Web Worker Daily

franky says: June 13th, 2007 3:58pm

I think you take FB way too serious. It’s a way to stalk online friends and have some fun IMHO. Don’t forget the origin, the roots of FB. It was a way to create some way of (online) interaction among students. It is now open to everyone, but I don’t think the core of the platform has changed much.

If I want to build a genuine profile in addition to my website/blog/online identity, I think there are other options. First comes in mind LinkedIn, less closed already. But many of the OpenID platforms could provide what you seem to be looking for. Question still is: how many will allow total HTML control?
If I need more profile, I might just prefer to have my own online identity web site, which could serve me as a hub/router to everything else I do online. Something like a self-hosted OpenID profile, linking to all my stuff. And I would use that URL everywhere I comment/write/whatever. Not the URL of my main blog.

FB is no online home. It’s the students house. :)

Stephen Collins says: June 13th, 2007 4:14pm

Anne, I’ve got to say I’m with you. I’m strongly considering killing my Facebook account, as I just don’t see any value in it. Same with MyBlogLog, Wink and a few others.

Anne Zelenka says: June 13th, 2007 4:19pm

@Franky: yes, I’m probably overreacting. Can’t believe how much hype the new platform is getting though.

@Stephen: phew! glad to hear you say that.

Rory Marinich says: June 13th, 2007 4:29pm

Hmm… for some reason comments I’m writing aren’t showing up here.

Rory Marinich says: June 13th, 2007 4:29pm

I think you’re missing the point of Facebook. It’s not like MySpace or LinkedIn, despite people who insist on comparing the two to Facebook. It’s meant to be a network where you meet people you already know, and keep tabs on each other. It is not for getting a job, or displaying your “face” to the world.

Rory Marinich says: June 13th, 2007 4:30pm

Facebook doesn’t intend to be a Twitter competitor. They added live updates so that people could see what their friends were doing. Similarly, they created a fairly robust messaging system that’s surprisingly not email - because it’s meant to be a messaging system. Similarly, it’s not meant to be a place where you’re supposed to learn coding: it’s a place to have fun while networking with friends. Food fights, though you may not agree, show a very interesting network between which of your friends have the most free time, I’ve found. And there are other apps that use a more robust system, such as the Movies app, or Amazon’s book reviews application. Also, though many don’t, apps CAN connect to each other. At least, they’re capable of according to Zuckerberg’s speech. I’d be interested in hearing, though, what you would suggest ADDING to make Facebook less “light-weight.”

Rory Marinich says: June 13th, 2007 4:30pm

RSS is a valid point: it would make Facebook a bit more like Twitter for that stuff, and my Tumblr blog would greatly appreciate that.

Finally: how can you possibly say that removing styling options is a BAD thing? Have we gone past the point where web sites are supposed to look the same stylistically throughout? I like Facebook looking like Facebook. Kinda like how Google products always look like Google products.

Adding a URL: I’d hate that idea. It would make Facebook into more of a common network than a truly enclosed one.

If you have any feedback on MY feedback, feel free to email me with comments, since I’m not the best at tracking discussions.

franky says: June 13th, 2007 4:48pm

Anne, the hype and everything else right at the moment around FB is inflated. FB is too dangerous, and that in many aspects.

What happens if tomorrow MZ wakes up badly and decides not to allow 3rd parties/apps to sell affiliates (think iLike and last.fm)?
What happens if the [future] new Yahoo gets bought?
What happens if FB becomes nothing more than a VC burner and the epitome of a bubble, because too expensive to sell out? What happens then to your profile?

The platform is brilliant. Hence the hype is logical. No, forget that. MZ pulled a master act of economical strategics : he built a Virb (think total identity profile possibility), majorly relying on limited 3rd party developers who even host everything they create. Right now he controls everything. But there are too many risks.
FB is no twitter. Where’s BBC?
Will CBS allow last.fm to become a major FB application and heavily pump money into FB without seeing the users sign actively sign up at last.fm?
Will many overnight popular application developer be able to bring up the needed money for a widget such as SuperPoke in the long run?
What will happen to iLike if tomorrow MZ has a feud with the iLike crew?

