8 ms·

I am reminded of an old Dilbert cartoon where they bring in a usability expert to help them write an app. After suggesting that the computer shock the user when

I am reminded of an old Dilbert cartoon where they bring in a usability expert to help them write an app. After suggesting that the computer shock the user when they do the wrong thing, he quips, "I found this job to be a lot easier once I realized I hated people" Seriously, Facebook. Do one thing and do it well. Enough of this conquer-the-universe bullshit. I'm already at the point where I want to jump ship; I just can't figure out how to do it without losing contact with my friends. It's like you're using our own friends against us. Pretty slimy. My reaction to Facebook trying to take control of my email was that Facebook can go jump in a lake (My language was actually much worse than that.) I'm already primed to leave. I'm just waiting on the right opportunity to come along.

alttab 14y ago
Clicking the little gray up arrow does not signify enough how much I agree with this sentiment.
jps359 14y ago
Well said. Talk about a lack of respect for the customer.
- scribblemacher 14y ago
  To be fair, users aren't Facebook's customers.
  - jps359 14y ago
    You're right. I meant users. Thanks!
spaghetti 14y ago
Jumping ship was easy for me. I catch-up with my local friends in person at a local bar or cafe. I catch-up with my remote friends by traveling to their city and going to a bar or cafe there. Or they come visit me. It's infinity more satisfying and relaxing that consuming status updates containing skewed and filtered representations of someone's life.
- thesis 14y ago
  As far as visiting all my remote friends or them visiting me (somewhat often)... that's easier said then done for me and I bet most people.
  - pinkbucket 14y ago
    Yeah, it's difficult enough when you are neighbours! (Sad but true.) That's not to say that we can't try harder.
  - spaghetti 14y ago
    You're right it's not always easy. I often wonder about how the perceived convenience of visiting someone varies with the strength of the friendship. I think they vary directly. For example I have no problem fighting through rush hour traffic when I'm on my way to seeing a friend who I'm looking forward to seeing.
- Evbn 14y ago
  How is a conversation at a bar less skewed or filtered than a status post?
- theorique 14y ago
  consuming status updates containing skewed and filtered representations of someone's life. I much prefer skewed and filtered representations of my friends. It's much easier to interact with a caricatured, mean-field average of my 900 or so Facebook friends (aka "the audience") than to do it (shudder) one-on-one.
  - wahnfrieden 14y ago
    Is it not preferable to have more meaningful, personal interactions with a smaller group of people?
    - spaghetti 14y ago
      Good point. When you're dreading interacting with someone one-on-one they're probably not a true friend. So perhaps fb is good for maintaining acquaintances rather than actual friendships.
seiji 14y ago
Enough of this conquer-the-universe bullshit. Their end goal is to be the entire Internet in a curated show-you-only-what-you-agree-with-so-you-click-on-more-things model. They won't stop or slow down until something else makes them irrelevant.
- DanBC 14y ago
  That model didn't work for AOL, Compuserve, Prodigy, etc etc. But they were all networks that provided access to the wider Internet. It's really weird to see Facebook working the other way round - a tiny company growing huge and grabbing more and more of the wider Internet. What next? Facebook Video? Facebook VOIP?
  - incongruity 14y ago
    Didn't they already try the Facebook video idea? (Ah, yes, here – facebook movie rentals: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/mar/09/business/la-fi-facebook-movies-20110309 http://articles.latimes.com/2011/mar/09/business/la-fi-faceb... and they already offer video posting/sharing options in one's profile)
  - pbhjpbhj 14y ago
    >That model didn't work for AOL // Over it's lifetime I think AOL made quite a lot of money. Just because something comes to an end doesn't mean that it "didn't work". They apparently currently have a market cap of 2.6 billion so many years after their heyday I'm amazed they're still going.
    - DanBC 14y ago
      Yes, you're right. I'm not quite sure how to word what I want to say. The model of having a small contained network, with users doing everything on your computers, with a bit of access to the wider Internet, failed. That's what AOL used to be. That model failed for AOL, and they converted to general ISP. The electronic landscape in 1998 will be surprising to many people today - especially the eye watering prices. (http://i53.tinypic.com/2janfrd.jpg http://i53.tinypic.com/2janfrd.jpg) My favourite quote from that page: > "This is the computer industry as it used to be: people sharing ideas and solutions without the greed and grit with associated with today's corporate driven, litigation-laced, industry" (remember this was written 23 years ago). And so now, looking at Facebook, I see some similar features. They have their own email; their own "CB simulator"; etc.
