Facebook sucks!

This will probably again make me a pariah here but I think Facebook is a really lousy system.  Where do I start?  When I first joined Facebook there was some information I wanted to get out on the San Francisco network (bulletin board).  To do this, I was told I had to "join" that network, but I could only do that if I "unjoined" the San Diego network - where I live.  Further, I wouldn't be able to go back for three months - those were the rules!  I immediately realized this was a site for children - adults don't usually put up with that kind of crap.  Still, there was no denying this was a social phenomenon - Facebook has hundreds of millions of members now.

To understand why adults don't always like Facebook, younger people need to know that we didn't grow up with it.  When I left college, like others of my generation, I knew there were many people who I would never see again - and yes, it was rather sad.  The concepts of "friends" was different then.  "When you die, if you've got five real friends, you've had a great life" auto industry executive Lee Iacocca said.  I made my first mistake with Facebook when I let it read my mail address book, and I quickly checked off the people I thought I liked.  Not only were these people not my "friends" - in at least one case I accidentally invited someone from my "do not contact" list who could almost be called an enemy - causing a bit of drama that would be too much of a digression to go into now.

The net result of this, is that when I go to my Facebook page now, I get this psychotic collection of political rants, baby pictures, mournful song lyrics, business advice, game invitations, sale pitches, and activity updates I just don't care about - i.e. "just had a hamburger".  It is a colossal time waster.  I happen to be left leaning in my politics, so when I see some right wing rant right in front of me, I can't seem to resist jumping in - and several times needless drama has resulted.  More and more, I am learning more about people's personal lives then I really care to know - or should know.  Individually, I think everyone on my "friend" list is nice, but collectively, they make my Facebook homepage look like a deranged nuthouse!

When I do feel like posting something, I often need a paragraph or two to make my point.  Facebook won't let me- I am only allowed a sentence or two before it cuts me off, almost guaranteeing superficiality.  Every once in a while, Facebook will recommend that someone- say "Joe Jones" be my "friend".  When I go to Joe's profile, however, it will say "Joe only shares some of his profile information with everyone. If you know Joe, send him a message or add him as a friend".  Arrrghhh - a Catch 22 - as almost all the profiles on Facebook are mostly hidden.  Even when they are not, the profiles are dismal - ugly, and give almost no useful information.  At least for me - I long ago stopped caring what High School of College people went to- or what there religion is.  My profile there is completely public, but it doesn't present me the way I want to be presented.

I could keep going, but I think that is enough for now.  I probably should say that there are good things about Facebook- it has certainly helped many long lost friends reconnect.  I myself was fixed up for some dates with a very nice lady by someone I had dated 20 years ago - who herself is now married with children.  That doesn't mean that Facebook is "good", however, it just means it is "big".  It is too bad, but they may have what economists call "a natural monopoly".

As I visit my psychotic Facebook page everyday now, I am increasingly dissatisfied.  It is not a good site to meet women for dating, it is not all that good socially in my opinion, it is terrible for business, and it really isn't even all that entertaining.  It is not much good at anything.  Maybe people here can come up with something better.