Why Facebook Still Matters to Me

nytimes.com

1 pointpesenti2 comments

This is the problem with Facebook. Facebook is not the platform; the people are the platform. All the problems Facebook solves for her are problems that the Internet solves, not specifically Facebook, but Facebook just makes it so easy: everyone is already there.

The author says, "Until another platform comes along, I’ll stick with it." But there are certainly already other platforms. I think what she means is, "Until another platform becomes popular among my social circle."

In theory we’ve had Contacts apps and E-mail lists for decades that people could have used for essentially all of their interactions. And it’s never been easier to use either of those from any device.

Then I think about how poorly integrated those basic things really are. Why can’t my iPhone Contacts app let me create basic groups like “Friends” and “Family” for instance? Why is there no dead-simple event site that uses good-old-mailing lists as the core mechanism for deciding who is going, and communicating?

Sometimes it feels like we came so close with the basics and then just stopped improving them. I think defeating Facebook starts by addressing those core features.

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