So why did I make the bold move yesterday and abandon Facebook?
Perhaps it's imminent declination to the likes of MySpace, Hi5 and Bebo?
Maybe the way people went about and did what they did there.
Sure Facebook harbours many of my friends online, who spend their days attacking vampires and adding as many applications as humanly possible. Plenty of these friends use it to share photos and catchup with old friends who they have almost lost contact with.
Okay, sounds like a neat tool. But why did it kill itself?
The answer lies with social politics.
Although we are free to do whatever we want (other than hatespeak, defamation etc). The abuse of Facebook lies here. Adhering to the following unfathomable logic
- The more 'friends' I have, the cooler I am
- The more photos I have of me with other friends, the cooler I am
- Let's make everyone jealous of me and show them how cool my life is
- Let's let everyone else know that I'm "In a Relationship" and with whom so that I'm cool
- Let's show people that I'm so deep in this relationship (or even friendship) that I'll list myself as "practically married"
- Let's add as many spamming applications as possible because I want to have the best profile page
- Let's show pictures of me and my partner making out, because I'm cooler than everyone else
- Let's send as many application requests so that I can find out 'who my perfect soul mate is' or 'what colour my relationship describes'.
Everything I just mentioned above was once used responsibly. Now its has just become lame. It's like when they ruined emails by jumping on the "let's forward this chain email to a billion other people because I don't want to die at 12 or get bad luck or have a crappy relationship" bandwagon. Here at KL we promote free thinking; and marketing and advertising we have always kept an eye on. Which is why we hate Apple's brainwashing of its target of the ignorant fan base, and any kind of propagandists for that matter.
The proliferation of spam is something I deteste. And that is just one of the reasons why I am sick and tired of Facebook. Where is the simplicity and calmness it once boasted, before the idiots arrived. It attracted the thousands who hated Hi5, Bebo and MySpace because it was different to the rest. It's privacy enforcement, its clean and shiny look, it's lack of "I'm cooler than you" people. The unheardof-ness of spam.
Frankly if you put pictures and stuff up on Facebook because you want to show how "cooler" you are. Then wow are you insecure. Having videos and pictures to share is fine, because that's the point of the social internet. But to go out of your way to prove to everyone else that you are better than someone else. That's just sad.
You can't stop the "I'm socially more popular than you" people. If you really are more social than everyone else then get off the internet this instant and go hang with these 1700 friends of yours. Do something useful with your life, please. Social heirarchy, pfft your just f-ing fake.
You can't stop the spammers either. You can block invites however. Or just give up.
Some people don't really care. I don't blame you. Those of you who use Facebook properly--good on you. I take pride in offending plenty of people here, because that's my purpose. Please don't get insulted if you do use Hi5, MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, 360, Orkurt properly; it's just that Facebook has lost my respect and is now so full of vermin who have nothing better to do than pretend to be better than everyone else. And to the spammers: I curse many telemarketer calls to your home.
Maybe one day I will return there. Who know's. Who cares.
