Facebook (or as I like to call it, Fecesbook) is the cesspool of the Internet. I hate it and I hope the fad ends soon. Why? Well, I’ve already been to high school. I didn’t like it the first time, so why would I want to go through it again? Fecesbook is the ultimate expression of narcissism and banality. No thanks.
Article on:
“Why Facebook is a steaming pile of shitake but twitter is comparatively shiny.”
http://drowninginvitriol.blogspot.com/2009/07/why-facebook-is-steaming-pile-of.html
Been into tech for awhile facebook is on a crash course like everything else, already being replaced I’m sure. The buzz will end and everyone will move from facebook to the next thing with a catchy name that just has not come out yet. Think about each internet fad has a 3 year life expectancy at best.
I enjoyed using facebook for the first three months and now I have lost interest and don’t do updates and all of that nonsense because I am too busy. I can sense hostility from fellow facebook devotees. How dare you? Do you think you are too good for facebook?? Once my coworkers and bosses starting sending friend requests, you have to say yes and it all pretty much ends being able to “express” yourself freely. I would rather say nothing than post a status report about how I am doing laundry. News flash: no one cares.
Ten reasons to LOVE Facebook…
1. Unlike newspapers and magazines, you can actually read good news about someone everyday!
2. It’s cheaper than going out & sometimes more entertaining.
3.Unlike mail, phone or texting you can virtually connect with several friends or family members at one time.
4. It gives you a way to cross thousands of miles and many years to reconnect with old friends or long distance family.
5. It makes you realize that you don’t have early-onset Alzheimers Disease because you actually CAN remember things from the past.
6. It allows you recall the good ole days and either enjoy them or be glad they’re long gone.
7. It gives you a way to make other people smile.
8. It allows you to take a glimpse into other peoples lives so you don’t have to wonder “what ever happened to him/her?”
9. It’s a place where you CAN be proud of your accomplishments whether it’s your kids, your life or just the fact that you’re healthy and happy- it’s a great way for others to share in your joy…
10. It gives you something to look forward to doing and you can do it anytime– whether you have little time or alot, whether you’re dressed or still in pajamas, whether your rich or your poor. And, it won’t matter if the weather is crappy or the economy stinks, you can still have a way to connect with someone somewhere & fill that basic human need called companionship…
“But I honestly don’t have the time…” and “…the last thing I want to do…” and “I also don’t feel the need…”
Fine. You don’t get it. You don’t like it. You don’t want it. But why all the hate for it? Obviously a lot of people like it. I mean *really* like it. If you can in now way understand what that’s about, why did you write a whole article about it?
To say, “I really, really, *really* don’t get people!”, I guess.
What do you think of Facebook?
It is more interesting than e-mails. I enjoy the pictures and staying in the loop (who’s engaged, expecting kids, needs prayer, etc.)
Are you a loyal fan or do you hate the social network?
Loyal fan? I enjoy Facebook. If that makes me a “loyal fan” then sure.
And do you think it will ever be able to generate big profits?
I haven’t done enough research to say if it will generate big profits. Somebody is apparently making money off of it. I haven’t been sold on a product or service through advertising on Facebook. I don’t know if they sell stock. If they do, I will not be buying any.
For all of you disgruntle Facebook users, former users, or know people who are on Facebook, you say you don’t care about what people have to say, yet you are reading what I say. You say you don’t have time for Facebook, yet you have time for this discussion board. You say “Get a life, and get off of Facebook.” Are you are saying 175 million people don’t have a life?
It sounds like you are doing something similar to what you are complaining about.
I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
I don’t have a problem with Facebook. If you do, does Facebook owe you an apology?
I am 27 and I have had Facebook for two years. I absolutely LOVE it. I am able to get updates on my 250 friends–it is nice to see how people in my life are doing that I don’t get the chance to talk to every day. I am able to create groups for work to streamline information so I don’t have to send out 50 emails. I can ask for feedback on meetings on the group wall and post links to events and blogs. I wouldn’t give up Facebook in a million years!
i quit my job because i posted on my facebook that “i had a crappy day at work” and a nosy neighbor told my boss. i deactivated the same day. it was wonderful all through college but 500 “friends” became a detriment and not a positive thing.
In actuality Gates wanted to give the OS away for free. His plan was quite brilliant, give a way a really functional OS for free, then charge for apps like Office, things that make work and life easier. People were going to buy them, at w/e price. It was competitor protest and government intervention that put a price tag on Windows OS. If you want to be taken seriously as a financial adviser in any respect, you should probably restrict comments to things you know.
I find these virtual reality sites to be
somewhat sophmoric and endlessly boring.
No matter how much these electronic cave
dwellers,write on each other’s walls,these sites do not in my opinion,
take the place of real time,real face
contact with other humans.While these
sites may be useful for handicapped or
shut in’s,most of the rest of the users would benefit greatly I think,
by honing up their social skills,and
get out of those electronic caves.
I’m one of the older Facebook users (over 55) and a shut in. My son asked me to join as that is where he posted all his photos of my grandchildren. Then my other sons did likewise as well as some of my good friends and cousins and my elderly mother! So I use Facebook to share photos so I don’t have to fill each and every email boxe with tons of stuff they might not want. If they want to download a photo, they just go to Facebook and download and commet. I’m not interested in adding “friends” etc. However, while there, I do play solitare and play scrabble with my daughter in law who lives several hundred miles away. Facebook has its place.
I completely agree with John in Boston. I am also 28, and I can’t understand the hype with Facebook. I created an account solely so I could see some pictures my brother uploaded to his site, intentionally leaving my last name off my profile so people would be less likely to find me in a search. It has been useful in that I have reconnected with one friend who I genuinely did miss from high school, but now I also get friend invites from people who were at best slightly more than acquaintances. I don’t get to see and speak with my REAL friends nearly often enough — why on earth would I want to be fake online friends with people I hardly know just because we went to the same high school? I have better things to do with my time.
I joined Facebook for the same reason I joined Myspace, just to see what all the hype was about. It’s a lame product. I really don’t care to read the minute details of every waking thought my friends have, so I almost never check either account. I have better things to do with my time, like answering CNN opinion polls…
My girlfriend is in California, I’m in Massachusetts. All I use Facebook for is sending little messages to her every now and then to let her know I’m thinking about her and she does the same. I have 12 friends on the site and do not want any more. I’m 28 years old and just not into catching up with old friends or people from high school – there’s a reason I haven’t talked to them in 10 years. I even made my profile unsearchable so no one could request to add me. My girlfriend is moving back next month, and I will probably only check my profile once every few weeks after that, if that. I think I’m the cusp of the all out internet generation. I didn’t have a computer till I was 20 and I never really got hooked and don’t see the point of sharing my life with the world. But I can see how younger people who have been using computers and emailing since they were 10 are interested in Facebook. It’s just not my thing.
I joined Facebook because a couple of months back a friend of mine who has been a member for some time found an old friend from high school who I have been looking for. Well I only have…..40 friends (not 400) and I don’t update anything. I ignore most requests. I don’t feel the need to let people know what I’m doing 24/7. It’s my private life. With what people put on FB, they still wonder about identity theft. If my friends want to know what I’m up to, send me email or call me.
Good thing: where I work, there are people I know but rarely see. When we joined Facebook, the interaction there has spilled over, bringing us closer together.
Another good thing: fun microbreaks
Iffy thing: running into people from high school is just weird
Facebook is pointless. It’s for the weak. If you want to stay in contact with someone, get off your couch and go see them or pick up the phone and call them. It’s really only for the people you want to keep tabs on and keep at an arm’s distance too. It’s basically just a tool for voyeurs without any semblance of life.
I’m on face book. I check it about once a day during the week and never during the weekend. I resisted joining for years. I got emails all the time from friends asking me to join. I finally did when I started my second band. Meh. I feel you about being on a computer all day and not wanting to get on again after work load photos and blah blah blah. I do like the networking with people I haven’t heard from in a while and it makes keeping long distant relationships with friends easier to maintain…in-so-much as emails can. If another person loves it great! To each their own. But it’s a testament to how much “easier” our lives are that one can complain about something as trivial as facebook. It’s just another tool available to us, and it’s importance and usefulness depends upon who you are and how you use it. As for it’s ability to generate revenue…well, I think it’s no more or less so than any other website out there.
Some ideas are bad because the ultimate purpose the idea serves does not outweigh the risks envolved. Social networking sites are exactly that. In addition to a personal privacy and security risk, the financial risks to investors outweigh the effectiveness of it’s attraction to people. Just look at the content backdown recently. Ultimatley, these sites must succumb to the collective will of it’s users, not it’s shareholders to consider itself successful. A very dangerous proposition.
Facebook is like Myspace, except it’s a bit more mature. Myspace was for pre-teens and Facebook was for college students.
Whee.
I use LinkedIn. It has a purpose. What’s the purpose of Facebook? Gee, look at me, I’m so interesting with the things I consume and the friends I have.
Meh.
Facebook sells all that data you willingly dump into it. I suggest you start making it a parody of itself.
Oh wait, too late.
Facebook and Myspace are indicative of the infantile, egocentric vanity that consumes human culture. Get a life and pull the plug.
I’m on Facebook, but only so much as I’ve started a page and I never update it. I occasionally get emails or friend requests, but realized they’re only from people that I haven’t talked to in 10 years because I don’t want to! I have 2 emails and 5 friend requests I’ve never responded to. The only thing I’ve done that’s changed the look of my Facebook page is add in the StumbleUpon plugin – Stumble lets me go places, learn things, and see things I never knew existed, and I find it much more socially-oriented. Facebook could disappear overnight (how about tonight?) and it wouldn’t bother me a bit. Basically, it acts as a place-holder… it’s there incase anyone wonders if I’m still alive.
I’m confused as to why you are writing about a service you don’t use. Arguing the ability for Facebook to create revenue is fair, but attacking its functionality is just being foolish. A Facebook account doesn’t require constant attention in order to function. Use it to update your status by the hour or to keep in contact with distant friends and family a couple times a year.
Your article, as seen from the title, is bound to attract plenty of readers. But I would expect some original thoughts and at least a little substance from a CNN blogger. Regurgitating all the obvious cheap shots you can take at Facebook users seems like something I would have read in my high school newspaper.
Amen to that brother. Amen to that… Same goes for myspace, as far as I’m concerned. (another note)… personally, I think it takes a real fool to upload their entire life to a public website… even if they do say it’s “secure” … I’ve worked quite extensively in Internet/Network security, and I can tell you first-hand… nothing is secure… My advice; Call or visit. After all, isn’t that what it’s about to begin with?
My problem with facebook is that its ultimately kind of pointless. The only things I think are useful is coming in contact with people you haven’t talked to in a while and sharing pictures. The “high school buddy” thing is a one shot deal. Once you’re back in contact, you’re done. Frankly, it wears on you. I’ve had one date as a result of that (from myspace, no less), which resulted in a little making out at the end, and that was it. Recently a few people re-connected with me, and I’ll be honest. I could take or leave most of them. Sharing pictures? OK, works pretty good, but otherwise, its not blowing me away.
If you have tons of time and want to do random crap that nobody cares about, great. Movie trivia? Super poke? Thanks. I have a job and need to do stuff during the day.
Today I had a professional organizer come in to sort out my monthly bills and filing system. Why doesn’t that site get 9 to 10 figure development funding? That’s something you’d use all the time. Facebook, while slick, was designed for college kids to kill time online, and I think unless there’s something real going on there, people will get sick of it.
Also, by the way. The layout is cluttered and confusing.
I use facebook mostly for friends and family who live a distance away from me, so in that respect, I love it. It’s allowed for me a quick and easy way to stay connected with a large family that has spread throughout the U.S.
