Facebook bores me. It's been boring since they made the fonts smaller and status updates part of the ever-updating Wall. For the last couple of years, it seems that with each improvement they make (better privacy settings, a "like" or "recommend" on external sites automatically get posted on your Facebook wall, "@" tags in comments), there are twice more annoying things that come up (additional spam notifications, Questions, that photo viewer thing, buggy search bar, buggy "@" tag feature).
For all my gripes about Facebook, I still believe in the product (doesn't mean I like it, not as much as 3-4 years ago maybe). It seems though that someone else who's more annoyed with Facebook no longer does. In the article, "Facebook's Final #ZUCKUP", the writer calls out Facebook on its decision to delete the Third Palestinian Intifada's page and asks the world to quit Facebook.
Facebook's current policies require users to exercise restraint and show respect for other cultures, which are all well and good, except that Facebook isn't the United Nations and social media is really simply a tool. What people decide to do with the tool is their own business. Granted, of course, that it doesn't lead to hate crimes -- genocide, wars, pedophilia. You know, stuff that anyone on the planet will agree is evil.
The problem with Facebook trying to keep the peace within its domain is that, just as Mark Zuckerberg foresaw or intended, there are no walls and there are all these tools. It will give people ideas and they will run away with these because it's possible. As long as they play by the rules, it should be OK. But, here's the twist: Facebook, unfortunately, can't keep up with the evolving needs of an evolving society. That is a major "zuckup", I agree, but it's not sufficient enough to give up on the product completely.
The genius of Web 3.0 is that, in this latest evolution of the online world, social media technologies have made possible the integration of real life into virtual profiles almost seamlessly. In fact, virtual profiles nowadays seem more comprehensive than the real-world ones (thanks to Google and caches), even credible and expected, so much that not having a virtual presence is, well, weird. It also follows that in the same way that there are all sorts of people, there are also various unique ways in which people use social media.
So, that being said, is it possible for you to quit Facebook? Think about your virtual presence and what it means to you. If it's important for you to maintain it, then quitting Facebook can be next to impossible. In fact, deleting your account because you don't agree with some of Facebook's decisions won't really give you the opportunity to make a difference. Think about it. If you really want to change things and it's important to you that they do, then participate. How did Facebook's privacy policy get changed a couple of years back? It was through the clamor of Facebook users who persisted till they got heard. I'm glad to say I joined that fray.
Facebook is really boring nowadays. But, I still believe in the product. Mark Zuckerberg, don't fail us now.
For all my gripes about Facebook, I still believe in the product (doesn't mean I like it, not as much as 3-4 years ago maybe). It seems though that someone else who's more annoyed with Facebook no longer does. In the article, "Facebook's Final #ZUCKUP", the writer calls out Facebook on its decision to delete the Third Palestinian Intifada's page and asks the world to quit Facebook.
Facebook's current policies require users to exercise restraint and show respect for other cultures, which are all well and good, except that Facebook isn't the United Nations and social media is really simply a tool. What people decide to do with the tool is their own business. Granted, of course, that it doesn't lead to hate crimes -- genocide, wars, pedophilia. You know, stuff that anyone on the planet will agree is evil.
The problem with Facebook trying to keep the peace within its domain is that, just as Mark Zuckerberg foresaw or intended, there are no walls and there are all these tools. It will give people ideas and they will run away with these because it's possible. As long as they play by the rules, it should be OK. But, here's the twist: Facebook, unfortunately, can't keep up with the evolving needs of an evolving society. That is a major "zuckup", I agree, but it's not sufficient enough to give up on the product completely.
The genius of Web 3.0 is that, in this latest evolution of the online world, social media technologies have made possible the integration of real life into virtual profiles almost seamlessly. In fact, virtual profiles nowadays seem more comprehensive than the real-world ones (thanks to Google and caches), even credible and expected, so much that not having a virtual presence is, well, weird. It also follows that in the same way that there are all sorts of people, there are also various unique ways in which people use social media.
So, that being said, is it possible for you to quit Facebook? Think about your virtual presence and what it means to you. If it's important for you to maintain it, then quitting Facebook can be next to impossible. In fact, deleting your account because you don't agree with some of Facebook's decisions won't really give you the opportunity to make a difference. Think about it. If you really want to change things and it's important to you that they do, then participate. How did Facebook's privacy policy get changed a couple of years back? It was through the clamor of Facebook users who persisted till they got heard. I'm glad to say I joined that fray.
Facebook is really boring nowadays. But, I still believe in the product. Mark Zuckerberg, don't fail us now.
Facebook is getting complicated. Back in 2007, it was simple and easy to us. No complications, just pure sharing and connecting with friends. But I guess they need to monetize and expand. They're growing tentacles in the process, it's getting complicated nowadays.
ReplyDeleteThe administrators of Third Palestinian Intifada should have read the policies first and history too. They can wait for Diaspora but I still prefer a little restraint, a sense responsibility on freedom.
But still, you're right it is getting boring and annoying. Questions was not used as they were supposed to, that's why I still prefer Yahoo! Questions or Quora. They tried profile migration to pages which is kind of useless when the easiest thing to do is make a new page and tell everyone it is up and running than losing all your data in the process.
For now, Facebook has still some use to me. It still somehow is useful. When the time comes it's of now use, I'm calling it Faceoff.
Read on http://bit.ly/fdLnvs -- "Communications tools don’t get socially interesting until they get technologically boring" - Clay Shirky
ReplyDeleteFacebook has become technologically boring.