Facebook is a bloated, invasive mess which ultimately offers little useful functionality other than that of an online address book. For all my criticisms however (and I have many, many criticisms) the one thing Zuckerberg and his band of little wizards did get right is the 'Like' button.

Yes I know that Facebook have a mechanism whereby a user can 'Like' something on a third-party website, but on more than one occasion I've found myself instinctively looking for a 'Like' button at the bottom of an amusing email from a friend. There is no 'Like' button in my email client. None.

What I propose is a Universal 'Like' Button completely divorced from Facebook. A universal approval standard that can be used in any area of computing, from websites to email to - conceivably - the level of individual bits of data passing through your system. You could like a single binary 0 as it passes through your CPU.

And why stop with computing? Yes, I've seen those 'hilarious' physical 'Like' statuettes that you can put on someone's desk because (ha ha!) you 'Like' their desk. Balls to statuettes, let's have a free-floating 'Like' button that you can conjure up, waft into the air before you using some mysterious projection mechanism and prod into action with your fat, toffee-covered fingers. "LOOK DEREK I HAVE LIKED THAT THING YOU JUST SAID. I HAVE MADE A BUTTON APPEAR AND I HAVE PRESSED THE BUTTON AND THAT MEANS I LIKE THE THING YOU JUST SAID THERE." you would say, frantically waving your stupid hands around and dancing excitedly from foot to foot.

It is universal. It is a button. It says 'Like' on it. That is it.
-- rodti, Jul 21 2014

both Like and Dislike https://www.google....24&bih=615#imgdii=_
[xandram, Jul 22 2014]

old WWII like button http://blog.tribliv...014/04/ilikeike.jpg
[pashute, Jul 22 2014]

These guys seem to like Universal http://kritikaltech...tudio-singapore.jpg
and they even got paid for it... [pashute, Jul 22 2014]

facebook in Thailand http://www.wikigend...acebook_in_Thailand
The most likely item to be shared is pictures of food. It has become such a trend that before eating, people take some pictures of the appealing dishes and upload them on their 'wall'. [Ling, Jul 22 2014]

I find it almost impossible to believe this isn't on HB already, but can't see anything in the search results.
-- rodti, Jul 21 2014


Halfbaked, it's called "the bun". Like=bun. Need say no more. The rest of the world does not exist.
-- blissmiss, Jul 21 2014


OK, how about a Universal 'Bun' Button then?
-- rodti, Jul 21 2014


I''ll bun that +
-- blissmiss, Jul 21 2014


A universal bun button I understand. A universal like button is more mysterious - if it is universal, how can it be like anything else, since it is everything already?
-- pocmloc, Jul 21 2014


I wish for a dislike button as well. A "Please never show me crap like this again" button.
-- popbottle, Jul 22 2014


Wow, you are brave. That opens a whole new can of worms. Literally speaking, naturally.
-- blissmiss, Jul 22 2014


Couldn't find the dislike button, so I had to write it longhand. Hate Facebook. By the way, I call Facebook in Thailand: "The worlds biggest menu", because people always post their meals on it. If I could ever be bothered to do it, I will post half eaten remains, and most recent defecations. Did I mention that I hate Facebook?
-- Ling, Jul 22 2014


I get food things and game things about once a month. My friends know better. Don't you tell your friends to not show you stuff? It's not an insult, just what you don't want to see. Either your friends eat A LOT, or they aren't your friends. I think at least.
-- blissmiss, Jul 22 2014


Annos should be bunnable.
-- nineteenthly, Jul 22 2014


Agreed.
-- blissmiss, Jul 22 2014


//Either your friends eat A LOT, or they aren't your friends//

Neither...see link.
-- Ling, Jul 22 2014


Ling, do you live there? If so, please accept my apology. I certainly didn't mean to insult someone's culture. (Though the practice of showing your dinner everyday does grow weary.). Thanks for the education.
-- blissmiss, Jul 23 2014


:) no problem, blissmiss... I do live there, but I'm originally from elsewhere. 'Ling' is just a local nickname which means Monkey. I don't see the resemblance, but it's common to have nicknames based on animals.
-- Ling, Jul 23 2014



random, halfbakery