Zuck you! Facebook introduces 'Dislike' button... in Messenger

Facebook has finally offered its users a way of expressing disgust at the drivel their friends post. Zuck's advertising empire has belatedly introduced a "Dislike" button in its messenger app, giving Facebois a glimpse of a more antisocial network. This new thumbs-down icon is part of a "stickers" pack which also includes a …

[websey]

What a load of bollocks, I am so glad that I stay away from these social-sinkholes or as I like to refer to them Darwinian Early Warning Systems as if someone keeps asking me for a facebook add I know I dont want to friend them in real life let alone on the interwebs

[JDX]

You have it backwards, you should be friending people on FB after they are your friends in real life, a bit like swapping mobile numbers or email addresses.

[websey]

I was referring to that point in time when you swap numbers or email addresses and all they want to do is add you on facebook, but I dont have facebook! queue the weird looks of astonishment

[Anonymous Coward]

Friends don't let friends use facebook

[Anonymous Coward]

Why bother, leave Facebook for those it was designed for, the narcissistic unwashed.

If only the dislike button sent a massive electrical current to person whose post was so inane, inarticulate and boring and fried them to death.

[JDX]

You do realise that "narcissistic unwashed" describes IT workers far better than the general population, right?

FB was designed for the masses i.e. normal people, who care about the mundane minutiae of friends' lives. We're the odd ones, not them.

[Anonymous Coward]

Or the people who want to stay a little in touch with people who are too far away to have regular contact with? I know people can be over the top on Facebook, but not everyone using it is going 'ME ME ME ME ME!' Some of us are simply catching up with people on the other side of the world (because either they or we moved there) who we would otherwise lose touch with.

[Pascal Monett]

Re: "who we would otherwise lose touch with"

I've heard of this absconse technology - it's something called "e-mail", or somesuch.

It seems that there are actually people able to use it to keep in touch.

[JDX]

because there's no other way to express an emotion

This has led to many bizarre situations, such as people "Liking" the fact their chum's parents have passed away, because there's no other way to express an emotion.

Other than commenting on the post. Or phoning them up.

[Darryl]

Re: because there's no other way to express an emotion

Or a short handwritten note dropped in the snail mail.

[Stacy]

Re: because there's no other way to express an emotion

I do wonder why anyone would ever like those posts when anyone of the three options mentioned would be so much better...

[Wize]

Re: because there's no other way to express an emotion

Because sometimes you don't know what to say to someone when their close relative dies.

[Pascal Monett]

Re: sometimes you don't know what to say

And clicking on an icon instead of making actual contact to just say "I don't know to say" is better ?

I lost my mother to cancer in 2010. I can tell you that I much prefer the people who called and said exactly that to people who would have clicked a fucking button and done nothing else.

But I don't have a Facebook account anyway, so my friends actually do make the effort to phone and talk to me.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: sometimes you don't know what to say

And others would say they would rather have someone who "clicked a fucking button" than done nothing at all.

Some things mean different things to different people.

[AceRimmer]

Seriously?

"This has led to many bizarre situations, such as people "Liking" the fact their chum's parents have passed away, because there's no other way to express an emotion."

How about thinking outside the Thumbs Up box

[websey]

Re: Seriously?

I gave you an up arrow as these thumbs up things dont seem to be on the reg

[NomNomNom]

Re: Seriously?

"lol"

[JDX]

Maybe FB is right, after all didn't our parents always say...

..."If you've nothing nice to say, say nothing?"

[monkeyfish]

Re: Maybe FB is right, after all didn't our parents always say...

If you've nothing nice to say, welcome to the reg forums! FIFY

[Anonymous Coward]

oh, the indignity! oh, the irony!

first time ever that the Facebook (Facebitch?) deserves a thumb up!

[Efros]

I always found

:poop:

in a reply works well.

[exp(x)]

Real men use...

U+1F44E

[Tromos]

Do I like that not

Well, do I?

