Facebook Timeline is too awful to be an accident

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Jan 18, 2012, 6:21 PM UTC

jgw wrote: post #27

"the smartest people in the world are working hard to come up with ways to get you to click on ads.” Does anyone know what quote he's alluding to here? I recall skimming an article on it some time ago, but I can't actually find the original. I've been thinking about this trend - and, quite frankly, being depressed by it - a lot recently.

Post by casca » Wed, Jan 18, 2012, 6:23 PM UTC

Post by randomdata » Wed, Jan 18, 2012, 6:28 PM UTC

natesm wrote: post #25

citricsquid wrote: post #7

I like the new Timeline feature but the inability for me to switch to some sort of "old" view when I just want to see a perfect list of updates without any fancy grouping an annoyance. For casual use the Timeline is good but it leaves a lot to be desired when I want to see everything.

Buy an iPhone. Joking. But the Timeline view in the iOS app places all items in a single column. That said, Facebook has basically become a place where I sync my tweets and other services like Instagram so that people that I know who don't use Twitter yet can see them.

Post by slig » Wed, Jan 18, 2012, 6:30 PM UTC

AznHisoka wrote: post #22

stevecooperorg wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The new timeline is why I quit FaceBook in December. It creates a badly jumbled view of the information I was really hoping to see -- what's going on with me and my friends? I can handle a straight chronological list very easily. This is an interesting answer to the question 'why didn't they stick with the simplest approach?'

Perhaps they're running out of ways to innovate and worthwhile things to do? Facebook, in its core is a very simple product. Most of the work I imagine is in making sure the servers don't crash. Sure everyone and their mom uses it, and it sounds sexy to work there, but actual work you do? Doesn't sound that complicated, cutting-edge or innovative. It's not like they're doing genetic engineering, or self driving cars.

Post by Lewisham » Wed, Jan 18, 2012, 6:34 PM UTC

jeffdechambeau wrote: post #20

simondlr wrote: post #5

While an interesting theory (I should read the book), how are you certain that system 2 comes online when viewing the timeline?

Can't be certain, but I know that from a subjective perspective my brain feels the same way browsing timeline as it does when I'm doing math or reasoning intently. The experience of cognitive strain is present in both cases. One example in the book is that even hard to read fonts can cause cognitive strain and make you judge the content of the text differently. I see that as being largely analogous.