Facebook fail

So while we're on the topic of social media (see my penultimate post for more on the subject), I want to chat a bit about Facebook's latest iteration. Since the website was launched in .... let me see, 2004? .... it's pretty much been my social networking bible — my electronic little black book, if you will. There have been a number of tweaks to its look and functionality over the years, but it's the latest iteration that has my dander up.

Facebook has helpfully (!!()(**&^%#$) translated one's likes and interests into quasi-fan pages, presumably designed to link people together by shared interest. Sounds nice, granted — more layers of interconnectivity and all. But it's driving me batty. I dunno, maybe it's my peculiar tastes, but I put some thought into what I put under my likes + interests category. Much of it was insider information, things that my friends would laugh about and understand, but things irrelevant (and often nonsensical) to the greater world.

Number one on my list (as anyone who knows me would instantly grasp) was Pushkin. Now, when Facebook made the change to its newest version, it helpfully (%#$$#&*(!!) suggested the fan page of the great Russian poet for said entry. All fine and well: I do indeed like the writings of the literary great ..... but I was in fact talking about my dog. Another interest was "winning at Scrabble" — not just a game at my house, but more of a blood sport. Oh, thinks the new Facebook, you must be a fan of Scrabble. Well .... sort of, but what I really like about it is the winning part. Losing doesn't go down too well (especially when dinner at La Belle Vie is on the line, as it often is!)

What Facebook has added in interconnectivity, it's taken away from in originality and customizability. Plus, my understanding is that one's "likes" are now visible to the public. I sure do like champagne, but do I really want anyone from Grandma Suzy to a prospective client to be able to find that out about me from a simple Google search? (A silly example, perhaps, since I'm freely talking about it here — but I think you get my drift.) There have been waves of complaints about Facebook's approach to privacy since it was founded, but this latest seems the most egregious violation yet. I haven't poked around enough yet to determine if there's a privacy control workaround — there probably is, but the whole new system infuriates me to the point that I decided not to post my interests anymore, period — but the fact that the default is to public view is concerning enough.

I don't know. As far as I'm concerned, interactivity and interconnection are good .... to a point. But Facebook just hit that tipping point for me, and it makes me a bit incensed. What this will mean for companies and brands that have Facebook pages, only time will tell — it hasn't seemed to do much to our C/S page yet, anyway. But if this is the latest tweak, I can't help but wonder what's next.

To end on a more sunshiny note, though, I'll leave you with a picture of the "Like" that inspired this entire diatribe. It's hard to feel cross when looking at a smile like that .... clearly, someone is very happy it's spring!