I didn’t score that high on my verbal SATs but I think I can manage a simple analogy here. Coffee:Social Networking :: Starbucks:Facebook.
Why do we love Facebook? It’s not because you can poke someone on the other side of the world. It’s not because for months you’ve been able to plant a comical or raunchy bumper sticker on your friend’s wall. And it’s certainly not because you can view advertisements that “magically” speak to your exact age and music tastes.
We love Facebook because we are naturally vain creatures! We love reconnecting with every name we’ve ever come in contact with and watching our friends count grow by the hundreds. We love filling out our profile with bands that show how cool we are or quotes that demonstrate our intellectual depth. We love that fuzzy feeling when someone writes on our wall (isn’t that why we initiate the conversation on someone else’s wall to begin with!?). And we definitely can’t wait to open up that picture that was just tagged of us - even if we untag it immediately because we look fat or possessed.
The original Facebook was about us. It was our platform to make ourselves look however stylish/ smart/ talented/ contemporary/ friendly/ professional/ original/ single/ in-a-relationship that we wanted to. Facebook was the tool. We were the artists.
The new Facebook is about how stylish/ smart/ talented/ contemporary/ friendly/ professional/ original that the creators of Facebook are. Facebook has become the artist. And every time I’ve signed on since the “facelift,” I feel like the tool.
Starbucks had an amazing business growing from just its simplest offering - consistently good coffee. Then the corporate office’s head got bigger than a venti and as we all know, the buck isn’t stopping there like it used to.
Mark (Zuckerberg) my words, Facebook’s fate is soon to follow…
Agree of disagree?
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Inspired by Fast Talk Question: Has Facebook made a huge mistake in taking away its old design? FastCompany.
All I have to say is THANK GOD you blogged about this. I have been pissed off (excuse my language) about this new Facebook since it was forced upon me a little over a week ago. However the new Facebook image is not where my anger ends. Oh no! Has anyone been noticing the advertisements that clutter the left and right sides of the facebook screen? If you haven’t then you must be blind! These ads are disgusting!!! They are all about weightloss and the newest trends in diets and stomach stapling and all that crap. I looked yesterday and was shocked when I saw a nearly 300 lb woman sitting naked next to my best friend’s wall post. WHAT IS THIS. The only things that were coovering her bits and pieces were her hands. The bold black text on the photograph said something like “I don’t want to look like this anymore” and it was an ad for some magic weightloss crap. ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? I have seen another one recently of a woman’s behind just staring at me. She was just wearing thong underwear. The picture changed form quite a large thong-clad bottom to a more svelt Playboyesque rump. Again this was advertising some kind of weightloss tea. I’m literally outraged. Seeing as the the majority of Facebook users and women between the ages of 14(highschool) and 22 these kinds of images should not be tolerated. They’re not only offensive THEY’RE GROSS!!! I shouldn’t have to stare at some ladies practically naked butt while I’m reading the latest news from my friends at other colleges.
This is a great topic however being a relatively new user of Facebook, the change doesn’t bother me. I normally block out the naked ladies just like I block out the abnormally vain status updates that people post. For example, ‘I made some crazy decisions this weekend - stay tuned’. PLEASE! I have more to worry about than what crazy decisions someone is making especially when they give absolutely no insight into what they are talking about…oooh the mystery. If you are going to give a status update…stop…evaluate…and think about if the status update adds ANY VALUE to the world or the network in which you dwell in online. I get it that people want to stay top of mind (I guess) or when funny things are posted because it’s entertaining, but the incognito mysterious updates or the random crap that no one really cares about except the person posting are unnecessary just as the naked ads are.
The challenge of this whole phenomenon is that people are so incredibly caught up in, and think people care about what exactly it is that they are doing on a minute-to-minute basis. In a world full of crisis: the financial market basically crumbled, there’s millions of children starving, and the next Presidential Election has become nothing short of a circus - what people are most concerned about are themselves.
So to answer the question…I don’t care about the new Facebook look and could care less if Facebook follows the Starbucks story.
This topic has been the subject of conversation for the past week now. It has brought about a movement that resulted in the creation of the group “Petition Against the “New Facebook”" which has 1,437,288 members. How about “I Hate The New Facebook (www.new.facebook.com)” with 1,275,218 members, “1,000,000 AGAINST THE NEW FACEBOOK LAYOUT!” with 2,194,101 members and “5,000,000 people who want the option “Back to the old Facebook” to remain!” with 898,812 members!?!? I would consider this the new “Face of Facebook”.
I would want to hope this level of attention is given to the political race going on right now. Because with the state of the economy right now, I can’t help but think how useless facebook would be to its users if they have to spend their ‘free’ time trying to make ends meet. With about $800 billion worth of bailouts to date, I don’t think any would disagree that the scenario I just threw out isn’t feasible.