iamandrus 14y ago
Agreed, blaming the users for the company's own problem is disgusting. I remember that comic by the way, I have it saved from a calendar somewhere. :P
SoftwareMaven 14y ago
Facebook's apps will no longer be on any of my mobile devices. They've proven that I can't trust them without a browser sandbox between me and them.
- brownbat 14y ago
  I'd say 'me too,' but I can't actually delete their app from my Sprint Evo. Well played, Facebook. Well played.
  - sp332 14y ago
    There were several reasons that I rooted my EVO but that was a big one. http://unrevoked.com/#evo http://unrevoked.com/#evo
  - fluidcruft 14y ago
    Settings > Accounts > (select facebook account) > Remove account Settings > Applications > Manage Applications > All > Facebook > Clear data & Clear cache
    - brownbat 14y ago
      For me, that just clears the data the application uses, not the app itself.
      - fluidcruft 14y ago
        The steps will disable facebook. Unless you're on ICS or rooted, there's nothing else you can do (except perhaps install a launcher that lets you hide apps--out of sight/out of mind).
  - SoftwareMaven 14y ago
    I hope iOS doesn't force a FB profile with iOS 6.
anon808 14y ago
"I just can't figure out how to do it without losing contact with my friends." easy . . . call them, visit them, email them, write letters to them. you don't need an application to managed personal relationships.
- bmj 14y ago
  I agree with you, but there's another issue here: some of your friends may not actually respond to email messages. Personally, I'm a fan of email and letter writing (and not a fan of the phone), but I've fallen out of touch with several friends because if you don't contact them via Facebook or Twitter (I do neither), you won't hear back from them.
  - freehunter 14y ago
    Another thing email doesn't do well: the idea of "I have something to say, but passively". Maybe you want to announce a change in your life, or a party, or some thought that you had. It's far less annoying to put it on Facebook where your friends can digest it (or not) at their leisure, rather than in an email demanding to be read. "Hey, what's your new address?" "I emailed it to you, go search through your messages" vs "Check my Facebook profile"
    - pinkbucket 14y ago
      I get what you are saying. The one good thing about Facebook is that it took a lot of that fluff out of my inbox. But could I not have learnt to manage/gloss over it? The thing that Facebook does well - is tracking down contacts - to add to your 'address book.' It's not so easy in the world of email. That's because we aren't publishing our address books publicly (probably for good reason.)
    - fallenhitokiri 14y ago
      The only problem I see with your email sentence is that some clients lack a decent search functionality. Some improvements and it would IMHO be as easy, if not easier, as opening Facebook, trying to find a contact and fight against the timeline to find the information you are looking for. I think the party part is a bit of personal choice. If I run a party I want to notify $foo people. And $foo is always a smaller number than my Facebook "friends". I just prefer the ability to select people and only tell them what I want to say without creating tons of groups for everything.
mdc 14y ago
I think that Dilbert cartoon is very apropos. Facebook employees seem to treat their site as one big Skinner box and they're trying to see how far they can go.
dkersten 14y ago
I'm already at the point where I want to jump ship; I just can't figure out how to do it without losing contact with my friends. I'm in the exact same boat, but I decided that the risk of losing contact with a few people I don't talk to often is worth it at this point. I've spent the last few days making sure everyone has my email address, phone number and google+ and will be deleting my account in about a weeks time. There are many reasons why I am deleting my account, this issue (and their response to it) are just the latest problems that finally pushed me over the edge.
wodemaye__ 14y ago
Use the yahoo contacts exporter and get out while you still can, NOW.
wodemaye__ 14y ago
Use the yahoo contacts exporter and get out while you still can, NOW.
wodemaye__ 14y ago
Use the yahoo contacts exporter and get out while you still can, NOW.
driveby4823 14y ago
>> I'm already primed to leave. I'm just waiting on the right opportunity to come along. How many opportunities is it going to take? Just try it out for awhile, I consider it pretty low-risk. "Deactivate" your account, it will still be there if you change your mind. I left two years ago, I don't miss it, and my relationships haven't suffered.

