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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Technology
Hannah Jane Parkinson

Twitter is replacing favourites with likes – but does anyone heart it?

Twitter heart function button
Twitter has replaced favourites with hearts. Do you find it ‘adorbs’? Photograph: HannahJaneParkinson/Guardian composite

Favourites – we use them for a myriad of reasons. Favouriting a tweet could mean “I like this tweet”, or “good point”, or “this is fun, but not enough to retweet”, or “I acknowledge your communication, but can’t be bothered to reply”, or “the conversation is ending now, but on a positive note!” Also, the favourite is a great bookmarking tool.

Now, however, Twitter has cruelly stripped away all of the above nuances of communication by replacing the favourite function with a “like” button. Unlike. How, now, is one supposed to bookmark an article on the refugee crisis without ‘liking’ it? I’m not ready to inaccurately look – ironically – heartless on social media.

In a press release, Twitter’s thinking is entirely wrongheaded. Hearts are, it says, “more expressive”. No, hearts aren’t, for reasons outlined above. Here is what they think a heart can mean …

“ADORBS”. Bleurgh. Here’s how others have reacted …

Some users on Twitter have taken the change really well

Others have made the point about ‘liking’ bad news tweets

While these people make very good points

Some are more optimistic

Others took to polls to debate the subject


Some people think it is ADORBS

And some are already being caught out

People are taking the mickey, too, obviously

Here is what all British users need, however. Can we sort this?

Do you like the new “like”? Or was the old star your favourite? Let us know in the comments below.

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