Facebook Dislike Button is a Bad Idea
November 6th, 2009 |
Facebook users have launched a handful of petition drives asking the social network to allow users to click a thumbs-down icon to give a news feed item, advertisement, etc. a “Dislike,” just as they can currently give it a thumbs-up, or “Like.” There are several Facebook groups with a million or more users advocating this. The group Petition for a Dislike Button has, as of this post, over 2.8 million members.
Whether Facebook will respond remains to be seen, although there are precedents for this. In 2007, users rallied the company to drop the word “is” from status updates, and Facebook responded. (It seems like a small point but “is” was previously mandatory in status updates and required all kinds of awkward constructions to convey simple thoughts.)
A Dislike Button is a bad idea. If I don’t want to read/see an item, Facebook already has a close button on every banner ad and news feed item. The impulse to advertise the fact that you Dislike something is a negative and aggressive one. Items that are offensive can be brought to Facebook’s attention with the Report button throughout the site. If I feel strongly about an item, either positively or negatively, I can leave a comment.
With the Dislike Button, it is too easy to give someone negative marks in a completely nonconstructive way. What good does it do me if someone clicks Dislike for something I’ve posted? I may have no idea why they’ve done so. The Dislike Button is the ultimate lazy feature for people who lack the time, or something else, to engage in actual conversation. I think it’s a bad idea.
Update: Based on the very helpful initial comments below, maybe I’ve missed the meaning of the Dislike Button. I completely agree with Sophmom that it might be useful to have a way to indicate that you disliked what was reported in the item as opposed to disliking the author for posting it, or the fact that it was posted. For example, if someone posted an item about receiving poor customer service from a company, a Dislike would indicate that the user disliked the company’s behavior, not fact that the item was posted.
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You make an iinteresting point, and I have no doubt that this feature, if added, will be used in just the way you suggest. You’re also right that we can comment if we want to leave some opinion other than “like”. I don’t, however, see the intent of those petitioning for the “dislike” button as you do. It’s for folks to have something other than “like” when someone posts something negative, most often to bring attention to it. In other words, if a friend posts a status update containing a link to an article about some terrible injustice, it’s awkward for me to click “like” when I want to express my support for the poster’s position, because it feels like I’m expressing support for the injustice itself.
Comment by Sophmom — November 6, 2009 @ 6:14 am
I see where you’re coming from, but I think it’s a little different in terms of being able to like/dislike a status update from a person. “…might have swine flu” or “…is certain that test didn’t go well” would deserve dislike buttons. (Let’s ignore, for brevity’s sake, the fact that these are probably inappropriate to post in the first place, leading to a larger conversation about what one should/shouldn’t announce on tha interwebs) I know I should say more than “BOOO”, but it’s sometimes difficult to know exactly what to say, which is why Hallmark exists. To be able to show support quickly is the intent of the like button, and I think could be a use for the dislike button. Maybe what they really need is a “Sorry to hear that” button.
Comment by Jenny — November 6, 2009 @ 6:16 am
While the intentions are good with the drive for a “dislike” button, there are vast opportunities for abuse of the function, which would not be worthwhile. If we have the good sense to use such a feature in the ways Sophmom and Jenny suggest, we cannot assume that our friends all share that sense. The fact that Facebook is used by people around the world, in various languages, can easily lead to misunderstandings of meanings and cultural nuances. Even among fairly homogeneous FB friends, a “dislike” button could create unnecessary divisions and conflict by calling attention to the negative, when used in reference to something political, religious, or ambiguous. The lack of clarity on the use/function of like/dislike functions will certainly continue, as well, with people’s reasons/intentions in using the function not always being clear. That’s not a big deal with “like”, but in my opinion a confusing “dislike” would just cause problems. One other matter–a “dislike” button would further encourage the drama-llamas of the world to post complaints and whine in their status for the apparent sympathy found in a “dislike”. While it’s okay to share our troubles in our status once in a while, continual negativity and gloom is rather dislike-able.
Comment by calluna — November 7, 2009 @ 7:33 pm
How about a button for every sentiment??? A dislike button is pure evil and should not be brought into existence. It is mean. If you dislike something, address it in detail, ignore it, block it, or remove that person from your friends list.
Comment by Paul — December 17, 2009 @ 1:28 pm