Facebook: Friend or Foe?

You know the old saying: you can’t live with it, you can’t live without it. Is there any phrase more apt when talking about Facebook?

Many of us are avid Facebook users. We have hundreds of friends, some reaching back to high school, and we follow their lives through short status updates. With smart phones, many of us are guilty of checking their news feed and posting status updates at all times of the day, even in class, at work, waiting in line, sitting at a stoplight, or in the bathroom. We use it to find out the latest shows by our favorite musicians, hear about specials at local businesses, play online games. Some of us even prefer to send messages to friends on Facebook rather than pick up the phone or send emails.

According to Facebook’s official stats, there are more than 500 million active users, with half of them logging on at least once a day.

So how is it that such a popular, and for many people, pivotal site can also be one of the top companies that people hate?

Hmm, how can I count the ways?

Privacy is a big one, but that’s an old story. Nearly everyone hates how Facebook insists on making more and more of your personal information available, and forces you to “opt out.”

I’d argue that for the average user, privacy isn’t the biggest concern, or the reason they hate Facebook. When I hear my friends talking about it, more than anything it’s the user interface that gets under their skin.

Ever want to set up a group/business page on Facebook? Good luck finding the link to that. Want to change those hated privacy settings? Where do you start (and did you find them all?) Have you ever wanted to wish a friend happy birthday – only to find that you can’t post to their wall?

And then there’s the layout and labels. It never fails: as soon as we get used to the new way status feeds are presented, or the name of something, Facebook has to go and change it. I don’t understand why “Top News” must be my default, when all I want is “Most Recent.” Another good one. When you want to show support for an organization, do you ‘join a group’, or ‘become a fan’, or ‘like” them? Is there even a difference?

So Facebook is undeniably one of the most popular and most used websites today. But it isn’t beloved by its users – and the folks behind it don’t seem to care. (Is it just me, or does Zuckerberg send a giant “FU” whenever he’s asked about new changes to layout or privacy?)

A number of alternative sites pop up, and so far are dwarfed by the lower case f. However, one of these days when we least expect it, one will emerge whose interface is more intuitive, features are easier to find, and privacy is respected. It won’t be overnight, but if itcontinue to ignore its userbase, the f may fall.

In other words, unless they wise up, I don’t think Facebook is forever.