Should you be able to “abhor” Facebook posts? Threadsy says yes

abhor-page
Oh, “I bought new socks” status update. How I hate thee….

And now you literally can hate them.

Threadsy, which puts e-mail and social network updates together in one stream, is experimenting with an “abhor” button to flag lame Facebook posts.

Facebook, which adopted a “like” feature in January to let people voice approval for posts, has never offered any negative reinforcement to prevent boring updates. (However, Facebook lets you “hide” updates from users you don’t want to see without offending them.)

So San Francisco-based Threadsy’s barging in with its own more pointed feature. If a post has been abhorred, it will have a link that lands at a Threadsy page reading, “This Facebook status has been abhorred. Someone must’ve thought it was particularly lame.”

abhor-on-facebookScott Kendall, who leads product at Threadsy, said the “abhor” button probably won’t be anonymous to prevent blatant spamming.

“There’d be no accountability and no impact on your reputation — same as what you see happen with anonymous blog comments,” he wrote in an e-mail. “The way I envision it, abhors should be used sparingly, jokingly, and perhaps only with your closest friends.”

Plus anonymous “abhorring” would require a special “abhor” app for Facebook. Threadsy, which is backed by August Capital, is in private beta but you can get a special invite here.

So readers, do you “like” it or “abhor” it?

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Photo of Kim-Mai Cutler

About the Author, Kim-Mai Cutler

Kim-Mai was born and raised a stone's throw from Apple headquarters in Cupertino by a devout Hewlett-Packard family. After attending UC Berkeley, Kim-Mai worked for Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires in New York, Los Angeles, London and Buenos Aires. Follow her on Twitter at @kimmaicutler, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.

  • Why not just type Abhorred instead of using their app? Is that all it does?
  • Yes, we're currently experimenting with this feature in our "2% time", so potentially coming soon.

    If you want to experience threadsy, please request an invite through this link for an expedited invite for VentureBeat readers: http://bit.ly/2bw7xy
  • Amy
    I think you absolutely should - I'm sick of only being able to like posts.
  • xxteemo
    Now way dude, that is just liek the craziest thing I ever seen!

    Jess
    www.true-privacy.net.tc
  • Scott Taylor
    there's already an app for that, I made it:
    http://apps.facebook.com/thehatebutton
  • Name
    couldnt have picked a better word? dislike? hate?
  • cesar
    No it's a was a time. I've notice people just put something like: *unlike* in the comments.
  • hammersandnails@gmail.com
    that is the lamest thing ever.

    an actual good "hate" app would be cool but why wouldnt I just write "this sucks" and skip the plug for a company that makes crappy apps?
  • caddi12
    why create a button that gives incentive to be negative?
  • James
    Really? Abhor? Thats the word they chose? Not "Dislike" or "Hate" or "That sucks" even?
  • littlebuffalo
    I think abhor has a certain tongue-in-cheek wit, whereas the other words being suggested are a bit too on-the-nose and negative. there's nothing particularly clever or sarcastic about saying you 'hate' a comment...
  • Not a bad idea, but "abhor" is a rubbish word to use. I would prefer a 'suck', 'poop' or 'bobbins' button, personally.
  • Gotta choose a better word ... 'abhor' is absolutely abhorring!
  • Tim
    in honor of the stupid PSA ads.... how bout a "that's gay" button!
  • StupidMe
    How come your asking this that even your commenting thread only have "Like" button. LOL
  • Gotta choose a better word ... 'abhor' is absolutely abhorring! indeed.
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