For the record, I think the new Facebook design (Note: Design not idea) is a major upgrade.
Anyway, the idea behind Twitter is that you follow people for content, while Facebook is more about keeping in touch with acquaintances. However, now that these two arenas have merged, I’m realizing that frankly, I don’t want to know what everyone I’ve met is thinking. Seriously. No offense to any of my friends on Facebook — but we’re not friends because I think you’re intellectually scintillating and/or dangerously funny (Though I might!). We’re “friends” because our lives crossed paths at some point in time and Facebook was a way to keep in touch. When you unfollow someone on Twitter, it’s not a personal offense. De-friending someone on Facebook because you don’t want to see their status update? Absolutely possible, but absurdly offensive. Correct me if I’m wrong here.
This is just a tirade — I’m not going to take time and try to filter my FB stream. Maybe this means I’ll just be on FB less… Sorry Facebook.
Thoughts?
Update: I didn’t realize that you can “X” or hide certain people’s updates. Handy, but doesn’t it seem backwards for a change that encourages more exchanges and communication to further filter information? Completely the opposite of Twitter.
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Unrelated, but since it’s the WWW’s 20th birthday (And Pi Day and Einstein’s birthday) and I didn’t want to spam my Twitter with blather about the WWW.
The World Wide Web is the only thing I know of whose shortened form takes three times longer to say than what it’s short for. – Douglas Adams, The Independent on Sunday, 1999
Best quote ever, no?
Agreed. You spoke my thoughts. Exactmundoooo.
I kind of felt like a jerk writing this!
Wow … social media etiquette?
i don’t think it’s very offensive to de-friend acquaintances, especially if you don’t enjoy seeing what they think/write. neither ought it to be an offense to deny an acquaintance their request to be friends, especially if neither kind of relationship existed (and i don’t want to know you anymore! sorry, i DON’T have a problem leaving rude/unintelligent/etc people behind).
i recently deleted a pair because they couldn’t decide what in the world their relationship statuses were, and i couldn’t stand their indecision/naivete anymore. as greg behrendt has said (published, really), “it’s called a break up because it’s broken.” (tiradetiradetiraderantrantrant!!)
Hahaha, I love Douglas Adams.
Joann, you’re my hero and (not so secret) lover. Thanks for that lovely tirade. And Amber, Douglas Adams is great.