Or could we see something even more spectacular and say fe. Plaxo be integrated into FB? Then you’d really have the new Yahoo, built with external aid.
But then again… do you use Yahoo, Google, MS or .mac as your online profile?

Strategically, F8 is a masterpiece. Will it become a burner? Lets wait and see.
I enjoy the fun I have with friends at FB. And luckily, I need to login, because it’s more fun than anything else. PW protected has advantages.

And now I’m done. I need to go take care of my 26 social profiles!

Anne Zelenka says: June 13th, 2007 4:54pm

@Rory: missing the point, yes, that’s what I’m worried about! Had I encountered this in college I surely would have joined in happily. If all it remains is a social network for interacting with people we already know (and maybe meeting the people they know too) sounds great… but this talk of “dramatic leaps forward” for the Internet concerns me a little.

@Franky: it’s the masterpieces that concern me, you know? Having fun: all good. Take over the web: not so good.

Rory Marinich says: June 13th, 2007 5:01pm

Actually, MZ said that a part of Facebook’s platform involves letting 3rd-party company make money from their systems. That way, it’s a win-win-win situation.

I agree with the other stuff you said, though.

judielaine says: June 13th, 2007 5:29pm

I like the new new platform because it allows the pulling in of my open-web content.

Presumably, the closed nature of the site means that you can be who you want to be in a limited circle of friends and “networks.” This shielding has its uses for a certain group. I’m not in that group and figure you’re not in it as well. For the people who want to socialize in that closed space (and i have a few colleagues and friends who prefer that closed playground), the new platform means i can share my open activities without creating facebook-only content (or visiting very often).

Basically, i agree with your reasons to hate it — but if your first requirement is “i need a private place to play with my friends online,” a large number of your reasons disappear.

Most notably is the “learning markup” complaint — but do that many folks really know much more about MS Word than they do about typing into a AJAXy WYSI[kindof]WYG form?

OWen says: June 13th, 2007 5:43pm

I really disagree with point 3 for non technophile users, i really don’t see why a standard user should ever be encoraged to “Have to” learn how things are built. When i want a new car i go and buy a car, i don’t learn about how weels, chassis and engines are put together… sure if i’m interested i can take a look but it doesn’t fulfil my goal of getting around with ease and practicality.
The tools we write should care about standards but not the users who should care about acheiving their goals.

Will Facebook Take Over The Internet? | iFranky - ongoing live redesign. says: June 13th, 2007 5:54pm

[...] a new writing opportunity on an existing and READ blog could be started, but the conversation at Web Worker Daily and my inability to shuttup made me reopen this blog today [...]

GigaOM Facebook’s Infrastructure Non Issues « says: June 13th, 2007 6:02pm

[...] link: Ten things I hate about, Facebook via WWD. I call it Facebook Fatigue. Share This | Sphere | Print | Topic: Web [...]

Brian Purkiss says: June 13th, 2007 6:43pm

Virb is so much better than Facebook, MySpace, or any of those others…

Facebook’s Infrastructure Non Issues · Articles says: June 13th, 2007 6:48pm

[...] link: Ten things I hate about, Facebook via WWD. I call it Facebook [...]

A Tentative Personal Finance Blog says: June 13th, 2007 8:30pm

I love facebook. It’s a huge step up from myspace and I’ve been able to connect with so many more people.

Jonathan Marcus says: June 13th, 2007 10:26pm

This was by far my favorite post ever on the Om network! The blogosphere needs a far more critical thinking and analysis. Thanks so much for providing a truly fresh perspective.

Random thoughts on random things (AKA Links for June 14, 2007)… » thinks says: June 13th, 2007 11:11pm

[...] Anne Zelenka at Web Worker Daily lists ten things she hates about Facebook [...]

Junk Culture » Me No Like Facebook says: June 14th, 2007 12:11am

[...] Anne Zelenka steps up to the mic and announces that she doesn’t get Facebook. Yay! Junk Culture really can’t stand the thing either: MySpace for, er, geeks. Sure it is pretty, is a nice piece of software but it’s way too controlling and there are stacks of 19 year olds all over the place. [...]

links for 2007-06-14 « Über’s Anfangen und Dranbleiben says: June 14th, 2007 3:22am

[...] Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive Ten Things I Hate About You, Facebook « (tags: facebook socialnetworking web2.0 biz) [...]

