X is working on a "dislike" button to rank responses - media
Kyiv • UNN
Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) is developing a downvote feature for replies to posts.
X Elon Musk, formerly known as Twitter, continues to develop a downvote feature for replies to posts that will be used to improve their ranking, UNN reports citing TechCrunch.
Details
Although the company has not yet officially announced its plans, as indicated, the "downvote" feature may actually resemble a "dislike" button rather than a Reddit-style "downvote" icon. Code references found in the X app for iOS suggest a button that appears as a broken heart icon next to the heart-shaped "Like" button, as well as direct links to the "dislike" feature.
Like Twitter, the company tested the downvote feature in 2021, ahead of its acquisition by Elon Musk. However, during the initial experiment, Twitter tested both upvote and downvote buttons on all posts. The latest tests show that X is considering allowing a downvote feature only to showcase the best responses at the top of a long thread, while moving less liked responses further down the thread. This could prevent users from posting content specifically designed to annoy people and trying to generate hostility as a form of interaction.
As indicated, it is unclear whether X is currently considering adding the upvote feature to all posts on the platform or only to replies.
Addendum
This is not the only change that X has made to its "likes" system since Musk took over the social network. Recently, X began hiding likes from public view, allowing people to, as Musk put it, like "edgier" content and protect their image.