Twitter has decided to replace the 'Star' symbol with the 'Heart' symbol to indicate Favorites. Oh, and instead of 'favorites' - they will be called 'likes'. Yikes!

Twitter is claiming that the change is based on  heart symbol being more universal which is probably true - but it is universally a symbol of 'Love' and not 'Like'. Facebook, like it or not, holds the monopoly on the 'Like'.  

I believe they should have just gone with that - the 'thumbs-up' 'Like' symbol - Facebook style. There is nothing more appropriate than the tepid 'Like' - to indicate our interactions on social networks - when they are often no more than casual acknowledgments, noncommittal agreements or mere bookmarks.

'Favorite' was always a bit wrong. 'Favorite' is generally in comparison to something. A 'Favorite' is not really suitable for an acknowledgment or an agreement or even a bookmark. Calling a tweet your 'Favorite' would indicate that you picked that tweet over other tweets on the same topic, which isn't exactly what you do on twitter. You end up favoriting tweets that you, well, like - or want to bookmark. 

The problem with 'Love' is that it is too serious. It asks for too much commitment. I don't think I am ready to say - 'I love that tweet', quite yet.

And calling the 'Love' icon - 'Like' - doesn't make it so. Specially because that most popular social network, Facebook, uses the 'like' icon to indicate a 'like' and that other most powerful phone company, Apple, recently started moving to a 'Heart' based system of 'Loves'.

The 'Heart' isn't going to stand for 'Like'. What with Apple calling it 'Love' and Facebook calling something else 'Like'.

So, Twitter, much like with everything else - you seem to be stuck. Your heart just doesn't seem to be in it.