The Old, Old, Old, New Facebook

OK, I officially saw a "I hate the new Facebook, bring back the old one" group tonight. Presumably this group is different from the "I hate the new Facebook, bring back the old one" group from six months ago when they made changes.

It's funny, the "old" Facebook they want to bring back is the "new" Facebook they hated six months ago.

Maybe it'd be better just to settle back and get used to the "new" Facebook. And look at it this way: The "new" Facebook you hate now is the "old" Facebook you'll be begging them to bring back in six months!

P.S. - The "Dummies" books are crazy. I don't believe I've ever bought one. In fact, just going over my exhaustive memory right now, I know I've never bought one. But one called "Facebook for Dummies"? Wouldn't you have to be a dummy to buy this book? One, Facebook is changing all the time. And two, exactly how hard is it? You can learn everything you need to know just by being there for about five minutes. That said, please indulge yourself and buy this book. I think I get a penny for every copy I'm able to move. Step right up, no crowding please, there's plenty for all!

Facebook Changes

Facebook has made some more changes to the presentation.

So it's a matter of time -- 3, 2, 1 -- where there will be calls to bring back the "old" Facebook. Which was the "new" Facebook that they wanted to get rid of six months ago to bring back the "old" "old" Facebook.

This is progress, constant changes.

But at least there aren't as many updates as iTunes. So we can be thankful for small favors!

The Boredom That Is Facebook

Here's a good article about Facebook, what it does for your friendship, which isn't entirely positive.

Facebook definitely does allow you to touch base with people you haven't seen or heard from in years. I heard from a teacher from nearly 40 years ago the other day, which was a nice surprise. And I've reconnected (however superficially) with a few friends from high school and earlier. That's good, I guess.

I can see what my various family members are up to virtually every minute of the day, except when they're asleep. But they post something when they're up and can't sleep.

But the overall thing I take away from Facebook -- and I check in several times a day -- is how boring it is. Like the writer of the article mentioned above, it seems like my friends are busy with a lot of games, quizzes, surveys, causes, sending roses, hugs, etc. I ignore it all. And when I can keep up I block the various applications. It's too much! And not the least bit interesting!

I probably shouldn't mention this, because I hate to insult anyone, but I have a "friend" in someone I don't even know. Maybe everyone else does that. Like celebrities, they do it all the time. But I'm not everyone else and I'm not a celebrity. But this person liked some of my photos, meaning it was something that would be an interest in common, and she asked to be my friend. Being a softie I said yes.

But there's nothing about her life and her friends at this point -- nothing -- that has anything to do with me. So that's a little maddening. She even contacted me via the chat function the other day to ask me "How are you? How's it going?" etc. This is someone I don't even know. That was really fun.

Famous On Facebook

I wonder how much a drag it is to be famous and on Facebook.

I saw an article somewhere today that said Bill Gates got off Facebook because 10,000 people wanted to be his friend. So I guess it would have its downside.

At Facebook I'm "friends" with a semi-famous guy, well known from records in the '60s. He's never personally addressed me nor I him. But I see what he posts and how it plays to a larger audience. Immediately 27 people will have "liked it." 27 others are quick with their "Attaboy" for whatever he says or does.

Maybe he doesn't know anything other than being famous like this by now. But I can see it being ... not that fun.

I, on the other hand, post on there that I went to the farmer's market, or something, and no one likes it and there are no "attaboys," or maybe someone from my family will say something (who cares?). And I kind of like it that way. There's not a whole bunch of people trying to glom on to me for my precious attention their way.

Facebook Boredom

My whole family -- more or less -- has taken to Facebook. I'm seeing the arc of our usual involvement in things, which is gung ho at first, then petering off, then to the dumpster with it. That's obviously a common arc of interest, for most people I'd guess. It applies to TV shows. Whatever. Like Survivor, a show that once held us like a hypnotist, but did the same thing once too often. Or the old show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, that used up its 15 minutes in 10.

It makes me wonder what can persist. Maybe nothing. The arc is not the friend of persistence, but we're like sharks, moving on to the next prey, and always swimming. Speaking of swimming, I read today that some woman supposedly swam across the Atlantic Ocean. Except she had a boat and did 2100 miles in around 25 days. There sounds like something fishy there. Does that mean she jumped out of the boat and swam for an hour and got back on and rode the rest of the way. It said the most she swam was eight hours one day and the least was 21 minutes another day. So how you go that far without hitching a ride most of the way, it's beyond me.

Getting back to Facebook. What is there to it? It's boring on the face of it, not to be punning. I care what all these people are doing -- definitely, because they're my family. But some of it isn't interesting at all, such as whose birthdays they're adding to their calendar and all the invitations to add yourself to my family, join this cause, take this quiz, etc. I'm ignoring some of it. There's nothing really that I need to do, because it's going the way of the usual arc. Those who were posting plenty of things at first are posting less things now. It'll die.