Facebook is Dominating the World...
I've written about how technology is going to be the apocalypse of basic human communication and interaction before. I've done that rant. However, I think it's time to set my sights on my favorite website.
Facebook.
Or if you're old school, The Facebook.
Some naive people still believe Facebook is a trend and that it'll fade out in a year or two. One word for those people...
GOOGLE.
Facebook is the Google of the social media movement. And it sure doesn't seem like Google is going anywhere anytime soon. And last I checked, Google didn't have a movie coming out this Fall about its creation/creator with an A-list director and big Hollywood names (http://bit.ly/bfvTtJ)
Facebook is an amazing phenomenon. It took an idea that barely pre-existed (Friendster, Myspace) and took it to a whole new level to the point where it has revolutionized the way people interact with each other. It started off as a college fad. A way to stalk the people in your classes. Or a way to keep in touch with your friends. It has become a whole other monster. Luckily, my parents are about as technologically savvy as my girl Lindsay Lohan is "reformed". In other words, not at all. So I don't have to worry about them "friending" me on Facebook and weeping long into the night as they follow Macster Madness silently. But I have plenty of friends with this problem. They have to monitor or censor their facebooking based on the fact that their parents or in-laws might read something they probably shouldn't know or wouldn't want to know. Or they see photos that your friends think are hysterical but that they find far from funny. Facebook is a great connecting tool but do you really need Grandma to see your status update about how you plan on getting crunk because it's the weekend? Then again, although the older generation is learning to get online more and more, the lingo probably still passes them by. That being said, I read somewhere that the largest influx of people signing up for Facebook these days are adults aged 55-65. If that doesn't imply that Facebook has exceeded even the furthest reaches of the web demographic to become a mainstay, I don't know what does. When was the last time that demographic did anything on the web besides sign up for email accounts?
Speaking of which, who has AOL or Hotmail accounts these days? I have an AOL account still, but it's for my junk mail. I never use it (or AIM for that matter). Same goes for Hotmail or Windows messenger. You want to talk about fads that have come and gone, look no further than these guys. Whenever I see an email (especially in a professional context) that comes from an AOL or Hotmail account, I've already written off the user as an imbecile. Yahoo isn't quite at that level yet, but they're getting close. I'm no Gmail pimp, but come on... the majority use it (and GChat) for a reason. Obviously because Google created it. And Google spells God in binary numbers.
But back to Facebook. I've gotten to the point where Facebook is as much my personal journal as it is a tool to stay in touch with people or to schmooze and network with new people. I have 30+ photo albums on my Facebook profile. And it's not because I feel the need to share my photos to all my Facebook friends. It's because Facebook HAS become my photo album. With no such thing as film in my camera anymore, I must keep everything locked down somewhere digitally. And instead of using Snapfish or Kodak or any of those picture sites, I use Facebook. Sure, I have a Mac and I guess that's what iPhoto is for. But iPhoto is no Facebook. I have my albums on Facebook not for my friends benefit, but for my own! It's easy, it's fun, and it's free. And it's better than going to Walgreens and printing out 200 photos and putting them all in a real photo album.
One aspect of Facebook that I find disturbing yet impossible to ignore is the ability to track the progess of ex-hookups, flings, and casual encounters. Relationships, crushes, whatever. This well known transpiration has lovingly been tabbed "Facestalking" and I'm guilty of it, as is everyone else. But one thing that always gets me is seeing girls on Facebook you used to hook up with who now have become mothers. Forget the ones that got away who's relationships you watch progress from "single", to "it's complicated", to "in a relationship", to the painful "Engaged", and the final gut punch "Married". That's a minor mindfuck compared to the eventual and inevitable changing of the profile pic to that of a baby, which you immediately realize has come from your former playground. It prompts inappropriate yet completely legitimate thoughts and questions. I'm almost always compelled to immediately remove these people from my friend list because the story of this particular book has reached its conclusion. She's had a baby. I am no longer any sort of interested in what's going on next because I know the stories are going to be kid-centric and honestly, I probably just don't care. Let's face it, I'm a 30 year old single male. My stories are set in social arenas like bars and restaurants and focus on debauchery and irresponsibility. Having kids pretty much erases those type of stories from existence. And hence, why I feel the need to erase these people from my Facebook "family". And let's be honest, the only reason we remained friends in the first place was so I could Facestalk you. Once your fun photos of you going out get deleted and replaced by Junior's first day at the beach, there's really nothing left for me to invest in.
