Last
week Twitter surprised investors by announcing strong 3Q earnings. Revenue is up 29% versus last year. But there was some unwelcome news as
well. It was the second quarter in a row
that the company missed active user estimates, and monthly active users are
down 1% versus year ago. (Castillo, 2018)
So
it's not surprising that CEO Jack Dorsey is looking for a way to increase
active monthly users. What is a surprise
is that the way he is considering doing it is by removing the like button. The idea, which is meant to "improve
debate," comes at a time when the company has been heavily criticized for
abusive behavior by some posters and the spread of fake news. (Snider, 2018)
And
it's the polar opposite of the approach many news sites have taken of eliminating
comments altogether to limit trolling.
So
what do you think? Do you use the
"like" button when you engage with content on social media? Do you make comments? Would you comment more if there was no
"like" button? Would it affect
your participation in the site? What do
you think other people will do, and why?
Castillo,
M. (2018, October 25) Twitter stock
soars after strong earnings beat. cnbc.com.
Retrieved October 30, 2018, from
Snider,
M. (2018, October 29) Twitter looking to remove "Like' button as a away to
improve debate on social network. usatoday.com. Retrieved October 30, 2018, from
