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Facebook Blames Email Problems On User "Confusion"

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Re: Facebook Blames Email Problems On User "Confusion"

#141
post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The thing about permanently backed up demographic info though: it changes. My age, for example, changes every year. My location changes every few years. My interests change. Hell, even gender changes.

All of those things are fairly trivial for FB to track. Age (obvious), Location (trackable through Places, geolocation, etc. through that thing in your pocket), Gender (presumably you would post a status update about something that big?), Employment (status, amassing colleagues as 'friends'?). It seems like they've hit on a constantly self-updating demographic info machine...

I was referring to your mention of "permanently backed up", i.e., stale demographic information, whose value decreases predictably with time. While FB is in business, you're spot on.

Re: Facebook Blames Email Problems On User "Confusion"

#142
post #22

I am reminded of an old Dilbert cartoon where they bring in a usability expert to help them write an app. After suggesting that the computer shock the user when they do the wrong thing, he quips, "I found this job to be a lot easier once I realized I hated people" Seriously, Facebook. Do one thing and do it well. Enough of this conquer-the-universe bullshit. I'm already at the point where I want to jump ship; I just…

Enough of this conquer-the-universe bullshit. Their end goal is to be the entire Internet in a curated show-you-only-what-you-agree-with-so-you-click-on-more-things model. They won't stop or slow down until something else makes them irrelevant.

They won't stop or slow down until something else makes them irrelevant.

I so hope open data combined with web-intents and a slew of standardized service-negotiation protocols comes and solves this in a final, crushing, open move.

Want event-management? Fine. That's data. Stored in your calendar. Which can be stored and managed somewhere else, just loosely connected, with OAuth to make sure nothing bad happens.

Want participant-management for those events? Fine. That's data attached to your events. Which can use your contact-data as a source. Which can be stored and managed somewhere else, just loosely connected, to one or many services, with OAuth to make sure nothing bad happens.

Want photos tied to those events? That's data. You get the idea. There should be no need to consolidate all your stuff one place. We don't do it in real life and we shouldn't have to do it on the internet either.

I dream of an internet composed of micro-services of open data talking together, composing new wonderful things.

You use the service which you think does things best for the things it does best, and you use other services for things you think they do better. You put together your own cloud of services and data.

In this world, horrible and monolithic beasts like facebook are not only not needed. They are not wanted.

We just need to standardize. We just need to chisel out the semantics of how we hook services together in a way which normal users can handle.

This is the only true path I can see forward, which stays true to the roots of the internet. This is the one path maximizing freedom, choice and reliability through network distribution.

I so cannot wait to see it realized.

Re: Facebook Blames Email Problems On User "Confusion"

#143
post #80
post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most users didn't want another email account period. They certainly didn't want Facebook to make that decision for them. It doesn't sound like "Other" was meant to be a spam folder. If that's the case why didn't they just call it "Spam" and install a spam filter to send mail there?

To clarify, what I meant was the Others folder is just their way of preventing Facebook Users from getting spam in their "Messages" page. Since no one really checks their Others folder, you don't get any spam. The side effect though is that the Others section _may_ have important messages, but Facebook can't risk having spam invade the "Messages" page. Also if you name the folder Spam, you're acknowledging that the F…

Nobody asked for or authorized "their way." Their way aucks, as does their entire communication system. Even their intra-Facebook messages are a disgraceful mess. Messages are simply tacked onto threads that are months old. Different types of communications are scattered all over the place. Friend requests, direct messages... it's pathetic.

Facebook is not that complicated a concept, yet they manage to screw it up royally and never fix it.

Re: Facebook Blames Email Problems On User "Confusion"

#144
post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Um, when people start waking up they will realize that it isn't, hasn't ever, and will never work. Facebook only functions on one core input; your demographic info. I would bet significant amounts of money that Facebook has permanently backed up everyone's demographic info for all eternity. It is the vulnerable point in the Facebook deathstar. No one already looks at or intentionally clicks on any adds on Facebook, i…

Demographic info may not be the only thing they know about. Given a lot of sites embed some sort of Facebook widget on their pages, they have a tracking mechanism. If I had not explicitly signed-out of Facebook before visiting all these other sites, Facebook knows about it. And maybe also the browsing habits of people in my network. That gives a really deep profile about me - a lot more than just my demographics. Rec…

They're worried about search but Facebook hasn't even tried any kind of search yet. Personally I'm not convinced they're as dangerous and plugged in as people think. Everything they've done seems to me to be the most obvious thing every time (e.g. instead of selling info to advertisers they just dump email addresses) and quite lazy.

Re: Facebook Blames Email Problems On User "Confusion"

#145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's right; facebook, google, apple and possibly others are on a course of mutually assured destruction. If they neglect any aspect of social networking (mail, friends, shopping, instant messaging) they fear that dominance in one aspect will lead to dominance in all. To not play is to risk suicide.

Google nailed email and has search down pretty good. Facebook has social networking. Twitter has ... something that keeps people dumping money on it. Personally, my money is on Google winning out, although not my investments.

I don't see any of them winning out, certainly not Google. Google did pretty well with email though personally I haven't touched my gmail in years (I let my iphone client manage it) and search seems extremely vulnerable to me. It's clear at this point that they're never going to "get" social.

Re: Facebook Blames Email Problems On User "Confusion"

#146

I am reminded of an old Dilbert cartoon where they bring in a usability expert to help them write an app. After suggesting that the computer shock the user when they do the wrong thing, he quips, "I found this job to be a lot easier once I realized I hated people" Seriously, Facebook. Do one thing and do it well. Enough of this conquer-the-universe bullshit. I'm already at the point where I want to jump ship; I just…

>> I'm already primed to leave. I'm just waiting on the right opportunity to come along.

How many opportunities is it going to take?

Just try it out for awhile, I consider it pretty low-risk. "Deactivate" your account, it will still be there if you change your mind. I left two years ago, I don't miss it, and my relationships haven't suffered.

Re: Facebook Blames Email Problems On User "Confusion"

#147
Is there a way to remove any mail aspect of FB? I looked at this "Other" folder today for the first time, and the only two mails in there were replies to spam messages I'm supposed to have sent. I see zero benefit in having a Facebook email address. I want to give it back.

Re: Facebook Blames Email Problems On User "Confusion"

#148
post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hi, I'm actually in the process of designing such a system, with the goal of maximizing privacy, sovereignty, decentralization, and overall empowerment (not to mention destroying the facebook spying machine). If you'd like to help out with ideas and brainstorming, please do email me at bash.vcs [squigllydoo [SHIFT+TWO]] . com. I already have some ideas for unique features that will set this apart from other similarly…

Why will you succeed where so many others have failed?

I have unique ideas for solutions to unsolved problems. I plan to use a painless and ubiquitous deployment platform, as well as an unparalleled level of decentralization (not federation where you're still a slave to the pod operator who can still sell you out) and sovereignty. I plan on publishing essays of my ideas as proposals on a site in the near future when I get around to doing so. I can keep you filled in if you're interested in contributing. (it'll all likely be GPLd.)

Re: Facebook Blames Email Problems On User "Confusion"

#149

At this point I think it should be obvious to Facebook that they are building and marketing a system that its users just don't want.

Absolutely. Users should demand their money back, too.

I'm not saying that non-paying users have a right to expect certain features or not. I'm saying that Facebook is wasting their resources and creating features that users won't use at best, or will drive them away at worst.
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