Culture Twitter is removing the like button

https://mashable.com/article/twitter-like-button-remove/#z1MzhImBkmqS

Twitter is about to remove the red, heart-shaped 'like' function from its platform, reports suggest.

According to the Telegraph, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey said at a Twitter event last week that he would get rid of the like function "soon." Per the Telegraph, Dorsey said he "was not a fan of the heart-shaped button."

In March 2018, Twitter introduced a bookmarking function, which allows users to privately save tweets without hitting the like button – which not only implies a positive attitude towards the content of the tweet, but is also public.

Twitter's potential removal of the like button forms part of an effort to create a healthier climate of debate on the platform, the Telegraph reports.

Dorsey hinted at his dissatisfaction with the like function earlier this month when he spoke at the WIRED25 summit.

"We have a big like button with a heart on it and we’re incentivizing people to want it to go up," Dorsey said. "Is that the right thing? Versus contributing to the public conversation or a healthy conversation? How do we incentivize healthy conversation?"

On the platform in question, people were pretty surprised by Dorsey's attitude to the 'like' button.

Many users pointed out that Twitter has much deeper challenges and that changing basic functionality was the wrong place to start improving the platform. Others will believe it when they see it.

The like button was added to Twitter in 2015 as replacement for the previous favorites button, which was star-shaped.

Jack is trying to do something good for his platform, but his users will not accept any figure that is not leftist Gab, so they shit on it. It's the usual suspects.

Good thing Jack is smart and knows the dangers of maintaining an echo chamber, unlike Frog Man Torba.

 

[Ruin]

Blue check marks on suicide watch.

 

[Jewelsmakerguy]

I can’t wait for the next update where they remove the ability to privately message people. :^)

Or the update that removes the ability to tweet!

 

[Secret Asshole]

I have no doubt this is in response to 'woke Twitter' getting fucking ratio'ed or blue checkmarks with tens of thousands (or hundreds of thousands of followers) getting 'likes' in the level of low double digits.

That's the only reason to do this. Their echo chamber isn't echoey enough I guess, they are so fucking weak, Jesus Christ.

 

[Weppers]

I have no doubt this is in response to 'woke Twitter' getting fucking ratio'ed or blue checkmarks with tens of thousands (or hundreds of thousands of followers) getting 'likes' in the level of low double digits.

That's the only reason to do this. Their echo chamber isn't echoey enough I guess, they are so fucking weak, Jesus Christ.

Don't forget that Donald Trump's tweets get likes by the hundreds of thousands, with no way of counteracting that number or reducing it.

 

[registered 2 hide avatars]

This barely changes anything. Why are people mad about this? Even in this thread.

 

[The Last Stand]

Have an Autistic rating instead.

 

[Ruin]

How is Twitter still operational? They've been operating at a loss for almost half A decade now.

 

[tehpope]

How long until retweet functionality is gone?

 

[Computery Guy]

Yes, removing a tiny heart button to indicate you're fond of a post is going to destroy Twitter, for realz this time.

THIS will be what destroys the blue checkmark hugbox. Getting rid of Likes.

 

[Sissy Galvez]

Twitter is not the platform for debate, it's a platform to reee on anyone with different beliefs and spill salt everywhere.

Howard Stern said this morning “social media is going to destroy society” and it’s entirely true. Twitter was a huge mistake, it gave an amplified voice to a small section of society that shouldn’t have one.

Business are scared as shit of offending twitter even though it’s been proven those “woke” morons are insignificant twats that don’t have the money or numbers to support or boycott anything.

 

[Computery Guy]

EDIT: Why don't I articulate my point less like a gibbering mouthbreather here?

While I do not disagree Twitter's a total circle-jerk of a site at this point, Jack Dorsey is actually a fucking idiot who refuses to take any hard stances one way or the other and keeps making shitty decisions like this to try and make it look like he's doing anything about any problem users on the site.

Removing the Like button isn't going to accomplish anything. It is a fucking milquetoast, pussy band-aid that doesn't even cover the bullet hole. Yet again, he's just pissing everyone off with a shitty decision.

Removing the Like button will change nothing. All Twitter's little enclaves, left wing or right, will still huddle around their e-bonfires and masturbate furiously to their own wit. You just won't be able to see how many people took a good, long look at each metaphorical cumshot.

Celebrating this like it's any victory over anyone is kinda like celebrating Hitler stubbing his toe as some decisive victory in WWII.

Or, I guess, Soros stubbing his toe as a victory over Zionism if Hitler stubbing his toe makes you sad.

 

[PoisonedBun]

This barely changes anything. Why are people mad about this? Even in this thread.

It's a nice way to store content for later. Like, if someone tweets a funny video and you cant watch it in public, you can like it and look at it later. Or if someone links something important, you can like it for later and it will be in your likes.

I don't know why they want twitter to be a platform for debate. You can't type much in 240 characters. It should have never been more than a platform to shitpost with friends.

 

[Coldgrip]

I still think we should remove all ratings but deviant and horrifying.

Deviant, horrifying, and aroused. You don't need anything else.

 

[Jewelsmakerguy]

How is Twitter still operational? They've been operating at a loss for almost half A decade now.

Because where else will people bitch and whine about world events and defend fellow SJW freakshows?

 

[Keystone]

It's a nice way to store content for later. Like, if someone tweets a funny video and you cant watch it in public, you can like it and look at it later. Or if someone links something important, you can like it for later and it will be in your likes.

I don't know why they want twitter to be a platform for debate. You can't type much in 240 characters. It should have never been more than a platform to shitpost with friends.

It also can't be a debate platform when the site's management team and owner have a well known rabid bias for one side of the political/ideological spectrum and have all but fucking admitted to censoring people on the other side of the spectrum. The writing is on the wall for everyone to see, too. Any topic or person with the "wrong" politics either has hardly any engagement, or pages worth of people from the woke brigade shitting on them; while all the supporting tweets are so far down the page that the average person isn't gonna see it unless they deliberately look there.

I mean when's the last time a popular or funny thing that made fun of the left made it into the "Worldwide Trends" bar? Hardly ever since that shit is policed and artificially controlled.

 

[Haramburger]

How is Twitter still operational? They've been operating at a loss for almost half A decade now.

The people who own twitter have it in their pocket as an ace up their sleeve to steer the narrative when a discussion they don't like comes up. It's the same reason Conde Nast continues to operate reddit at a loss as well; they can always twist the admin's arms to censor a story or subreddit that's saying something they don't like. In this way, both sites are a subscription-based media narrative shift to the owners.

How long until retweet functionality is gone?

I love that Kamiya still uses the old format of actually typing out RT@user : when replying to people, he's an absolute mad lad in the Current Year. Also the only account he follows is a japanese porn sentai actress. One of the coolest accounts on the site tbh

 

[RJ MacReady]

I'm not sure why everybody in this thread is so mad. Removing 50% of the validation that retards get from Twitter is a great idea that will generate lots of spergouts.

 

[Corbin Dallas Multipass]

Yeah... you know... I have to think this will be a good thing. Denying these people the dopamine hit of likes might get some of them to realize what an empty and meaningless existence they have been pursuing. What, are they gonna read everyone's comments? What if a mean one gets in there?

 

[Dan Abrams]

Twitter should die, but baby steps like this are alright too. Removing part of the sense of validation that NPCs get through seeing the like meter go up can only be a good thing.

 

[RumblyTumbly]

Twitter can't do that!

How will my good deeds, educated opinions, and super important hashtag activism be validated without likes?!?!?!