This article is a waste of space. If you do not like, do not have time for, or do not wish to use Facebook, then don’t. As far as it being “a financial success,” if you are not a shareholder and don’t own the site, who cares?
Many others have written that you can’t understand Facebook until/unless you try it, so I won’t repeat that mantra.
What I will point out (as a 2-month-old Facebook user myself) is that Facebook has something few other sites have: A true need to keep checking back. If you don’t view Facebook every few hours (or in the evenings, every few minutes) you’re missing something. Cnn.com can’t say this, myspace can’t say this, not even Google can say this. Facebook truly hooks users with a “what’s going on right this minute?” urge to keep returning. So the moment they pull that “let’s sell some ads” trigger, they won’t just have 175 million views, they’ll have many times that. And that my willfully ignorant friend is how they will make boatloads of revenue.
For those of us carrying the extra burden at work while you Facebook addicts post updates all day…enough. I’m over it, and I know others who are as well. FB is a great way for employees to contribute nothing but one-liners into their friends’ ever narrowing focus on their own pathetic profiles. Give me a break. My only hope is that the recession takes its toll on what’s become an officially blessed goof-off site. Fine if you’re catching up with friends on YOUR time, but reality, however, is that people like me are picking up too much work because of FB.
I realize that this article was written for CNNMoney but why, oh why, does everything need to be about money. LaMonica says he understands FB’s popularity and addictive quality but his main point is questioning how FB will ever make money. My answer… who cares? I also realize that this may sound like a retarded MasterCard commercial but I truly consider the act of connecting with long-lost pals of yesteryear to be quite priceless.
And for the record, the ads are Facebook are much like Google’s – they’re relevant to each user. Moreover, the user has the opportunity to vote for or against each add by clicking on a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” icon & then giving a reason why you like or dislike the ad one just voted on.
But still, who cares about revenue? Especially during a recession. And yes, if you’re freaking out because you haven’t checked your BB in 15 minutes, you are much more obsessive than most I know on the evil FB.
Facebook is just another one of those annoying Christmas letters that a few self-absorbed people send out every year. “Let’s talk about ME a little more…”
After you catch up on all the superficial stuff with those friends that you haven’t made the effort to stay in touch with, what are the chances that there is enough there to encourage you to maintain the friendship?
Yes, FB has been around for 5 years, but the demographic has completely changed. This is no longer a site for youth- it’s is primarily for the 30+ set. My mother has a facebook profile, and she is 67. How long do you think her grandchildren are going to stick around on Facebook for? I give it less than a year before it loses that whole youth demographic.
It won’t need to sell ad space, it will fizzle out, albeit slowly because, how long can you maintain cocktail-party chatter?
Why would I want to put personal information on the internet where any nut can find it? And why would I want to consider a bunch of total strangers I’ve never met “friends,” especially when it’s so easy to lie online about who you are and what you’re really doing there? So many people today have no idea how to connect with a real, live human being, because they’ve let technology create a wall between them and the rest of the world.
Five words my friend … you just don’t get it! Try it for one month, just one month, and see if you still feel the same way. If you do, then so be it. But you can’t judge it if you don’t even know what it is that you’re judging.
Facebook can only generate a profit by selling its enormous user information base to people, and by not compensating users, they will only alienate their primary resource through this activity. Therefore, I conclude that Facebook will never be profitable.
This is one of the worst articles I have read anywhere, let alone in a major publication like CNN. Of course you can’t understand a product you’ve never tried. As for monetization, people said search was worthless until Google came around too. Nice job writing a purposely controversial article to get eyeballs.
One of many ways to remain connected with people you care about…very useful in maintaining a personal connection;i.e. photos, comments, etc but never as good as in person…should FB become a pay-4-use platform, I’ll be done with it…heck of a lot better than texting!!
Bravo! I believe the unbridled intensity of the Facebook phenomenon is just another symptom of the underlying cause of much of our misery today – the celebration of image & style over substance, of talking over doing, scmoozery over talent.
There is nothing wrong with some digital socializing, and when used in moderation I’m sure Facebook is great fun for extroverts. However, many of the people that tell me to ‘get with the times’ and post on Facebook make it sound like without doing so I am doomed to professional failure and insignificance, whereas those on it are sure of a magical ride to well-being, a great job and popularity to boot – without any significant effort, of course!
It’s good to stay connected. I feel so alone if I’m not peeping on my virtual friends and old classmates from years ago that I never keep up with for reasons that don’t matter because now I can see that none of them are as successful as I am and not even close to being as popular. I guess not much changes after high school. I don’t know where my life would be without facebook. It is such a revolutionary tool that has transformed the way I receive and process extremely valuable information, such as social events, other people’s moods and the last thing they did on their facebook page. I feel totally connected on a whole new level and as long as I have facebook, I’ll never know what it’s like to not waste time. Could there be any better distraction to our miserable lives?
Lamonica is such a tool. This is the same guy who said the market was fine a little more than a year ago. This is the same fella who said that gas prices were through the roof because of a low supply… and it had NOTHING to do with brokers pushing the price up. This is the same guy who thought putting a temp ban on short selling was going to doom the market… and with it, the economy.
How short sited can one person be? Well… lets just take a look at the comment about having to listen to a 30 second commercial before you make a phone call. Hey Paul! WE PAY FOR PHONE SERVICE. Why would we have to listen to commercials. If Facebook wnated to charge for the service, I am sure there are a number of people who would stay… but they dont. Since this is the case, the money has to come from advertising dollars. I can see it being successfull. Facebook has tools and apps that are quite entertaining (if a bit juvenile)and all have adds built right in. But you would not know that… why? Because you write a pithy piece about a service you dont even use. WHy dont you start writing car reviews about the Etzel.
Whats even worse, is the fact that you bash a business model that closlet resembles the blogging you do on this site.
Advertising dollars keep the site up, and you blogging… or perhaps you create these crappy articles for free. Yo should. Because I cant see CNN actually paying you for this disservice.
Like most, I rejected social networking as a past time “for teenage girls and the boys who drool over them”. Then one day, I had a reason to join up, I wanted to say Hi to someone I hadn’t spoken to in ages.
Now, with 50+ people in my friends list and having re-connected with people I haven’t spoken to in 20 or 30 years, I can see the attraction. I get it.
Hating on Facebook is about as difficult (and significant) as hating on Microsoft, or hating big business, or hating whatever else everyone else is hating on today to be cool.
Yes yes we know you HATE FB, you’re too cool to talk to people you knew 30 years ago, you’re too “in the moment” to look back, or your time is far too important to waste time on “social networking”.
But I guess you know, when you’ve got that deadline looming and have to post “something” to the web to remind folks that your articles are relevant, FaceBook is as good a target as any!
I look forward to next weeks article on why Linux Rules.
PS: Hating FaceBook but carrying around a BlackBerry? Thats rich….
What a silly article. As this author admits, he has all kinds of ‘real’ things to report, and yet he stops down to whine about how he doesn’t like Facebook.
Note to the media: We get it. You don’t like facebook. Goody for you. Move on to the next faux-issue to blather on about.
Facebook does not take over people’s life; it does not force anyone to do anything. Why do you think anyone cares if you’re too busy to use Facebook? By the way, the fact that I read your article does not mean that I care, but I had to read it in order to find out what you were whining about.
No one has thought of a good way for Facebook to make money yet. That does not mean that it cannot. The day before the Mosaic web browser and HTML were invented, I’m sure there were people whining “there’s no good way for individuals to use/contribute to the Internet.” The point is, just because we do not know something right now doesn’t mean we won’t know tomorrow. Obviously, you will probably not invent the way Facebook could make money.
Don’t end up like this guy…
“There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.”
— Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977
Face book creates a false on-line community. I have almost never had a supposed face book friend ever turn in to a real life face book friend. What face book calls “friends” are in fact nothing more then clicks of the mouse. A real friend takes time to develop, but much like the rest of our superficial and fake society on face book one click makes you a friend, geeze give me a break!. I find the folks with hundreds of friends absolutely funny, who really has 200 friends? No one. I think face book is just a symptom of all the things which are wrong in our society and the type of me-me-me attitude which got us in to the mess.
Facebook is also turning into more of an on-line personal promotion and marketing device with some gossip added more then something truly useful and it’s popularity will wane eventually, or it will be sold out to some commercial concern like youtube was.
On a more serious note look for the first face book divorces soon, as spouses add old girlfriends and boyfriends, creating jealousy and separations in relationships.
I mostly go on face book to play my brothers awesome game Lucky Strikes, and when I am bored to point that I have nothing better to do then to check out others useless daily activities.
I just recently discovered Facebook and I love it. I do not allow it to “take over” my life, but I use it to network with other business professionals like myself and to catch up with long lost friends. I think it’s a great tool in this ever changing technological age we live in.
Standford has been studying a methedology they dub as “captology” and use Facebook specifically as an example. I use facebook, and I believe it will continue to generate a significant amount of revenue due to their various techniques of captology that influences users to return, interface, communicate and view pages as well as expand the user population.
As long as companies that pay Facebook for advertising, revenue will be generated.
Now, I also believe that there will be new innovative ways to generate revenue, but that will come in the innovation in employing captology in addition to new ways of providing services.
I think it is gossip tool. If you want to chat with friends, it is better to do it in person or via phone. I prefer to see my friends, family. To sit in front of computer is very impersonal, cold, people tend to think ” bc I am in front of computer I can say whatever comes to my mind…” well this causes a lot misunderstanding. Once: people do not hear tone of the voice, do not see expressions on face, body language.
I do not like this idea of talking to others. I think it is insensitive. Many got hurt by someone spreading rumor via facebook….just for fun, or what they think, or…
Whatever is written cannot be taken back. Gossip harms, how do you get out of harming information?
First off, I have a facebook account and I enjoy it. I do not swear by it or have the need to check my account every waking moment of the day. it is more or way to commicate with people who are not convenient to contact at the moment. I look at it as a passing internet fad, similar to most electronics in the past such as the Palm Pilot, VCR, the 1980’s chatlines. It is convenient for most people today considering the internet is now accessible on most cell phones and people’s lives are no longer dictated by the traditional 9-5 work hours. Facebook is a “clean” way (compared to Myspace) to keep up with friends, family and joining groups with interested and hobbies in mind. If it evolves with society, it can join the ranks of television and phones. However, if it does not… it can be remembered as Beta-max or Sega Dreamcast… to be seen on VH1 as Remember this… I believe the mass media is behind most hype now a days… rather than tell the facts… make it the most dramatic occurrence that will captivate you. That is where the title, Facebook control our lives. It is geared to grab you attention and make you read the article. I think we will see Facebook around for 5 more years in it current form if it does not adapt will the American society which has a short attention span and regulates itself on instant gratification and indulgence. So… time will tell on this fad.
Why is someone who doesn’t even have a facebook account given the authority to write an article on an esteemed and supposedly credible site? CNN should exercise some discretion on who is given authority to post articles, else it will be no less than a bathroom wall where people can “spam” their comments indiscriminately.
Whether or not someone likes Facebook is irrelevant, but atleast they should have a reasonable amount of face-time on the application. And, how does checking the blackberry every 10 minutes give validity to his opinions? And, whether or not the company makes money…is that relevant to the quality of the application? It’s funny how Paul mentions the large number of users…he’s definitely caught on to something that 175 million users haven’t…and, that too, without even getting an account. Brilliant!
I reiterate Steve’s (from Brooklyn) comment above…What a foolish article.
Facebook, Myspace, Flickr…all that crap can be summed up in one word.
Exhibitionism.