Gavin says: June 14th, 2007 3:39am

Some of your negative points are positives in my book. The standard look and feel (the blue and white) is something that attracted me to facebook. Myspace pages are, frankly, disgusting and ugly. There are plenty of other, free, options for putting your own face/brand onto the web like Blogspot, wordpress blogs etcetc.

I agree with FRANKY: facebook is about stalking your friends (and letting them stalk you).

Anne Zelenka says: June 14th, 2007 5:09am

@Gavin: yes, it’s true that the standard look and feel can be a plus. It is nice to use, that’s for sure.

@Jonathan: thanks! what a nice compliment.

@Judielaine: good point, there are many people who want a more closed and controlled space to interact with their friends online.

As for whether people need to know how something works “under the hood”: no, in general it’s not necessary. I wonder if more user-friendly modes limit the growth of the web, though, by keeping the actual coding to a small number of developers instead spreading it to a larger group of do-it-yourselfers.

TJ says: June 14th, 2007 6:35am

You say: But I still hope for a day when understanding markup, styles, and a little bit of dynamic scripting is almost as common as knowing how to use Microsoft Word.

Given that Microsoft Word uses a WYSIWYG interface, all that is required for users to write HTML or CSS is another WYSIWYG interface. Many of these are available as stand alone products such as Dreamweaver and Frontpage or as DHTML interfaces on a webpage such at TinyMCE or FCKeditor. As for the dynamic side, well, Word and Excel offer the ability to write formulas and macros. But how many user today have taken the time to utilize those powers even in their simpliest form? Until Microsoft or Google can create a way for average users to easily write moderately complex formulas, scripts or macros in their documents and spreadsheets, I doubt we will ever see the ease of use you desire in a web app.

Leisa Reichelt says: June 14th, 2007 8:15am

I like FaceBook for a very non-geeky reason (although, it could be one of the biggest reasons I choose one social network over another) - my friends are there! In particular - it’s the first time I’ve been on a social network where I’ve found lots of my *non-geeky* friends!

I do agree with a lot of the points you make here, Anne, but overall, the appeal of having contact with my friend who don’t blog and don’t do Twitter is well worth putting up with some of the imperfections of FB :)

Liga says: June 14th, 2007 8:44am

1. You have to login to see anything.

I think it’s hard dilemma - how to allow people to communicate and expand their network easier and at the same time avoid unwanted contact and help to keep private things private.

2. It reproduces what we already have.

Yes but it’s all in one place!

3. Users don’t learn anything about HTML, JavaScript, and CSS by adding applications.

But they do not have to! Web applications should be easy to use the same as you do not have to know how to milk a cow to be able to add some milk to your morning tee/coffee.

4. You don’t own the URL for your profile.

It’s kinda true but some people just do not need their own page, they want something simple where they can reach their friends or show themselves with few clicks.

5. You don’t own what you do.

Agree.

8. You can’t customize the look.

:)

9. The RSS output is limited.

Might help:
http://developers.facebook.com/toolbar/

10. It feels too group-oriented.

But in the real life it’s the same principle - tell me who your friends are, and I’ll know who you are. People tend to not to value others for what they are but value what kind of brands do they use/wear, what kind of communities are they in, who they know and so on.

catherine says: June 14th, 2007 8:56am

I just attended the first Facebook Developer’s Meetup last night in NY so the utility and viability of the new Facebook Platform has been on my mind, particularly as I prepare to make my own application.

I completely agree that there are certain things that the platform does not address, such as allowing applications to interact with each other or providing better RSS feeds. The new platform definitely encourages more internal development without allowing users to take their information out of the site.

