You may have seen your friends or relatives post sad news on their Facebook accounts. Current limitations on the social media site mean that you can write and communicate your condolences through a message or a post, but apart from that, there is not immediate action button to summarize that ‘sympathy’. Think about it; one of your friends has just posted that his dog has died. Would you give it a thumbs up by pressing the ‘like’ button? Probably not. But if there was a ‘sympathize’ button, you might click that to express yourself.

Some people believe that this type of button has not yet been added because Facebook wants to build a ecosystem channeling positive communications. But at a recent Facebook Hackathon, one developer came up with a logical idea for a Facebook ‘sympathize’ button. He reasoned that Facebookers needed a button that would help them acknowledge events, without ‘liking’ them. The idea was soon taken up to those present at the event and has subsequently garnered a lot of publicity.

But if you are scanning Facebook for the button, you might have to wait for some more time. Facebook does not seem too eager about the development. One Facebook developer who was questioned on the issue said that while the idea of a Facebook ‘sympathize’ button has been well received among his colleagues, there are no plans to integrate the idea into the site, at least not in the foreseeable future.

Source: Business Insider