Once upon a time, the phenomenon named Mark Z who paid more attention to doing things outside the classroom than inside them at an Ivy-League School came up with an idea called Facebook. The term social networking came later. Initially it was to connect people in his B-School. The phenomenon spread like wildfire and got millions of people hooked onto the bandwagon of status updates, pic upload, groups, lists and other mumbo jumbo. Welcome to the world of brazen displays, loud opinions, 24X7 addiction and wasteful productivity. Yes, some workplaces have banned access and heaved a huge sigh of relief.
Facebook did not sit tight on its triumphs that includes over 800 million subscribers; it kept coming back with changes. These changes on FB profiles were almost always resented and rejected with gusto initially. People formed groups – bring the old FB back, we don’t want timelines but soon felt it easier to conform and move ahead as we are prone to do for everything. Among the great features, I quite like the Like button. It would be nice to have it in real life and not respond just press it diplomatically. Like sits demurely on status updates, for pictures as well as for individual comments.
Here is what I have worked tirelessly upon in my faltu time as a short bulleted list which is your Dummies for Like. This is when we must Like something:
- If it comes from a female
- When the status update seems too long to read or too difficult to comprehend
- When I see so many of my friends liking it, I click like by default
- When I can’t make out why it is written or which language it is written in
- When I feel that I will be judged adversely if I don’t like the picture or status, after all everyone else in my group has already liked it
- When I don’t want to say how ghastly you look to your face
- When I seriously don’t know what the fuss is about
- When no one has seen my post or pic, I press like on it so that it comes up in your TL. How dare you ignore it?
- Damn! I want to show that I opened that intellectual link or video and appreciated it when I had no time to do so
- When I see a quote attributed to people who are turning in their graves wondering why their name is being attached to something you just pulled out of your ass.
- When there is no dislike button
- Like when you want to acknowledge that you’ve been there and seen that
- Like without questions asked when it is a pet or a baby picture
- When you actually like something by the virtue of it being nice, funny or beautiful!
- Whenever in doubt, click Like :)!
Yep, that’s right! That’s exactly how you do it!
Update: A couple of updates made based on innovative comments from the readers.
Pic courtesy: Freedigitalphotos.net
I LIKE this! 😀 So very true!! 😀
:).
Like.
Nice to see you here after a long time, Colleen!
So true. Today itself the ladies in my society have formed an FB group as if seeing them day in and day out was not enough… I think innovation has left FB.. the dislike button i am sure will get more presses 🙂
hehe Just turn off the notifications :).
good idea 🙂
Ha ha! Loved the list. True true and so true! 🙂 Hell, where’s the Like button for this post? 🙂 I can’t make up my mind which point I like the best 😀 And oh – “Easier to conform and move ahead as we are prone to do for everything.” – ‘reality bites’ phrase of the century! 🙂
Glad you connected with the post! Thank you for picking up the sarcasm I used in other places :). I have deliberately not added the Like buttons on my blog. I think it is enough that we have them on FB, don’t you agree? 🙂
🙂 Good one!
I ‘Like’ this!
Thank you Deepakji!
You know a friend on FB actually likes her own pics .. Now I understand why 🙂
aha! I have seen people click their own pics as you pointed out and their posts too. The best way to get something to show up again on the TL is to click like or comment on some status update. And voila, it is up again on top :).
Great read! One of the major crisis in life is To like or not to like! But as you said, when in doubt, click like!
hehe Akanksha, there are some unwritten rules in FBing and blogging. Liking is just a drop in the ocean :).
Hehe…
So true!!
Where is the like button? 😉
Disabled the like buttons on my blog ;-).
Now I’m wondering about all the times you said ‘Like’ to my posts! 😉
Good one Corinnne! Looks like I revealed a secret too many ;-).
Very true, such an easy alternate to write a comment. Press like and you are done. Teenagers judge their popularity on the basis of likes they have garnered on their status updates.
This generation really have lots of faltu time.
Not only this generation or the youngsters, we all spend a lot of time on FB!
Haaahaaa! Sooper lykee!
Thank you dear :).
like
Thank you guys and welcome here!
