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You won't believe what Facebook is planning now...

Just when we thought the folks at Facebook had thought of everything...

For years now, Facebook users have availed of the "Like" button for everything from friends' baby pictures to relatives' funny videos. Meanwhile, though, they clamored for something that had seemingly missed the head honchos' radar screens until now: a "Dislike" button.

We spoke, and Zuckerberg and company heard us loud and clear. It turns out that they now have a "dislike" button in the works.

I can see good and bad things coming out of this.

On the plus side, people can now use the new button for content of a serious or negative nature that just didn't seem appropriate to like, such as posts about people suffering from illnesses, layoffs, divorces, and so on.

However, I can imagine some people's feathers getting ruffled at finding that someone "disliked" something they've posted.

For example, I don't drink and can't stand it when people upload pictures or videos of themselves getting wasted and acting like fools. I would be tempted to dislike such content, but I doubt that would sit well with them, especially if their rationale is that it's all in good fun. Or, they may post a picture they find to be funny, only I find it obnoxious and thus may be inclined to convey that via the new button.

Thus, Facebook might not foresee this happening, but the Dislike button has the potential to end many a relationship or friendship. Even if the dislikes are meant as a joke, people might take them to heart. The lines of communication become rather murky when interacting with people online. Tempers might flare. Feelings may get hurt. Fasten your seat belt, folks. It may get ugly.

What's your take on a Dislike button? Do you think users will find value in the new feature, or do you predict it has the potential to come between friends and partners?

More posts can be quickly accessed here: How to Understand People

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