3 ms·

Really? You think Facebook is a totally utilitarian joyless tool like a shopping bag? People need to use shopping bags because they need to carry groceries. No

Really? You think Facebook is a totally utilitarian joyless tool like a shopping bag? People need to use shopping bags because they need to carry groceries. No one needs to use Facebook. If you decide tomorrow that you absolutely hate shopping bags, your grocery shopping is going to be a hell of a lot less convenient. If you decide tomorrow that you absolutely hate Facebook, you're just going to have more free time.

xwowsersx 12y ago
This is a ridiculous point. "No one needs to use Facebook"? That's subjective and not your call to make unless you're defining need by "things that are required in order to stay alive", in which case shopping bags aren't a need either. Mithaldu's point, as I understood it, was that shopping bags serve a very clear function and people don't have strong feelings of love towards them. They use them because they work. Same thing with FB (apparently). What this article fails to grasp is that having billions of people feel that they need to use your service is worth way more than people saying they "like" your product.
- Mithaldu 12y ago
  Yes, that was my point. People don't love or hate their shopping bags because they don't think about them in the first place². Facebook is the same thing to many people. Something they use everyday without giving it a second thought. (Until the handle breaks / some ui element is redesigned. Then they get huffy and a few words later the analogy breaks down.) ² ³ Just to head off any possible future complaints about that. Some people do think about shopping bags. I do. I like cloth ones and hate the rest. I'm sure there's also some people who think about facebook. We're talking about the average street person though. ³ Yes, there is no footnote 1, i have no superscript 1 on my keyboard. Please send it if you find it.

3 ms·

Really? You think Facebook is a totally utilitarian joyless tool like a shopping bag? People need to use shopping bags because they need to carry groceries. No

by pauleastlund 12y ago

xwowsersx 12y ago
This is a ridiculous point. "No one needs to use Facebook"? That's subjective and not your call to make unless you're defining need by "things that are required in order to stay alive", in which case shopping bags aren't a need either. Mithaldu's point, as I understood it, was that shopping bags serve a very clear function and people don't have strong feelings of love towards them. They use them because they work. Same thing with FB (apparently). What this article fails to grasp is that having billions of people feel that they need to use your service is worth way more than people saying they "like" your product.
- Mithaldu 12y ago
  Yes, that was my point. People don't love or hate their shopping bags because they don't think about them in the first place². Facebook is the same thing to many people. Something they use everyday without giving it a second thought. (Until the handle breaks / some ui element is redesigned. Then they get huffy and a few words later the analogy breaks down.) ² ³ Just to head off any possible future complaints about that. Some people do think about shopping bags. I do. I like cloth ones and hate the rest. I'm sure there's also some people who think about facebook. We're talking about the average street person though. ³ Yes, there is no footnote 1, i have no superscript 1 on my keyboard. Please send it if you find it.