An insightful listing of the reality of a mere ‘like’… no wonder i don’t care so much about them but do care about actual readable and discernible comments on my posts or photos…
Arvind Passey
http://www.passey.info
And that is such a smart approach, Arvind!
Rachna ,How nicely and correctly youhave listed the “likes”. Intelligent indeed!!
Thank you Ushaji :).
I think you will get more sincere ‘like’s here than in the face book because most of them follow what you have listed here! I don’t acknowledge ‘like’s but comments, I do!
What can one say! The compulsions of social networking. What if you get a comment that says “Like?’ 🙂
I may have to ‘like’ it, then!
funny yet true…
Thank you Shiv! Welcome here.
Hah! “Like” for this because that is what I am genuinely feeling 😀
Oh one more thing one’s got to “like”, no questions asked – baby and pet photos!
(There was a typo next to 800 million subscribers…you had a “$” sign next to it)
Thank you Rickie! I know a genuine like when I see one :). Oh yes, will add that one to the list, valid point! And thank you so much for pointing out the typo. Have corrected that! Looks like $ sign is getting automatically attracted to millions :).
Interesting analysis. I have often wanted like for statuses about people liking something. I want to like people liking your post. Maybe FB will add that soon.
hehe what a confusing “liking” scenario! Thanks for connecting with the post :).
Super like. And I am not in doubt.
Sometimes I see more than hundred likes on certain pics of friends. Wonder if they keep a tab on who all liked the pic.
Thank you Alka! I wonder if people actually keep tabs on that but then FB notifications make sure you do :).
Haaahaaa! Sooper lykee! yezzz i am a fan of Dr Kavita:)
So am I :). Thank you Ramesh!
We have ‘likes in WordPress, too. So confusing; I have a sneaking feeling it’s possible to ‘mass-like’ posts, so it becomes a glorified way of marketing and getting hits. Great post.
Thank you Kate. Yes, I have disabled like on this WordPress theme :). There are times when I see a person go on a mass liking spree so you are absolutely right there :). Thank you for reading.
All the points are true especially : Damn! I want to show that I opened that intellectual link or video and appreciated it when I had no time to do so
hehe Glad you enjoyed and connected with the post, Joe! Thanks for reading and visiting.
When to ‘LIKE’ is difficult … sometimes a comment just seems too much effort and it’s become a polite way to acknowledge you have seen the post – almost a greeting, like a nod in the street. I don’t do it unless I really do LIKE it … like pretending not to see someone because you have you sweat pants and no make-up on …
haha Nice analogy, Jane :). I have added this point in my list.
The story of rise of FB is incredible and speaks volumes of vision of Mark Zuckenberg! Do not miss ‘The Social Network’ the saga of FB, Rachna!I am now in two minds whether to press the ‘Like’ button:)
I have seen “The Social Network.” Quite loved the story. And that is the reason why I have disabled likes in this theme :).
Like.:-)
Well, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed reading the list of reasons for a like. and No, this is a genuine Like for this post 🙂
Thank you Ashwini! Glad you enjoyed the post :).
If only there’s a “Double Like” Or “Superlike” button, I’d have used it here. But, how true they are!
Thank you dear! So glad you enjoyed the post :).
Like is the easiest thing to do. It is, though, ironical that we love it when the number increases on our timeline 🙂
Absolutely Nisha, don’t we all enjoy that :).
like…like..like…hehehe…I am just waiting for the day when FB will launch a dislike button at all…I would be the first one to dislike infinite things….LOL..many times, we do it out of hypocrisy
Yep we all are partners in that hypocrisy ;-). It will be a huge problem if a dislike button is introduced. It will create virtual tiffs like no other. Glad you enjoyed the post :).
My like usually means that I have seen the post ಠ_ಠ
I know Giri! Sometimes I do that too when I want to acknowledge that I have seen something but have nothing new to add in the comment. Always thrilled to see your likes or comments :).
I wish there was an unlike button though. Although deactivated from fb for over a year, I really wanted to use that unlike button 🙂 This post, I ‘like’ 😀
Thanks dear! There is an unlike button on FB but that will only neutralize what you liked. It is not really a dislike button :). Thank you for reading and connecting with the post.
