http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20100819/twl-facebook-puts-places-on-the-map-for-3fd0ae9.html What's next, a ***** size scanner? Where exactly is Facebook heading with this? To be quite honest I don't get most of facebook barring photo sharing and whatnot... but this is just another desperate attempt at creating something and making it look like it's actually needed. Seriously, who felt or feels the need to let all their friends know where they are at that very moment? Newsflash: everyone has their lives and nobody cares where you are! ****
I can imagine overprotective parents using this or a jealous girl keeping tab on her boy. That and stalking.
It's just Facebook getting in on the mobile scene. With Places, they are encouraging their userbase to expand in to mobile usage since the whole concept is based on not being home. Rage all you want, it's just a market calculation.
I know all that, but I can't help thinking that Facebook thinks this is where they go "oh you poor people not being able to post about where you are... well good news, we have heard your pleas and decided to provide this service". Is this really what people want? I accept that everyone is different and all, but does telling the most number of people about the most number of things give people pleasure? Really? I hope it flops from lack of interest.
This thread is about that facepage what-a-ma-jigger thing. So I will ignore it and instead endorse twitter, because at least on that, people post crap I can give a damn about.
It does give people pleasure, kuvasz. People like it when other people care, or at least appear to care. The more they tell other people over facebook, the more there is for other people to appear to care about, the happier they can be socially. Furthermore, I don't see why you would want something to ever flop when it doesn't exactly harm you. I think it's good that Facebook provides users with so many outlets, and allows users to pick and choose which they make use of.
I'd like it to flop because it imposes habits (sharing a bit too much about yourself... as I said, when's the ***** and boob size scanner coming?) on people. I'm saying that a lot fewer people feel/felt the need to share their location than how many will use the feature - the difference is the group that goes "oh hey this is cool let's do it". This way Facebook isn't supplying demand, it's setting it. And when you consider the profit they can be making from it, I can't help think that it's exploiting human stupidity. Because it is stupid to post about yourself so much... do these people really want to fuse with their netbooks and internet with next to no privacy? For, as you said, seeming interest which if the poster really cared could see through? I guess you're right, it's all about appearances. I guess I'm old fashioned.
