When 'Status'es on FaceBook became automatic Wall Posts, and therefore persistent, I commented to a few friends that this one simple change altered the nature o

When 'Status'es on FaceBook became automatic Wall Posts, and therefore persistent, I commented to a few friends that this one simple change altered the nature of Facebook from a social facilitator to a social inhibitor. Before, if you wanted to know what your far-away friends had been up to, you had to call them up or send a letter, forcing some level of social interaction. Now you just have to dig through their wall posts. It was once nice, simple, succinct. A 'phonebook with pictures.' Now, it's sterile and noisy, and not even useful as a phonebook. [Edit:] This persistence of data I feel drives and encourages the issue the author describes - friending people you don't know just to see what they're doing (and to gain access to their photos, et cetera). There's a simple and obvious solution to the 'complete strangers' issue, but I don't feel that is the real problem.