Comments on: Proposed Facebook icon for "meh" (as opposed to "like")

By: Sethum

Sethum — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I love the concept, but why would you take the time to label something ‘Meh’ if that’s how you felt about it? Isn’t that like raising your hand to tell your teacher you have ‘no comment’?

As for the liking a sad post, they probably should change the button to a ‘I support this’ sort of concept. That would be more universally appropriate.

By: WhatWouldWilsonDoBlog

WhatWouldWilsonDoBlog — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

meh

By: fataltourist

fataltourist — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

“Meh” is more like saying “Hey everyone, look at me! I don’t care about this. Pretty cool, right?”

So yeah, you’re right that if you actually didn’t care, you wouldn’t post or click on anything, and move on with your life.

By: EH

EH — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I care about not caring.

By: Felton

Felton — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

That’s not a passionate enough symbol for my apathy.

By: Gelfin

Gelfin — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I find myself rent upon the crags of a most vexing second-order ambivalence: not merely ambivalent about this present issue, which surely I am, but further ambivalent of ambivalence itself, not possessed of an opinion, and yet gripped by an overwhelming need to communicate the absence, to affect my unaffection, as it were. I do not find this matter important, but whether others may know the manner in which I find it is quite another matter indeed!

Woe be to any mere mortal who attempts, as I have inadequately attempted herein, to express so rich and nuanced a mental state as this. It must indubitably tax the very limits of our species’ paltry lexicographical legerdemain.

By: gwailo_joe

gwailo_joe — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I’m kinda so-so about the whole idea. . .

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

â€œfor me to poop on!â€ is what it should be for comments that suck.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I fancy a “go F yourself” button. symbol: middle finger.

By: Ted8305

Ted8305 — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

The problem is you have to actually use Facebook to use the meh icon. I am too meh for meh.

By: Felton

Felton — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Now that’s a passionate expression of apathy.

By: Victoria

Victoria — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I wanna ‘like’ your ‘meh’ button, although I think it should be an ‘aight’ button :)

By: k88dad

k88dad — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Isn’t that already the icon for “where’s my expected tip?” I’ll leave it to other posters to come up with less savory meanings…

By: Felton

Felton — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I thought it was the “may I have this dance” icon, but I suppose that would be a bit highbrow for the site that invented “throw a sheep at ____.”

By: Zadaz

Zadaz — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

The Pro-Meh forces will always conquer anti-Meh forces. Whereas the Pro-Meh care about not caring the Anti-Meh don’t care about not caring.

But I’m old. It was always “Feh” when I was a young twerp on the BBS.

By: jimmosk

jimmosk — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

“Meh”: for times when “whatever” just has too many syllables.

By: timquinn

timquinn — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

The comment I find curious is “I don’t find this funny at all.” It is useless on so many levels. Perhaps the icon could be a scowling clown face.

By: berco

berco — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

People who write for the Internets are not talking into the void to aid the personal contemplation of private thoughts. If that were the case, a journal kept under the pillow would be more appropriate. Instead, these writers broadcast opinions and information to an enormous potential audience in order to invite a response.

While it is more gentlemanly to be silent in response to a speaker whose topic one finds dis-interesting rather than tell the speaker that s/he is dull, the Internets are not known for gentlemen.

The meh response is valid, if rude.

By: NZmoores

NZmoores — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Meh. Ew. Spew. Gaga? Enough already.

http://nodavebarry.blogspot.com/2010/08/lady-gaga-7-day-scandal-forecast-doing.html

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

How about we go back to expressing ourselves with words instead?

By: Brainspore

Brainspore — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

The meh response is valid, if rude.

It’s like answering a call-in poll with “no opinion” or writing a letter to the editor to complain that a particular article wasn’t interesting enough to grab your attention. It’s not just rude, it’s downright confounding.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

HILARIOUS.

By: Felton

Felton — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Fry trying to choose a political party:

Fry: “Now here’s a party I can get excited about. Sign me up!”

Apathy Party Guy: “Sorry, not with that attitude.”

Fry: “Ok, then screw it.”

Apathy Party Guy: “Welcome aboard, brother!”

Fry: “All right!”

Apathy Party Guy: “You’re out.”

By: Felton

Felton — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

That makes sense. I’ve always thought of it as minimalist trolling.

By: JimEJim

JimEJim — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I disagree with Hodgman on this, or at least think that he might be reserving his hatred of “meh” in the context of twitter responses, where the users really don’t need to be there in the first place most of the time. There are other forums for which it would apply also.

I think it’s an efficient way to show disinterest though when you’re actually part of a conversation and being asked to show an opinion.

For example:

A: “How’d your interview go yesterday?”
B: “Meh…”

Simple and gives most of the information you need. Sure, you could expand on it with some more detail, but you’ve already established that it had some issues, and depending on tone you can even convey a bit more info.

Back on topic, I think a Facebook version falls in the unnecessary category.

By: obeyken

obeyken — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Not to over-explain myself, but for the record, I tend towards the anti-meh camp (Hodgman, I thought, put it very eloquently). The idea of an actual clickable icon to express one’s indifference is completely absurd.

By: r1ch

r1ch — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

But ‘meh’ is nowhere near as IRRITATING as the way that HODGMAN guy keeps SHOUTING all the time.

By: obeyken

obeyken — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Gelfin, if only there were some word to explain what you were feeling…

By: muteboy

muteboy — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

That’s a good idea – a sympathy button. Although some might say that if you really felt sympathy, you’d actually post a comment. Who has time for that, though?

I also disagree with Hodgman, but just on principle, because he’s become a sacred cow.

By: Marja

Marja — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

That icon doesn’t say “meh” to me. It says “my body language is completely unrelated to yours, and unreadable to you.” I can’t read any meaning into that hand, or a reserved hand, or a tilted palm, or any of the other things people have mentioned here.