If I could add another couple of words, it would be “willingly superficial”.
The strength with which the above named vapor-websites have taken off have nearly made me lose faith in mankind. At least in mankind under the age of 25.
The only thing that makes me cringe more is the thought of these tens of millions of teenagers/young adults sitting around 10 years from now and wondering why they are lack an ability to communicate with people because conversations can’t be summed up with exhibitionist photos/status updates/1-line quips/or a 2 page list of what they like/dislike.
I also cringe that my thought process is the minority.
I used to harbor great trepidation over the hype of Facebook. But in my position, which I’ll explain in a moment, I have found this online “tool” to be a wonderful and joyous piece of technology.
I’m 33, and I’m a student at the University of Illinois. I have also lived all over the country teaching survivalism, attending other colleges, serving in our military, and exploring the United States. There are hundreds of people that I lost contact with, some much more regrettably than others. I have found a new joy in “rediscovering” these pieces of my past, and for that I’m extremely grateful for the Facebook phenom.
The author is making the basic point of why FB simply won’t be profitable, whereas its counterpart Google, for ex, was so successful. As a finance techie, I think he absolutely hit the nail on the head: although FB may have higher web stickiness, this does not translate into higher sales through advertising. FB claims it’s a conduit for social networking, facilitating the process of connecting people to their social worlds. The introduction of advertisements, by its very existence, clouds this connection, and thus is less welcomed in FB notwithstanding the site’s relevant stickiness.
FB is currently not profitable, and is funded only by private capital. Who cares about FB making money? Its private investors firstly, since there’s a large opportunity cost for investing their millions in FB, when the company continues to fail to return a positive ROI.
More importantly, it’s important for Ecommerce and Web wonders to know that just because a site has a large base, and even more critically high web stickiness, there is no correletion to increased sales and profit, as we are currently seeing with FB. This will caution investors and VC firms to be more cautious on the ROI when investing in future web ideas.
In my opinion, the Company will be sold, or will become another Yahoo, a conglomerate of web solutions with no basic business model; in this latter case, the firm will also be sold to appease its shareholders.
Sam
Wharton School, Univ of Penn c/o 2003
I feel the same way.
Has anyone started to feel that if you’re not taking part as much as your “friends” in the community, the community starts to shun you?
Very freaky networking site.
Who says Facebook has to make money to be considered a good company? It doesn’t have to make money.
Im a high schooler, and its sometimes good to talk to your best friend from elementary. As far as I’m concerned its good pastime.
And one question. If you don’t use facebook, then why bother to hate it? You don’t like it, but others do.
Facebook is the best social networking site out there, and I’ve used just about all of them. Prior to finding Facebook, I used to use several of these sites simultaneously. Now, I just use Facebook. The product is that good.
The problem they’re going to run into, however, is their “big-brother”-ish approach to their user base. Their attitude is that they have the right to do whatever to you while you are there, ban you without reason, and basically, tick off people who have just learned to find a home there. I resent some of the things they’ve done, including disabling my account for nearly 2 weeks (I never got a reason for this – I was told that I had “violated policy”, yet no one spelled out what that policy was, or why they decided to un-disable my account. it just started working one day), randomly banning my photos and then sending me e-mails saying if I posted photos like those again I would be banned (the photos in question were my holding my newborn son after he was born. I guess they didn’t like it that he was naked, any more than they liked the tens of thousands of breastfeeding images they’ve banned), and overall just making me feel like they were just another bunch of conceited internet jerks. Sure, I could leave, but my friends are on Facebook and there isn’t another good alternative. So until there is, I’ll bide my time and then move, and try to get my friends to move with me. By the way, I am not alone in being treated like this – there are Facebook groups called “petition to reinstate ’s account>”, that each seem to think no known policy was violated.
I think it would be great if Facebook spent more time trying to make money rather than harrassing their user base. They’d make more money, and I would be a loyal customer who wouldn’t leave so easily when the “next” Facebook comes along. But I will. And I will also laugh when Zuckerberg makes a fraction of what he could have made when Facebook goes out of business for not selling to a larger company that actually understands how to treat the users of it’s product.
I’m on it solely to amuse family members. I really don’t like to stay in contact with people that I have not stayed in contact with, old friends and such. I have been found by people whom the last time I had a conversation with them it was an argument. Now I feel I have to hide. It’s just a repackaging of AOL in a way. I can recall, having the same kind of dread that I might be found some how and I have to digitally hide.
I use a couple of other social network sites but Facebook doesn’t interest me. One reason is fear. All my friends on Facebook talk about old friends “finding” them.
That’s the last thing I want. People from the past are from the past. I live in the present. If they really need to find me, there are other ways they can do it.
And I’m not concerned about the minutiae of others’ lives and doubt they would be concerned about mine. If they are, then I recommend they find a therapist.
I don’t get it. First it was AngelFire (remember that?), then MySpace, then Facebook, and now Twitter. Maybe I’m antisocial, I don’t know, but I’ve never had any interest in putting my personal details on a website or connecting with people I’ve lost touch with. If the collective energy spent on these sites were put toward a good use like scientific research or medicine, we’d have people living in another solar system and solved cancer by now, for sure. What a waste.
Eventually facebook will need to cash-in to keep in existence – and guess what – your personal information is the product.
…and what’s with this sliced bread anyway? Facebook has been around for 5 years. Love it or hate it? Welcome to the 21st century LaMonica.
I started using Facebook about a year ago and seems that many of my college friends that I hadn’t spoken to since college joined in the last year and it was great to catch up with old friends. In a way to me its a lot more functional and fun alternative to reunion sites; though, as a business model it could use improvements. I also view Facebook almost as an improved method of communication among friends and somewhat for business. I now often go to Facebook to email friends rather open Outlook.
As an online marketer, Facebook has a wealth of information; though, the information has to be balanced against user privacy. The redesign of Facebook had some major flaws, especially with apps which were the most promising. Its much more difficult to find and installs apps in the new Facebook design. I doubt Facebook will ever make the profits of Google or Apple, but if managed properly, it can make some profits.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. If you so adamantly hate Facebook, here’s an idea – DON’T GET ON IT! Why waste your time writing an article to state what you don’t like? Are you trying to make FB-lovers feel like sh*t? It won’t work.
In case you can’t already tell, I love facebook, as I have for the last 5 years and as I will continue to for probably the next decade.
I don’t like raw onions, and I’m not about to waste my time trying to get that published on CNN. Get over yourself dude.
I wish I could give up Facebook, but that is not a good move at this moment. Thing is I am in college, and a bunch of events that go around campus are published on Facebook. Also it is easier for coordinating group projects because the “thread” option allows you to email multiple friends, and the replies are available for all the friends to see at the same time. It is easier to coordinate meetings that way. As of right now I need Facebook the same way a businessman needs his blackberry. It is true that it sucks up hours of my day, but at the same time I see it as a necessary evil.
I think it is fine that people make choices in how they spend their time, and choose not to partake in Facebook.
But I seriously question the wisdom in assuming that the only value a web site can hold is its profit margin — I have a horrible ROI on raising my children. Going to church doesn’t pay so well either. Neither does almost any compassionate act for your fellow man. Does that mean most of my actions are less worthy than selling iPods?
This article isn’t really about Facebook – it is about an underlying assumption that everything must make money to have value. And I disagree vehemently with that assumption.
Maybe, just maybe, there are thousands of us who have been hit very hard by the downturn of the economy and who find it nice to have a place to go that doesn’t cost us anything. Where we can share thoughts, pictures, information, videos etc. A place where we can make connections without using gas or having to foot the bill for a dinner at a restaurant or pay for bowling, etc. I’m not a big facebook user, but I do use it to keep up with people and things that interest me.
The real bottom line is that many of us out here used to be able to afford a night out or a splurge once in a while. Now we can’t afford anything. The fact that we can manage to hang on to our internet connection and visit through sites such as facebook or myspace or youtube makes us feel not quite so depressed. If you take these away from us because they aren’t “making money” then we will totally isolated and I assure you that will not be good for the country.
It took me forever to figure out what the point of it even was. I wrote this blog about it a while ago:
my facebook question
I guess I’ve figured most of it out at this point, but I still find the layout and the way sometimes you’ll click on an entry and then have no way to get back where you came from annoying.
I do not use facebook, and do not plan on doing so anytime soon. I know people who are using it (I have 6 facebook invites sitting saved in my email right now). I program computers and have degrees in computer science and business. And I agree that Facebook is an great service that people can use to keep in contact. But …
Quite frankly I still do not see the point. Why would I want to give up actual contact with my friends or talking to them, to post the information on a bland, lifeless web page? I’ve got a dozen or so people I can interact with in real life, and dealing with them face to face is far superior to any electronic format. Do I need 100 Facebrook friends in remote locations to trade stories with? Or do I need a dozen close friends I can interact with in real life? The answer is obvious at least to me. And with real friends (not Facebook ghosts), I do not need the illusion of Facebook.
It seems to me that most Facebook users are merely people who can’t find the social interaction they desperately desire in real life. Take for example the 6 invites I have sitting in my email. I know those people, but do not consider them my friends (associates more closely fits). I’ve always thought all of them were rather quiet people, not involved in things. On the other side are my friends who prefer social interaction. And I can’t think of one of them on Facebook.
I’ve been a Facebook user for just about a year and I enjoy it and find it very useful. My daughter suggested I get on myspace, but found it to be annoying. It had a cheesy look and feel to it. But I found Facebook and am glad I did. I’ve found lost friends, old classmates and coworkers. More importantly it allows myself and my family who live all over the US a way to stay in touch. We can easily share updates about our daily lives and share photos easily.
I’ve read your blog countless times. Each time I do I say to myself, “This guy needs a lot of cheese with his whine.”
Sir, I understand that the masses love it when someone bashes a popular service. Facebook is one of those things to be bashing. I’m a user, but I’m not an addict. Don’t kill the messenger? Facebook is the messenger. If someone has an addiction to it, that is not your problem. Here :
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=520000419&ref=profile
I’ll even leave it open so that you can see that I go one it maybe once a day.
Back to the point. I don’t get how CNN can pay you to blog about crap. Honestly, will they pay me to blog about nothing as well? To complain about things I honestly have no clue about? Will they pay me to be a hack too? Since I’m in the IT field I can personally say that I’m probably more knowledgeable about some of these products and services you gripe about. I even have a sweet coffee cup to, and I’m an unshaven grub as well.. so I could be your doppelganger!
Facebook is actually a great tool to keep in touch with people. I get seriously annoyed when my better half HAS to show me a photo or whines about someone’s posts, however. Since you are a non-user who has gone on about how much you hate Facebook, is it fair to say that I can compare you to my old General Manager? We used to call him the “Nae Sayer”. We would chirp out “Let me be the nae sayer!” when we saw him. He was always against the majority.
Honestly CNN, give this job to someone who can blog about intelligent subjects. Babbling on a random tangent that has nothing to do with world matters is a waste of salary. Sign someone else up, the world will love you for it and it will change an unemployed persons life.
Facebook helps us keep in touch with Peace Corps volunteers we trained with in Thailand. We are not worried about old flames trying to hook up with us because we have been married 40 years.
I only recently started using Facebook mostly because I read so many of these cooler-than-thou stories about how much the author hated it. Ah, sour grape anti-fanboyism, where would blogs be without you? Most of the columns were about how much time it took away even though I’m on for a few minutes a day, at most. If it’s “taking over your life” then that’s your fault, not Facebook. It’s a handy way to keep in touch with friends and relatives who live out-of-state. It’s also better than phonetag for organizing get-togethers with more than 3 people. I’ve never played as much golf, gone out to as many group dinners, or been to as many parties as I have since using this thing.
