Now that Facebook has switched everyone's profiles over to the new interface, I'm curious how everyone feels about the changes.
As I had mentioned in my previous post, Facebook has implemented these changes to compete with the micro-blogging site Twitter. As a huge fan of Twitter, I see the changes to Facebook as a mild improvement but it's not going to make me dump Twitter and start using Facebook exclusively. Also, I have not heard many positive things from my friends on Facebook. It seems a lot of them are not too happy with these changes, as well as the chatter around the social networking circles has been predominately negative.
As far as I see it, Facebook is competing against a social networking site that most of their members don't care about, otherwise they would already be using sites like Twitter. I think both Facebook and Twitter serve a purpose and meet the needs of different breeds of social networking folks. For instance, Facebook members sign up mostly to keep in touch with close friends and family and find old classmates.
People on Twitter will continue to use Twitter because of what it is, and I highly doubt anyone will start using Facebook more because of these changes. Maybe Facebook should stick to what it's good at and not make such drastic changes that it upsets members who are there to just to communicate with their friends and family.
EDIT: 3/19/09
I'm actually taking back my statement that the changes to Facebook are an improvement. If the only items that showed up in the News Feed were status updates and maybe links, it would be fine. However, I do not care about who gave who a virtual hug or a virtual drink. There is no need to fill my News Feed with every little thing friends do in apps that I have ignored and do not use. I even tried blocking some apps but even that doesn't stop the flood of insignificant posts.
I'm giving Facebook a big FAIL in their attempt to win the social networking war. If you want to find me, I'll be on Twitter!
UPDATE: Poll Results 3/18/09 - 3/35/09
Do you like the new changes to Facebook?
00% Yes, it's an improvement
25% No, but I'll get used to it
25% No, change it back
50% Meh
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Why Facebook Can't Compete With Twitter.
Today, Facebook held a press conference to discuss new products and changes to the social networking site. One of the items addressed at the press conference was how Facebook was going to compete with the growing popularity of Twitter. For those unfamiliar with Twitter, it is a social networking and micro-blogging service that allows users to send and receive updates that are 140 character or less. As a huge fan of Twitter, I commend Facebook for trying but good luck competing with Twitter.
Even after reading about the changes Facebook is implementing, I don't think the site's developers get the reason why people like Twitter. It's all about simplicity. People are busy and need a quick way to create an account and start using a site. This is exactly what Twitter offers. New members create an user name and password and they're ready to roll. The only information Twitter asks for is an email address, and the only profile information Twitter asks for is optional and includes: name, location, website, and a short bio. This makes users more comfortable connecting with friends as well as new people beyond their circle of friends.
Facebook is much more complex and has tons of information it asks for in order to connect members with people. Which is fine for connecting only with people they know, but because of all the information on members' profiles on Facebook, many of them will continue to keep their profiles more closed. Then, once members find all their friends on a site like Facebook, the new wears off and they eventually move on to the next new social networking flavor of the month.
The beauty in Twitter's design is it creates a simple way to keep up with friends, meet new interesting people, and follow news stories as they happen all on one page. Although Facebook's new interface looks like a move in the right direction, I don't feel it can compete with Twitter.
Facebook has a banner up on their site saying "Changes to the Home page are coming soon" with a link to preview what the new home page will look like. I'm curious how other Facebook users feel about these changes. And if anyone uses Twitter as well, how does Facebook compare with Twitter? Please share your thoughts.
UPDATE: Poll Results 3/4/09 - 3/11/09
Do you like the new changes to Facebook?
25% Yes
00% No
75% Meh
What is your favorite social networking site?
25% Twitter
37% Facebook
00% Myspace
37% Brightkite
00% Other
00% Meh
Even after reading about the changes Facebook is implementing, I don't think the site's developers get the reason why people like Twitter. It's all about simplicity. People are busy and need a quick way to create an account and start using a site. This is exactly what Twitter offers. New members create an user name and password and they're ready to roll. The only information Twitter asks for is an email address, and the only profile information Twitter asks for is optional and includes: name, location, website, and a short bio. This makes users more comfortable connecting with friends as well as new people beyond their circle of friends.
Facebook is much more complex and has tons of information it asks for in order to connect members with people. Which is fine for connecting only with people they know, but because of all the information on members' profiles on Facebook, many of them will continue to keep their profiles more closed. Then, once members find all their friends on a site like Facebook, the new wears off and they eventually move on to the next new social networking flavor of the month.
