What annoys me MOST about Facebook.
The early days of Twitter were filled with bad publicity and sarcastic cuts to its real value. I would agree that initially, people didn’t know what to tweet, so they said stuff such as “I’m at Starbucks.” or “I just ate lunch.” Even Verizon made a commercial to poke fun at the pointless Twitter updates. Listen for “I’m sitting on the patio.”
Yet over the past year I’ve seen Twitter move from mindless 140 character crap, to real engaging and informative information shared by some of the most influential people around the world.
Where Twitter has been gaining more sustainability as a true place to gather insightful information, Facebook on the other hand, seems to be filled with annoying status updates. I even saw one from a friend the other day that said “Hanging out on my back porch!” Hello? Isn’t that what frustrated people about Twitter?
Yes, some companies (and individuals) post insightful information. And no, not EVERY status update has to be helpful or thought-provoking. But is it just ME or does it seem like the pointless updates are getting more and more out of control than every before?
Now before all of my friends get insecure that I’m talking about your status updates, let me preface by saying: Your Facebook page is just that, yours. But remember, whether you like it or not, you are “branding” yourself. You’re telling your friends (and in some instances the world) about the type of person you are.
Try it: Go back and look at the last month of your status updates. Were they filled with pointless updates? Were they fishing for compliments? Or is there a “negative” undertone in all your posts? People really do judge you on your status updates. Like it or not. Your thoughts are out there for all to see.
I saw a quote recently that I think sums up my feeling about status updates:
“It’s not a Twitter account, poetry slam, existential sounding board, or political soapbox. It’s a Facebook status. If it’s not funny, about your physical/mental health, sociological classification, or geographical location, it’s probably not your status.”
I’m not trying to tell you what you should or shouldn’t post on your Facebook page. After all, it’s your “space” to do with what you please.
But, pointless, uninteresting status updates is what annoys me most about Facebook.
How about you? What annoys you most?
7 responses to “What annoys me MOST about Facebook.”
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Adam Waid 
Great post, Adam. I agree, it seems like there’s been a flip-flop between the two social networks. The updates I see on Twitter are definitely more rich in quality and content than what I see on my Facebook News feed.
An interesting post. But,I respectfully disagree. The internet is abuzz with recruiters and social media experts going ga-ga about social recruiting and branding. But,not everyone uses Facebook for social recruiting. Half the time people don’t even care about what is going to be the response to their posts on Facebook. People make judgements all the time based on daily conversations(face-to-face, telephone). If you login to Facebook, the box where you post status updates says “What’s on your mind?” People are so involved in their mundane activities that they post what is going on in their daily life. And sometimes, I find it interesting to know that my friend had a bad day at work or he/she is excited or saddened by some event or situation. That way,I can either choose to participate in it by reading and commenting,or just ignore it. If people are annoyed by some status updates, they have a choice – hide that post or hide that friend so that his/her feed does not appear in your live feed.
I know some recruiters on Facebook who post crap all the time by doing copy/paste from one website to another without even giving credit to the person who wrote the article. What annoys me the most is to read their updates because all they post is tips on job search, watch what you say on Facebook,use twitter effectively,etc. I read an article in USA Today which I like a lot. It was written by Jennifer Edmonds from Fort Collins,CO. Here is what she wrote –
“I feel sorry for people who are coping with a glut of social media toys.Do they even have lives separate from their electronic messaging?
Are they able to be present in the moment,or are they constantly yearning for acceptance from others? And how productive are they at their jobs?A really effective interview question for new hires might be, “How often during the work day do you use instant messaging?”Be in the moment,people! Be with your colleagues at work,be with your kids and loved ones at home,and stop trying to expand your social network.Try saying hello to the cashier at the grocery store or the guy working out next to you at the gym.You might actually get some satisfaction from face-to-face interaction.”
Prashad, thanks for your comment. I’m not sure you and I disagree as much as you think.
You said “People are so involved in their mundane activities that they post what is going on in their daily life,” and I agree. That’s my point exactly. I don’t necessarily care for an update from my friends as to what they are doing every moment of every day. But, I DO care if one of my friends is having a bad day and/or is rejoicing over good news in their life.
My minor point of the post was captured in the quote “If it’s not funny, about your physical/mental health, sociological classification, or geographical location, it’s probably not your status.”
My major point was more about how Twitter, for me, has become a much more valueable source of information while Facebook seems to be slipping into the “pointless updates” that Twitter once use to be known for.
Saw a great quote on Twitter over the weekend “Because of Twitter I’ve grown to love people I’ve never met, and because of Facebook I’ve grown to hate people I’ve know all my life”.
Thanks for sharing the quote Patrick, that made my morning 🙂