[EPurpl3]

Fu Facebook

[Amorous Cowherder]

Has it's uses but it really is work of Satan!

I think Facebook is absolute bollocks but sadly being a budding pro photographer you have to go with the flow and get your work into as many places as possible, photography is a dog-eat-dog world where social media for us down in the pecking order have to dwell. Yes FB has netted me some work, it is useful sometimes but I hate the bollocks that 98% of Facebook consists of.

Some of the utter tossers you have to deal with, the advertising and these stupid buttons with this sort of happy-hippy teenage girly bullshit really makes grimace some days. I try to limit my activities to around 5-10 mins FB a day. I hook up with my photographer mates, catch up with a couple of photo groups, check in with family members and I check out of Zucks shit-fest for another 24 hours. I had the phone app for about week and it just got on my nerves, so I deleted it and stick to a browser at home.

[Twist Rolarian]

Re: Has it's uses but it really is work of Satan!

I fully agree, which is why I also limit my FB friends list to RL friends and family. 5-10 min a day, and that's all it takes to catch up. The rest of the site can go right into the bin.

[Pascal Monett]

I sympathize with you

Indeed, especially to a small business, FB can be a boon and is a useful platform to get known.

But my private life is mine, and Zuck will never have any data on me by my fault.

[cambsukguy]

Don't need the site...

...messages minus the ads and paid-for crapola available directly, built-in, almost never need the web site.

Still, you have to use that useless WinPhone OS to get this neat solution so only me and a few select others can do it, oh well.

[ItsNotMe]

It's ALL drivel on Farcebook

"Facebook has finally offered its users a way of expressing disgust at the drivel their friends post."

[Sureo]

Re: It's ALL drivel on Farcebook

Yes where's the DISLIKE FACEBOOK button?

[Barbarian At the Gates]

Sadbook

All the fun went out of Facebook after the drunktards posting selfies moved on

[dssf]

A Thumb Down Icon Store?

So, for users to express dissatisfaction with a mate's comment, said user must BUY these down-thumb icons?

Did I read that correctly?

Cha-CHING! ??

Probably not. I doubt that that many users will pay for those icons/buttons enough to make it worth fb's time, unless fb is just writing it off as the cost of biz to keep users from leaving if they don't get their down-thumb. After all, even basic news sites offer thumbs up and thumbs down, Plus/Minus, and their various analogs.

Maybe the thumb down is a way to actively generate heated debates, maybe creating some sellable content to other sitess, generating income for fb? Maybe it's a way to help users incrementally purge undesirable blokes/nuttters from their friends lists, but not directly-immediately do so? Maybe, if users have reduced "friends" counts, it might save money for fb?

Maybe the "friend" list can be publicly expanded and new labels (aside from "followers") can be added: "shitlist", "on thin ice"? No, that might lead to litigation when "friends" become "fiends" and start engaging in "defriending murders/assault"....

[sirhan]

@dssf

They need not be purchased by real money, but are "checked out" so to speak from a collection of various packages of icons. No transfer of currency, although the entire process is set up where that wouldn't be difficult to achieve. I've thought that was the plan for the future since I first saw them. Change the price from "FREE" to "$.99". Also, they're only for the "Messenger" portion of the website or official mobile app.

In fact, they're VERY annoying when I get one using Pidgin/XMPP to talk to people who insist on Facebook. When the other party uses one, I get a message that has the URL to the conversation so I can direct my browser to facebook to see the inane little icon I was just sent. Always well worth my time, I assure you </sarcasm>

[GrizzlyCoder]

@dssf

Nice bit of misandry there..... so there are no 'undesirable women/nutters' then?

I can assure you that there are plenty and most of 'em use faecesbook

[chrisp1141]

Facebook = AOL

Really, nobody cares. Other sites have had this feature for a long time. Facebook in rapidly on the decline, with users moving to more privacy oriented products such as SnapChat, Ravetree, and WhatsApp.