The beauty in Twitter's design is it creates a simple way to keep up with friends, meet new interesting people, and follow news stories as they happen all on one page. Although Facebook's new interface looks like a move in the right direction, I don't feel it can compete with Twitter.
Facebook has a banner up on their site saying "Changes to the Home page are coming soon" with a link to preview what the new home page will look like. I'm curious how other Facebook users feel about these changes. And if anyone uses Twitter as well, how does Facebook compare with Twitter? Please share your thoughts.
UPDATE: Poll Results 3/4/09 - 3/11/09
Do you like the new changes to Facebook?
25% Yes
00% No
75% Meh
What is your favorite social networking site?
25% Twitter
37% Facebook
00% Myspace
37% Brightkite
00% Other
00% Meh
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Can I get Another Hit Of Internet?
Last weekend our cable modem died, and we had no broadband connection for three days. As a modern day wired family, no Internet created quite a disturbance. My son was unable to play online games on Noggin.com or NickJr.com, my husband was unable to search for parts to construct his dream car, and I was forced to use Edge on my iPhone to do all my everyday tasks like check my email, balance the checkbook, and Twitter. My husband and I were actually anticipating going to work on Monday just so we could get our fix of high speed Internet.
Once I exchanged the defective cable modem and we were back online at home, my husband proceeds to tell me that he thinks we are addicted to the Internet. I laughed at the very notion, but he was serious and pointed out how hard the past three days had been on us. Yes, it was torture, but I assured him we did not have a problem. I confessed, sure we abuse the Net but that does not mean we are in fact hooked.
Fascinated by the topic, I did as any Internet junkie would do and did some online research. The first Google search result pointed me to an Internet Addiction Test. I took the test and was happy to find I was indeed not out of control. According to my test results:
w00t! :-p
I assume it is possible to be addicted to anything including the Internet. However, I'm sticking to my story and my test results to prove I do not have an unnatural obsession with cyberspace.
I'm curious if you feel there is a such thing as Internet addiction. Do you think you are addicted or know someone who may be addicted to the Internet? Please share your thoughts.
UPDATE: Poll Results 2/19/09 - 2/26/09
How long do you think you could go without Internet?
60% Hours
20% Days
20% Weeks
00% Meh
Once I exchanged the defective cable modem and we were back online at home, my husband proceeds to tell me that he thinks we are addicted to the Internet. I laughed at the very notion, but he was serious and pointed out how hard the past three days had been on us. Yes, it was torture, but I assured him we did not have a problem. I confessed, sure we abuse the Net but that does not mean we are in fact hooked.
Fascinated by the topic, I did as any Internet junkie would do and did some online research. The first Google search result pointed me to an Internet Addiction Test. I took the test and was happy to find I was indeed not out of control. According to my test results:
You are an average on-line user. You may surf the Web a bit too long at times, but you have control over your usage.
w00t! :-p
I assume it is possible to be addicted to anything including the Internet. However, I'm sticking to my story and my test results to prove I do not have an unnatural obsession with cyberspace.
I'm curious if you feel there is a such thing as Internet addiction. Do you think you are addicted or know someone who may be addicted to the Internet? Please share your thoughts.
UPDATE: Poll Results 2/19/09 - 2/26/09
How long do you think you could go without Internet?
60% Hours
20% Days
20% Weeks
00% Meh
Friday, February 13, 2009
Can A Recession Make You Fat?
I've seen reports that predict the economic recession will cause a rise in obesity. The thought is, people will buy cheaper, less healthy food to save money. More people will turn to fast food to feed their families. Basically, it's a consensus that it costs more to eat heathy. I'm curious if this is true.
Recently, my family eats out less and cooks at home more. We hardly ever go out to sit-down restaurants these days, and we eat fast food maybe twice a month at most. At the grocery store, I save money by making more stuff from scratch. Pre-packaged meals can't compete with a home-made meal. We have a deep freeze and I buy meat when it's on sell and freeze it. A lot of produce, like onions and bell peppers, can be chopped and frozen too so it's easily accessible to quickly cook up a nice meal. I even started making pizza at home which is a lot cheaper than delivery pizzerias, not to mention healthier and a lot of fun to make. And yes, some days I feel lazy and we just make spaghetti.
