London - Facebook users may soon be able to “sympathise” with a friend’s status rather than simply “like” it.
Engineers at the social network designed the “sympathise button” at a brainstorming event.
At present, when a user posts an update on Facebook – for example, if they get a new job – their friends can click on the “like” button to show their support or approval, without necessarily having to write a comment.
But for sad occasions, such as the death of a pet, the button can be inappropriate.
Under the proposed system, a user posting a status update would also select an emotion from a list of feelings. If it was negative, the “like” button would change to “sympathise”.
The button was designed at a ‘hackathon’ event, which involves the firm’s employees staying up all night to devise new ideas.
But there is no indication as to when it will be introduced. Engineer Dan Muriello said: “We made a decision that it was not exactly the right time to launch that product. Yet.” - Daily Mail