However, I disagree with the general idea that Facebook should not be behind a login or that the profile should be more customizable. There is already something like that on the web and its called myspace. And last time I checked, most myspace pages are a disaster. The ability to customize and add your own HTML code, for the average parson, does not necessarily teach them more about web design and development. Also, I think a large portion of Facebook users prefer the site to myspace because it ISN’T only about showing your face to the world and actually gives them more layers of privacy. Not everyone wants all their pictures, communications and information public to anyone who wants to see it and Facebook gives users the ability to make very specific choices. Although, I think that the new platform and the hype it is creating will definitely make the site less about the people you already know and more about finding ‘cute’ people to talk to. I have already been friend requested more in the last two weeks by people I don’t know then during my entire time on Facebook. But I have rejected them all, something I may not have done so readily on myspace. Each site has its own culture and whether or not they will become more similar, and thus deserve to be compared to each other, remains to be seen.

I also think that group functionality on Facebook, and on social networking sites in general, needs to be more developed, not less so. In my opinion, that does not push the web back to circa 1999 or promote organizations over individuals, but actually could provide users with more comprehensive ways to use sites like Facebook as more then a time waster. I think additions to the community aspect of Facebook through more group functionality and developer access to this functionality could be very interesting.

Read more about my impressions of the Facebook Developer’s Meetup here.

Perri says: June 14th, 2007 10:11am

3. Users don’t learn anything about HTML, JavaScript, and CSS by adding applications. While Facebook’s approach is obviously easier than messing around with HTML directly, it doesn’t contribute to a growing community of web standards savvy people. True, even WordPress offers sidebar widgets now that don’t require any mucking with code. But I still hope for a day when understanding markup, styles, and a little bit of dynamic scripting is almost as common as knowing how to use Microsoft Word.

Completely agree with you on this aspect. I haven’t ventured into the realm of Facebook yet, although I have been tempted, but I more than appreciate your points list. Sounds like more of the same, and just more to keep up with.

The Mad Penguin says: June 14th, 2007 11:24am

Agree with point 5 & 8, which is probably why people get bored of Facebook easily. I have one but I hardly use it and sometimes forget its existence until once in a blue moon I have a comment there. I’m really clueless when it comes to Facebook and besides, almost every friends I have made in my alma mater and my current Uni is already in my MySpace and/or Friendster. So what’s the point, really.

Serge Lescouarnec says: June 14th, 2007 12:30pm

Anne

One thing I do agree with you on for sure is the ‘login’ issue.

I had the same discussion at ‘South by Southwest’ with people from Wired.

Check comments and trackbacks before accepting them (I do) but keep the space open, login discourages participation.

SERGE
‘The French Guy from New Jersey’
Blog:
http://www.sergetheconcierge.com

Steve Severance says: June 14th, 2007 1:14pm

I could not disagree more. Especially with #3. Users should not have to learn about any web technologies to customize their page. Most people who have the most complex myspace pages that I know can barely check their emails. They can however copy and paste. What regular person wants to sit around and mess with javascript on their myspace page?

As for being a useful work tool I don’t use it for that. I don’t use it for contact information or anything like that. I use it to talk to my friends. Not clients, not partners, just my friends. And thats the way that I want to keep it.

I also like the structure and uniformity of it. I am tired of everyone on myspace trying to play their music for me. I hate the pages that are impossible to read because of the crazy themes.

I guess I just like facebook a lot more. Oh yea. And I don’t get spam friend requests every day.

Jake says: June 14th, 2007 1:37pm

I must say as a long time facebook user, Facebook is starting to lose my appeal. The recent changes open it up too much. Before, it was fun, my info was open, I didn’t feel worried about my information or the people.. I was only contacted by people that know me. Now, I can’t add some of the plugins unless I’m willing to share who I am and give them access to my profile and information. I get friend requests from people with no picture, no profile, no network, no connection to me.

I think they should set it up similiar to linked-in if they are going to open it to everyone. Something like you can only friend as many people as you have current friends. This would make spamming a little more difficult.

I think you facebook should encourage some programming skills, maybe as an upgrade option. But you want to keep some of the simplicity, and uniformity of placement, as it makes it easier to navigate among everyone’s profile…. vs. myspace, where you have to hunt down the add-me buttons and comments..