Buying breakfast and lunches during the work week can account for a huge chunk of the budget. We managed to cut those expenses too without cutting back on taste. Either my husband or I have managed to cook breakfast almost every day. Before work, I make breakfast sandwiches on whole wheat bread with egg and turkey with a side of fruit. My husband and I also make lunches to take to work usually consisting of leftovers from the night before or a sandwich or salad.
I feel my family has been eating better since we started being more conscience of our spending habits. It may be a little more work, but I think it's worth it. I don't feel that the recession will cause any weight gain in this household.
I'm curious, how has the economic downturn changed your eating habits? Are you eating less or eating lower quality foods? Or has it caused you to rethink how to feed yourself and your family? Please share you thoughts.
UPDATE: Poll Results 7/13/09 - 2/20/09
Do you think the recession will cause a rise in obesity?
25% Yes
25% No
50% Meh
Recently, my family eats out less and cooks at home more. We hardly ever go out to sit-down restaurants these days, and we eat fast food maybe twice a month at most. At the grocery store, I save money by making more stuff from scratch. Pre-packaged meals can't compete with a home-made meal. We have a deep freeze and I buy meat when it's on sell and freeze it. A lot of produce, like onions and bell peppers, can be chopped and frozen too so it's easily accessible to quickly cook up a nice meal. I even started making pizza at home which is a lot cheaper than delivery pizzerias, not to mention healthier and a lot of fun to make. And yes, some days I feel lazy and we just make spaghetti.
Buying breakfast and lunches during the work week can account for a huge chunk of the budget. We managed to cut those expenses too without cutting back on taste. Either my husband or I have managed to cook breakfast almost every day. Before work, I make breakfast sandwiches on whole wheat bread with egg and turkey with a side of fruit. My husband and I also make lunches to take to work usually consisting of leftovers from the night before or a sandwich or salad.
I feel my family has been eating better since we started being more conscience of our spending habits. It may be a little more work, but I think it's worth it. I don't feel that the recession will cause any weight gain in this household.
I'm curious, how has the economic downturn changed your eating habits? Are you eating less or eating lower quality foods? Or has it caused you to rethink how to feed yourself and your family? Please share you thoughts.
UPDATE: Poll Results 7/13/09 - 2/20/09
Do you think the recession will cause a rise in obesity?
25% Yes
25% No
50% Meh
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Camera Shy?
Sorry about the delay in writing a new blog post! It's been a crazy couple of weeks as the latest flu bug has passed through our house. Everyone is feeling better now and it's back to business as usual :-)
Last Sunday was my husband's birthday as well as The Big Game, so naturally, we threw a party. It was blast! I love hosting and enjoy good food, good drinks, and good friends.
I was hoping to take a few photos to capture the day and share on Facebook. However, my friends did not seem to be as enthusiastic about having their photos taken as I would have thought. Most of my photos were of the back of people's heads because no one was interested in smiling for the camera. In fact, one friend grabbed my iPhone to look at every photo with him in it and proceeded to delete the ones he didn't like. At the end of the day, I was a little sad as I looked over all the photos I had taken. I was hoping for a few more exciting photos. Maybe a couple of goofy shots and some showing people having a good time.
I'm curious, in this day when almost everyone has a camera on them from a cell phone camera to a digital SLR, how do people really few about candid photos taken of them?
UPDATE: Poll Results 2/4/09 - 2/11/09
How do you feel about having your picture taken?
00% Love it
33% Don't mind
66% Sometimes
00% Please don't
Last Sunday was my husband's birthday as well as The Big Game, so naturally, we threw a party. It was blast! I love hosting and enjoy good food, good drinks, and good friends.
I was hoping to take a few photos to capture the day and share on Facebook. However, my friends did not seem to be as enthusiastic about having their photos taken as I would have thought. Most of my photos were of the back of people's heads because no one was interested in smiling for the camera. In fact, one friend grabbed my iPhone to look at every photo with him in it and proceeded to delete the ones he didn't like. At the end of the day, I was a little sad as I looked over all the photos I had taken. I was hoping for a few more exciting photos. Maybe a couple of goofy shots and some showing people having a good time.
I'm curious, in this day when almost everyone has a camera on them from a cell phone camera to a digital SLR, how do people really few about candid photos taken of them?
UPDATE: Poll Results 2/4/09 - 2/11/09
How do you feel about having your picture taken?
00% Love it
33% Don't mind
66% Sometimes
00% Please don't
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