If there’s one thing on Facebook that annoys me the most, it’s the “like” button. No one knows how to use it. It seems simple at first glance, but almost every user interprets the use of the button differently.

The “like” button can make a Facebook user seem interested in what their friends like, or seem totally insensitive.

If you follow news organizations such as CNN or the Weather Channel, you’ve probably noticed that people “like” some really weird things.  I once looked at a status update from CNN breaking the news of a death of a well-known politician. There were thousands of “likes”. What do all those mean? Do those people like that the politician died? Do they like his long career and really respected him? Do they like that CNN broke the news?

I once noticed that the Weather Channel was updating its status regularly about tornadoes in Kansas. In a status update about a tornado forming, there were hundreds of “likes”. Do those people like tornadoes? Do they like the fact the Weather Channel keep them up-to-date?

All those “likes” could mean hundreds of different things.

And what about those status updates from your friends?

If your friend says, “My professor is so boring,” do you click “like” if you also have a professor you don’t quite enjoy? Do you click “like” if you’ve dealt with similar professors? Will your friend think you like the fact they’re dealing with that boring, monotone professor?

With all these weird “likes”, there needs to be some sort of Facebook-“like”-button etiquette.

Here are my rules.

Never “like” a bad status. If your friend’s status update says, “I just tripped in front of huge crowd of people,” don’t click “like,” even if you think it’s funny. Your like will be interpreted a million different ways. If your friend’s status update says, “OMG…I just bombed my first exam,” don’t click “like,” even if you just bombed an exam.

Never like a sad status. If you see a status update that says, “Oh, I really miss my granddad, he’s been gone for two years,” please don’t click “like.” You probably want to show your Facebook friend you know the feeling or the experience, but that isn’t the way to do it. I’ve actually seen people click “like” on statuses similar to that several times.

Call or send a message to your friend (if you actually know or are even close to the person) with that sad status update.

Okay, here’s the big one: only “like” status updates that you actually like.

If your friend’s status update says, “I aced my biology exam,” you can click “like” on this one. If your friend’s status update says, “Oh… the Grove looks awesome today,” you should click “like.”

Stop clicking “like” so much and maybe write a comment on that status update.

No one can misinterpret your comment. If you say, “Oh yeah man, my professor is killing me too! Everything he says passes right over my head,” we get it. If you say, “Dude…I just bombed the same exam, we need to get together and study or something,” then you’re understood.

And remember, only click “like” if you like something!