end of the world new changes to Facebook were announced this week at the f8 Conference the typical “Why can’t they just leave well enough alone?” mantras have lit up status updates everywhere.
(And, as a brief aside, I cannot believe the number of people who are in creative jobs who complain every time Facebook rolls out a new change like a Mafia don about a new competitor.)
For what it’s worth, I have liked most every change that Facebook has ever made, even if it took me a day or five to get the feel for them. Team Zuckerberg seems to have a pulse on what needs to happen with Facebook even if their “customers” are dazed for a little while.
The new interface is great (even if in beta). I love the “Cover” photo which functions as a blog header allowing each user to chose a picture that represents him/herself or have no cover photo at all. Photos are a great way to say something about yourself without having to say anything about yourself.
Privacy advocates and others are somewhat concerned about the amount of information being made available. However, you need to know that ALL the info in your Timeline is comprised of info users have entered from the time you started your Facebook account. It also pulls from your friends, but I’m not sure how much is included on your timeline. The earliest thing for me is “Born,” but it only includes the date since I removed the year a while back.
Facebook is not drawing info from every corner of the Internet for your Timeline. Your bank account number will not appear, unless you decide to enter it yourself for some bizarre, not-well-thought-out reason. The truth is that you do not have to go back beyond your first Facebook posts unless you choose to do so.
All Facebook accounts will be automatically updated at the end of this week, but if you want to take a nine-step cheat, you can do it yourself. Be warned it takes a few minutes for the changes to take place. If it is still delayed, you can click “Now” on your Timeline, then click your name on the left (when the link comes up). That should activate the new look.
One more thing: Facebook is free and Facebook will remain free even though Snopes-worthy urban legends frequently pop-up such as “FACEBOOK WILL START CHARGING $2 MILLION PER MONTH TO HAVE ACCOUNTS UNLESS WE GET 3 TIMES THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON PLANET EARTH TO MAKE THIS THEIR STATUS. PLEASE CUT AND PASTE THIS TO YOUR STATUS WITHIN 30 SECONDS OR YOUR FACEBOOK ACCOUNT WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY DELETED, YOUR BANK ACCOUNT CLOSED, AND YOU WILL DEVELOP HIVES. PEOPLE WHO DID NOT DO THIS DEVELOPED HIVES, SMALLPOX, PNEUMONIA, AND DIED IN CAR WRECKS WITHIN THREE DAYS” status updates.
Facebook makes a killing on advertising. That’s why their initial stock offering (IPO) will be financial equivalent of Mt. Everest in a molehill contest. The fact that Facebook is free makes it a draw to consumers, which makes it a draw to corporate advertising. They pay so we can enjoy it for free.
