Facebook keeps wanting to connect to everything, and other sites want me to connect to Facebook, it's full of targeted advertisements they think I'd like (sick of the diet and skin treatment ads
) and doesn't leave me in peace to do what I want.
Since Facebook introduced Facebook Connect (e.g. like you can with this website), I haven't used it except for a couple of sites, which are fairly throwaway in nature (and in one case had no choice, or a Google+ account). Otherwise, I have avoided Facebook Connect and would rather create dedicated login details.
I get a lot of requests for games from people - I've blocked plenty of requests, so I don't see them. You get the odd one pop up, but I've also pretty much suppressed them quite a bit, so I don't get an email each time, and all I get is sometimes one line on the right hand side in my News Feed.
It's constantly changing the way it displays.
This I don't have a patent issue with, unless the change materially and negatively affects how the site interacts or performs.
Some of the UI changes since Facebook started have been very useful. On the other hand, things like overdoing the Flash components in Facebook or auto-playing videos is rather stupid IMO.
Of course, especially now that Facebook has been floated as a public company, advertising is on the up. Apparently we'll see silent auto-playing video ads very soon. The only upshot is that people have written extensions for browsers (mainly free) which can 'block' ads so that not only you don't see it, but the bandwidth expended in loading that ad is also avoided.
I find it really intrusive. And people post such personal stuff. And random thoughts that come into their mind that only they need to know about.
People could do the same here, but they just don't as much as they do Facebook. As for "random thoughts that come into their mind that only they need to know about", we've had a few of them here, too.
Considering that Facebook profiles, even if not completely public, can be "scanned" by others like employers, I'm quite conscious as to what ends up on Facebook. Job opportunities have been removed or employment lost simply due to Facebook, though in nearly all cases it really is a case of the poster being stupid and/or ignorant.
Reading Facebook News Feed reminds me of clicking on New Posts on AFF, except on AFF:
- It loads a lot faster (because of...)
- There are no pictures
- There are no ads if you are a Silver or Gold subscriber (at least I think so, maybe there are no ads on the New Posts page)
- There is no Flash
- Only the topic is shown - essentially instead of the whole post or OP, you get some twenty words
...but the main technique is the same - read over what is in the "feed", and click on those you are interested in, pass over those that you aren't.
There's always a BUT. I was having issues with two companies. One was a gym, the other a cruise line. I decided to fight them the way the young uns would do as usual phone calls and emails were getting nowhere. So I posted on their Facebook page. The gym took a week to sort themselves out and provide a refund. The ship line - major victory there. They changed their company policy.
Yes - this is an interesting upshot. Even as Facebook is
apparently starting to become an old social medium now, companies have mostly embraced it.
I made a recent complaint to an airline (not QF or VA if you must know). I used both their online form on the website, then I decided to direct message the Facebook profile. The direct message was addressed immediately. I still haven't heard back from the online form enquiry (notwithstanding that possibly they have marked the ticket as complete due to what happened on Facebook).
Mind, reading the Facebook walls of airlines (not just airlines, though) can be a nightmare, just only due to the amount of cough that gets posted on it. Yes, some have legit complaints, but most of them is just drivel. Whilst companies can "moderate" their walls to remove what they think is junk/offensive/etc., in social media parlance it is frowned upon, especially if the content removed is a criticism (as it appears you are suppressing the right to criticise). It's basically like putting duct tape on the mouth of anyone who speaks against you.
AFF has moderators who keep things to a certain standard of civility (theoretically, but let's not get into this here) whilst trying to allow anyone to say what they want. Of course, there are not really complaints about why was my comment suppressed etc. as if on Facebook, because discussing moderation activity on AFF is against its rules. So, it's swings and roundabouts essentially.
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