Torrent Of Tweets Dislike Replacing Twitter 'Favorites' For 'Likes'
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- In a move to try to attract new users, Twitter replaced its "favorites" star button with a "like" heart button on Tuesday ... and users across the Twitterverse erupted with an torrent of dislike.
On a company blog, Twitter said,
"We want to make Twitter easier and more rewarding to use, and we know that at times the star could be confusing, especially to newcomers. You might like a lot of things, but not everything can be your favorite."
Twitter's "favorite" button was unique among social media networks, initially a way to bookmark tweets and later integrated into third-party apps that would measure the popularity of favorited tweets. Now Twitter and Twitter-owned Vine will use likes and hearts as social media currency just as Facebook, Instagram, Periscope, and Tumblr do.
Twitter's own tweet trumpting the change overflowed with positivity.
You can say a lot with a heart. Introducing a new way to show how you feel on Twitter: https://t.co/WKBEmORXNW pic.twitter.com/G4ZGe0rDTP
— Twitter (@Twitter) November 3, 2015
However, the reaction among Twitter users was overwhelmingly negative. Here is a (G-rated) sample:
I'm not a twelve year old girl. Don't need to heart business news. Stick with favorite. #twitterlike
— j (@jeffhorton) November 3, 2015
When did favourites change to likes? Is nothing original or sacred in the social media world? #Twitter #likesontwitter
— Shane Andrews MBE (@gingio) November 3, 2015
Now we have the "like" button twitters next move will be to change name to tweetbook #TwitterLike #notfacebook
— Carl Peirson (@carlpeirson) November 3, 2015
Twitter just turned all of your Favorites into Likes and people are FREAKING OUT!!! https://t.co/WyV7bxedZW pic.twitter.com/67HKqQA6Ui
— Perez Hilton (@PerezHilton) November 3, 2015
likes on twitter. pic.twitter.com/7Apygi1bMs
— Anoxi (@iAnoxi) November 3, 2015
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Carlos E. Castañeda is Senior Editor, News & Social Media for CBS San Francisco and a San Francisco native. You can follow him on Twitter or send him an email.