Mostly, it’s just handy and convenient whereas the phone is intrusive and annoying. It’s also not my company so I don’t care how much money is does or doesn’t make. Regarding intrusive ads, Adblock Plus is your friend. I have yet to see a single one on Facebook. Or CNN, for that matter.
You don’t belong to Facebook, but you hate it? And this is because it may not be able to make any money? Why does this concern you? And you’re not willing to spend hours at the computer updating your Facebook data? Who asked you to? Spend as much time on Facebook as you wish. No one is forcing you to do anything.
What a foolish article.
I use facebook everyday, I dont upload everypicture taken of me and I dont use any apps im invited to use. All i use facebook for is chatting with friends that I cant talk to by other means, which are friends living abroad. So Facebook comes in handy that way.
The social network that gets me all irritated and pissed off is Twitter. Twitter Twitter Twitter! I really do not get the point of a social profile where all you do is update what your doing every 30 seconds. Especially when 99% of the time it is utterly useless information to know. “… is at work”, “… just got to class”… I mean seriously no one gives a damn.
If you want to tell people you know about an event or something, call or email or tell them by word of mouth. Twitter is just annoying.
Facebook is about connecting people, not about bowing down to the all mighty dollar. The networking aspects of facebook can indeed be profitable if you have the necessary social skills.
Two comment types I’m finding funny:
1) I don’t want my significant other meeting up with old flames.
- You have MUCH bigger issues than facebook. I’m not being cheeky here, I’m serious. Fix the issues of trust or the outcome is likely inevitable.
2) I don’t have the time to comment/update/statuses on facebook. It’s a waste of time.
- Umm, most of you have just taken the same actions necessary to participate on facebook. But rather than commenting on a story that will impact your life in no way you could have commented on the pictures your brother just posted of your new niece and in significantly less time than it takes to have a phone conversation or visit in person.
As for the money issue, it has an opportunity to generate significant amounts of revenue if they go in the right direction, they have an asset most companies would die for. Direct access to enough users to make it the 6th most populous country in the world.
If you can’t fathom how they might be able to turn a profit at some point I might suggest using the POTS to call someone that cares.
Articles like the one you wrote saying how bad facebook is, is the very reason I can’t stand blogs and pundits. You don’t need facebook to tout your daily activities because you can do it and get paid, apparently, from the content of this very article. People not liking thing that are popular, because they are popular, is something I used to do in high school, until I finally realized, you know what, I’m going to do whatever I enjoy regardless of someone’s loud opinion.
I do agree the hype is overrated, but this is true with EVERYTHING that has anything to do with media and user interaction, and cash. You were saying good things about Google, and sounded annoyed by the tracking facebook is about to do. Didn’t you realize that 90% of web pages, including the one you posted your rant on, is tracked by Google?? Based on your stated opinions, this should bother you as well, but apparently you’re just annoyed and feel that an annoying blog isn’t good enough to rant on, you need to do it on CNN. That to me seems a little… insane.
When did the news become The View. Opinions are fine, but do not mistake them for news. They are what used to be called editorials, and it’s best left to the editor because they have, for the last century at least, have had the decency to label their articles as “Editorials.”
For the record, I don’t use facebook either, but I do use myspace, just because a few friends of mine I like to keep in touch with use it, and it has a lot of the obscure music I listen to on it I can play any time. But just because you have an account, doesn’t mean you actually have to use all of their features like the rest of the lifeless maniacs. My whole profile is a lie and a joke, my friends know it, and everyone else gets a good laugh from it. That’s it. I don’t feel obligated to update it or anything, I just do what I want.
How’s that for a rant?
I’m annoyed at the annoyed who can’t keep their opinions out of other people’s faces, and resist other opposing opinions without any logic whatsoever. Someone needs a waaaambulance.
I joined Facebook in August, became quickly addicted, and am now just bored with it. I loved that I could chat with people I hadn’t seen in a long time. Foolishly, I believed this would lead to real life talking, planning times to hang out, etc… It hasn’t. Everyone is content to write on each other’s walls. Well, I’m not and have decided that those in the 3D world are more important.
I’m at best a casual user of Facebook (I like Twitter better – http://www.twitter.com/baldeagle). The value of these networks is not what they do directly but what they allow to happen. In stead of thinking of Facebook as the product, think of it as the operating system.
Yes, they gave it away to help grow the network faster. And now that 100’s of millions of users are comfortable with the technology and many are using it daily, it could easily become a money machine with a few simple changes.
Ads are one model, but I don’t think that is the path Facebook really wants to go. Eventually, more and more of the apps we use will be web-based and many will be pay as you go. This includes business apps, financial tools, graphics, web design, games, etc. Facebook could easily be one of the major platforms we go to to find and “buy” those apps. Software developers would pay Facebook a commission for bringing users to their application that is conveniently aggregated there.
There is value in the number of users a network has. While its hard to measure exactly how much that is worth, the real value will come from execution when the time is right. Just like it did for Google.
I despised Facebook for the longest time as my wife would get home from work and sit on it for an hour or two every night… doing something with Pieces of Flair or “OMG! Look at so and so” or (my biggest pet peeve), “I wonder why so and so is upset and what are they waiting for?”
I really feel that Facebook has taken the “personal” out of “personable” and brought people to little one liners about how X, Y, and Z are affecting their lives. Personally I’d rather have someone pick up the phone or send me an email to see how I’m doing.
I just gave Facebook a week to prove to me it could be useful, or even mildly entertaining, but it flunked on both counts. The interface is clunky, non-intuitive, and ultimately frustrating. Half of the pages I visited were dead or otherwise abandoned. The “Wall” feature is better handled by Twitter, if you’re into that sort of thing. “Social Media” may be raging at the moment, but will become another dead-zone on the Web, an empty maze of useless information. Clicking “deactivate” on my Facebook account was a very satisfying moment.
This article is about as informative as Cooper Lawrence’s appearance on Fox over Mass Effect.
Basically your article stopped being relevant when you stated:
“I don’t know about you. But I’m sick of all the Facebook hype.
For the record, I am not on Facebook”
This tells me that either your boss has told you to write an article about something you know nothing about, or simply you are bored and would rather go on a soapbox on a topic you know know little or nothing about.
As a journalist you should do your research first.
I expect this on Fox news but CNN I thought had a little bit more quality.
I use facebook as a promotion and network tool for business. It keeps me in touch with my widespread client base and has provided me with valuable intel about how my business can better serve my customers.
Best of all for a small businessman? It’s free! I know that’s the reason the author of this article ‘hates’ on f’book, but free and valuable business tools aren’t a reason for me to hate on anything.
Anyway, 150 million users — I bet I could make money if I had that resource. Just give it time.
How can you be writing for CNN Money and not get why some people find FB to be a useful communication/networking TOOL or the data mining/targeted marketing potential that it has?
Ads are placed with thumbs up thumbs down so you can tailor the types of products that are presented to you. Users pick and choose among a vast array of applications and groups, each time indicating a little more about their preferences and interests. FB can (or soon should be able to) give companies amazing target marketing options. Simple example: I want to place an ad for my sports equipment Web-based business with all FB users who have signed up for a group related to a sports team or athlete … or even more focused … with a group or app related to football (because I sell football jerseys). Duh! If you don’t get that, you shouldn’t be writing for CNN Money.
Second … to all you FB haters. It’s a TOOL. You can set it up and refine it to work the way you want it to. You don’t have to have a stream of consciousness coming in from everyone who is on your friends list. You can pick and choose your “friends” and tailor what you see from each. You don’t have to accept everyone who requests to be your friend. For me, FB is great. If I see something interesting on the Web, instead e-mailing the link to a few friends or family members (which I used to do or want to at least once a week), I can post it. Or if I wanted to share a photo, post it on Flickr and then e-mail them or e-mail a photo. With FB, it’s easy. If they’re interested, they might comment or point me something related and/or better – and the rest of the group can comment on the comment or new link, too. And that’s just one example. I can pick a few of my FB friends (family members lets say) and post a note just for them. They can respond for that same group. The communication OPTIONS are many.
Can you say “dialogue”? How about “asynchronous collaboration”?
You write for CNN Money! If you can’t see the value/advantages for a lot of people (maybe not everyone in universe) and the data mining – targeted marketing potential of FB … you need to find other work.
I love it because it helps me keep with friends. I just had a little exchange w/ a friend whose waiting on a flight home to LA from Paris. I live in Dallas. I have friends from college all over the country (I’m 42) and we’ve reconnected through FB. I learned a friend who now lives in Moline, IL is a jewelry maker. We’ve rekindled our friendship and my husband bought one of her creations for me for Valentine’s Day. I’ve now told others about her online shop and she’s getting some new business. I’m also in touch with family in Mexico–aunts, teen-aged nephews (who aren’t much different from teens in the US). If you don’t like Facebook, don’t use it. Easy as that. I appreciate a platform that lets me share my life and let others I love and care about share their lives. Facebook, I love ya!
It’s fun for me. It’s an easy way to get back in touch with people from the past. What does anyone care if the users “waste” time with it or their email, or cell phones, or BlackBerries, or Twitter, or MySpace, or anything else. I’m sure Facebook thanks you for adding to the buzz.
I don’t think facebook is healthy for married people. I don’t want my husband getting in touch with his old girlfriends and I’m sure he doesn’t want me getting in touch with my old boyfriends. I have seen too many shaky marriages get sucked into the facebook virtual world.
Facebook is intrusive and asinine. It’s the 30 something to MySpace! I can think of a hundred different things more useful to do with my time. I’m not going to bad mouth the people who enjoy using it, however I really don’t understnd the allure of it? As many poeple have stated, you haven’t talked to people in 20 years for a reason! Also as Mr.La Monica states, pick up the phone and ask me how I’m doing or whats on your mind, heck even send me a text message as souless as that is!!
But hey, who am I? 150 Million people can’t be wrong…right??? I like to thing of it as the worlds largest cult!! Whatever you do, don’t drink the Kool-Aid!
For anyone over 25 to say smugly “I’m not on Facebook” sounds like the new “I don’t own a TV.” Get over yourself.
I am right there with you. I do have to admit though, I am on facebook. Initially it was cool to see old high school classmates. But now, its absolutely annoying. People that you werent even close to are sending friend requests, stupid quizzes, 25 things etc. Its a waste of freaking time and now my wife is hooked on it. I wish I had never checked it out at a friends request.
I pride myself on being very computer literate. I design websites as well. However, I find that FACEBOOK is just too hard to navigate. I’ve tried endless to learn how to use it and I’ve failed. My Space is very simple to use and browse other people and view their profiles (unless they’re set to private). I’ve abandoned FACEBOOK because it is the most difficult website I’ve ever tried to learn how to use. And I’ll say it again, I’m very computer savvy. And STUPID too, I guess.
I think it is wonderful! I have reconnectd with family (cousins) all over the country. We can now used it to keep in touch, update eash other on how our elderly aunts or uncles are faring. Most importantly to jsut be a family where we probably wouldn’t without Facebook.
