Facebook Tests Reddit-Like 'Downvote' Feature for Disliking User Comments

[MacRumors]

Facebook is said to be testing a "downvote" button among some users of the social network, according to a report on Thursday. The "dislike"-like option apparently appeared in the comments section of posts within Facebook groups and on old Facebook memories content, as shown in screenshots shared with The Daily Beast.

A Facebook spokesperson denied that the company is "testing a dislike button", but then went on to offer an explanation that appeared on the face of it to suggest something just like one.

Image via The Daily Beast​

We are exploring a feature for people to give us feedback about comments on public page posts. This is running for a small set of people in the U.S. only.

The feature in testing reportedly gives users the ability to downvote certain comments, similar to the way votes in Reddit work, but it's unclear how far the tests will go. According to a 2016 Bloomberg report, Facebook executives had rejected a dislike button long ago "on the grounds that it would sow too much negativity" on the social network.

In February 2016, Facebook launched Reactions, an extension of the Like button, to give users more ways to share their reaction to a post. The emoji-like feature extended to Facebook Messenger in March last year.

Facebook regularly tests features with a small number of users and many never reach the stage of a broader rollout to the general public.

Article Link: Facebook Tests Reddit-Like 'Downvote' Feature for Disliking User Comments

 

[rams]

it's about time

 

[Avieshek]

The first thing to dislike, is Facebook.

 

[Vorkeyjones]

I remember when Mac Rumors use to have a downvote feature.

 

[Jesse Waugh]

I wonder if anything can stop that ship from sinking.

 

[tevion5]

An eye-roll react would be more useful.

 

[0008652]

I wonder if anything can stop that ship from sinking.

Instagram and WhatsApp

 

[supremedesigner]

I remember when Mac Rumors use to have a downvote feature.

I do not recall that. Don’t you mean digg.com?

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Fakebook really is a wonderful propaganda instrument, and to think it was developed in a Harvard dorm, not some basement lab requiring security clearance and manned by a short guy with a devil's tail piece of a mustache at either end of his mouth. Clearly FB is working hard to make posts even more "beguiling." Bots are rejoicing.

 

[tevion5]

I do not recall that. Don’t you mean digg.com?

You've been here since 2005! Even I remember it and I only joined in 2011.

 

[stanman64]

Downvotes work on reddit because it’s anonymous. I can’t see people downvoting grandma because she posted another recipe. There’s enough drama on Facebook as it is

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

They're tried it in the past and never gone with it. It's too negative and doesn't foster good interactions. I don't see them going forward with it this time either.

 

[CarpalMac]

Adding a feature which Macrumors (as noted) used to have and moved on from. Years ago.
Great to see the FB devs really pushing the boundaries.

 

[scrapesleon]

They like copying I’m guessing Mark Zuckerberg was the biggest copy taker in his classroom

 

[gmanist1000]

MacRumors needs downvotes again. Too many toxic people getting voted up and nothing can be done.

 

[Andronicus]

I remember the good ol’ days when MacRumors had a reddit-like ‘downvote’ button.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I’d rather be reading than spending my time downvoting or thumbs upping. That said I like the thumbs up feature but if I added up all the time I spent doing that I could have read a lot. Though I imagine the encouragement some users get from positive reviews may encourage even more communication / posts. Thumbs down does the opposite.

 

[sracer]

MacRumors needs downvotes again. Too many toxic people getting voted up and nothing can be done.

Why must "something be done" about people you disagree with getting voted up? There are already other ways that the forum software provides to deal with those situations.

I’d rather be reading than spending my time downvoting or thumbs upping. That said I like the thumbs up feature but if I added up all the time I spent doing that I could have read a lot. Though I imagine the encouragement some users get from positive reviews may encourage even more communication / posts. Thumbs down does the opposite.

How much time does it take to tap the "thumbs up" icon?

 

[tevion5]

Why must "something be done" about people you disagree with getting voted up?

 

[Arty6]

Twitter needs this. Or, I should say, we need this from Twitter.

 

[BigMcGuire]

How much time does it take to tap the "thumbs up" icon?

Not much but think about multiplying that by 2,000 times. I have no idea how many thumbs ups I've given but it is a lot. In that time I could easily have read a dozen or more threads or more. Just a thought.

 

[pier]

My biggest gripe with Facebook is that it's basically designed to dumb down any conversation and turn you into an advertisement-consumer-scrolling-zombie.

Reddit is designed to have conversations whether it's arguing about some philosophical concept or some silly gif, and generally content value is decided democratically. Also the community is so much more interesting than your Facebook friends.

 

[TMRJIJ]

MacRumors needs downvotes again. Too many toxic people getting voted up and nothing can be done.

Agreed. Likes are like food to toxic people. It validates their bigotry and egos and makes the rest of us look foolish when it’s seen as one of the top comments on the article page.
Also, I can’t believe I actually agree with Reddit on something.

 

[wolfshades]

I dislike the idea. Here's why:

I participate in a right wing political group on Facebook. So far, it's been fairly good, in that as one of the very few liberals in that group, I get to speak my mind openly. Most people disagree with me, and that's okay. At least they're cordial about it, and we converse as adults.

Adding a dislike button would discourage such open discourse. You'd end up with discussion groups that operate effectively as echo chambers. Adding a downvote button wouldn't affect my participation all that much. But there are a lot of people out there who would not bother voicing their opinions.

We can already express our displeasure through words. Do we need symbols to enhance that? Really?

 

[sracer]

I dislike the idea. Here's why:

I participate in a right wing political group on Facebook. So far, it's been fairly good, in that as one of the very few liberals in that group, I get to speak my mind openly. Most people disagree with me, and that's okay. At least they're cordial about it, and we converse as adults.

Adding a dislike button would discourage such open discourse. You'd end up with discussion groups that operate effectively as echo chambers. Adding a downvote button wouldn't affect my participation all that much. But there are a lot of people out there who would not bother voicing their opinions.

We can already express our displeasure through words. Do we need symbols to enhance that? Really?

If that group is truly "conversing as adults" then the addition of a button is not going to change that. The benefit of having an up/down vote in addition to being able to respond is someone who mildly disagrees can downvote without having to write out a post that consists of "I disagree".

Social media caters to narcissism. Everyone who participates believes that what they have to say is important enough that others need to hear/read it. (yes, that applies to MR and to this very post ) People have a psychological need to be liked and accepted. The LIKE button in Facebook is specifically designed and called that for that reason. A DISLIKE or down-vote button does the opposite. I'd like to have a downvote capability as an option for those people who would otherwise post snarky jabs to express their disagreement (not that they would take advantage of the capability, but it would be there).