Needless to say, Facebook's designers will put quite a bit of thought into them before unveiling new buttons to the public. What "dislike" option do you think Facebook will come up with?

Source: USA Today

Permalink

 

[Covarr]

They are in a tricky place. A straight up "dislike" button is obviously a horrible idea, but "like" isn't always an appropriate response either. It's a pity they didn't bother trying to solve this sooner; Google had the right idea with "+1", but it's kinda too late for Facebook to do that now.

P.S. Thanks

P.P.S. Edit: Why does the headline say a "dislike" button? Zuckerberg has made it extremely clear that whatever solution they end up going with, it won't be that, because that's just begging for drama.

 

[Fanghawk]

Why does the headline say a "dislike" button? Zuckerberg has made it extremely clear that whatever solution they end up going with, it won't be that, because that's just begging for drama.

It's for lack of a better name. Facebook/Zuckerberg haven't revealed exactly what form this button will take, so it's basically a placeholder name until they explain it or reveal it. Until then it's technically accurate in the sense that it's a "not like" button.

 

[Wiggum Esquilax]

The first thing to get a non-dislike? The official release of the button.

 

[freaper]

I don't see why they need to add an extra button. Unless they manage to make it nuanced enough somehow, people who don't like something either ignore it, or are vocal about it. Plus, are you going to "dislike" a post about a relative dying?

 

[Ylla]

Itll probably be some sort of "im concerned", "i want to share this" or "i am not happy for this" button.

 

[Jadak]

I don't see why they need to add an extra button. Unless they manage to make it nuanced enough somehow, people who don't like something either ignore it, or are vocal about it. Plus, are you going to "dislike" a post about a relative dying?

They haven't said it's a "dislike", because yeah, that would be dumb. Could very well end up being an "express sympathies" button or whatever the hell. The specifics are their problem, but the point is they're just going for something more flexible than 'liking' things all the time, not something necessarily negative.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

It could be a little pitchfork, with which you can encourage the poster and everything they know and hold dear to go to Hell.

...but seriously, what could you possibly put besides that "like" button that isn't either redundant or fulfilling the same purpose as a "dislike" button?

 

[Micah Weil]

So long as we also get a "Stolen from George Takei" button, we should be fine.

 

[Creator002]

Oh good. I'm an asshole when it comes to friends and family. This button will be useful if it works like the like button does.

 

[Thunderous Cacophony]

Take the last month alone, where some of Facebook's most-shared stories involved the horrific plight of Syrian refugees. On a more individual level, how does one respond when seeing a close friend or family member has died? Nobody "likes" these stories, but until Facebook adds new options, we're limited to manually typing out comments. Which isn't a bad approach, but not everyone is motivated to do so.

Then you don't have to do anything. If you don't know a person well enough to feel comfortable offering an actual word of condolence that takes 5 seconds to write, instead of just pushing a button, you don't need to do anything; just pass over it in silence. I mean, it's basic small talk skills that we all used to learn in grade school, when we'd go to a family reunion and tell our aunt that we're sorry her husband passed away in the spring. Computers were supposed to let us offer those condolences faster and easier; instead of hearing about it through the grapevine 2 weeks on and writing a letter, you could respond in the same day and be there when they needed you. If you don't feel motivated enough to even offer a cliche, then don't worry about it, because you don't care about it. [/kidsthesedays]

A like button is one thing, as a sign of generic approval that people can give out easily that the receipt can still appreciate. Any form of 'dislike' or 'disagree' button will just start fights, because it's a drive-by, "You're wrong, and not worth the time to actually engage about why you're wrong." As @freaper points out, the only responses to getting a dislike are to ignore it (while quietly disliking the person and probably talking about them with your actual friends) or to demand an explanation.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

Maybe it'll be like that newsfeed they have right now, like when you click the little X next to an item, it asks why (I don't care about this, etc). I see it as a way to help eliminate clickbaiting.

 

[Solbasa]

It should be less of a "dislike" button and more of an "acknowledge" button. Then its function is less starkly negative than a theoretical "dislike" button, and it makes everything altogether less limited than just the "like" button. It seems just vague enough of a not-necessarily-positive way of filling the void that Zuckerberg looks to want to eliminate here.

 

[Karadalis]

YES! More tools for the allways offended to cement their rule of terror on social media!

Its as if these big companies diliberatly give people these tools to fling shit at each other to make sure their services are used more often... afterall you have to downvote everything the enemies of progressive thinking put up now dont you?

Bold gamble on the part of facebook here to increase the usage of their website... lets see how it will play out.. ah whom im kidding? It will play exactly out how it allways does.

 

[Dragonlayer]

Since its inception Facebook avoided putting dislike buttons on its pages, believing it associates the social media platform with negativity.

Dislike buttons don't do that, it's the behaviour of people on all social media platforms that create their awful, awful reputations.

 

[kenu12345]

Yessssssss now I can dislike all these Kim Davis posts and people celebrating the death of people by crane

 

[Valiance]

Even if it was just a "Sorry" button or something, that'd be better than "Liking" that someone's grandma died.

I know they have to keep it elegant, but something along the lines of this:

http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/youtube-reactions/74022

Buzzfeed has a similar list, starting with "Ahhhh!" and including a <3, LOL, WIN, YAASS, </3, FAIL, OMG, CUTE, WTF, EW (all in full caps, of course). While I believe this might be too much for Zuck, Facebook really needs more variety than a mere thumbs-up.

Technically, it does have a thumbs up with scale-able size (which it has, in messenger, and the Stickers aren't a bad idea, but they're constantly overused by many many people that don't know moderation (if they knew moderation, they wouldn't be on Facebook though, would they?))

 

[tacotrainwreck]

I can't wait. Sometimes, when I learn that my friends and family die horrific deaths, I just can't be bothered to type out something so long and difficult as 'My condolences.' Especially when I'm racing down the highway at 90 miles an hour while texting my bff some relationship advice. Life is just too darn difficult!

 

[Draconalis]

Finally... something to click when all these SJW articles get posted on my feed.

 

[Callate]

The last I heard something like this brought up, it was my understanding they were considering something along the line of a "sympathize" button- basically just a "this is not something to 'like', but know you're in my thoughts" thing, just for things like funerals, lost jobs, divorces, etc.

I once suggested not-entirely-facetiously that there should be an anonymous "politely declining to comment" button, as in, "twenty-three of your friends are politely declining to comment on your latest alcohol-fueled rant about how immigrants are destroying your country; get a clue, you imbecile."