Does social networking irk you?

[GeorginaBoyle]

I can't stand stupid people that share something with you and ask you to like it. That's so dumb, isn't that Like button was created to let people like things they do actually like?! I'm not coming over to say:"Please, tell me I look good". People would say that if they find it true.

[Sload Soap]

There should be a dislike button. That way I can tell my friends I don't give two shits about their cat or what they're having for tea in a passive-aggressive manner.

[irixith]

There should be a dislike button. That way I can tell my friends I don't give two shits about their cat or what they're having for tea in a passive-aggressive manner.

Ever since they implemented the "like" system, I've always said they should also have a "dislike". It's only fair. It might even balance out the air of faux positivity, help people keep their friends lists in check, make people think before they type. Lots of things.

From a Reddit AMA with one of Facebook's engineers earlier this year:

Actions on Facebook tend to focus on positive social interactions. Like is the lightest-weight way to express positive sentiment. I don't think adding a light-weight way to express negative sentiment would be that valuable. I know there are times when it'd make sense, like when a friend is having a rough day, or got into a car accident like my sister yesterday (she's okay!). For these times, a nice comment from a friend goes a long way.

Which is a bit of a non-answer. I "dislike" that my only option is to "like" or do nothing. I "dislike" a page asking me to "like" it for a coupon. How am I supposed to know if I "like" your page/company/product/whatever if I haven't seen/used/touched/eaten/tried it in some way? I can't pre-emptively "like" you!

How about a whole spectrum? Like? Dislike? Mildly interested? Hate with the fires of seven hells? Sigh.

[AppleQueso]

I'd imagine a "dislike" button would be severely abused.

I don't really use facebook anyway though.

[Pulsar_t]

Fakbook completely goes against the natural flow of the yin-yang equilibrium. I wonder whether that'll be its eventual downfall. Haha and people thought Microsoft was evil. Windows' monopoly looks so much tame compared to today's bullshit. It's more of the same but nowadays everyone's in on it, from the chief executive to your boss and most of your friends.

What I find most abhorring is that I'm as fallible as everybody else.

[fastbilly1]

We recently had a coworker fired for her escapades on social networking. She was bedridden out on leave and posted up pictures of her doing some naughty things at a club and forgot that she had friended her boss on facebook, who had HR call her the next day asking how she felt. She ofcourse was bedridden and could barely answer the phone. They asked for a doctors note and she went crazy on them and threatened to sue.

[Pulsar_t]

Well thanks to technology people are either becoming redundant or have their work eroding its way into their personal lives. You are what you do for a living has never rung so true.

[Phades]

I think the reason there is no "dislike" button is because that would lead to certain companies having their page "disliked" to the point they'd pull out of Facebook altogether.

Facebook doesn't want to risk that because they want their money.

[irixith]

Hey, that kind of honest feedback ("wow, more people dislike than like us") would be invaluable. You can't pay for that kind of data. Direct access to an unhappy customer base. Seems like that would be a golden ticket -- the ability to converse directly with your consumers, suss out the issues and correct them.

Not putting a "dislike" button for fear people would actually use it is silly. Let people have the choice.

[samsonlonghair]

It's not good for a publicly traded company. What would the stock holders think if there are more dislikes than likes for a public company like, say, Halliburton.