John Dvorak: Why I Don't Use Facebook
pcmag.com
pcmag.com
I like the picture hosting and the ability to find long lost friends more quickly (although honestly, I don't really have many long lost friends -- and LinkedIn I find better for finding old colleagues), but it's not sticky for me.
I'm probably odd that I'd much rather read about how Logo turtle graphics and JS canvas are isomorphic than read status updates from friends. Not that I don't like knowing what my friends are doing, but its rarely the case that I need up to the minute notification. Once every two weeks is fine. And if there's something big, someone will call or send email.
I currently read mails about once or twice a day, because using things like email notifications just interrupts me during work. Regularly checking Facebook updates would be too much noise to me.
I have tons of interesting content that I want to read (but I don't have enough time), so why should I read uninteresting Facebook updates instead? And to socialize I'm happy to get away from my computer, instead of spending even more time before the screen.
Facebook's facilitation of connections between individuals is a pretty big exception. It's sort of like saying, "there's no reason to read Dvorak's blog, except to find out what he has written."
GOTO [url] or [AOL keyword]
It strikes me that you have to be a pretty serious egotist/narcissist to think that Facebook is all about publishing, as opposed to all about connecting with people in your life.
And, that mental profile would also suit someone who is happily, aggressively, FREQUENTLY wrong about technology, but doesn't mind making a career out of writing about it.
I'm still going to read his occasional missives, though, I just can't help myself.
Rather than calling his thinking on technology a crap shoot, I'd call it a brutally honest personal assessment. In the case of his supposed bullshit call on the mouse and ipad, I'd call him exactly correct.
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2076932
If you look back over the history of many technologies, you will see that closed often precedes open. Profit motive is a powerful force, but it is frequently overwhelmed by the motivation of freedom.
Saying "Why use facebook when I have the whole internet" is similar to saying "Why live in the city when I can live in any number of other small towns." Sure, some people aren't big city people, and they like the smaller tighter rural communities. The city can belittle someone's ego and make them feel small and insignificant. There are always going to be the "city people" and the "non-city people."
On Facebook Dvorak is just another user, but on pcmag.com he is an important journalist who's opinions are valued. Easy to see why he prefers one over the other.
If you have family or friends that don't live in the technical echosphere that we all do here, it is a good way to keep in touch with them. Even my mother, who is a wizzard at Word Perfect Reveal Codes isn't going to build a web site to share her poetry.
I am sensing strains of the Priesthood mentality here.
Twitter is the New CB radio
I'm often taken aback when I hear/read these kind of comments. It shows the gulf between most web users and a minority of techies.
huh??
he seems to advocate never using a new thing.
Then, they decided they were an ISP instead and started claiming such. People forgot all the other services they offered and focused on the millions of frisbies they gave out.
Facebook is all about community, with messaging, forums, games, event planning, and more.
So yeah, it's what AOL should have been, but wasn't.
"There is no reason for anyone with any chops online to be remotely involved with Facebook, except to peruse it for lost relatives."