Of course, the other aspect of this is you can start playing the "what if" game. "Man, maybe that could have been MY baby!" Or, "We would have had a more beautiful child for sure" or "What if it had worked out, then I could be the one pushing the baby in that swing right now instead of taking this shot of Fernet." Ok, I don't really ever think like that but I bet some people do...
Aside from family facebook eavesdroppers and hot chicks who have babies, I do have one more gripe about Facebook. I'm linked in to my Facebook almost always. My iPhone sends me a notification AND an email anytime anyTHING happens on Facebook. This usually is not an issue. With two exceptions. One, when I comment on something on someone's page and then there's 20 other responses or so from randos I don't know. Obviously, none of their comments are as witty or funny as mine. My phone keeps buzzing, I get excited, then I get irritated. Then I regret making that specific comment in the first place. Really, once I post a comment, everyone else should just give up. The second exception is mass messaging. Someone sends out a mass message to their friends and about 90% of the respondents don't know how to avoid the "Reply All" button. Yes, you can send your reply back specifically to the person that sent the message instead of everyone. No, it's not that difficult. Same thing happens. My iPhone blows up telling me some random FB person has sent me a message only for me to realize this person has replied all to a message and their message has no meaning to me whatsoever. Figure it out people!
But aside from the privacy issues, the ever constant changing interface, the issues I mentioned above, Facebook has become my home(page). I keep in touch with most of my friends through it. In fact, I've had good friends go to the wayside because they don't have Facebook accounts. It's not that I meant to distance them from my life, I just don't know how they expected me to stay in contact with them without it (I don't really do the phone thing). I have my photos on it. This blog is my journal, synced to post on it. People who were important to me at some point or are important to me now are connected to me through it. Hell, it helps me remember my friend's birthdays. My LIFE is on there. And so is about 500 million other peoples.
Let's face it folks, Facebook isn't going anywhere. It's not a fad. It's not a trend. It's here to stay. And let's be honest, in three, or five, or 10 years... I'll probably have a picture of Macster Junior as my profile pic and somewhere, someplace, some girl will delete me from her account.
My Name is Macster and I Approve This Message
Facebook.
Or if you're old school, The Facebook.
Some naive people still believe Facebook is a trend and that it'll fade out in a year or two. One word for those people...
GOOGLE.
Facebook is the Google of the social media movement. And it sure doesn't seem like Google is going anywhere anytime soon. And last I checked, Google didn't have a movie coming out this Fall about its creation/creator with an A-list director and big Hollywood names (http://bit.ly/bfvTtJ)
Facebook is an amazing phenomenon. It took an idea that barely pre-existed (Friendster, Myspace) and took it to a whole new level to the point where it has revolutionized the way people interact with each other. It started off as a college fad. A way to stalk the people in your classes. Or a way to keep in touch with your friends. It has become a whole other monster. Luckily, my parents are about as technologically savvy as my girl Lindsay Lohan is "reformed". In other words, not at all. So I don't have to worry about them "friending" me on Facebook and weeping long into the night as they follow Macster Madness silently. But I have plenty of friends with this problem. They have to monitor or censor their facebooking based on the fact that their parents or in-laws might read something they probably shouldn't know or wouldn't want to know. Or they see photos that your friends think are hysterical but that they find far from funny. Facebook is a great connecting tool but do you really need Grandma to see your status update about how you plan on getting crunk because it's the weekend? Then again, although the older generation is learning to get online more and more, the lingo probably still passes them by. That being said, I read somewhere that the largest influx of people signing up for Facebook these days are adults aged 55-65. If that doesn't imply that Facebook has exceeded even the furthest reaches of the web demographic to become a mainstay, I don't know what does. When was the last time that demographic did anything on the web besides sign up for email accounts?
Speaking of which, who has AOL or Hotmail accounts these days? I have an AOL account still, but it's for my junk mail. I never use it (or AIM for that matter). Same goes for Hotmail or Windows messenger. You want to talk about fads that have come and gone, look no further than these guys. Whenever I see an email (especially in a professional context) that comes from an AOL or Hotmail account, I've already written off the user as an imbecile. Yahoo isn't quite at that level yet, but they're getting close. I'm no Gmail pimp, but come on... the majority use it (and GChat) for a reason. Obviously because Google created it. And Google spells God in binary numbers.
