Facebook Celebrates 50th Anniversary of 'Star Trek' With Custom Reactions

[MacRumors]

Facebook marketing lead Lindsey Shepard recently posted a blog sharing new details of the company's celebration of Star Trek's 50th anniversary, taking place today. After updating the "Like" button to a set of emotional reactions earlier in the year, the social network is temporarily giving each reaction a Star Trek themed makeover to celebrate the franchise's premiere on September 8, 1966.

In order to make this understood by all Star Trek fans, we chose the most iconic and recognizable characters and symbols from the original Star Trek series, as well as the Next Generation. We also wanted to honor the original design and spirit of Reactions, so we needed visual cues that were easy to identify at a glance, like Geordi's visor. This led us to our final cast: Kirk, Spock, Geordi and a Klingon.

This project has truly been a labor of love. We hope that people find as much joy in using these different celebratory elements as we have in creating them. We may test experiences like this in the future, and will focus on community and moment-driven events like this one.

Live long and prosper.

Shepard said Facebook chose "the most iconic and recognizable characters and symbols from the original Star Trek series" as inspiration for the new reaction buttons, and paired them with what users expect from reactions. The new Star Trek reactions include a sparkly thumbs-up (Like), Vulcan salute (Love), Captain Kirk (Haha), Spock (Wow), Geordi (Sad), and a Klingon (Angry).

The update to reactions also comes with a customized greeting and profile frame that Facebook says only those "who've expressed interest in Star Trek or science fiction" might begin to see propagating on their Facebook page. For those lucky fans, the new Star Trek theme will be up in the United States and Canada -- on both desktop and the mobile apps -- "for a limited time."

Article Link: Facebook Celebrates 50th Anniversary of 'Star Trek' With Custom Reactions

 

[Eidorian]

I believe that the Vulcan reaction was misused.

 

[JosephAW]

Gene is rolling over in his grave.

 

[C DM]

Gene is rolling over in his grave.

Because what he has thought of is continuing to have such a large impact on society even today?

 

[sshambles]

I thought this was Macrumors (and iOS Rumors). Not a single mention of how this impacts iOS or Macs....

 

[S.B.G]

Huge fan of Star Trek, and totally the opposite of Facebook, but it is nice to see FB recognize Star Trek for the tremendous impact on society and technology that its had over the past 50 years.

 

[sshambles]

Star Wars fan over here... ST never did it for me. Too many versions. Those reactions help tailor algorithms in FB anyhow, so I've avoided them. Guess here's another thing to avoid on there. Which ones Spock btw?

 

[C DM]

I thought this was Macrumors (and iOS Rumors). Not a single mention of how this impacts iOS or Macs....

Only one of the top installed apps in iOS...

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Shepard said Facebook chose "[...] characters [...] from the original Star Trek series" [...] include[ing] Geordi

Geordi La Forge is from Next Generation, not the original series...

(Sorry about the extensive paraphrasing - tried to pull out just the relevant parts... maybe could have just used the entire paragraph and just bolded the relevant parts.)

 

[C DM]

Geordi La Forge is from Next Generation, not the original series...

(Sorry about the extensive paraphrasing - tried to pull out just the relevant parts... maybe could have just used the entire paragraph and just bolded the relevant parts.)

Seems like they (accidentally?) left out the "as well as the Next Generation" part from the quote that was included above that.

 

[keysofanxiety]

The Wrath of Zuckerberg.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Seems like they (accidentally?) left out the "as well as the Next Generation" part from the quote that was included above that.

Oh yeah - I completely missed the fact they had that quote twice, once in full, then another time paraphrased.

 

[Nunyabinez]

I believe that the Vulcan reaction was misused.

Why did they not do "Fascinating" with a vulcan face with one eyebrow raised? That would have made me laugh.

 

[Tycho24]

Because what he has thought of is continuing to have such a large impact on society even today?

No, because it was coopted by lame ass FB.

 

[C DM]

No, because it was coopted by lame ass FB.

Which basically a testament to that whole "having such a large impact" thing.

 

[Solomani]

He was thrown out of the Vulcan Academy after 4 months!

 

[Tycho24]

Which basically a testament to that whole "having such a large impact" thing.

Ah.... ok.
I guess I don't see that as "impactful".
I did like how unafraid he was to show a diverse crew, including a Russian, an Asian, an African American female, & an alien.
His portrayal of the future as a place of inclusion was very forward thinking! =)

 

[Pakaku]

I believe that the Vulcan reaction was misused.

I guess it was impressive enough to make a Vulcan react that way.

 

[spazzcat]

The Spock one should have no emotion.

 

[CrickettGrrrl]

Nope, nope, nope, still not going to get me to use FaceBook ever again.
...Except, if there were emojis of Zuckerberg jumping a shark I might be intrigued.

 

[Eidorian]

Why did they not do "Fascinating" with a vulcan face with one eyebrow raised? That would have made me laugh.

An excellent alternative reaction.

 

[Makosuke]

There is something deeply disappointing about using a Vulcan for an emoji, if that emoji is anything other than "fascinating" or "deadpan".

Unless that's supposed to be a Romulan, in which case it's still an awkward choice.

 

[CarlJ]

Star Wars fan over here... ST never did it for me.

Bah! Star Wars is fun, but it's swords and sorcery, and you have to be born into the royal bloodline (*cough* Midi-chlorians *cough*) to make a real difference. Star Trek, at its best, is about man being good because he chooses to do the right things. I love them both, but Star Trek got me into both electronics and computer programming. Star Trek gave us Vulcans. Star Wars gave us Ewoks.
[doublepost=1473374569][/doublepost]

I believe that the Vulcan reaction was misused.

They could have used him for "sad".

 

[ErikGrim]

Much like Apple fast-tracking the LLAP emoji on news of Nimoy's death, FB using Love for the vulcan salute is a similar tribute.

 

[CarlJ]

Ah.... ok.
I guess I don't see that as "impactful".
I did like how unafraid he was to show a diverse crew, including a Russian, an Asian, an African American female, & an alien.
His portrayal of the future as a place of inclusion was very forward thinking! =)

An astonishing number of men and women who have actually been in space, or are now physicists or astronomers or such, give at least some credit to Star Trek, for sparking their curiosity and pointing them in that direction. And, yeah, having a diverse crew was awesome. And had a number of ramifications beyond the show.