An unofficial way to 'dislike' things on Facebook

Facebook's "like" feature has been around since February, but the massive social network never provided users with a way to quickly voice their opinions going the other way. French developer Thomas Moquet took matters into his own hands by creating a cute (albeit useless) Firefox extension that adds a dislike button to Facebook, letting users who have it installed mark things they don't like.

In order to make the tool work, Moquet had to use his own servers, which keep track of every item that's disliked as well as who clicked it. Any other Facebook users who have the extension installed can then see who disliked it right next to the usual like list.

Feeling grumpy? Add a "dislike" button to Facebook.

(Credit: CNET)

There are a few very clear downsides to this system, one being that if the dislike servers ever go down, you won't be able to see what you or others have marked as not liking. It also cannot be seen by other users who don't have the extension installed. Nonetheless, it fits in quite well with the rest of the Facebook interface, peacefully coexisting alongside the likes while adding a bit of snark.

It's worth noting Facebook's exclusion of a dislike button was under the pretense that likes were added as a quick way to replace simple one-word comments. By adding a like button the hope was both to better surface content in its news feeds, as well as cut down on throwaway comments like "this is great!" or "cool."

Facebook dislike is an experimental add-on, meaning you'll have to grab it from Mozilla's add-ons site. See also the competing Facebook Dislike Button add-on, which goes one step further and will actually send the person who's news item it is a Facebook note saying that you didn't like what they posted. Ouch.

[MosX]

There is no way this will scale.

[Josh.Lowensohn]

To a few hundred million users? You're probably right :)

[thydavidcome]

I will wait for the Google Chrome version or if Facebook ever decides to add it themselves.

[minonda]

If facebook provides a dislike button, it will become just like all the message boards out there with people saying mean things and getting into arguments. It's unkind to say you don't like something on a "social network", just as you wouldn't do if you were talking with friends. Usually in the real world we keep such thoughts to ourselves. Facebook does NOT need a dislike button.

[DOGLLAMA]

you can use a negative expression in a positive way. if for example your bike was stolen I would not say "that's great!" i would empathize with you and say "that sux!"

besides, facebook gives you the freedom to choose who you let into your social network. if somebody is saying mean things to you then you have the simple option of un-friending them.

[Bravo0901C12]

Ok, you've lost commenting privileges. You're reading way to far into a "dislike" function for Facebook. It's really not that important and the country will not burn on account of a "dislike" button, end of story.

[DOGLLAMA]

bravo0901CuRgaY- if there was a ********* button, I would use it for you. shouldn't you be watching fox or something anyway?

[C433Z]

i would use it on my friends all the time. obviously i wouldn't use it on an aunt or somebody who wouldn't get that i'm trying to be lighthearted or whatever the situation may be.

second, (as others have said) you can use it to agree with a bad situation. like if somebody is having a bad day, you wouldn't say 'so-and-so likes this'.

[jaguar717]

You and your friends are so single-minded, or so fragile, that you never argue, disagree, or express the tiniest amounts of disapproval?

What sheltered, effeminate, entitled little princesses our generation has allowed ourselves to be turned into by the victicrats.

[agriffith96]

With all the options Facebook has I would guess they would allow you to have a "dislike" button on your post or not. It would make sense.

[fcz1]

You must be on the super-happy version of Facebook where negative comments aren't allowed. My friends write negative things about stuff I post all the time and vice-versa, a dislike button would just make things easier. And in the real world, friends don't keep those thoughts to themselves.

[TheraCaffe]

I was almost certain that Facebook was were you added your friends. If you can't take a light-hearted joke from someone simply pressing a "dislike" button on some trivial status update, then perhaps you should reconsider who your friends are. And like Dogllama said, it doesn't always have to be in a negative way.

[epicjess]

@DOGLLAMA: I don't think Bravo was talking to you. I think you pretty much agreed. lol

[dajacques]

I doubt Facebook will add the dislike because of the obvious unwanted negative impact.. people disliking a Seinfeld baby or something. Not cool.

What I think Facebook could do is add a vote or poll feature, so instead of just posting a status update, you could post a poll question/item and people can respond thumbs up or thumbs down. That way the user has to explicitly open themselves up to the negative feedback.

