Facebook removes 'maybe attending', scrapping most polite way for people to say they're not going

Instead, the site is rolling out 'Interested', as a new way of not committing

(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Facebook has scrapped its “maybe attending” button for events.

The little button — somewhere between attending and not, and the scourge of people planning events — has gone. But those looking forward to neater responses to their RSVPs shouldn’t celebrate too much just yet: the button has been replaced with an “Interested” one.

The button had previously allowed people to commit to potentially attending an event without saying they were going. It worked much the same as the attending option — signing people up to get information and updates from organisers — but didn’t add people to the list of people that might attend.

The new “Interested” option serves to make that function more obvious, as well as stopping people from sitting on the fence. It features a little star icon and appears next to the “Going” and “Invite” options.

Facebook’s own description says that the button should be used “to get updates and decide if you can go later”.

The new option is only available on public events, and private ones will continue to have the “Maybe attending” option. It has now rolled out to everyone on the site.