andrewvalish

It looks to me as if Facebook is attempting to represent a product that immerses the user into any experience that they desire, regardless if it's "social" or not. It's obvious that by presenting the viewer with fast-paced, exciting content ready at the flick of a finger, it in turn captures the viewers attention enough to evoke curiosity of the product's possibilities.

If Facebook were to take an intimate social approach with the ad campaign, it could lead to negative results as well. Although I don't have conclusive evidence, I believe a large portion of Facebook's user base uses the platform to feel closer with people and organizations that they don't have immediate relations with - or an actual follower base that will appreciate what they post.

From my point of view, Facebook is more of a content consumption platform than a broadcasting platform -- that's kind of a weird statement, but I'm just partial to believing that most people use it to consume than to produce, hence presenting all of these immersive experiences that users can escape to.

I should add that I agree that this may be harmful for Facebook's long term image, but if the campaign's goal is to get this app into users hands and trap them into the operating system, it seems like a good approach.

I often find myself in a similar cycle of procrastination, where the fear of commitment to a potential solution for anything worthwhile stems from the fear of failing at perfection. The only way to "finish" a project that I'm involved in is to have a very critical deadline that forces my attention to the most impactful decisions.

When I try to set personal deadlines, I end up always underestimating the duration of a task because I can never concentrate my effort to complete a single task at a given time. Instead, I find other problems that need attention, then more and more, until I end up with a stress bomb attached to my chest with a piercing beep that gets louder and louder until I just close my eyes, where it's quiet and I can think. Here I can think about how to address the problem, where it's coming from, hell - maybe even solve it.

Sometimes this proves helpful and leads to aha moments. More often than not, however, it takes me down a path of setting it aside - of giving up. A problem that can be solved in minutes by actually trying potential solutions instead of just thinking about them ends up lasting weeks.

When I realize the direction I'm headed, and the potential consequences of my decision-making, I refer to a quote that serves as a motivating factor that blinds the fear of failure - temporarily.

"The best way to finish an unpleasant task is to get started."