I found this movie, titled “Facebook Movie”, to be pretty funny. It does point out some problems that I have also observed myself. Personally, I don’t like the way Facebook has turned out. It used to be a more closed community. It was originally more selective. It started off as a social networking tool for Harvard students. Shortly after its creation the site became open to Ivy League schools. Eventually, it became open to everyone who simply had an email address. So why am I anti-Facebook?
The problem I have with such open access is that there is no more validation of identity. My memory could very well be wrong, but you used to need a valid email address that was affiliated with a recognized school. That at the very least ensured that you were a real member of that community. Or if you were really hardcore about sneaking in, it would take a considerable amount of effort (or maybe not…I’m not a hacker).
Now, you can be whoever you want to be. With the removal of such an identity check, as basic as it may be, Facebook has become just like any other online social networking site like MySpace. Just look at all the ridiculous names on Facebook. You have people who claim to be characters from anime and science fiction stories, from Boba Fett to Goku. People reinvent themselves and create a new persona, making Facebook yet another channel for yet another facade. Prior to such openness on Facebook, one could guess with fair accuracy that the person they saw in a profile was the real person. Now John Doe could really be a stalker who tries to befriend people in order to glean personal information.Facebook is also becoming a threat to privacy. Just look at your average Facebook profile. It contains a person’s first and last name, their entire birthdate, their home town, possibly their current address, their email addresses and screennames, often their phone numbers, and what school they go to. It used to be that a stalker really needed to put in a lot of work to get all of that information. Now, it’s all right out in the open for all to see. Granted, Facebook now has implemented some more privacy settings. But only those who are aware of privacy settings are really going to care enough to move eighty percent of their three hundred acquaintances into a limited profile group.
You know that you have too many friends on your Facebook when you have to start editing and screening what goes on your Wall. You also have too many friends if you can’t recall and recite every single name, first and last, on your Friends list. Facebook has become just like MySpace: you try to add as many friends as you can. It’s a dick measuring contest. Oh look, I’ve just reached 300 friends! Hey, I got my thousandth Wall post! For fuck’s sake, stop the insipid bean counting. Are we that bored that we attach such significant achievement to such inane and trivial occurrences?
Facebook is becoming one huge charlie foxtrot. I do my part though by keeping my friends list to those who I am actually interested in. I’ve also trimmed that list to include only people I want to share my life with.
The only thing Facebook has got going for it right now are its assload applications (too many for my tastes) and its relatively clean appearance. As soon as it allows for customization like MySpace…fuggedaboutit. I’d quit Facebook right then and there.
Yeah right…that’s not happening.