I'm not sure I have ever been so ambivalent about anything as I am about the Facebook Like button, and the irony of that statement is not lost on me. From a cultural point of view, the Like button represents mass thinking; anonymity (to a degree) and discourages independent thought and expression.  It seems like an easy way out of digesting web content and then commenting on it from a unique viewpoint.  No more "Oh, I can totally relate to that because..." or "Wow, that has really opened my eyes."  Just click, Like.

What's more, the Like button doesn't allow for any kind of gradation of response.  There isn't even a Dislike button (although if user pressure wins out this should be a feature that Facebook introduces in the not to distant future).  Where is the passion?  Where are the buttons for "Love", "Tragic", "Fun" "Emotionally Moving" or "Waste of Time"? 

I even dislike the word Like.  As a writer I find such bland expressions verging on offensive.  I can't help it.  I spend my working days poring over the possible words to use to accurately and expressively say something.   "Like" is reserved for things that don't even deserve such depth of thought.  Now, a whole generation will arise that will nonchalantly slap a Like tag on anything that remotely holds their interest for longer than a nanosecond.  A generation who are already losing huge chunks of vocabulary.

The fact that the button has been so speedily and widely integrated across the web also concerns me.  What is our current overwhelming need to cast our vote publicly in what we do or don't like?  I like my mail man, but I don't feel the need to slap a label on him or knock on my neighbours doors to inform them of that fact.

So it makes me wonder how much insight we can take from Like activity in general.  If I Like an article, but don't take time to comment, how much did it really impact me?  And therein lies another of my primary concerns: with an easy and fast Like button, does this mean that less people will take the time to leave comments on web content?  Will its ubiquitous use decrease community interaction?  I know that many websites have reported an average of 50% increase in visitors after installing the button, but how many of them have registered or left comments?  So 50 people read your article and 10 people liked it.  As a blog owner, what are you to make of that if none of them left any feedback other than a button click?

So after such a long rant on the cons of the Facebook Like button, (and I haven't even touched on privacy or security issues!) why do I claim to be ambivalent?  The pro is that Like buttons (and the social graph in general) are a boon for online marketing.  Website owners can watch their content easily spread throughout the social network and gain access to even more statistics on user activity and demographics across their domain.
 

As an online marketer, I love the power of the Facebook Like button. 

As a writer, I mourn for the loss of individual expression through the power of words.

What are your thoughts?  Have you installed the Like button on your blog?  Have you seen an increase in traffic or a decrease in comments?