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The Rise of the Like Economy
Article

The Rise of the Like Economy

Once a cursed project, the tiny feature has had a huge effect not only on the site, but on us

Medium, 2017

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Analytical
  • Eye Opening
  • Overview

Recommendation

Have you ever peered over the shoulder of a Facebook-using friend only to be astounded at how his or her newsfeed differs from your own? In this article, Victor Luckerson from The Ringer provides a rundown of the unintended consequences of Facebook’s like button, along with some inside stories about its creation. getAbstract recommends this summary to Facebook users interested in the site’s decision to move away from its traditional “let the user decide” algorithm and take a more hands-on approach to your newsfeed display.

Summary

In 2009, Facebook rolled out a new like button feature. The button solved a lot of the site’s problems. It reduced the number of repetitive “I like this” comments by giving users an option to indicate approval without commenting. It was also a handy way for Facebook to decide which types of posts to move to the top of the newsfeed heap. The like button also worked toward a less formal goal to which some Facebook employees aspired, which was to contribute to “creating a world in which people uplift each other rather than tear each other down.”

Unsurprisingly...

About the Author

Victor Luckerson is a staff writer at The Ringer. He writes about consumer technology, culture and politics.