If you were confused before about the differences between liking a website or story and sharing one, Facebook has confused the issue even more to make it simpler for us all. “Like” it, “share” it – either way you’re posting the details on your wall and onto your friends news feeds. If anything, “like” is more prominent than “share” now.
Website owners will rejoice. Unsuspecting users will likely get annoyed.
Before the update, a “like” appeared in the stream or on the wall as an action grouped with other smaller actions. It was smaller with no details other than a statement that you liked something. Shares were more prominent and were often reserved for something that people wanted their friends to see.
Share functionality will see no further development according to Facebook Spokeswoman Malorie Lucich. The company will continue to support the Share button but Like is the “recommended solution moving forward.”
The major difference between Like and Share: pushing the Like button on a website will automatically post it. Users can go to Facebook and comment on it, but there is no popup dialogue or second button to push as there is with the Share button. One-click and it’s on your wall and your friends’ news feeds.
ProTip for Websites: You want more people to push the Like button now. While the Share button allows for commentary, the benefits of a Like are now just as strong and consolidating in the direction that Facebook wants to head is wise. Plus, Like buttons show faces of friends who have already liked it, meaning that accumulating more Likes can yield a domino effect. “Share” is so 2010 now.
ProTip for Users: Be selective with what you like. You will start to annoy your friends if you flood their news feeds with dozens of stories, videos, or pictures regardless of how much they made you LOL.
We will update once we get more information about this development.
Update: It appears that Likes are registering as Shares now on the Share counter. Changing ProTip – having both available is even better now as long as they are in different locations.