Twitter and Google launch alternatives to the ‘Like’ button

Twitter announced its 'follow' button last night with 50 sites already plugged in, including Huffington Post and the Wall Street Journal. The follow button sits next to a named Twitter user, and lets the reader start following that account on Twitter with one click. The Twitter account name and number of followers appear next to the button. Third-party sites add the button by adding a short piece of code.

Twitter's new follow button on the CNET site

Google's unveiling of its new +1 button had to be moved forward after a partner company accidentally leaked the news. +1 first launched in late March next to search results for just 2% of English-language results in the US. This next phase of +1 will put it in much more direct competition with Facebook's like, inviting third-party publishers to add the button to their sites.

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