I really don’t understand why you are so upset about how they will make a profit. Or why you are soo upset about it being free.I just don’t get that. And there are no advertisements that pop up. If you want to buy more points in a game then you can buy some.However you donot have to. I am playing two games. And yet to buy any points. I might have to however,that’s how I would imagine they would and are making there money. It sounds like FaceBook is a huge threat to your usual way of understanding buss. So I would ask yourself. Why does the way they run there buss. scare you soo. It seems to work just fine. And I really do enjoy it. It’s fun to talk to all my friends, and involve them in things that interest me and might interest them. If you don’t have time then Face Book is not for you. However you would be surprised how many people make the time to check up on there friends for fun and or there concerns. This thing seems to work and work rather well. So maybe if you can’t beat em you can join em. See you on F.B. maybe someday. Greg Boone
You Americans make me laugh. You rant about something that is effectively harmless and personal choice to partake in then blame it all in PROFIT or lack thereof. I have family all over the world who have been able to see pictures of my new baby girl and ‘comment’ on her virtually. They can’t afford to jet over in this economic climate. Whereas I agree that it is naive for the CEO of Facebook to think they can become Microsoft without frauding people into using their system, networking media socially includes many people with different viewpoints. Individualism is scary to global corporations because fragmented markets are expensive to maintain. This credit crisis (which was the U.S.’s gift to the world, thanks) means that consumers have a chance to get value for money and it starts with the Internet.
Ask yourself one thing. When you’re 70 years old, you know Facebook will be responsible for the website you probably will use to “poke” your first love from 65 years earlier and catch up in a split second across the world. That is remarkable. So if the status updates bother you, who cares. As weird as it seems, Facebook is doing something right that is revolutionary to blasting open old and scarce lines of communication. Sure Facebook will find a way to monetize at some point, but its lack of realized financial potential should not be seen as its weakness. It’s weakness is its own users lack of discretion in how they use it, i.e. photos, private notes, etc. Everyone calm down and enjoy the most exciting way to connect with friends on the internet since instant messaging. Which for you non-Facebook users, you can also do now. I like it, and for being a 22 year old college guy, I’m honest enough with myself to say publicly that it is fun and is responsible for a lot of rekindled relationships with friends I lost touch with. Everyday I am blown away to receive friend requests from kids I ate lunch with in second grade. I very much approve of its influence in todays social society.
the idiocy with Facebook is that it is still structured with a design that suits college students, or a demographic group that’s even younger. They began to target their basegroup to adults, yet the site stayed the same. I don’t know too many people with jobs or families that have time to post 20 minifeeds in a day, or read them all. This is also the perfect place to spread damaging gossip, or embarrass yourself to say the least. i don’t even use Twitter. if my friends & family really wanted me to know where they are, they have my phone number, my address and my e-mail. The entire Twitter/Friendster/myspace…don’t have a use for them unless I’m advertising.
And that’s the other thing with Facebook. Maybe Facebook isn’t making any money, but just because spam isn’t allowed doesn’t mean that some “I used to know you” type will snowball you with their political or religious belief or be a base for their personal marketing. I dropped 10 “I used to know you”s from my account because they would not stop pushing political or racist diatribes. Was I supposed to debate with them? Arguing online is a total joke. What do you win? My time is scarce, it has to be of some value. The beauty of being online is that you can just drop someone when they offend you.
If the owners of Facebook don’t figure out how to make money from that site, somebody else will.
Paul Lamonica will need to call the Museum of Natural History to reserve his spot next to the brontasaurus exhibit.
He doesn’t get it. He isn’t adapting but that’s okay. That’s how natural selection work. Some species go extinct, others adapt and flourish.
I think all this popularity with these so called social networking sites is a sad reflection of what kind of society we’ve become. I never bothered with any of them. What a total waste of time. Don’t they have a life?
If you don’t like the internet, go back to yelling at people who walk on your lawn! I remember when this was pretty much all that was on the internet. My Name is Pete, I like cats, these are my favorite websites. Noted comment “grow a spine and build you own web page”….some of us have jobs and lives that wouldn’t allow for the development of those skills. No matter how rudimentary you feel they are.
Additionally, how is Facebook any different than site that ask us to input our opinions on articles, specifically when they are about Facebook? It’s 100% up to YOU how you waste your time. Come Friday, i have several events i will know i have friends attending without having to communicate anything. Id say grow up, but seem like most of you need to get young.
Ridiculous, like this blog is making CNN any money.
I enjoy using Facebook and I’ve talked to many old friends who I would never be able to find by e-mail.
Facebook charges nothing and gives away no more private details than what you give away. It is a tool which is useful or not depending on you.
It is a little sad that a website is only worthy of respect if it earns giant profits. This is entirely out of keeping with the original goals of the internet as a place to share information. Shame.
I can’t help but think it’s hypocritical for the author to rant about Facebook’s inanity when he he can’t put down his Crackberry. I’m also tired of hearing authors and commentators complain about being bombarded by inane ramblings from people they don’t want to be in touch with. Do you not know how to set your privacy settings? If you set privacy on your Crackberry and don’t give out your number, then don’t leave yourself open on Facebook and accept the friend invites, either. They aren’t your “friend”, you don’t have to be bothered with them. As for me, I intensely hate being immediately accessible, so I don’t give my number to anyone. I am just as judicious with my Facebook account and I find it to be a valuable tool to coordinate activities with equally busy friends and stay in touch and share with distant friends and relatives all in one location instead of having it all scattered all over the Internet to blogs, Flicker, e-mail, IM, etc. I can take part in planning events and everything is right there for all to read and confirm instead of scattered notes, calls, and he-said/she-said. So to those Crackberry addicts who are jumping on the “Let’s All Be Cool and Bash the Facebook People” bandwagon? Grow up and get a life already. Facebook is far less annoying to the general public at large than your irritating clicky-clicky, beep-beep, and yadda-yadda all over the place whether we want to hear it or not.
Look, if you’ve ever moved a great deal, or even live an interesting life that for some odd reason others are interested in Facebook is useful. I’ve met numerous people that interest me or that i like but for one reason or another didn’t manage to keep close connections with. Maybe it doesn’t matter to you, but you should be cognizant that the only thing that we can guaranteed will ever validate the existence you had on this planet is the memories others have of you.
Don’t be so phobic of keeping you’re connections.
I agree with you. Facebook and the people who use it constantly annoy me. I honestly believe, and maybe I am going off on a tangent, that people who constantly update and thrive on Facebook have insecurity issues.
No interest in it. As the author said, why do I need to inform anyone, much less people 30 yrs ago from high school about the last time I washed my underwear or whatever? Who cares. Have better things to do with my time.
I am conflicted about facebook, even though I have an account. Personally, I think Mark Zuckerberg is a moron: he was offered ONE BILLION dollars to sell and passed. Who does that?! I also think he may be a thief since I heard he was approached by college pals to create it for them and instead took the idea for himself (allegedly. Whatever). Anyway on the other side of the coin, I love it because I can promote my wallpaper business in a subtle, sort of passive-aggressive way. I have had some referrals from FB which is good, although no one has bought yet – that I know of. It also helps me connect to other people whose careers run parallel to mine and get my name in front of people that I may never be able to reach otherwise. So for now I’m on the fence but it seems to be good so far. I guess I’ll make it up as I go along.
I love Facebook. If I was charged a fee of 3.95 a month…I’d pay! To be able to reach out to people I haven’t seen in years makes it well worth it. I have great friends on Facebook as well as many relatives. I like how it allows you to IM and it saves a lot of money by keeping you at home in front of the computer instead of driving the SUV.
Facebook has always been and continues to be the pretentious younger competitor to Myspace. Starting up, it offered nothing more than Myspace did aside from being for “smart” people. Since Myspace had the mentality right, that a social network is just for jokes and meeting people, Facebook offered nothing more than that in itself… aside from attempting a “college” approach since it originated as a college site.
Facebook is a joke and has been, and never was alive in my eyes. I look around confusedly wondering what everyone sees in it….
What does profit have to do with anything to the basic Facebook user? We don’t join to make a profit, we don’t care if ‘you’ don’t want to know what ‘we’ are doing .. we join and we ENJOY because it is a social outlet. A fun and care free way to keep in touch and pass some time. I find it much more concerning that those who do NOT use, do NOT want to use and flat out seem to dispise Facebook are those who do not and have not even tried it. No one is forcing it on you, if you don’t want to participate .. by all means take your grumpy self elsewhere!
Why does facebook need to be profitable to be relevant? If you don’t like it, don’t use it. And if you don’t use it you don’t need to complain about it. It’s quite simply one of the most ingenious inventions of our time. Truly. The company and its brand may fade but what it’s done for internet social networking will live on and take social interaction to a level no one can conceive of now.
I agree with the author about Facebook itself, but disagree about the potential for profit.
Personally, I dislike Facebook for the simple fact that it is creating an extremely egocentric and ‘photocentric’ it’s not worth ‘posting’, it’s not worth doing. And I agree with the author 100% about the ridiculousness of people constantly updating their status — honestly… who cares what you’re doing right now?? And are you being honest, anyway? You rarely see anyone post an unflattering status (like, ‘I’m crying right now after fighting with my husband’).
I had a Facebook profile very briefly (so I could see a relative’s photos), but almost felt like I was bragging when posting things (here are my beautiful children, here is my cute dog, blah blah blah). I think many devoted Facebook users simply have way too much time on their hands… and way too much interest in their own lives (and the lives of others).
I disagree with the author, however, about Facebook’s potential for profit. Facebook already IS generating great profits. Their market value is about $3.7 billion; Microsoft bought a 1.6 percent stake in the company for $240 million. Many people would be very surprised how much money sites make strictly from Google ads alone (people actually click on those, and sites make big money).
Facebook and myspace are just ways to keep track of the general public.thats why they ask for so much info, thats why you cant fully delete facebook accounts. its to keep tabs on you and keep you distracted and it works. QUESTION YOUR LEADERS
Facebook gets this publicity for a reason. facebook is just a way to keep track of the general public. thats why you cant delete your profile ever, thats why they ask way more information than any other networking site, thats why you dont see any coverage on other networking sites like this.. PEOPLE wake up.
Jeez, it’s just a website. Big deal! It’s like everything else in life, you take everything in moderation. I personally like it. I have heard from and reconnected with people I haven’t talked to in years and it’s nice to stay in touch with family and share photos with my nieces and nephews and it’s nice to catch up but that is about it. It’s a technological too, that makes sense for the times.
anybody that understands Information Technology sees it exactly for what it is. an elaborate system of gettin your real name, phone numbers, credit card info, work history and other (sometimes deeply) personal information all together in one neat package so that it can be sold to the highest bidder. i’m on Facebook a lot, but i certainly don’t use my real name, or allow them access to my email password, or anything foolish like that. amazed at how many people do!
I love Facebook. I only joined maybe a month ago and I’ve reconnected with so many people that I always thought of and wondered how they were. It’s AWESOME.. and I love it!
Well you can tell that the author is no entrepreneur. Facebook’s position is envious. 175 million users with millions more each week. All in a viral environment that adds real value to the user experience. It’s an advertising gold mine. They already have respectable revenue and it looks to be sky’s the limit. The business model is the same as Google’s – turn users into dollars through targeted advertising. The difference is that the Facebook experience is viral, the Google experience is not. Favor could turn away from Google and it would be painless for user to switch to another service. Not true with facebook. People stay where their friends and family are.
I don’t FB – I like to live my life outside of the virtual realm. Based on the experience some close friends have had with it, I’d say a lot of people appear to use it to reconnect w/the past and mostly recapture bygone glory days, b/c they are unsatisfied w/the current state of their life. It’s led to one divorce that I know of personally…
I’m enjoying Facebook. I was a stay-at-home mom. Now I’m transitioning to a career as an artist. Both these occupations can be kind of lonely and isolating. For me, checking in with my friends on Facebook is like going to the coffee shop or the watercooler used to be when I worked in the office. A quick break and a chance to chat with a friend for a minute. An unexpected plus was to reconnect with some old college friends. Another benefit has been some of my 14-year-old son’s real-life friends who “friended” me! All in all, it’s been a lot of fun. And no, I don’t update my status every time I sneeze. You’re right, that IS annoying.