Opps yes, I meant dislike button!
Lol…that’s so true. The other day I randomly gave a ‘Like’ to a colleague’s wedding pic and another colleague who saw me doing it said that it’s come to this – you say nothing, just drop a Like, as simple as that! 😉 And I guess this bucket list can go for things like ‘lol and rofl’ though it’s not so much in vogue as it used to be. Do people really laugh out loud when they ‘lol’? But I really laughed out loud at the list, okay? 😀 Neat job.
hehe I actually only put ROFL or LOL when I laugh uproariously at something. Thank you for liking the post :).
I really like the like button on blog posts though. You can convey to the wrtier that u ‘liked the post. It is not necessary to have an opinion on everything, right? FB I don’t bother. 😀
Good point, Bhagya. Of course it is not necessary to have an opinion on everything :). FB is fun in so many ways.
Haha! I agree. I have done stuff like this at times but 95% of the time, my likes are genuine. 🙂 I like commenting instead of hitting the like button. It is the closest we come to conversations.
Me too :). I will put my self in your category. 95% of the time I do it genuinely, but sometimes I cheat too ;-). I will leave a comment most of the times even on blogs too.
I feel the like button assumes that people are intellectually challenged that they can’t even think of one simple reason (or excuse) to say why they appreciate something. One friend told me that when he is drunk, the only sober thing that he could do is press like to anything and everything. I guess there might be other reasons why people simply press like without writing a comment. 🙂
By the way that Mark Z guy was originally hired by his seniors to work on this social networking site due to his programming skills. He simply appropriated the concept. Later on he paid a few million dollars to settle the claims.
Nice to see you here after a long time, Sabyasachi! You are absolutely right about Mark Z’s errr. other skills. I had watched that in the movie “Social Network” with disbelief. haha and pressing like while being drunk, now that is really funny :).
Whenever I read your post,without even applying my mind,I click LIKE
What a beautiful thing to say. I am blessed to have you as a blogger friend.
Lol, great list Rachna. its a LIKE
Thank you StyleDestino! Welcome to my blog :).
hahahaha–a Like post that has got a lot of likes and double likes! Let me add in a superlike! Neat list:)
Thank you Bhavana ;-).
Have you met like’s elder sis, sooper like? She rocks and how.
Loved reading the funny Rachna.
Luckily that button is still not there but I see that coming soon :). Thank you for liking the post.
Ha! I just saw this post, are we now in sync on what we blog about? 🙂 LIKE 🙂
Yes, totally in sync :).
Smart huh! These days kids make you search for your next word 🙂
Yeah, they are too smart for comfort :).
“Damn! I want to show that I opened that intellectual link or video and appreciated it when I had no time to do so”
lol .. awesome post !
hehe Thanks Rahul :).
LOL! When in doubt like it 😛
Too good, Rachna. 🙂
Thank you, Saru!:D So many times, we do that na.
Oh, I’d missed this post of yours! Guilty to pressing the ‘like’ button at times for all the given reasons, but mostly also because I genuinely like the post too! Now it’s time for FB to launch differential like buttons – Genuine like, just a like, too busy to read but still like, I pressed like so expect a return like, a hello-long time no see like, etc… will make things more fun there:)
Yes, I have been guilty of each one of them, Vibha :). I guess it is fun to laugh at oneself as much as the others. You have a very valid point. I hope Mark Z is hearing!
hahah sounds about right! ‘LIKE’ 🙂
hehe (y)
Thanks for the ”like” insight Rachna. Any gyaan on how to get more honest ”likes” for a facebook page?
Yes, only one — beg :-)!
Seemingly so many people have already liked this post…so i will too, after all that’s what the rule is …right?
haha I can see that you are a fast learner, Kajal ;-).
Love this post…sensible and hilarious
jst today was thinking about all this.
Its like u read my mind 😉 I love the last line
hehe Glad you had some laughs, Afshu!
Very interesting post ! The psychology of all bloggers is the same.
haha Ushaji!
Now where did my Like vanish? 🙂 This one I remember reading and Liking for all the right reasons except the one about ‘when in doubt’ 🙂
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