Hello,
I'm Mervi Eskelinen!
An artist, nerd and sorcerer, dedicated to make world softer and better for everyone, and to get you to make more art. Make art, change the world!
On hearts, favorites, stars and likes
Yesterday Twitter announced they have made a small change to how their platforms and apps (Twitter and Vine) work. They switched the star icon to a heart, and rebranded favorites as likes. People went nuts. Some loved this change. A friend commented they think the little heart is adorable, and there were those who commented that they've been using the button to like the Tweets even before this. But most comments I saw, probably because of the type of people I follow and because the complainers are always the loudest, were negative reactions towards this change. The protests were about how favouriting Tweets was more neutral than liking them, how this breaks a good bookmarking system and then some. Twitter folks themselves point out that the star button has been confusing for, especially new, users. I don't know about that, but the change is in reality less drastic than it appears to be to many of those who I follow.
Let's begin with the wording. You really think favouriting is more neutral than liking? That's messed up, dude. I like many things, only few are my favourites. Therefore favouriting is much heavier statement than liking it. Liking, especially on web, has became a pretty neutral thing to do. Over at Facebook you have been liking everything for years. Granted Facebook is now working on creating more diverse ways to respond, in addition to liking. But then again, Twitter is not Facebook, and hopefully never will be. I think adding too many buttons will make things really confusing. Nevertheless, back to the whole liking vs. favouriting thing. Favouriting is not neutral. It's a weighted message, much heavier than liking. It's just a little crush, oops!... I did it again.
The favourite button was never intended for bookmarking. Not that it's been discouraged, nor I'm saying "you are using it wrong". I believe it's not wrong, just not the original idea. Your favourites have also previously been viewable on your profile, and certain people have been checking them to decide whether you are worth a follow or not. The Twitter user whose Tweet you've favourited has been getting notified for that favourite. Frankly, it bothers me to think a number of the favourites my Tweets have gained have only been about bookmarking. What a depressing thought. In reality it doesn't matter if you are using a favourite/star or a like/heart for bookmarking. I don't know how many people are using favourite/like as a bookmarking device, but Twitter could include a bookmark button. Though I use Pocket for bookmarking (Instapaper is good too), so as a personal note, I don't see any need for such button. As I mentioned above, favouriting is much heavier message than liking. When it comes to the symbols used, a star doesn't have a lesser meaning than a heart either.
How about brands and all the very serious businesses? All the brands that know how and why to use Twitter know also something about you. They know you are an emotional being, who makes decisions based on your emotions. For an example, I have an iPhone 4S. And the next phone I'm going to get will be most likely an iPhone as well. I can explain this by the fact that I have bough apps, used extra money on them. Additionally some of the I like to use, such as Tweetbot, are only available for iOS. I'm also used to using iPhone, iOS and the apps. Getting a new iPhone would be only rational. Except that it wouldn't. I haven't spent that much money on apps and I could get another type of a phone much cheaper. And while I am well used to iOS and quite happy with Tweetbot et al, I'm not completely stupid and I would be able to learn to use another OS and other apps. Thus the choice is mainly, if not only, emotional. For any brand using Twitter an emotional response would be welcomed, since it is how decisions on purchases and other business related choices are made. You heart it, you want it.
Star has its own heavyweight connotations. The moans about the heart are about how it's too a serious sign. As someone put it, starring a link to a story about a genocide seemed bad enough, hearting it is downright cold. Unless you see it as a sign of empathy, that is. A heart, as a symbol, is much more empathetic than a star. Stars are cold and distant, yet they also are desirable, adored and considered as something better. There are movie stars, rockstars and any other professional stars. If you are a star in your profession, you are better than the others. Stars also are associated to rating and grading. You've heard about the teachers, who gave gold stars to the students who excelled in exams, being polite, kissing the teachers ass. When you rate businesses on Yelp or movies on IMDb, you give them stars. Google shows rating meta in the search results as stars. Don't forget the religious or political meanings of a star, either. Giving that star to a Tweet can mean much more than you've realised.
It's a pretty safe bet that after a while everyone have forgotten the star and are just fine with the heart. My initial response was that same WTF as for many others, but since I have decided to welcome the heart over a star. Changes tend to evoke strong, primary reactions. Resistance to change is hardwired to you in order to protect you from uncertain and strange new things, that could be harmful. It's natural to fear a change, even a tiny little one, like a switch of a icon and wording on a platform you use. While it is acceptable to have such fear, it's also acceptable to let that fear go. For your survival it doesn't really matter if it's a heart, a favourite, as star or a like. It doesn't matter if you use a star or a heart for bookmarking. It doesn't matter if the word used is favorite or like. Finally, it's not that serious. It's only Twitter.
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