[dajacques]

I doubt Facebook will add the dislike because of the obvious unwanted negative impact.. people disliking a Seinfeld baby or something. Not cool.

What I think Facebook could do is add a vote or poll feature, so instead of just posting a status update, you could post a poll question/item and people can respond thumbs up or thumbs down. That way the user has to explicitly open themselves up to the negative feedback.

[mgheff]

There are so many groups for this feature, I don't know why Facebook does't just add it already. It's not that hard.

[happygolucky101lol]

Hey, they've got tons of groups favoring the unlike button, I've joined at least 4 myself :)

[jjolsen]

This extension is a great idea, but it's grammatically incorrect. 'JJ Olsen dislike this.' Where's the s?

[MCOjerry]

LOL... He's french. That's how he would probably say it.

[ThomasMoquet]

It's fixed since screenshot where taken.

[jjolsen]

Thanks Thomas. Looks good now.

[keano12]

To put it simple and forward, a dislike will button will do more good than harm, I mean if you dislike something then you simple dislike. What's so bad about disliking something? It's not the end of the world if you disliked something.

[KennethHuntley]

Tried it, and it froze me ...never again >.<

[ThomasMoquet]

I'm working on the slowing problem, i hope to resolve it soon.

[debatra]

It is an average add-on, neutral!

[tipoo_]

Meh, by the time this thing gets popular enough to matter (it doesnt, if your the only one using it!) FB will probably implement their own.

[strongpimphand]

It's purely idiotic that there isn't a dislike option. You know why? ITS YOUR FRIENDS!!!! If your friends dislike that you dislike something they said, and they catch feelings....I guess they really weren't your friends!

[Sophie-Capri]

This whole discussion here shows why a dislike button is a lousy idea. It would just invite things to get too heated and some people would get too nasty like in some of the mean spirited comments already posted here. That doesn't mean there aren't things that really dislike seeing from friends on Facebook, but what's the point in showing you dislike them specifically when you can express yourself in a note or post a link about the subject in general that you agree with to get the point across?

[TheraCaffe]

There is a big difference between posting on a public forum and posting on a private social network only viewable to your friends. Everyone here is a stranger to each another, so of course people will disagree and get heated. If you're this heated with your friends over such trivial matters like a status update, then perhaps you should reconsider your friendship.

Think of it this way: people "like" negative status updates all the time on Facebook and no one I know gets angry over that. The "liker" usually posts a "just kidding" note anyway so that everyone knows he or she is being light-hearted. I don't see how it would be different the other way around.

[istill316]

Besides, it's not an "I hate this" button, just dislike.

[Nighteye19]

I wish there was a dislike button for most of the comments in this blog.

[setjeff15081947]

HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! ? True! True!
I would personally wish for a "Fully-Activated-Phaser-Bank".
Of course, since I don't wish to be the target, it would only be available for my use. I'm also quite selfish.

[TheraCaffe]

+like

TheraCaffe likes this.

[Kee-Kee00]

"Like" (thumbs up)

[Jayemmbee]

I think making a dislike is opening a can of worms
just because, say a picture of a new born, or you and your mom, or you and you girlfriend, or just your girlfriend. and you get say 20 people disliking your girlfriend
I think its just gonna make hating easier in a world full of haters, and facebook is full of them, yeah you say you add your friends, but seriously can you say all your friends are nice? or can EVERYONE say everyone they added is their friend? theres the co-worker, old schoolmate, someone you thought was nice and cool , at least without the dislike button you gotta explain why you dont like, but this is just me, i just think its a bad idea

[algotechie]

Maybe the original poster on Facebook can be provided with an option to allow or deny the Dislike button on what's been posted, on a per post basis. If some user wants to always allow or deny that button (means, on every post), the corresponding choice could be set as default so the user doesn't have to choose it every time. That way, those who wanna keep it as the old style can do so, and those who wanna use the new feature can do so. As for a little twist, those who don't allow the Dislike button on their own posts permanently (or have not allowed it since, say, last 10 updates) should not be allowed to click the Dislike button on their friends' posts; it should be grayed out for them.

Just a thought.

[gregoryalussier]

This plugin is absolutly insecure. Don't download it. Anyone can dislike another person's post in someone else's name.