alttab 14y ago

Clicking the little gray up arrow does not signify enough how much I agree with this sentiment.

jps359 14y ago

Well said. Talk about a lack of respect for the customer.

scribblemacher 14y ago
To be fair, users aren't Facebook's customers.
- jps359 14y ago
  You're right. I meant users. Thanks!

spaghetti 14y ago

Jumping ship was easy for me. I catch-up with my local friends in person at a local bar or cafe. I catch-up with my remote friends by traveling to their city and going to a bar or cafe there. Or they come visit me. It's infinity more satisfying and relaxing that consuming status updates containing skewed and filtered representations of someone's life.

thesis 14y ago
As far as visiting all my remote friends or them visiting me (somewhat often)... that's easier said then done for me and I bet most people.
- pinkbucket 14y ago
  Yeah, it's difficult enough when you are neighbours! (Sad but true.) That's not to say that we can't try harder.
- spaghetti 14y ago
  You're right it's not always easy. I often wonder about how the perceived convenience of visiting someone varies with the strength of the friendship. I think they vary directly. For example I have no problem fighting through rush hour traffic when I'm on my way to seeing a friend who I'm looking forward to seeing.
Evbn 14y ago
How is a conversation at a bar less skewed or filtered than a status post?
theorique 14y ago
consuming status updates containing skewed and filtered representations of someone's life. I much prefer skewed and filtered representations of my friends. It's much easier to interact with a caricatured, mean-field average of my 900 or so Facebook friends (aka "the audience") than to do it (shudder) one-on-one.
- wahnfrieden 14y ago
  Is it not preferable to have more meaningful, personal interactions with a smaller group of people?
  - spaghetti 14y ago
    Good point. When you're dreading interacting with someone one-on-one they're probably not a true friend. So perhaps fb is good for maintaining acquaintances rather than actual friendships.

seiji 14y ago

Enough of this conquer-the-universe bullshit. Their end goal is to be the entire Internet in a curated show-you-only-what-you-agree-with-so-you-click-on-more-things model. They won't stop or slow down until something else makes them irrelevant.

DanBC 14y ago
That model didn't work for AOL, Compuserve, Prodigy, etc etc. But they were all networks that provided access to the wider Internet. It's really weird to see Facebook working the other way round - a tiny company growing huge and grabbing more and more of the wider Internet. What next? Facebook Video? Facebook VOIP?
- incongruity 14y ago
  Didn't they already try the Facebook video idea? (Ah, yes, here – facebook movie rentals: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/mar/09/business/la-fi-facebook-movies-20110309 http://articles.latimes.com/2011/mar/09/business/la-fi-faceb... and they already offer video posting/sharing options in one's profile)
- pbhjpbhj 14y ago
  >That model didn't work for AOL // Over it's lifetime I think AOL made quite a lot of money. Just because something comes to an end doesn't mean that it "didn't work". They apparently currently have a market cap of 2.6 billion so many years after their heyday I'm amazed they're still going.
  - DanBC 14y ago
    Yes, you're right. I'm not quite sure how to word what I want to say. The model of having a small contained network, with users doing everything on your computers, with a bit of access to the wider Internet, failed. That's what AOL used to be. That model failed for AOL, and they converted to general ISP. The electronic landscape in 1998 will be surprising to many people today - especially the eye watering prices. (http://i53.tinypic.com/2janfrd.jpg http://i53.tinypic.com/2janfrd.jpg) My favourite quote from that page: > "This is the computer industry as it used to be: people sharing ideas and solutions without the greed and grit with associated with today's corporate driven, litigation-laced, industry" (remember this was written 23 years ago). And so now, looking at Facebook, I see some similar features. They have their own email; their own "CB simulator"; etc.

