Skip to main content

Facebook 'Reactions' test lets you express many more feelings than just 'like'

The social network leader will venture beyond the thumbs-up with a test starting Friday for residents of Ireland and Spain.
Facebook users, prepare to express yourselves
Starting Friday, the world's largest social network will begin a test in which people get a much fuller range of responses than just the iconic thumbs-up "like." The feature, dubbed Reactions, will offer icons to express love, laughter, happiness, shock, sadness and anger, a company representative said Thursday.
To add a reaction, testers on mobile devices will long-press the "like" button while PC users will hover over it. An array of options will then pop up. A post will note the number of each reactions received.
Reactions won't immediately be tested on all Facebook users. The company will begin real-world testing of the feature only in Ireland and Spain.
graphics-labelsen.png
Facebook's new Reactions feature offers options beyond the "like" button.Facebook
The change may seem superficial, but it's actually profound for the company. The "like" button is so deeply embedded in Facebook's workings that the icon greets visitors at the company's Menlo Park, California, headquarters. With the "like" button, the company seemed to be taking the age-old advice that "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." But for many, "like" seemed a poor way to express sympathy for posts about unfortunate events like illnesses, deaths or crimes.
Facebook has for years resisted pressure from a cadre of users to add a "dislike" button. With Reactions, it's taking a different tack, one that allows for a spectrum of emotions to be expressed while avoiding the up- and down-voting of posts that occurs on YouTube, Reddit and many Internet forums. An overwhelmingly negative reaction to a post without an actual discussion taking place could alienate users and discourage them from sharing -- something Facebook wants to avoid.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg initially teased Reactions during an event at the company's headquarters in September. Acknowledging that "not every moment is a good moment," Zuckerberg said Facebook would introduce a feature to reflect its users' wishes to have more ways to express themselves.

Readers Choice

Lead Your Team Into a Post-Pandemic World

During the Covid-19 crisis, I’ve spoken with many CEOs who have shared that a key priority for them, naturally, has been the safety and well-being of their employees. And there are many examples of inspiring actions taken by CEOs and companies in support of their employees. But as we’ve come to recognize that this crisis will last more than a few short weeks, companies are now defining their approach for the long haul. I’ve seen two crucial ideas take hold with corporate leaders. One: Given the magnitude of the shock and the challenges that this crisis represents, companies must consider the full breadth of their employees’ needs as people. Safety is essential, of course, but it’s also important to address higher-level needs such as the want for truth, stability, authentic connections, self-esteem, growth, and meaning in the context of the crisis. Two: Many CEOs have begun thinking about this crisis in three phases. They may assign different names or specific lengths to t
Read more

List of Cloud Certifications

Cloud certifications and Cloud computing certifications are very young, but their value grows so fast. Managers and IT specialist want to extend their knowledge about neutral cloud topics, but also vendor-specific implementations. Few of them, like Arcitura Education with the CloudSchool program, CompTIA or EXIN created vendor neutral certifications. The biggest vendors like VMware, HP, EMC, Microsoft and IBM have in their portfolio also Cloud certifications, that help you prove your skills about products and technologies. On the horizon we can see other vendors like Huawei or Cisco with new certifications. Strong cloud skills are for sure a good trend for companies (on the management level) and also engineers or IT architects. List of Cloud Certifications 52 Certifications 13 Vendors Amazon AWS Amazon AWS has in the offer three certifications and works on new ones. At this moment you can pass exams on associate level for architects, developers and SysO
Read more

Twenty Smart Business Buzzwords

Some words may grate on your nerves, but business leaders are still using "disrupt," "synergy" and "ideate." You should too. Spend any amount of time in a corporate environment and you'll likely notice there are some words that seem to come up on a daily basis. Certain verbiage becomes part of the  corporate culture  and soon, you may feel as if you need to use it to fit in. While they can change from one day to the next, most corporate buzzwords have a positive meaning. They're used to boost morale and motivate everyone involved in the conversation. Here are 20 of the top business buzzwords that you should make an effort to work into your vocabulary. 1. Impact Impact is a powerful word that has become a favorite of business professionals.  Grammarians argue  that the word is being used improperly, urging you to use "affect" instead, but businesses love it. 2. Corporate Synergy Half of the people who use this term likely
Read more