I recently cancelled my Facebook Account because I never used it. I have no reason to contact any friend from a prior life. If they don’t have my phone number, then I don’t want to talk to them. Period. Facebook is over rated!
Read my type: I WILL NEVER BE A MEMBER OF FACEBOOK! (or Twitter for that fact!)
Why? Read all the articles, comments and “blogs” dissing Facebook and I’ll agree with damn near all of them. And I’ve been bombarded with “invites” from college friends AND acquaintences; all prompted by a friend’s desparate attempt to “break me” and make me join.
Didn’t work. I appreciate my email’s ability to setup a filter…and Facebook has a prominent spot in it.
Wake up and smell your life being digitized before your very eyes, Facebookers!
Before I finalize my comments, I was recently listening to Talk of the Nation on NPR, and they had a gentleman on the show, for all intents and purposes, “plugging” for Facebook giving reasons why someone is on the losing end of life if they are NOT a member of Facebook. One of his reasons was that you could socialize with MORE people than you could in real life. That may be true, but isn’t life about QUALITY, not QUANTITY??? Have a few SUPERB relationships, or endless so-so friendships?
Its a no-brainer for me.
(Actually, considering today’s economical situation, I see that most of society has chosen to go for as much QUANTITY as possible, regardless of their actual needs.)
Sad, really.
I think it is hilarious that there are so many people out there that want to defend Facebook and their use of it by saying that they use it for the exact meaningless purposes that are being complained about. Sorry, but I don’t care if my friend is drinking coffee at a local Starbucks and finds the particular cup their drinking mediocre. I really hope no one’s life sucks enough that they care if I don’t like my coffee too much either.
I think it’s hilarious that there are so many people out there that want to defend Facebook and their use of it by saying that they use it for the exact meaningless purposes that are being complained about. Sorry, but I don’t care if my friend is drinking coffee at a local Starbucks and finds the particular cup their drinking mediocre. I really hope no one’s life sucks enough that they care if I don’t like my coffee too much either.
Too bad you think everything is about making money, the “buy a link here” at the bottom of this page tells me a lot about this site’s real priorities.
Facebook is just a networking tool no different than your Blackberry, and the people who use it might even be making money by networking through it. I’m on it, but I never update my daily affairs, never post 25 anything, but I sure have found a lot of interesting old friends and had more than one genuine heartfelt moment. And anybody who thinks Facebook promotes infidelity better lock up their spouse now, I meet more people in the supermarket than on Facebook.
My Face is good for letting people that know you find and contact you without having to making phone and email contact information public.
Otherwise, what a bore after the novelty wears off.
I like MySpace better. You can personalize it more with backgrounds and music. It just seems nicer, although the advertisments can be evil: “Date Hot Married Women” (??!) Why promote adultery Tom?
My guess is MySpace programing scans a person’s profile to see what might be welcome advertising. I can’t imagine what’s causing that one to appear, but the point is the people at MySpace shouldn’t even allow those kinds of companies to advertise through their site.
Facebook seems to promote alcohol for some reason. Many of the “applications” have to do with drinking. Go figure.
Why hate facebook? Its inanimate and harmless. If you don’t like you don’t have to use it, nor do you need to offer you pointless opinion of people who do. And why do you care whether it makes money or not? By the way, nothing is making any money these days, like banks and car manufacturers. I guess you hate them too. This column is a waste of time masquerading as information. Making much money at it? I don’t hate it, though.
Funny. So many people hate Facebook and say how bad it is yet there are 175 million members. SOMEONE is using it.
I recently signed up. Do I think it’s useful? Not really. Do I think it’ll turn a profit? I don’t really care. Do I care if people see information about me I care to share on Facebook? Not one bit.
You all need to stop taking yourselves so seriously. Facebook is like a game. Some people have found it to be invaluable to keep in touch with people. Others just waste time with it. Still others refuse to use it. WHO CARES!!!
I play with it but don’t let it rule my life. But I could care less about what others think about it or how I use (or don’t use) Facebook.
Great article! I am so sick of these websites spinning gold out of nothing. That’s what got us into this mess.
Everyone wants something for free on the internet – connections, music, film, tv. Guess what people? It’s not going to work, because it puts all of us out of work.
Eight years ago, I maintained my own autobiographical website simply for the fun of fine tuning my writing & graphics skills. People would ask me, contempt in their voices, “Why would you think people want to read about You?” Now, Blogs are all the rage, and Facebook is famous.
I stopped working on my site for the same reason I’ve never visited Facebook. I remembered there were plenty of better things to do than waste away my life by looking at other people’s lives. I don’t watch “Reality TV” either (or TV at all, for that matter), because reality is the life I am living, not sitting on the sidelines watching someone else.
Sure, the internet was cool at first, when email was still a novelty and the idea of online mail order was new. Now, I almost despise the internet because so many people spend more and more of their time living in an internet bubble by themselves (and their supposed ‘virtual’ friends), instead of interacting with other human beings. The result is the increasingly rude & self centered society further developing around us.
I agree with the author. I hate Facebook, not necessarily for itself, but everything it stands – depersonalizing the human experience.
One more thing…
Why do people find it to be a good thing to have an online “collection” of fake friends that they don’t talk to often, don’t do anything with in real life and never see?
Facebook is just ridiculous. For people who would rather “simulate” life than live it.
Thank you!
I signed up on Facebook a little under a year ago to check into some marketing. Before I knew it, I had my whole high school, several college and work friends on there, as well as family.
Great. Now everyone I know can talk to each other.
Friends talking to family, weirdos from high school talking to professional friends, etc…
The whole thing is a disaster waiting to happen.
I had a lot of nasty girls from my past asking me to hook up, even though I’m MARRIED. My wife had old dudes asking her to hook up too.
It seems to be a place for cheaters.
Now how about those status updates:
“I’m getting ready for work.”
“I just ate breakfast”
“Picking the kids up”
WHO CARES!!??!
I don’t want to read about some dork from my high school’s latest mundane task… get a life, people!
I cancelled my account this morning, which was a huge relief… and why I’m able to write such a scathing little post here. I HATE Facebook and will never join again.
Paul LaMonica needs to realize that the world doesn’t revolve around his decision of whether or not something is “worthy.” Just because he is on deadline and can’t do Facebook at work doesn’t mean that other people can’t benefit tremendously from Facebook. As a real estate agent, it allows me to maintain contact with over 200 people that I would not otherrwise be able to contact on a daily or weekly basis. I don’t play Scramble or spend hours typing up 25 Things. But I do type status updates, engage in reparte with old classmates and maintain some type of connection with people I wouldn’t be able to otherwise. Of course I still talk to my close friends on the phone. But Facebook offers more of a communal atmosphere that cannot be replicated any other way because of the obstacles of distance and busy schedules. When someone “pokes” me on my Blackberry while I’m sitting in a carpool line at my kids’ school, it’s nice to know that a friend is thinking of me. What in the hell is wrong with that? Maybe if Paul stopped spending an entire day writing about how much he hates Facebook and how it’s unproductive, he could spend his day on a story that was more “worthy” of a journalist’s time.
I personally think it’s great that there’s something out there whose primary concern is NOT making a buck…
What do expect from a company who’s business plan is akin to winning the lottery?
Not to mention the fact that Zuckerberg ripped op the whole idea in the first place and had to pay $63 million.
The only people who defend it are the users who pay nothing into it.
Soon, another site will take over and Facebook will fade away.
Whether it’s Facebook, Myspace or even Google they are all in their infancy. Our daily connection with the world at large is changing. Newspapers are going broke and TV networks have lost their power. Some new power houses will take hold that will provide our connection to the world. Some day in the not too distant future we will open a browser for what ever we want; read news, watch TV, connect with friends and etc. I know we can do those things now but it’s not seamless and dependable. The entities that make it seamless and dependable will gather the masses, control the advertising dollars and win the game. Facebook’s goal is to be a player in that future.
While money may be a large part of everyone’s life, it is not the only reason to do something. Your obvious greed and short-sighted view are part of the problem. Facebook is part of the solution.
I hate Facebook.
I have real friends and real family. If we want to communicate, we can arrange an in-person meeting (which I prefer) or we can push 7 to 10 buttons and carry on a meaningful conversation. That is important, because I still feel the need to engage other humans. Facebook, like many other tools such as IM, text, etc., is simply another tool for one-way communication. No wonder our children have problems engaging others.
Furthermore, I can’t stand having my business broadcast to the world. I appreciate my rights to privacy and I wish that other people would value theirs. How long can we truly continue to fight for privacy when we seem to be giving up personal information freely for all to see? At least I’ve convinced my wife that if we don’t know you in real life, we won’t know you on Facebook.
Finally, Facebook is just another waste of time for an increasingly slovenly population. I’m getting off this blasted computer and taking a walk…
It seems narrow minded not to recognize the unlimited potential Facebook has at this point. With that strong of a subscriber base, the world is at their fingertips. Facebook is one of the most original ideas of the 21st century so far. It has already evolved greatly, and I have no doubt that it will continue to do so. I’m not too worried about their ability to generate revenue in one way or another. Imagine if they asked 160 million people to pay even a $1/year membership fee. I’d do it gladly. I’ve been a member for 4 years and in that time, Facebook has allowed me to connect with people I never thought I’d see or hear from again, learn of unique common interests between my self and others, and meet new people. It’s simply incredible. I am very grateful to have Facebook in my life.
It’s especially great for finding friends you haven’t seen for years, but the navigation is awkward, and not logical, compared to most other social sites.
I hated Facebook with a passion at first. Then all of my friends started signing up for it. Now I don’t hate it, but it does really bug me when people constantly update their status. I don’t care when my cousin is taking a bathroom break at work or when someone from elementary school is drinking a cup of coffee.
I do enjoy reconnecting with old friends, but a lot of them get carried away with it.
Facebook might be good for some things but it can also be a huge distracting time waster. Here we thought TV was the big homework distraction.
From what I can tell from the times of posted comments, it looks like some adults are spending many a “working” hour boring us with their every thought.
It’s amazing how often Luddites begin their rants by telling people why they’re not Luddites, Paul. I’m not going to defend Facebook, the massive subscriber base is all they need to do that. Sorry Paul, you’re wrong this time.
I used to be glued to Facebook in college when you could only join by using your university e-mail address. It was a neat way to invite people to parties. I think it should have stayed that way. When I’m 30 and married, I don’t think my husband is going to want guys that I knew in highschool or college trying to “get in touch”. Facebook has ruined plenty of relationships as it stands.
Why would I go out of my way to use a third party (Facebook, MySpace) to keep in touch with people who have my email address and cell phone number on hand. Why would I, or they, type short misspelled words in fragmented sentences (same goes for texting on a phone)- instead of talking on the phone in complete sentences. Why would I want the whole world to see my latest mood change or photo? What is it about people wanting to broadcast in public – every last detail of ones life. Are our lives that pitiful that we seek any little piece of attention that we think we can get? And don’t these people have jobs – doesn’t it take time to “do” Facebook?
I think Facebook is for those who think they are cool and would like to share everything about their life. I call them “No Life!”. I joined Facebook last year and I think it is the most wasted site I’ve ever been in. I hate it because it is useless, pointless and boring. Those little applet that you can use is the most ridiculous ever. I have a friend who keeps “buying” other friends with no ends in sight. He is almost 40 years old and not married. Another friend of mine updated his status by telling everyone he is having lunch in some restaurant. Who cares! Where do I sign up to kill Facebook?
facebook’s popularity is really a response to the way myspace and friendster was overwhelmed by spammers, fake personalities, and corporate crappy ad pages. myspace.com/chilis anyone?
facebook isn’t all that interesting unless you use your real identity and include some real information that would generate a connection in the real world. While this gave it a slow start, its growth has actually been quite sustainable and solid since it is difficult, and more importantly to hacky types not that fun, to be a fake facebooker.