Rory Marinich says: June 14th, 2007 1:42pm

I think the comments here show one thing in particular: despite the culture of “cutting-edge 2.0″ that surrounds our internet culture today, there’s no definitive answer to what is truly “the best.” Some people see Facebook’s ability to mirror real life as revolutionary and immensely addictive, and its apps as basically the ultimate answer to internet integration. Others miss that for what they WANT it to be. (”I want customization! I want a personal home!”) Personally, I find that inane - can’t we just use multiple sites for different things, rather than settling for a Holy Grail-type approach?

I use two sites myself: when I want a public face, I use Google (Groups, Blogger); when I want to talk to people I know, I stick to Facebook. Between the two, I rarely use other sites nowadays.

Anne Zelenka says: June 14th, 2007 2:43pm

@Steve Severance: I look for a professional twist on *everything* given we’re all about web work here at WWD. But perhaps that’s one of the problems — Facebook is mainly just for socializing. Great, and anyway, socializing is not incompatible with work, in fact, I think it’s a key part of finding work satisfaction.

As for messing around with script, I still think that’s important and I’m in favor of ways that introduce “regular” people to it. I know when I’m writing with the WYSIWYG editor on WordPress.com, I need to regularly switch over to code view to produce what I want. I still believe that part of the web’s ongoing expansion is due to its being based on very simple technologies that even non programmers can use.

@Rory: you’re right… no one service needs to do everything.

Thanks everyone for the great discussion.

Alex Singleton says: June 14th, 2007 3:50pm

They certainly seem to be adding a lot of functionality to Facebook… but suddenly Facebook has become a little annoying, bombarding me with stuff that I’m not interested in.

rohaiza says: June 14th, 2007 4:16pm

Facebook is alright. It helped me find the friends i had lost contacts with for more than 7 years. The interface is simple and even though you can’t customize the look to make it reflect your personality, at list the page will not be as ‘heavy’ as Myspace or Friendster. Basically it’s more suitable for those who are looking for the friends they’ve lost contacts with. But hey…everyone has his/her ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ so it doesn’t really matter as long as you’re happy.

Top Posts « WordPress.com says: June 14th, 2007 4:58pm

[...] Ten Things I Hate About You, Facebook Facebook is getting all sorts of love from the Web tech crowd for its F8 platform. Webware’s Caroline McCarthy […] [...]

Frank 'viperteq' Young says: June 14th, 2007 5:26pm

Wow Anne, you sure know how to stir up the soup don’t you? LOL!!!! This piece is really well written, probably one of the best posts that you’ve done for WWD. But I think you might be slightly confused as to Zuckerberg and Co.’s true intention for Facebook.

Privacy, Privacy, Privacy. This is the main tenant that I see floating around Facebook every day. People are so worried about their boss or potential jobs being able to Google every moment of their life. So Facebook was built on the premise that people can only see what you allow them to see AND they HAVE to be registered members of the site just to take a peek. So if you want t post pics of you dancing naked at your gradation party and you only want your friends and friends only to see that pic, do it at Facebook. No other site gives you the type of privacy that Facebook affords.

In terms of learning about semantic web standards…well if you’re not a web developer, why should you have to? There’s a difference in learning WHY web standards are important and learning CODE. Non-developers shouldn’t have to learn code just to install an application on their profile. However, if you do want to know how to embellish your Notes, Facebook does offer tips on basic HTML. If you want more detailed, robost use of code then you should open an account with MediaTemple and start a proper blog.

With that said, I WILL say that I would love to be able to change the header and border color of the Mini-Feed and Profile pages to more suit my personality. The Blue and White scheme is great, but I’ve been living with it for two years now and I want to do something different. I’m definitely going to endorse the first developer to come out with an app that allows a Facebook user to do that very thing.

Now in terms of the various Facebook apps and the F8 Platform, please remember that this is just version 1.0 and it hasn’t even been out for a full month yet. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Let’s let 6 months to a year go by and let Zuckerberg and Co to get true useful feedback from the various app devs so that they can see what works and what doesn’t and what the devs are actually clamoring for. I gaurantee you, in a year or maybe less, we will see an app either from Facebook or a third-party dev that will allow you to aggregate your Facebook data into other sites/apps. Until then Anne, I’d say, just sit back and enjoy the ride!!!

