Users of the social networking site will be able to inquire into a friend’s blank relationship status.
FACEBOOK HAS ventured into the world of online dating by introducing an ‘ask’ button that allows users to enquire about someone’s relationship status.
Users who have opted to leave their relationship status blank can now be inundated with messages asking for clarity on their love life.
Once an ‘ask’ request has been sent, a friend receives a notification that says: ‘Hello! I am wondering about your relationship!’
They can either ignore it, respond with an answer – with the option of sending it back to you directly – or share it with the general public.
The social media site has had an option to ‘ask’ for a friend’s phone number, address, e-mail work, university or living statuses for months now, but the liaison button is a recent development.
In Februaury, Facebook released data showing it knows when users are about to enter into a relationship and how long those relationships will last, via their interactions on the website.
Using anonymised, aggregated data, the social networking site examined the average number of timeline posts shared between two people before they decided to change their statuses from “single to in a relationship”.
Researchers observed a slow but steady increase in the number of posts between the couple-to-be.
From the first day as a bonafide couple, the amount of shared posts begins to decrease, which Facebook attributes to the couple deciding to “to spend more time together, courtship is off, and online interactions give way to more interactions in the physical world.”
However, if two people have been ‘Facebook official’ for three or more months, they’re likely in it for the long haul.