Facebook is very—way too much—confusing to use. But, limit your friends to true friends and family and it provides a nice ongoing opportunity for getting glimpses of their daily lives. My children pulled me in. I see them only once a year, and I enjoy knowing their status every so often. I believe that privacy settings can keep down friend requests.
People use FB for many different reasons. To reconnect with old friends from various points in their past, to network socially, or to even network for business purposes. It is, for some, an online bragbook. If you don’t like it, don’t use it, but don’t rip it down just because you cannot find a legitimate need for it your life. Clearly, there are an incredible number of people that don’t “hate” FB; otherwise, it wouldn’t be taking over our nation the way that it is. And, as I scroll through the many naysayers, I can only think that you are all that social to begin with…
Facebook is a nice site to use only if you want to know about your connections, that would be your closest friends and family. Co-workers, I would never add them.
As far as monetization, I don’t see a future, and the ads that they have right now account for 250-300 million dollars a year whereas their expenses are 4x revenue. All their revenue models have been taken aback by consumer anger.
Now, if you compare this to Twitter, a much simpler network, they can make money. The service is useful and companies will be willing to pay for them.
So, while Facebook is a neat creation, it lacks the business model and sooner or later, we’ll see the results.
I used to be a doubter… then I started finding my friends from yonder years… those that I have lost touch for decades even! It’s great re-connecting with old friends from the past! So unless you don’t have friends from the past, don’t knock it off.
I enjoyed your article and while I admit I am a fan of Facebook, there are moments when I ask “have we lost all sense of decorum? Our youth and for that matter, anyone using micro blogging or SNS’ do not completely understand that what was intended as an innocent post can turn instantly wrong, however, we as a society have taken open communication to a new level , thus creating “bad manners”. Social networks have fundamentally changed how we interact with people by making it easier to keep in touch, rekindle relationships and broaden social horizons. But it’s also a lot easier to cut corners thus leading to just unacceptable behavior and communication styles. Just today, I found myself saying writing a message on her Facebook wall that would have much been better communicated via a phone call. I quickly realized how impersonal it was and wanted to pull it retract it but was unable to do so and before I knew my inbox was filled with comments from others about my post. Are we ready for the next evolution of our communication style?
Facebook is stupid, annoying, not at al user friendly, poorly designed and executed and just plain a bad thing. Myspace isn’t any delight, either but between the two, if I HAVE to use one…it isn’t facebook.
I’m with you. Facebook strikes me as kind of, well, silly. I do belong, but only so I can use Scrabble Beta to play Scrabble with my dad and brother, who live far, far away. Otherwise, enough with the status updates. No one cares what you had for breakfast or what you are thinking right now, except maybe your mom. Call her.
Facebook = myspace = YAWN.
A place for people to be self-important by creating massive tomes about themselves, as though anybody really cares.
A place for people (and this really makes me laugh), especially college students, to rail against the establishment, against the RIAA, against the evils of “da man”. And all the while, they are unwitting pawns, creating pages that some big company lets them create in styles the big company tells them they can use.
Honestly, people. Grow a spine and build your own web page. Stop kow-towing to these services.
Hey Paul, I don’t think you should ever join facebook because you would not have many friends. Anyway, so what’s the big deal? You don’t like Facebook or think it is successful b/c they don’t make any money? That is ridiculous. I agree with you that it can be addictive (I know, I am on facebook and have seen status updates that are insane) but I don’t think there is a reason to “hate” facebook. Have you ever thought about starting “Hatebook”?
Are you an idiot? Honestly, facebook not making money? They are making tons of money, of course it doesn’t offset their costs right now. No ads on facebook? uh what? There ARE ads on facebook.
And you’re talking about something you don’t even use? Isn’t that like reviewing a movie you haven’t seen yet? hmmmmm.
Go back to analyzing company financials, what’s that you say Facebook is still a private company and you don’t have financials on them well then let’s stick to what we know OK?
Facebook doesn’t force its users to add pictures or constantly update their status. Your privacy is completely in your control. You can even choose not to view updates posted by your Facebook friends if, for some reason, that offends you.
I think that people who claim to “hate” Facebook do so either because its cool to be against whatever’s popular, or perhaps because they resent normal people who have more active social lives than their own.
Go back to your basement losers! Facebook rocks!
FB is a going to be a HUGE money maker. Ten, or 15 years from now about 20 million users are going to want to make sure all the b.s. they put on FB is scrubbed. How will they know for sure? They will pay FB (or its successor) about $10,000 a piece. If only 3 million of the current users ask for a scrubbing so they can pass a future employer’s background check that is $3 billion sitting in the “data” Bank for FB. Same for Twitter and Google search string queries.
Sure, Facebook is a time consumer which seems to be why you don’t like it.
However, I look at it as a platform and protocol. I put Facebook chat onto Pidgin (My IM Client). I use Facebook itself as a search engine for kids from my various schools and workplaces, and then I use it as a sort of email system, or I can just get people’s personal information from their profiles.
In any given day I typically spent a grand total of ZERO time on facebook.com, all notifications are sent to my email adress and loaded on my various email clients. All messages are sent though my IM Client. My status, like Twitter, is updated through my IM Client.
Facebook is a protocol. How does AIM make money for AOL? Facebook is a platform. How does Android make money for Google? Facebook is a search engine. How does Google make money in general?
No comments? No wonder……
Everyone is on Facebook wasting away their day! If you want to have “friends” that you never cared about 10-20-30-40 years ago, Facebook is for you. If you are insecure and want to brag about (whatever #) of “friends” you have, Facebook is for you. If you want to play inane games and give and receive virtual nothings, Facebook is for you. If a My Space account is not enough, Facebook is for you.
Or not……….
Why I hate cell phones
I read this great article about how having a cell phone changes your life. However looking around I see that some people are always talking on their cell phone. I just don’t have the time to do that, so I don’t want a cell phone.
Did I sum up your article correctly? If you don’t even use facebook, why are you writing about it? Your article is pathetic, users of online services are perfectly comfortable and expect that their information will be used to deliver advertising that is relevant. It’s when they start doing more with your information, such as claiming that they “own” it (translation: can sell it) that people get upset.
I couldn’t agree more! In fact, back in college, I started the Facebook group “I Hate theFacebook”.
This company may make money, but their revenue model will have to be combo of ads and fee-for service, likely to corporations, universities, etc, and it will likely be a painful, Yahoo-esque process.
way to miss the point, there is more to the internet than a source of wealth generation. Look around, doesn’t communication among friends, family and groups have some inherent value in the world today?
I agree with the author of the story – Facebook is fun but it’s not all that. I certainly don’t chastise people who don’t see the point of it or who don’t want to use it. To each their own. I’d hardly call myself “addicted” to it. I also don’t get those people (my friends, included) who add hundreds of people as “Friends” – who has that many friends? How can you possibly manage to stay in touch with 300 people in a personal and intimate way? I have a select group of people — people that I actually know and like (most of them I can even tolerate in real life), and we all keep tabs on each other. Why would I add strangers or acquaintances as friends? I have had some friends that use it tell me that they will only maintain contact with me if I use it. “No more instant messaging or emails” one (former) friend told me (who promptly got deleted – if they want to be my friend so badly, they can pick up the phone!). I mean, when did it become wrong for traditional methods (like picking up a phone or writing a letter or an email) become too much work?
I update my page about once a month, and catch up on my friends about once a week. I’m a twenty-something, so everyone I know is constantly moving, graduating, changing jobs, or changing names. It is an awesome networking tool for keeping track of everyone’s new cell number, new email address, new home address.
However, I can’t understand the inclination to live a virtual life online rather than the real thing. I know people who would rather spend time on facebook than go out and do something.
I predict that P2P sites like Myspace, FB and Friendster will be mainly a distant memory in a few years. You can call me crazy… whatever. I signed up on all these sites. With FB I’ve connected with the cousins half way around the world, friends from h.s., and old childhood friends from back East. Exciting for about the first few weeks and then it’s dead. You learn that there’s a reason why you are no longer connected. It’s like going to a high school reunion that’s lasted a few weeks. Thanks, but a few hours of catching up is more than enough.
10 years from now we will look back and think how dumb we were for bragging about the number of “friends” we had and think how egotistical it was to post what our status was – as if people really care if you’ve had a really long day at work. And then there’s twitter…
Of course people will justify these places for being great networking sites. That’s BS. LinkedIn, yes… but not these personal sites.
BTW, approx 15% of the accounts on these sites are unused/abandonded.
Wow. Amazing post. I agree completely. Facebook was cool in the beginning when it was still niche and limited to the college demographic but over the years it has slowly grown into nothing more than another myspace without the annoying backgrounds. You raise excellent points about their astonishing user growth, 150mil in <5yrs? Wow, but they are still bleeding money and from what I’ve read and have yet to break even!! The thought that users = money is not really true these days.
Another thing I hate about facebook (aside from how it tries to claim MY content is THEIRS) is the fact that they are trying to expand beyond their realm. Aspirations are cool, but I like keeping some of my social network activity separate. For example, I don’t want their damn blog widget on my blog. I have disqus for that. I don’t want to reuse their login system [connect] for my site, i don’t want to “chat” on facebook, I have aim/gchat for that. I don’t want to have to depend on facebook… especially for critical data like comments and login credentials/data. They have flopped “ownership” of data they harbor too many times. I may login one day to find out now all the comments from my blog are theirs, just because!
Facebook has its place, but the more features it releases these days the more I grow to hate it and look for a new place to “hang out” on the net. Most recently that place has been Digg [that didnt last too long] and now Twitter, which I am enjoying greatly.
I’m 32 and Facebook is the first piece of technology I don’t “get”. I really don’t want to know that much about, nor do I need to know the “status” of hundreds of my “friends”. It’s overwhelming and it takes the intimacy out of human contact.
It’s also too slick and sterile. I’ll go out on a limb and say I prefer Myspace because it focuses on the 1×1 relationship, and keep the UI and what you can do, simple. Though visually cluttered it has the organic feel of early ebay and craigslist, which makes sense for it’s context. Facebook is waspy, sanitized, uber productivity tool to manage your Stepford life!
Big profits? Not in this market. Maybe in an unchecked boomtime where advertisers are tossing money about willy nilly.
I hope to see Zuckerburg working at Microsoft 20 years from now as an employee wishing he had sold when he could.
From an article back in ‘06 after Facebook raised $25M in funding:
“The company will eventually turn to developing three revenue streams, [Greylock's] Sze said. Those include local advertisers, such as pizza companies or bookstores that want to post an ad for a local college audience; banner advertisers seeking to reach Facebook’s demographic type nationally; and sponsored groups, such as large companies sponsoring an online forum to interact with students.”
There you have it… they will eventually pay investors back with the money they make selling banner ads for pizza and used books.
I think Andreessen has a brilliant business plan. He finds 15watt speculators who believe Facebook is a real enterprise, then takes their money and becomes the richest kid in the world.