:)

JO says: June 14th, 2007 5:32pm

I like the book now b/c its so clean. myspace allows all these people to dirty up their spaces with bad code and colors that dont look good. I know its counter-www but theres something refreshing about the restrictions.

saysabori says: June 14th, 2007 9:51pm

it’s worse than myspace. Soon, we’ll have background templates.

wiralmenongitis says: June 14th, 2007 10:34pm

anne, in india, where i am, facebook is a function for the elite, an ivory tower-top grecian villa that techies going to the US always come back with, and are sniggered at in parties when they mention it.
the rage here is orkut, the world’s watering hole, whose delicious incestuousness has taken india by storm. everybody and their grandmummies has an account on the thing, and since it takes just abt the IQ of a constipated monkey to run the thing, u can be sure that the remaining ten-to-the-power-nine won’t be far behind.
just pointing ou to u rather gently that most people don’t really want a friends sorter that does all the stuff that u wrote out. it’s just a place to have mindless fun, and snoop on ure frineds and ex-girl/boy friends, the rest is merely fluff unused by abt 99% of the junta.

Facebook hate « Linklove says: June 15th, 2007 2:54am

[...] June 15th, 2007 · No Comments Web Worker Daily: Ten Things I Hate About You, Facebook [...]

Neuromancer says: June 15th, 2007 8:19am

Its main problem is its hard to link up with ex co workers as you have to have a valid email address for the domian to join say BT’s network -

“you know BT Security dont let you keep your email after you leave ther kinda intense about that sort of thing.”

And how do i say create a network for pre internet companies (for example the world leading R&D co i worked at first after leaving school). Linked in is much better.

arsenalist says: June 15th, 2007 8:34am

WTF? Most of the things you mentioned are what makes Facebook great and much better than the other crap thats out there.

asd says: June 15th, 2007 12:31pm

I hate facebook. it has ruined my life. im addicted. ok maybe ruined is pushing it a little, but i couldn’t study for my final exam because i’m obsessed with facebook.

You and your Facebook Account « Pragati Agarwal says: June 16th, 2007 11:35am

[...] Posted on June 15th, 2007. Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive Ten Things I Hate About You, Facebook « [...]

robram says: June 18th, 2007 7:43am

Anne, I agree with some of what you say, but there are two things with which I disagree violently.

I have reconnected to former friends/colleagues who I have lost touch with through FB and who I could not have tracked down quite so easily. Not everyone uses LinkedIn yet, and FB is far more user-friendly and fun.

I also disagree about the need to learn basic HTML. You don’t need to know anything to use Word, to be honest. You type and that’s it. Facebook is no different - and I have many FB friends, who have had trouble deciphering the Wall-to-Wall concept, as it is. Goodness knows what they’d make of having to decipher HTML to enter anything.

While I agree that not being able to customise look and feel is a downside, the uniformity of everyone’s profiles means it’s easy to find any info about someone. It’s going to be in the same place every time.

Great post, though. Really stirred things up and I love it when people diss the popular!

Facebook’s Infrastructure Non Issues » Ecommerce Blog says: June 19th, 2007 11:47pm

[...] link: Ten things I hate about, Facebook via WWD. I call it Facebook [...]

almostgotit says: June 23rd, 2007 9:14am

Hi Ann,

Oh, I always appreciate a fellow-web crank! Your points are rock-solid and hard to argue against, except from the POV that Facebook is a toy. Toys are very important, and can even teach us things. Facebook (and similar social network thingies) also have contributed invaluable ideas to the ongoing idea revolution that is the Internet.

However. I am also somewhat concerned when a toy, even a really terrific one, tries to take over the known universe.

Even more, I agree with you that as a web-savvy culture, we are still far too easily seduced by WYSIWYG interfaces, and should have outgrown that tendency by now. HTML and other programming languages should not be limited to a few. These are, and more and more shall be, the True Languages of Power. And as a bonus, those who wield them will find they can *also* make much better use of programs which don’t putatively require one to know a thing… like MS Word. (Try pressing + the next time you want to omit paragraph spacing when Word absolutely won’t let you… and you will have just a glimpse!!)

