Are Annoying Facebook Notifications Really a Monetization Strategy?

like

All these people got to learn that I made Jeff Thompson's day.

A couple months ago, Facebook introduced us (who weren’t using FriendFeed) to the “Like” button.  Users could quickly indicate their appreciation for content without having to think about writing a witty comment.  Users improved their understanding of how to make their friends happy.  Facebook built even more data around micro-demographic preferences to further their strategy of people organization.

The Problem:  28 Notifications

Whenever you click “Like”, you are notified via email of anyone who comments on the item.  There is no way to turn off this insanely annoying feature.

Why does “Like” function the same as a comment?  When I comment, I am commenting with the direct intent of creating a discussion so I look forward to follow-ups.

However, when I “Like” something, I’m simply telling someone that they are neat.  I do not want to hear what others have to say, the “Like” button is merely of a personal feedback mechanism.

Is Facebook Doing This To Sell Credits?

My friends who stopped clicking “like” told me they hated notifications from strangers.  This functionality seems easy for Facebook to make and would make Facebook users happy.  Facebook are a very smart group of people…is this annoyance intentional?

Facebook has talked about offering Facebook Credits to reward users for good content which is a logical step.  Now, if you knew that by using a credit to “like” something that you wouldn’t get notified, wouldn’t you buy a couple?  Even if you wouldn’t buy any, wouldn’t you use a few that were gien to you rather than cash them out?

April 26, 2009 • Posted in: Facebook, Strategy
  • Patty Lewis
    I have most of my email notifications turned off; I just get texts when someone wants to friend me, or for certain status updates I subscribe to. When I log in I just check the notifications flag to process 'so-and-so also commented on X's status.' I don't find this cumbersome at all.
  • @Alain - I agree with you that liking, retweeting, or digg-ing are all the same thing. But, by the nature of them not actually "commenting", is that enough to start a conversation?

    In real world conversations, an open-ended question works a lot better than a wink or a nod. So, I guess your last sentence is right...a lazy way of saying "this is cool" and hoping others will comment.

    I really like the "like" feature, it's just BS that we can't turn it off. Therefore, Facebook is doing something sneaky with it...
  • Ben, some have argued that "like" in Facebook or FriendFeed are the same as retweeting or "Digg-ing" an article or product. The question is whether some people are actually doing it to encourage a conversation - which I think they are. Further, what might be more appropriate for Facebook is to find an approach like FriendFeed where "Like" is not broadcast separately but simply exists as metadata for the original post. To me, retweeting and liking are lazy forms of saying, hey, this is interesting to me, without adding insight into why.
  • Hey Ben,
    I think that Facebook just needs to get back to its roots. Focus on real friends and excel at that as opposed to trying to be everything to everyone. Keep up the great work!
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