I wish I could be that successful.
you don’t have to be addicted to facebook to use it. I use facebook only about once a week to see what friends are up to on the weekend, who will be in town, catch up with old friends, etc. And my friends are the same way so no one gets hurt feelings if I don’t respond immediatly. So for that reason I think facebook is great. Now, for this author to say that he checks his blackberry every 10 minutes and that he’s always on his computer, it’s a stupid excuse to say that he doesn’t have the time to use facebook, as I just explained it can be used very casually. Facebook is a supplement to my social life, a tool I can use to connect with people much easier. I don’t update my picture every week or put sensitive information (so I don’t care about the whole privacy thing, I say if facebook wants keep my favorite music preferences forever, go for it, but thats another story) Frankly, this guy should get back to writing about what he knows rather than something he’s never tried… Sounds like an old dog who doesn’t want to learn a new trick to me. Now as for facebook not making money through ad revenue, c’mon… tell that to billionaire mark zuckerberg. If you really believe that then take the ads off of this site, and no I didn’t click on the ‘get 2 free issues of fortune magazine’ ad. What was my point again? oh yea facebook is cool, im sure some people click on ads, collecting information to provide more targeted ads is ok with me, and you should try facebook or get some friends.
I recently jumped off the Facebook bandwagon after the apparent attempt to usurp user content was unveiled in the [previously] new TOS. I don’t care that they changed the TOS again. The fact is Facebook understands the value of user content more than its members. Add to that the 20-odd previously unknown people who friended me and those annoying apps and I was done. I manage my own site at AngeloBell.com and people can connect with me there.
I have to disagree.
Television has been one of the most powerful marketing mediums in the past century. While viewers tend to flip channels during the commercial breaks, it’s still a force to be reckoned with.
The difference between Facebook and TV is that Facebook could offer better demo targeting and tracking which from a marketer’s perspective is smart advertising.
I believe that MySpace, Facebook and other popular 2.0 sites will control a big share of the overall ad revenue spent on and offline in the years to come which in turn will make them money making machines.
Ironically, when I chose to comment on this article, I was met with a user OpinionMart opinion survey. Nice.
The points applied to this article can be applied to many major websites on the internet. Comparing physical (Apple) and soft products (Windows) to cloud computing products such as Facebook is a major fallacy. The Google example was what the author should have stayed with.
I appreciate the author’s personal preference for not liking Facebook for his own privacy concerns, but the argument being made is from 1998. There are ways to monetize through shared linking (as MySpace has done to keep people on the network) or to offer premium services/partnerships such as file (picts, video, music) hosting, reduced ad experiences, contextual sponsored linking/sharing (like AdSense/Words), etc. which I’m sure Zuckerberg and his team are looking into.
I suggest the author should get a better grasp on internet/web 2.0 business models or waiting a couple days before launching into rants. And for the record, Twitter is in much worse shape than Facebook.
I really can’t say how FaceBook will ever make money beyond advertising. That being said, anyone who uses it will be instantly gratified when they get a post on their wall from that long last friend they had been meaning to keep in touch with.
Paul I’m with you on this. I too love my gadgets. PDA, cell phone, GPS, etc… but I just don’t have “want” to update a website profile after spending 8-10 hours in front of a computer at work. Lots of my friends have a Facebook account and they love it. I too get harassed by them for not having an account but I just don’t want to sit on the internet and update my profile and chat. I’d rather call a friend and speak to them or better yet go outside and be active on my time off instead of sit in front of the computer… Are we wrong for being in the minority on this???
Do not like it. Got on to talk to a friend and what did I get but lots of emails from others wanting to be friends. Do not need more emails. It is way too friendly.
I’ve never even visited Facebook, and I don’t plan to. But I have a comment anyway,
Now, maybe my addled brain is mis-connecting information with the company, but I seem to remember calculating a bit back that the value of the company divided by the number of (unique) users came out to 50$ a person.
Would someone PLEASE explain to me how each new convert to Facebook is worth 50$ to someone? Anyone. For any reason.
One of the (many) reasons I don’t go rush to join up. I don’t know what they would do with my “profile” that is worth that much, but I just have a feeling it wouldn’t be any good for me.
I’m with you Paul,
Never used it, have no interest in it, and quite frankly, I really don’t see the attraction to it. You won’t find me there either.
Who cares if it ever generates “big profits”? Of course Facebook has to generate enough to cover the cost of providing its services, but why do “big profits” have to be the goal for Facebook? Why can’t the goal be to create most innovative and interesting social networking site? Isn’t that a worthy ambition on its own?
Someone recently ranted when I told them I wasn’t on Facebook:
“Why? Then everyone can find you.”
Exactly. I don’t want to be found.
If anyone wants to know, I like the organizations and groups. However, I dislike the neverending highschool reunion aspect of it. It only consumes your life because the people on your account want to consume your time.
I completely agree, and am not a fan of Facebook. I had a profile for a short while, but never spent the time with any of its features. I had associated myself with my high school and started getting messages from random people I was never really friends with. If I had wanted to maintain a relationship with any of these people, I’d know how to get in touch of them. So, I closed my account and never looked back. Many of my colleagues, and I’m a Vice President of a very large bank, swear by Facebook and actually update their walls (I think that’s what it’s called) throughout the day using their company-issued Blackberry’s. Don’t people have better things to do? Do other people care about the 10 minutes you waited in line this morning at Starbucks? Or about your kids soccer game? Sure, mom and dad and maybe the grandparents…but no one else does. People need to find better things to do with their time.
I’m a network administrator and sit in front of a computer all day doing real computer work.
Personally, I think that those who are aborbed by things like Facebook, YouTube, Blackberries, twittering and texting have some real personality and identity issues.
One on One discourse with real people provides better knowledge, grounding and perspective of how one fits in the community.
I saw this after I just posted a note on Facebook stating the “10 reasons I am leaving facebook”. The bottom line is that facebook is now the largest social network in the world and while I loved facebook when it was for just us college kids only I really do not need to have every kid I went to school with, worked with or babysat, or thier parents as friends on facebook. As a result facebook is going and I’ll stick to twitter and myspace.
I agree with the story. I have no desire to read about friends I rarely see or even speak to. I spend most of my day at work staring at a monitor, last thing I want to do when I get home is computer ‘chores’. That is really how I think of them. The difference between Facebook and Ma Bell is that it detaches people more. At least with the telephone is live interaction with another person. You can hear the emotions in their voice and you can respond to them. You also don’t respond as negatively if you get immediate ‘what the heck’ feedback in live emotion-full interactions. Facebook, and most computerized interactions take the soul out of our humanity.
At first I thought it was pretty silly, figured it was just a kid thing, which I guess is how it really started. But after getting some info on there, it does come in pretty handy to connect and stay connected with people.
Sure, there are some that obsess over it, and update their every move on there. Those people need to get a life.
You set up your page, takes an hour, or less, depends on how much detail you want to do, and you’re done.
Dude, if you’re checking you’re Blackberry every 10 minutes, you’re probably more over the top than most Facebook people, in terms of obsessive behavior.
Personal Computers Are Not Personal
I suggest you pay close attention to what you are looking at or putting out on the Internet including MySpace, Facebook, chat rooms or any other public place. Nothing is nor has been sacred or personal. Everything you do can be seen by another person. There is no privacy anymore.
There is entirely too much information about you on the computer. Your private status can be checked by anyone willing to pay for the privilege of spying on you. They can inquire about your personal life, places of work, financial problems, your age, address and telephone number all in one place.
The computer can get you into very serious trouble. It can be confiscated by the authorities and viewed by others who can use this information against you for job hiring, in a court of law or worse, steal your identity. Other hackers can place unwanted pictures and information in your computer without you knowing it.
The marketers track your purchases and sell your names to others who will bombard you with pop ups and other messages you didn’t ask for. Being bombarded with offers of trash you don’t need can be very frustrating.
Anyone who believes a password protects you is living in a dream world. Any 13 year old kid can get into your computer in a flash, just ask them. Storing all your financial information and personal things in your computer is at best dumb and dangerous.
We are no longer insulated from making mistakes and being able to talk our way through them. Now the computer documents our humanistic foibles and we don’t even think about it.
We spend thousands of dollars to purposely isolate ourselves from our families and our work. Computers, cell phones, I-Pods, text messaging (Which I thought teletype was deemed obsolete 35 years ago) and such in the work place and home have taken on a new mantra as well. Recent studies have shown that almost 90% of employees at the work site computer spend upwards of an hour or more a day on personal searches and generating personal E mails.
Managers who used to walk around to see the progress being made by their staff are now anchored to their desk all day in an effort to write neat reports to the higher directors who also spend their entire day on the computer and write neat reports as well. We’ve become our own secretaries but we cost a lot more.
We are lost in a sea of technical bologna personal intrusion and inefficiencies never before experienced. We spend a good portion of our day on the computer and our every keystroke can be monitored. We as humans have become somewhat stupid in our pursuit of happiness. Remember, the computer is always a two way machine. Unfortunately the person on the other end may not be who you’d like them to be.
Think about it! We are seriously addicted to the internet. We don’t need all this bologna to survive or to tell the world who we are. All we need is a computer that computes and an internet that doesn’t track our usage or capture our personal information. In the words of this author, “The faster we go the slower we get”.
As an advertiser who has used both Google and Facebook, I would like to share my conversion rates. On Facebook, I was advertising my store’s textbook buyback, which promised at least 10% more than competitors, then at the start of the semester I advertised textbooks for 15% cheaper. These ads got between 0.03 – 0.10 % click-through rate, depending on how close to buyback time or back-to-school time it was. On the other hand, an ad on Google advertising a $1.50 book sale (regular books), got a 0.37% click-through rate.I agree wholeheartedly that Google will always succeed in making people click on its ads, because those ads are actually helping a Google user with the purpose of his visit. Ads on Facebook have to be so newsworthy that it will shake users out of their purpose for visiting.I’ve got to give Facebook a major plug, though, for this reason, and it’s a huge money-making reason (from the eyes of an advertiser): You can target like nothing else with Facebook, though only if your entire target market is contained in the college-aged demographic. If you’re advertising anything textbook-related, it’s by far the most profitable way to go. Facebook and I made a lot of money together.
I really enjoy facebook it does help you reconnect with people and it keeps you in touch with friends and family that normally you wouldnt spend time calling or chatting with, but now you can stay connected on your own time without actually having to talk to anyone.
I dont think it will generate big profits, because that’s not what people come to facebook for. If you are looking to buy something you hit up amazon or overstock, not facebook.
I’m glad you wrote this article. I feel better that I’m not the only one who is not excited nor has the time for Facebook. My wife is on it a lot and I roll my eyes… as I’m checking my crackberry… LOL
Of course it will make money. They have 150 million users who willingly share with marketers every personal interest they have. If I am a ski resort, I want ads served up to users who have posted about skiing – perhaps I would even only want to serve ads to people who have posted about my ski resort. To think that Facebook isn’t the greatest thing to happen to marketers is a bit unimaginative.
Wherever there are eyeballs there should be a way to make money from them.
I think better targeted advertising would help – right now the demographic filters could be improved to target behaviours so that ads would be more relevant. Also by integrating ads to their search box there could be much better relevance, as you noticed with Google.
I don’t think it’s dead yet and people have made money on facebook by placing tiny ads, so some of that revenue goes back to facebook in the form of ad revenue.
Cheers,
Peter
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Facebook, for me, is a virtual phone book that includes other contact information. But, I never have used facebook to genuinely contact anyone via phone, e-mail, or whatever. In its infancy (and I’ve been around since then), facebook was wonderful. Lately it has devolved into rampant advertising, targeted advertising… personal advertising. It was new. It still tries to be new even when it has been swallowed into our way of life. Reality check: it is not new, it is not amazing (although it was at one point in time), and it will either be swallowed by other tech/web innovations or learn to adapt to those innovations. Facebook is evolving, and though we may not like it, it is a constant in the social fabric of our time. That doesn’t mean it makes a great deal of money, but worth can be determined in many ways.
We are forced into the facebook box by our society. So many people live with it that even people lacking interest can’t live (socially) without it.