Why I Would Dislike a "Dislike Button"

For months FaceBook (FB) users have been bugging FB to add a "Dislike Button" and for months FB has refused to relent to their pleas.  Even a quick scan of FaceBook's official blog shows that they are not discussing it (at least in public - I'm sure that they are inside the FB headquarters).

I would never pretend to know what they are thinking at FB headquarters, but if I had to guess it would be something like this...

Adding a "Dislike Button" may seem like a good idea on the surface, but would only cause problems in the long run.  The way I see it, the purpose of a "Like Button" gives FB users a way to give props to someone or to agree with something someone says.  It's a simple, friendly way of showing support or just casual interest in a FB post, picture, video, comment or anything else you can "like".

If you add a "Dislike Button" now it becomes something completely different.

Now it becomes a "vote" and it turns everyone into a critic and every item on FB into an issue.  If Joe posts a picture of his puppy on his profile he could come back a day or so later and find out that it has a negative rating!  Add to that...now...your "Like" gets canceled out by someone else's "Dislike" and it counts for nothing...

Which brings up the big problem - give everyone the choice of  "like" AND "dislike" and it is now a rating system - that is completely different than what it is now.

I say keep the "Like Button" and forget about a "Dislike Button" - when you choose to "like" a FB post you give it your props - if you don't you didn't.  It works, but now it's not a negative exercise...

Also, remember, that in the end FaceBook is going to do what they want - I, for one, hope they just leave it alone.

P.S. 11/5/2009
Mashable posted  information about a Firefox plug-in that will give you a "dislike button".  If you read closely, it sounds like Mashable doesn't like the "dislike button" idea either... 

Satan is alive and well and living on Facebook (too)

Yes, Satan is alive and well on earth and social networking hasn't skipped his radar...why would it? Satan is cunning and will use every method you can think of and more because he is DESPERATE.

So, when we as Christians see things like the "F**k Jesus Christ" group on FaceBook we shouldn't be surprised. In fact, we should expect such nonsense as a desperate attempt by the prince of darkness to push one more soul over the brink and away from God. We should see it for what it is and realize that HE IS LOSING!

Does that mean we can relax and let our guard down because he is losing - NO - it means that we should continue with God's good work. This includes praying for just such people as Derek Munson, Costas Katenidis and Adam Ajaja; the officers of the FaceBook group and others like them that are lost and hurting.  Jesus came to this earth and died for these three lost souls just as much as He came for you and for me.

We as a Christian community should also stop being afraid to deal with nastiness like this because we don't want to get our hands dirty even talking about such things.  When we fear such frontal attacks Satan wins the battle.  Satan will lose the war, but we Christians need to stand firm against this nonsense, defiance and blasphemy and bring it out in the light - out in the open - because, "everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed" (John 3:20).

I'm not asking you to join a new FaceBook cause asking FaceBook to delete the group - there are plenty of those and the group is still there, besides FaceBook is not the culprit.  FaceBook is just another normal, everyday thing that Satan is using in his desperation to collected broken souls.  I am asking you to make your presence known each day as Christians and show the darkness the light.

Yes, Satan is alive and well - but he will lose the war.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.  John 1:1-5