Facebook is encouraging people to argue about the Tube strike by posting updates.
This morning, mobile users are seeing a prompt at the very top of the screen telling them to “Join the conversation about the tube strike”. It seems to be the first time that such prompts — which appear at the very top of the feed — have been shown to users.
Many have suggested that the feature will just lead to people arguing. One Twitter user accused the site of “stirring discontent among [the] population”.
Facebook normally just asks people “What’s on your mind?”, when encouraging them to post in the status update box at the top of the feed. But the new message appears above that, making it likely the very first thing that people see.
The message only seems to appear on the app, and not on the desktop version of the site, and is presumably limited to those living in the relevant places.
"Join the conversation" indeed. #Facebook, it would have been easier just to say "FIGHT! FIGHT!" #tubestrike pic.twitter.com/OQ0rmkFFra
— Niall McMurray (@NiallMcM) August 5, 2015
Trust #Facebook to wind ppl up-stirring discontent amongst population with subminiminal msgs. G'd times! #tubestrike pic.twitter.com/oBndTH8kmx
— Zubin Jaffer (@zubinjaffer) August 5, 2015
Haha! Facebook are just out here trying to rile people up #TubeStrike pic.twitter.com/oJszr9vZSM
— Tosin (@Miss_Tosin) August 5, 2015
Facebook appears to be encouraging me to have a whinge about the tube strike pic.twitter.com/My139iJBVs
— Conor Pope (@Conorpope) August 5, 2015
Facebook might want people arguing to increase engagement on the site, ensuring that people use the news feed. But it’s possible to filter out such whinging, using some extensions and tools.