But back to Facebook. I've gotten to the point where Facebook is as much my personal journal as it is a tool to stay in touch with people or to schmooze and network with new people. I have 30+ photo albums on my Facebook profile. And it's not because I feel the need to share my photos to all my Facebook friends. It's because Facebook HAS become my photo album. With no such thing as film in my camera anymore, I must keep everything locked down somewhere digitally. And instead of using Snapfish or Kodak or any of those picture sites, I use Facebook. Sure, I have a Mac and I guess that's what iPhoto is for. But iPhoto is no Facebook. I have my albums on Facebook not for my friends benefit, but for my own! It's easy, it's fun, and it's free. And it's better than going to Walgreens and printing out 200 photos and putting them all in a real photo album.
One aspect of Facebook that I find disturbing yet impossible to ignore is the ability to track the progess of ex-hookups, flings, and casual encounters. Relationships, crushes, whatever. This well known transpiration has lovingly been tabbed "Facestalking" and I'm guilty of it, as is everyone else. But one thing that always gets me is seeing girls on Facebook you used to hook up with who now have become mothers. Forget the ones that got away who's relationships you watch progress from "single", to "it's complicated", to "in a relationship", to the painful "Engaged", and the final gut punch "Married". That's a minor mindfuck compared to the eventual and inevitable changing of the profile pic to that of a baby, which you immediately realize has come from your former playground. It prompts inappropriate yet completely legitimate thoughts and questions. I'm almost always compelled to immediately remove these people from my friend list because the story of this particular book has reached its conclusion. She's had a baby. I am no longer any sort of interested in what's going on next because I know the stories are going to be kid-centric and honestly, I probably just don't care. Let's face it, I'm a 30 year old single male. My stories are set in social arenas like bars and restaurants and focus on debauchery and irresponsibility. Having kids pretty much erases those type of stories from existence. And hence, why I feel the need to erase these people from my Facebook "family". And let's be honest, the only reason we remained friends in the first place was so I could Facestalk you. Once your fun photos of you going out get deleted and replaced by Junior's first day at the beach, there's really nothing left for me to invest in.
Of course, the other aspect of this is you can start playing the "what if" game. "Man, maybe that could have been MY baby!" Or, "We would have had a more beautiful child for sure" or "What if it had worked out, then I could be the one pushing the baby in that swing right now instead of taking this shot of Fernet." Ok, I don't really ever think like that but I bet some people do...
Aside from family facebook eavesdroppers and hot chicks who have babies, I do have one more gripe about Facebook. I'm linked in to my Facebook almost always. My iPhone sends me a notification AND an email anytime anyTHING happens on Facebook. This usually is not an issue. With two exceptions. One, when I comment on something on someone's page and then there's 20 other responses or so from randos I don't know. Obviously, none of their comments are as witty or funny as mine. My phone keeps buzzing, I get excited, then I get irritated. Then I regret making that specific comment in the first place. Really, once I post a comment, everyone else should just give up. The second exception is mass messaging. Someone sends out a mass message to their friends and about 90% of the respondents don't know how to avoid the "Reply All" button. Yes, you can send your reply back specifically to the person that sent the message instead of everyone. No, it's not that difficult. Same thing happens. My iPhone blows up telling me some random FB person has sent me a message only for me to realize this person has replied all to a message and their message has no meaning to me whatsoever. Figure it out people!
But aside from the privacy issues, the ever constant changing interface, the issues I mentioned above, Facebook has become my home(page). I keep in touch with most of my friends through it. In fact, I've had good friends go to the wayside because they don't have Facebook accounts. It's not that I meant to distance them from my life, I just don't know how they expected me to stay in contact with them without it (I don't really do the phone thing). I have my photos on it. This blog is my journal, synced to post on it. People who were important to me at some point or are important to me now are connected to me through it. Hell, it helps me remember my friend's birthdays. My LIFE is on there. And so is about 500 million other peoples.
Let's face it folks, Facebook isn't going anywhere. It's not a fad. It's not a trend. It's here to stay. And let's be honest, in three, or five, or 10 years... I'll probably have a picture of Macster Junior as my profile pic and somewhere, someplace, some girl will delete me from her account.
My Name is Macster and I Approve This Message
Comments
Post a Comment