However, word has it that Zuckerberg's gang has been working on some form of "sympathize" button — which came to be known as the dislike button — since 2013. No doubt they realized long ago that allowing people to express their dislike of something with a click was not a wise strategy. Facebook has hired a lot of smart people, after all.
"Not every moment is a good moment, and sometimes you just want to express empathy," Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a post announcing the launch of Reactions. "These are important moments where you need the power to share more than ever, and a Like might not be the best way to express yourself."
Reactions gives users seven different emojis to express themselves: angry, sad, wow, yay, haha, love, and, of course, like.
Finally, we have our first look at how Facebook users will be able to express themselves with more than just a thumbs-up in the future — and it's not a dislike button. Instead, it's a collection of emojis Facebook is calling Reactions.
Most Facebook users will have to wait to see how the launch plays out in Ireland and Spain first. But by the time it reaches broader horizons, Facebook should have worked out most of the bugs and figured out if people are using Reactions as they intended.
