Don't like something on Facebook? Soon, there will be a button for that.
The company is planning to begin testing a new button that will expand the range of emotions users can express other than merely "liking" things.
"Not every moment is a good moment," said Facebook's cofounder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in a Q&A session at Facebook's Menlo Park, Calif. headquarters. He said that he realized people may not want to "like" a current event like the refugee crisis or a family member passing away. But, he also didn't want users to merely vote up or down on people's posts.
Ultimately, he said he hopes to offer users a more expanded way to share their emotional reactions. "It's surprisingly complicated to make an interaction that's that simple," he said.
The move marks a key change for the world's largest social network, which counted more than a billion people using its service last month, whose "like" button has become so synonymous with its service that it's the logo that greets visitors to its California headquarters. Some users have become frustrated though that the only button Facebook offers is a thumbs-up, and the opportunity to leave a comment. Within an hour of announcing Facebook is testing a dislike button, Zuckerberg's video had garnered more than 1,200 "likes."
Zuckerberg has been holding town-hall style ask-me-anything sessions about once a month since November, discussing technology trends, such as Internet traffic rules, free speech and social issues, such as terrorism. He's planning to hold another discussion with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this month, covering social and economic challenges, among other issues.
