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I have no idea. There was a lot of outcry, much like this, borne out of a desire to deceive, when FB started showing people when you've seen their messages on chat.

I'm serious. Every single criticism about why that feature (and this one too, by the looks of it) is terrible is rooted in the desire to mislead someone. Whether that be about friend status or whether you read their messages.

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I'd say that it isn't to mislead someone, but to allay their feelings. It's out of kindness and not malice that's for sure.

I like this comment, I think it explains why it's not as simple as being honest: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6624928

This explains it in more general terms:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-son3EJTrU

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