Twitter allows users to like, reply to, and retweet tweets on its platform. Indifference can be expressed by scrolling past or ignoring tweets. Or not using Twitter. That’s my preferred method.
The social media platform is reportedly about to test a new feature: the dislike.
Twitter is testing out a dislike button on the social media platform, the company confirmed on Wednesday.
Some iOS users reported that they were seeing messages on the app that read: “Dislikes aren’t public or visible to the author, while Likes are. They both help us understand what people think is valuable to the conversation.”
Twitter said in a statement Wednesday, “We’re testing this to understand the types of replies you find relevant in a convo, so we can work on ways to show more of them. Your downvotes aren’t public, while your upvotes will be shown as likes.”
That’s weak. If you’re going to put it out there, put it out there.
YouTube displays dislikes, and the Biden White House dislikes it. People keep ratioing them hard. Jen Psaki’s press briefing is happening as I write this. She’s getting a typical reception: just 1,600 viewers, 124 likes, but 1.2k dislikes — a 10-to-1 negative reaction.
Her worst quotes will get pulled out and bandied about social media, rest assured. The silly and evil things she says live long after the press conference.
Imagine what the sanguine minds on Twitter will do if they get a visible dislike button.
Even an invisible dislike could be instructive. It might push the algorithm to shadowban Biden.
Which would be hilarious, to be honest.
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