As far as the new facebook layout is concerned, and being a person who stands on the side of usability, I must say I love the new look. It’s got a cleaner look and feel to it, and makes navigation a lot easier (so easy that John McCain could probably use it now). I think this layout has also been created to make it more “business-friendly” as they forsee the future of business communication and lead generation being done through facebook.
Change still remains one of the most difficult things in life to embrace, and I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before users forget that they’ve been browsing thing “new facebook” for months!
I think over time people will appreciate the advantages of the new design and the new features it offers.
So, I am usually a bit slow to respond to blog posts, choosing rather to read (sometimes) the thoughts that others have to interesting (sometimes) topics. This one caught my interest.
I’ve been using facebook for about 6 months now, and have enjoyed reconnecting with some old friends, not because of vanity, but because I actually miss them, and this has been a good vehicle to allow me to find them, and them to find me. In some ways, it has reconnected me to some of the most fun, enriching, and challenging times in my life, and I am thankful for that.
It also feels good to be able to express how I am feeling at different times in the day (I usually update my status once, at a stretch, twice a day), which also feels good to “scream” to the world about how energized I am. What is interesting to me is how many positive responses I get to my updates; that they actually inspire others. That was certainly not my intent, but I’m glad to have that kind of impact.
So, facebook has been a good vehicle of communication and reconnection for me. I do drown out the masses of silly things people post, although I realize that, to them, their posts may be an expression of what is important to them at the time. I’ll keep using the tool the way I have.
How do I feel about the new look and feel? Haven’t noticed.
I think ultimately facebook is exactly like Starbucks. Some people choose to get their coffee and go acknowledging that they do enjoy it and need it on a day-to-day basis while others choose to sit and listen to the eclectic music and read the paper soaking in all of that semi-Seattle feel and pay hommage to the value of brand loyalty and commercialism.
In facebook land, some people choose to dabble with it acknowledging the value of social media (our grab and go drinkers) while others update themselves and stalk others to the point where they border on the profile of a criminal on Law and Order SVU (these would be the people who sit and drink inside).
However, just as you will never forget the barista with 8 piercings who’s father probably cries himself to sleep at night wondering where things went wrong. You will always remember those who continue to update you of their daily happenings and decisions.
And in today’s day and age isn’t staying relevant what it’s all about?
Oh, I love the different outlooks that everyone has. With that said, I actually agree with everyone. Facebook was an already popular site for people of all ages, educations and backgrounds to communicate with friends and family. And for some reason, the creators of Facebook wanted to fix something that wasnt broken. The only thing we can do is either 1. Dont use it or 2. stop complaining 3. join the other ‘We hate the new Facebook’ site. Misti says there is more things to worry about like the horrible economy, poor malnurished children and the less then professional approach at a PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION! AGREED! I mean stop making your status update about how much you really hate the new FB and delete your profile. The statistics Chris shared were awesome, I had no idea it was that big of a deal. I love Misti’s take on it because I agree about the status reports (I’m gona watch what I say, haha) but at the same time, I love that Andrew’s are inspirational and not the mysterious approach. Obviously people are on the networking sites for different reasons and clearly some share the same view on the ridiculous new layout and the immature way people exploit their own life. So… with all that said:
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
I’m done ranting.
Ok…so I get it. Some people like the new format and some don’t. I haven’t been using Facebook long enough to have even noticed the difference, but I think I have become immune to the all the adds on websites these days. I mean does anyone really click on them? If you believe that you are special enough to have been selected by the deposed prince of Uganda to recieve a one time payment of $15 million or you have won the new Xbox 360 than you deserve any virus that you get for clicking on the add. I don’t care if you think it is really real that the lady who weighed 400 pounds in her picture on the left is the same lady who now weighs 120 pounds in the picture on the right, don’t click on it and just get over it. But some people can’t. That is why Mark Zuckerberg, the 24 year old billionaire founder of Facebook, is a billionaire. He had a great idea that millions of idiots, and smart people too, use it everyday, and other companies are willing to pay for a piece of the action. I applaud Facebook for the things it has done…I mean chances are he has more money than you (and me), and isn’t that what America is all about? Cold, Hard CASH?!
It’s still about us and still believe people are making way too much about it. Some love it, some hate it, but the core is the same.
I agree Guy, that you shouldn’t click on the add. I would never click on the add! Its the fact that the picture for the add is basically a woman’s bare ass staring at you (again excuse my language). You see on most other websites I can choose whether or not I want to see someone’s naked ass by either clicking the link or not clicking the link. On facebook the choice is gone. Its there and its gross.
A new Starbucks opening in a neighborhood demonstrates that the neighborhood has reached a greater level of prosperity. The same is happening with Facebook. The new look is a real estate investment.
Check out more interesting responses here, too.
What is the New Facebook at Truby Blog?
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