Surely, if you do not have a Facebook profile of your very own, then you must know someone who does. Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook has become ubiquitous! But I actually remember a time before Facebook. When I started college way back in August of 2003, Loyola University Maryland (née Loyola College … See, a lot can change in seven years!) provided each entering freshman with their rendition of a face book called the “Welcome Book.” This brochure was the predecessor of high-tech internet stalking. In conjunction with “Blackboard,” an online program designed to help students manage their classes, we could piece together the intricate social web that was forming during our first semester.
Less than a year later, a friend of mine, with whom I had gone to high school, now a sophomore at New York University, shared with me a website: www.thefacebook.com. At first, I did not have access to the website, as the school you attended needed to officially give permission to the fledgling social networking site to allow access to its students. Then, a few months later, Loyola College welcomed Facebook and I, of course, joined.
I remember that at the top of your profile page, which looked completely different from it’s current manifestation, there was a “Member Since …” field, like on a credit card. (Like my AmEx Rewards Plus Gold Card says “Member Since 2005…) Well, there was something like that on Facebook at the beginning. There’s a certain level of prestige associated with a “member since” field, especially if you’ve been a member of something since close to the time of its conception.
Before the age of Farmville and Mafia Wars, [thefacebook], as it was styled, was a far simpler and more effective social networking site. Primarily used for, let’s face it, stalking, the original Facebook interface was much easier to navigate. While Mr. Zuckerberg feels compelled to reinvent the website every month or so, I find all of these changes to be confusing, frustrating and above all else, counterproductive. As soon as I get used to the latest version, it changes. I like to think of myself as a pretty computer savvy individual. I grew up during the tech boom of the 1990s. But for those who were not raised in the age of the world wide web, said changes must be a nightmare!
I believe that the original design was the quintessence of Facebook; now it is a monstrous amalgamation of applications, groups, games, events, pokes, pages, wall-posts, news feeds, attached links, pieces of flair, badges, etc, etc… To me, it looks cluttered and that stresses me out. There was a certain feng shui that came with the sterile, sleek design of yore.
Since I have graduated from college, Facebook has been introduced to the masses. My friend count fluctuates; it is usually somewhere between 500 and 510 friends. I ask you: do I know that many people? NO! NOT AT ALL!! Random people friend me, and being the tool that I am, I accept. If I do not delete my account all together, I am going to have to expunge most of my friends. It should come as no surprise that I rarely check my Facebook these days. I am a Twitter convert. Look for me! @gregcavo
[[The original welcome page.]]
