If you thought Facebook was a time-drain before, now they’ve gone and added Chat. Their stock price notwithstanding, these clever folks are taking notice of how annoying Facebook’s become. Between their choice of Billy Joel’s "We didn’t start the fire," for the melody, and replacing it with "we’re getting sick of facebook," LLP81’s video critique is one of the funniest things I’ve seen online in a while. What are your thoughts on Facebook?
Facebook is both oddly addictive and utterly senseless. Doc Searles
presented a thoughtful critique at last year’s Le Web 3 conference. This
slide presented a gentle criticism of Facebook:
Here, for your consideration, are the Five Phases of Facebook:
1 – Giddy infatuation – "Facebook, I can’t wait to check you!!! How have I lived without you? You complete me."
2
– Cool enthusiasm – Facebook, you are the amazing. (Read: I’m not sure
we’re meant for each other, but I will stick with you.)
3 – Breakup
& Abject Neglect – Facebook, you’re not at all who I thought you
were. You’re needy, nagging and more than a little cheezy. I don’t
want to compare my friends. I don’t want to send someone a pixel
drink. Frankly, I don’t know what I saw in you.
4 – Annoyance –
"Why do you keep sending me messages? I am changing my privacy
settings. I am deleting applications. Don’t bother me."
5 –
Acceptance – "Well Facebook, at least you got me back in touch with
some old friends and remind me about birthdays I’d otherwise forget.
(With apologies to Elisabeth Kübler-Ross )
A big part of Facebook’s charm can be explained by the notion of reinforcement.
Although most of the communications from Facebook are nonsense (though
I am so glad I know what Star Trek Character I am) we’ve invested in
our profile pages and there’s the occasional lost friend who finds us.
I think that blogs are better suited to maintaining one’s personal
space on the web–they’re open compared to Facebook’s walled garden and
are more suited to customization. But Facebook’s scaffolded approach
makes it easy to establish an online presence.
Facebook, OK I will go see what it is.