Keep it up, Ann — you are one of WWD’s best assets!!

almostgotit says: June 23rd, 2007 9:19am

Oops. > speaking of knowing XHTML!! (Which I am only just learning myself in my old age, I should add.) Let’s try this again so it posts properly: to omit spaces between paragraphs in Word, just hold down the shift key while pressing the enter key to create a line-break, only. (humility is just another part of wisdom, doncha know?! — ;0) –)

My beef with Facebook: so much untapped possibility at goodCRIMETHINK says: August 9th, 2007 4:16pm

[...] with Facebook. (note, several others have blogged about Facebook-ness including Robert Scoble, Anne Zelenka, and too many others to [...]

FACEBOOK ANSWERS Beem says: August 22nd, 2007 9:31am

A well written piece that I tend to agree with in most parts - it’s definately stirring up some polar opinions.

I’d like to propose issue number 11: PRIVACY. On FB (or any other social networking site for that matter) there isn’t a high enough level of privacy differentiation. I know I can choose “All My Friends and Networks” or “All My Friends” (or whatever), but at the end of the day, “All My Friends” are treated as equals when it comes to posting my photos/news/etc. In real life, I have a partner, close friends, work colleagues, acquaintances, family members and so on, all of whom I need to communicate very different things to respectively. Surely this is what should be mirrored in an online social networking environment?

Basically, I think that social networks are here to stay, but the whole novelty of them is wearing off (or at least is starting to). It boils down to users needing basic communication tools but with greater privacy controls. SN sites need to start playing a more constructive role in our lives, instead of leading to wasted time spent poking everyone - maybe then our workplaces won’t go banning them.

FeVote says: August 22nd, 2007 5:49pm

Ten Things I Hate About You, Facebook

From the Web Worker Daily…

Centenaro says: August 26th, 2007 1:28am

Great analysis…
Only a note on issue number 4: “You can’t customize the look”:
thanks God, at least people are forced to focus on content!
For “the look” of your “home online” you could still stick on SecondLife or maybe FaceLook…
(just joking)
;=)

Anyway all the issues are not enough for me for hating FaceBook…

MySpace fa schifo! Parte seconda | Think Pragmatic! says: September 24th, 2007 4:58pm

[...] In ogni caso, ci sono comunque delle buone ragioni anche per odiare Facebook This was written by Alessandro. Posted on Martedì, Settembre 25, 2007, at 01:57. Filed [...]

Is the connected age eliminating the reality of the information age? » thinks says: October 7th, 2007 4:28pm

[...] workers vs. web workers some time back (you can review Anne’s side of the argument here and here and see my arguments here and here). Now, Anne seriously ups the ante over at GigaOM, making a [...]

Joseph Martins says: October 22nd, 2007 1:14am

This is no news to me. I have always viewed Facebook and MySpace as social toys. Only at the constant nagging of a significant other earlier this year did I finally create a Facebook account to silence the requests. I logged in, looked around for a couple minutes, and concluded it was everything I had speculated - a cumbersome, unnatural toy for Generation Me and a few million adults who have yet to grow up.

Understand that many investors aren’t looking for genuine innovation and utility. As long as they can get in early, ride the buzzwave, and get out with a handsome return, they really could care less. Today’s kids play right into their hands, spending just enough time on the latest fad to pump it up into the media stratosphere and inflate the valuation.

Looking for an inexpensive social networking toy, err tool? Wait a few years and pick up Facebook at its fire sale.

Robert says: November 28th, 2007 6:31am

I hate that Facebook is just ‘too busy’. I only joined to keep in touch with people, oh and because my fiance made me.

Since joining I get bombarded with requests to take part in various apps and games. I just want to message people and maybe discus thngs in groups. I don’t want to poke someone, or find out how similar I am to someone I already know. Facebook should make it easier for people to use it only as a messaging platform.

thinks » Blog Archive » Random thoughts on random things (AKA Links for June 14, 2007)… says: December 9th, 2007 1:07pm

[...] Anne Zelenka at Web Worker Daily lists ten things she hates about Facebook [...]