iamandrus 14y ago

Agreed, blaming the users for the company's own problem is disgusting. I remember that comic by the way, I have it saved from a calendar somewhere. :P

SoftwareMaven 14y ago

Facebook's apps will no longer be on any of my mobile devices. They've proven that I can't trust them without a browser sandbox between me and them.

brownbat 14y ago
I'd say 'me too,' but I can't actually delete their app from my Sprint Evo. Well played, Facebook. Well played.
- sp332 14y ago
  There were several reasons that I rooted my EVO but that was a big one. http://unrevoked.com/#evo http://unrevoked.com/#evo
- fluidcruft 14y ago
  Settings > Accounts > (select facebook account) > Remove account Settings > Applications > Manage Applications > All > Facebook > Clear data & Clear cache
  - brownbat 14y ago
    For me, that just clears the data the application uses, not the app itself.
    - fluidcruft 14y ago
      The steps will disable facebook. Unless you're on ICS or rooted, there's nothing else you can do (except perhaps install a launcher that lets you hide apps--out of sight/out of mind).
- SoftwareMaven 14y ago
  I hope iOS doesn't force a FB profile with iOS 6.

anon808 14y ago

"I just can't figure out how to do it without losing contact with my friends." easy . . . call them, visit them, email them, write letters to them. you don't need an application to managed personal relationships.

bmj 14y ago
I agree with you, but there's another issue here: some of your friends may not actually respond to email messages. Personally, I'm a fan of email and letter writing (and not a fan of the phone), but I've fallen out of touch with several friends because if you don't contact them via Facebook or Twitter (I do neither), you won't hear back from them.
- freehunter 14y ago
  Another thing email doesn't do well: the idea of "I have something to say, but passively". Maybe you want to announce a change in your life, or a party, or some thought that you had. It's far less annoying to put it on Facebook where your friends can digest it (or not) at their leisure, rather than in an email demanding to be read. "Hey, what's your new address?" "I emailed it to you, go search through your messages" vs "Check my Facebook profile"
  - pinkbucket 14y ago
    I get what you are saying. The one good thing about Facebook is that it took a lot of that fluff out of my inbox. But could I not have learnt to manage/gloss over it? The thing that Facebook does well - is tracking down contacts - to add to your 'address book.' It's not so easy in the world of email. That's because we aren't publishing our address books publicly (probably for good reason.)
  - fallenhitokiri 14y ago
    The only problem I see with your email sentence is that some clients lack a decent search functionality. Some improvements and it would IMHO be as easy, if not easier, as opening Facebook, trying to find a contact and fight against the timeline to find the information you are looking for. I think the party part is a bit of personal choice. If I run a party I want to notify $foo people. And $foo is always a smaller number than my Facebook "friends". I just prefer the ability to select people and only tell them what I want to say without creating tons of groups for everything.

mdc 14y ago

I think that Dilbert cartoon is very apropos. Facebook employees seem to treat their site as one big Skinner box and they're trying to see how far they can go.

dkersten 14y ago

I'm already at the point where I want to jump ship; I just can't figure out how to do it without losing contact with my friends. I'm in the exact same boat, but I decided that the risk of losing contact with a few people I don't talk to often is worth it at this point. I've spent the last few days making sure everyone has my email address, phone number and google+ and will be deleting my account in about a weeks time. There are many reasons why I am deleting my account, this issue (and their response to it) are just the latest problems that finally pushed me over the edge.

wodemaye__ 14y ago

Use the yahoo contacts exporter and get out while you still can, NOW.

wodemaye__ 14y ago

Use the yahoo contacts exporter and get out while you still can, NOW.

wodemaye__ 14y ago

Use the yahoo contacts exporter and get out while you still can, NOW.

driveby4823 14y ago

>> I'm already primed to leave. I'm just waiting on the right opportunity to come along. How many opportunities is it going to take? Just try it out for awhile, I consider it pretty low-risk. "Deactivate" your account, it will still be there if you change your mind. I left two years ago, I don't miss it, and my relationships haven't suffered.