It’s the end of an era on Twitter. As of today, you will no longer be able to click on a familiar friendly star icon to “favorite” a tweet.
Yes, that sweet reliable “hmm… I don’t think I’m gonna retweet it” social media alternative has been phased out for a new model. Twitter users will no longer “favorite” a tweet, but instead click a heart that shows they “like” a tweet. The shift has also taken place on Vine, which means the “favorite” really is dead.
Below is a tweet from Twitter (SENSIBLE MOVE) that champions the new like/heart system. Using some zippy animation, the mega-popular service sells the heart as a way to express things like “LOL,” “stay strong” and “adorbs” without burning excessive Twitter characters. It’s a busy world and you have things to do and all that.
https://twitter.com/twitter/status/661558661131558915?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Product manager Akarshan Kumar says the shift helps invite new users into the fold and can be easily understood no matter the Twitter enthusiast’s background.
We are changing our star icon for favorites to a heart and we’ll be calling them likes. We want to make Twitter easier and more rewarding to use, and we know that at times the star could be confusing, especially to newcomers. You might like a lot of things, but not everything can be your favorite.
The heart, in contrast, is a universal symbol that resonates across languages, cultures, and time zones. The heart is more expressive, enabling you to convey a range of emotions and easily connect with people. And in our tests, we found that people loved it.
Not a fan of the new system? Gizmodo has found a workaround where you can give the heart the heave-ho and replace it with an emoji of your choosing. Or better yet, there’s no rule saying you have to “like” things. You’re a dangerous hard-to-please Twitter gunslinger and your endorsement is a coveted asset. Do what you like.
We’ll see you in two years when “likes” are phased out for “wowzers” or something like that.
(via The Verge)