Facebook began as an online Yearbook. It rocketed into something much bigger and much more successful than the founders imagined. Now they have fierce competition in niche microblogging, bookmarking and tagging Web sites. What Facebook is doing is trying to incorporate the best part of those sites into its interface so that it becomes the place to go on the Web for social media. In my opinion, it's doing it well.
Judging by the outpour of "Change Facebook Back to Its Old Page" groups, messages, tweets and e-mails, people are continuing to be brand loyal even after the brand changed. Facebook's audience loves the product so much they're willing to lobby for it to stay the same. They don't realize that by staying the same, it's not gaining any market share or taking part in the old business practice of 'putting competitors out of business'.
Facebook is still giving us our Yearbook features. We can see photos, links, relationships, etc on profiles. The interface has just changed a bit. It's interesting to me that every time Facebook changes something, the public outcries on message boards. I think people need to realize that this way of communicating is still so new people are actually brainstorming what to do to continue to make it work. We're getting a great free product- at least they're not making us pay.
I'm not saying to stop the complaining about Facebook--- keep it going. It's showing Zuckerberg and the other staff there just how much people care about their product. That's why they're changing it- to keep us around so they can continue to keep us happy. So thanks, Facebook. You da bomb. Never Change. Keep in Touch! Have a great summer! Call me! :P
P.S. How's this "back when" quote for you... "I remember when Facebook was called THE Facebook!"
Monday, March 23, 2009
Facebook is great- and they're not gonna change it back.
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12 comments:
What is it that people don't like about the new Facebook? I just wondered, because I like the changes.
Many comments I've seen are that it's too much like Twitter or Tumblr. Facebook actually created an application so people could give their feedback. It was on your Homepage after the switch was made. Almost all of the comments were "I HATE THE NEW FACEBOOK." People will get used to it though.
I was just thinking about that the other day, how it used to be called "The Facebook." I wonder when they dropped the "The."
I think people just love to complain and whine. The only thing I don't like is that I can see everything people do and can't filter out types of stories.
Unlike many others, I don't mind the new facebook format at all. I think another thing is that anytime Facebook does something different there's always resistance. For something that's used to be niche and hip it's amazing how much it's audience resists changes.
I wrote about the last time it changed on NP (you know where Mallory sometimes writes) and there always seems to be anti-group that sprouts up anytime Facebook does anything.
@michelle - i agree. people just love to complain and whine.
@bmbosstone- good point "For something that's used to be niche and hip it's amazing how much it's audience resists changes." I don't mind the new Facebook at all, either. I'll check out that post!
i know when i joined in jan. of 2005 (that was considered a bit late at my college) we called it facebook.
when was it THE facebook?
@thatshortchick it was The Facebook when JMU first joined... which I believe was Fall of 04. Must have changed over the Winter Break!
People liked the old news feed that told you what your friends were up to. The new news feed has live updates that for the most part don't tell you what's going on.
Oh my gosh, The Facebook! I actually don't remember that because I was a late adopter of the program. I agree with you though that communication platforms need to continuously evolve. Feedback is key as well. Great to know there is (a lot) of two-way communication going on.
remember when people freaked out over this?
http://undercurrents.tmgstrategies.com/2008/09/19/facing-a-new-facebook/
We were around when it was THE facebook!
Now, it's taken over by old people :(
I like the idea that we are collectively learning and brainstorming how to use social media and "what to do to continue to make it work."
Do you think it is a learned skill...? To tweak our own social behavior?
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