The Facebook poke has become one of the defining features of the social media platform; however, the meaning and purpose behind it is somewhat puzzling. Some used the “poke” as the original “DM slide.” Some used it as a quick and easy way to say hello. And others used it to creep on complete strangers. No one really knows what the option is for. And, to be honest, it seems no one really cares at this point.
As Facebook became more popular and began to implement new features, the “poke” lost a lot of its relevancy. But the minds behind the website are attempting to bring new life into the feature by introducing a whole new set of “Greeting” options. As pointed out by The Next Web, Facebook has begun testing a feature that allows people to communicate in nonverbal ways: They can now wave hello to, hug, wink, and high-five other users.
Though this feature hasn’t been rolled out to everyone yet, those who have used it say its very similar to the “Reaction” option. All you have to do is go to someone's profile, find the hello button under his/her photo, hold it down, and select which greeting you’d like to send. Once you’ve selected and sent the greeting, an animation will appear on the recipient’s page. For example, if you want to give them a “hug,” the person will see two blue arms wrap around their profile photo.
According to Metro, the new greetings are only available in the in parts of Europe, Australia, Canada, Columbia, and Thailand. It’s unclear if or when the feature will roll out in the states.
