This image was lost some time after publication.

Facebook today removed the choice between a "thumbs-up" or "X" icon it used to give users for each item in their News Feed. The icons let them vote for or against each item, and in the process train Facebook on which items to display. Taking this feature away was not a good idea. Just today, a prominent ad executive singled it out for praise.

During a panel featuring media buyers, AKQA exec Scott Symonds told the crowd he's a "huge believer in the potential of social networks" and of Facebook in particular. He said during a recent study for a media-focused client, the buy on Facebook was "by far and away the most effective contributor in the campaign." Symonds said he particularly appreciates the way users can say what they want to hear more about in their News Feeds, noting that this feature could be expanded to let users passively or actively opt into what kind of ads they want to see and what they don't. That is, if Facebook hadn't dropped the feature altogether.